All about Pastel Pink hair and best products to dye at home.

How do you make pastel pink hair? This is probably the most asked question by you! Before I explain you this, let’s just chat about my hair background as I need to explain you something important. The thing is, that pastel hair it’s not just a hair colour. Is all down to your confidence as well as knowing your colour scheme. Pastel pink hair won’t magically change your life if you either don’t like yourself and think this will change the world (it won’t!)

Confidence it’s a key. If you get your colour right, and it’s also the right colour for your skin tone, then yes, you will get loads of compliments (even if you think you have a bad hair day!) However, if you lacking confidence and have a suspicious nature like you generally don’t trust people, then this can be your nightmare! People stare at you. Like-All the time. Mostly kids and old people, but wherever I go after a fresh toner application, I get this that people just watch me. I have no clue what they think, whether they like it or hate it. I used to try to read their minds, it didn’t work so I have given up! Now, I just smile to them and mind my own business. It’s my choice for making myself stand out (which definitely works) so I can’t complain now. This is one of this things when people decide drastically change their look but lack their confidence, then they will be complaining that people point them out or stare at them. ou have to understand that you are getting yourself like on a tray for people to be more visible and you have to use to it. I find it amazing! I love it. I laughed multiple times when I forgot my business cards during an event, that I already have one in my head. So, if you decide to go for pastel pink hair- be sure you want people to stare at you ( and kids being scared- I love that too haha #evilme)

So, let’s start with my background & talk about skin colour

When I made for the first time pastel pink hair, I already had experience of colouring my hair – just not pink. I probably went through the whole natural colour spectrum from platinum blond, brown to black but also I tried combination colours from red roots, red underneath, peach roots, blue strikes etc. I was very experimenting getting all sort of looks! I was having hair extensions for volume as well as for lenght. As you can see, I already tried many aspects and learn in the process of what works for me and what doesn’t. If you are going to dye your hair pastel pink for the first time, this may be tricky. I have widely experimented so I learned over the years that I best to work with cold colour tones. Despite the odd, and every hairdresser telling me my skin should be great with warm tones, I just don’t like it personally! I have gone through many hair dyes to find the one that is far from warm tones. (and it’s tricky as we all know that pastel pink comes from mixing red and white) and then depends on of the tone you want you ca add purple, yellow or blue. For example, just red hair, I looked ridiculous and it didn;t work with my skin tone so I know I need to go for pastel pink with more blue tones. So, that’s why is important that you experimented with hair colours so you can find the perfect shade!

My hair with Loreal Ultra Brights shocking pink + home conditioner

Bleaching

You will never get a beautiful pastel shade without pre-bleached hair unless you have naturally a very light blond hair. Any dark blond, lift brown etc. need lifting! You can do that 3 ways.

Roots& full length bleach: The first way, it’s just normal bleach mix with either 6%, 9% or 10% peroxide (depends on how dark your currently is) All of these will damage your hair somehow, so don’t even think it won’t. It will. If you are using great products like shampoo, hair conditioner and mask then it’s great you can keep them looking good and minimise the damage, but as soon as you attempt to re-do your roots then it wall start as it will always bleed on already bleached hair and that’s where the stripping starts. Bleaching your hair in full will give you a nice solid pastel colour.

Highlights: This method is mostly recommended by hairdressers. I think this is great if you only want to bleach part of your hair. If you re-doing roots and adding more bleach month by month there is no difference in hair damaging that you just do roots as both will bleed. Yes, you will have some strikes on natural hair, and by doing this method, you won’t have one colour. You win end up with nice soft layers of different shades. I personally quite like this ( and this is the method I am doing) Just be aware- it still damages your hair.

Bleach bath: This is the very alike first method by with extra shampoo in your bleach powder and peroxide mix. Bleach bath is more gentle to your hair but bleach slower and the results are weaker. I would recommend strongly to just do bleach bath and slowly getting down to a colour you need.

You can get all sort of shades of pink– from flamingo pink, magenta pink to a pastel colour. When you buy pastel pink toner you have usually 2 types of hair dye available:

Colour-Freedom Pink Pizazz +pasteliser

Pre-mixed toner ( brands I tried: Bleach London, Crazy Colour, Directions)

positives: It’s easy to use and carry if you travel as usually comes in the bottle of 100ml. Pre-mixed hair toner is perfect if you have platinum hair and most likely you will get the exact shade as stated on the bottle. It’s a quick and easy application with 15min on your hair. Done & Dusted.

negatives: You can’t darker the shade you can eventually lighten it up with a hair conditioner. If you are using a natural hair colour- if you have a blond you will end up with sort of a rose gold tone, which can be great but not if you are after the exact shade. I think these fade faster than those you mix yourself and usually shade very visible just after 1st wash

Toner that you mix yourself ( brands I tried:Colour-freedom, loreal Professional)

positives: You have the full control of what shade you will get and this is definitely my preferred version! I find these also last much longer on your hair than pre-mix that and sometimes takes up to 2-3 washes to start seeing the colour fading.

negatives: you have to mix yourself 😉 some people just don’t like fafing with that. I don’t mind. If you not familiar with ratio’s you may end you with too strong- or too light colour.

I have tried and tested many colours, here are my results of the products:

bleach London, rose.

Lovely & vibrant cold tone pastel pink shades of Bleach London, I really like their pre-mixed colour. Although despite a platinum hair, it never reached the full colour and wash off fairly quickly. It was great if I kept for like 30min instead of 15min though. I also tried on light blonde (without bleach) and gives nice rose tone shade. Their shampoo & conditioner range is a great complimentary product! (All rose pink of course)

crazy colours, candy floss

This is more warm pastel pink shade of Candy Flos and I would say slightly going straight away into a rose gold tone. It lasts just about same time as Bleach London but has a handy small bottle to top up anytime.

I used on both bleached and natural extension and had a very similar effect, so it was good for those with extensions. Very watery consistency and super easy application. Perfect on if I am away!

Candy floss crazy colours

Directions, pastel pink

I would say exactly the same thought as crazy colour just with slight thicker consistency. Again, more a rose gold shade but gives nice colour definition. I know Directions as I used them previously as a teenager doing my red roots! Very handy small tube and also super easy applications but keep longer than 15min.

Colour freedom, pink pizazz

The tube itself has very strong flamingo pink colour but I always use with pasteliser or White based conditioner (white colour helps to neutralise) With the right mixed ratio, you get a nice cold shade of pastel pink (The one I am using). It takes second to mix both pasteliser with the colour. I usually do slight darker at first, and then let it wash off a bit so it lasts for a 1,5 week for me.

Colour-Freedom Pink Piazz plus pasteliser

loreal live Professional, (Ultra Brights or Pastel-Shocking Pink)

You will get a tube of rather magenta pink and 2 sachets of conditioner to pastelise your colour. This is more lilac/ purple shade of pink and perfect for those who are after this shade. I would say that they should increase the number of the sachets as I personally used both at the first time but you can always just use your own conditioner. It last pretty long as well, but takes longer to mix as has very thick paste consistency but overall it’s a great product.

Loreal Professional Ultra brights

Tips for getting your hair pastel pink &

keep the colour for longer:

1. If you ever overdue your hair colour, you can easily wash off with an anti dandruff shampoo as it works amazingly as the colour cleanser. I always have a bottle my Loccitane shampoo for it on the side. It’s easy because my boyfriend uses this shampoo on a daily basis (he loves this one) so I don’t need to extra spend. Same time, don’t use it on a daily basis as you will wash off your colour- logic right 😉

2. Use colour shampoo! It helps to keep your colour longer and Bleach London Rose Shampoo
even have a special pink shampoo and conditioner for a pink hair. £5 per bottle. I personally use my Redken series and love it!

3. Don’t leave a mask on straight after toner as this will literally wash off your colour. I use hair masks always BEFORE. Mostly during the days when my hair is washed off colour, then I let my hair leave a bit and add coconut oil and my Redken mask on.

4. Always use colour protecting spray on and add some product on your ends while you styling.

5. Salt will wash off your colour. Whether you are taking a sea salt bath or on holiday- your hair colour will disappear as soon as you will step into the salty water. If you are on holiday, always have an extra bottle of toner with you. At home, avoid dipping your hair.

Crazy Colours Candy floss result rose gold pink

Loreal Professional Ultra brights pink/lilac shade

I will be talking about conditioning my hair and keeping them healthy, in my next posts in details of what products works best for pastel pink hair but also how to dye your hair pastel pink step by step 🙂

*I was gifted and won products shown in this post, but opinion is entirely my own.