Purple Hair Dye

Purple Hair Dye

If you ask us, there are few hair dye colors quite as versatile as purple. Depending on the shade and undertone, purple hair can be sultry and dramatic, or soft and sweet—and it’s one of those rare colors that suits virtually every skin tone. If you’re looking to transform your look with a purple hair color, you’ve come to the right place. At Lime Crime, we have eight different semi-permanent purple hair dyes to choose from. Saturate your strands with vivid violets and moody eggplants from our line of Unicorn Hair Full Coverage dyes, or pastel-ify your platinum strands with our semi-sheer Unicorn Hair Tints. Even the commitment-phobic can add a new hue to their ‘do with our easy-to-use temporary hair color sprays. Keep reading to learn all about our best purple hair dyes and how to use them to give your tresses the glow-up they deserve. 

Can I Dye My Hair Purple Without Bleaching It?

One question we’re always asked about: Will our hair dyes work on natural (that is, unbleached or chemically-processed) hair? The answer: Yes—but there’s a caveat. Our semi-permanent purple hair dyes will produce the most vivid results on pre-bleached hair, but it isn’t a hard-and-fast requirement. Those with darker blonde or light brown strands can use our high-intensity, full-coverage formulas to give their hair a gorgeous, royal tint that fades gradually over time. For light purple colors, like lavender and periwinkle shades, we recommend lightening your hair to at least a medium-blonde shade first for maximum color payoff. 

Other occasions that call for bleach include if your starting shade falls anywhere between black and light brown (levels 1-6), and if you have virgin hair. Strands that have never been lightened or chemically-treated won’t fully absorb the color. You can bleach your own mane without stress using our safe and easy Unicorn Bleach Party kits.

What Is The Best Purple Hair Dye For Brown Hair?

If you’re not ready to reach for the bleach just yet, we recommend playing around with our full-coverage purple dyes—specifically, the darker shades, such as Genie or Chocolate Cherry. These rich, velvety hues will imbue your darker strands with a subtle, yet rich purple tint, without the need for any pre-lightening. Best of all, these semi-permanent hair colors are damage-free and will leave your newly-colored strands looking soft, sleek, and shiny. 

Another option is to use a temporary purple hair spray to coat your strands in short-lived, high-intensity pigment. Our washable hair dye sprays are suitable for all hair types (and shades) and rinse out easily with water so you can experiment with a new color on the daily, if you’d like!

How Long Does Purple Hair Dye Last?

Unlike permanent hair dyes, which stay in your hair until they grow out completely, our semi-permanent hair dyes fade gradually over time, allowing you to change up your look more frequently. The better you care for it, the longer your coveted color will last. To help minimize unwanted fading, avoid shampooing every day, as doing so can remove your color faster. When you do lather up, use our purple Unicorn Hair Color Shampoo and Unicorn Hair Color Conditioner, which deposit sheer color to help keep your mane looking vibrant and fresh.

Is Purple Hair Dye Damaging?

At Lime Crime, we believe in treating your hair with love. That’s why all of our fan-favorite hair dyes are formulated without harsh chemicals, bleach, or peroxide. What they do contain is 100% vegan pigment and ultra-nourishing conditioning agents that will leave your hair feeling healthy and soft—no matter how often you color your mane. 

Does Purple Hair Dye Stain? 

As anyone who has ever DIY-ed their hair at home knows, hair dye can leave stains—it’s just a fact of life. Though our dyes are formulated to transfer less than others, you’ll still want to wear gloves and protect fabrics and hard surfaces when dyeing your hair. If a drop of dye does end up on your skin, use our color-removing wipes to get it off. We also recommend using a dark-colored or old towel the first few times you shower after coloring your hair. One final stain-preventing tip: Dry your hair thoroughly before going to sleep (or getting dressed) to minimize the risk of color transfer. 

What Is The Best Purple Hair Dye?

Asking us to name our best purple hair dye is like asking a dog owner to choose their favorite pooch—it’s not possible. The beauty about beauty is that it’s up to you to determine what look you like best. Shop by hair color to peep all of our gorgeous purple shades, and check out our swatch guide to see how each will look on your hair. Craving something more customized? Mix your favorite purple hair dyes together to create a one-of-a-kind shade, or spike your dye with our Unicorn Hair Mixers to create a look that’s all your own.


For answers to more common color questions, check out our Unicorn Hair FAQ page.