The best lavender hair dyes to channel your inner mermaid

These are the best at home lavender hair dyes for salon-level results at half the price.

Best lavender hair dye - Closer

by Ruby Barry |
Updated on

Using the best hair dye to colour your hair a unique shade is always an exciting way to spice up your look, especially if it's a dramatic lavender hair dye look. Whether it’s a special occasion, a recent break-up (we’ve all been there), or you’re just looking for a change- switching the colour of your hair is such an easy way to feel new and refreshed. Our recent obsession in the hair-colouring world is lavender-purple hair.

Recently, pastel colours have come into fashion (think magical silver hair dye), and our personal favourite is lavender. The colour practically suits anyone and gives any face a gorgeous, fairy-like appearance. We love that you can get box dyes in online stores instead of paying loads for a salon trip. The power of the internet.

Box colour hair dyes, whether permanent or semi-permanent, are the more affordable way to go and make it easier to top up your roots later. For a more in-depth look at colouring your hair a purple tone, check out our ultimate guide to purple hair dye. It’s important to remember that lavender is a light-toned colour, so will only show up on a light base, such as blonde or bleached hair.

In a hurry? Here are our top three lavender hair dyes at a glance:

Best lavender hair dye for a variety of shades (Editor's Choice): Shrine Purple Hair Dye Drop It Kit - Buy on SHRINE

Best lavender hair dye on Amazon: Crazy Colour Semi Permanent Hair Dye (Lavender No.54) - Buy on Amazon

Best affordable lavender hair dye: La Riché Directions Semi-Permanent Hair Colour (Lilac) - Buy on Amazon

If you try these lavender hair dyes on black-dyed hair… well, we don’t know what to tell you. The break-up must have really affected you. We hope you’re doing ok. Alas, we are bringing you the top lavender hair dyes on the market, as well as some handy tips about how to dye your hair at home.

SHOP: The best lavender hair dyes to buy online in 2023

Best lavender hair dye for a variety of shades (Editor's Choice)

Shrine Purple Hair Dye – Drop It Kit, semi-permanent SHRINE

SHRINE has created this fantastic concept for dyeing your hair, wherein the colour can change in vibrancy and tone depending on how many drops you add to the mixture. As well as this, the kit comes with a silicone mixing bowl and tools and is vegan, cruelty-free and plastic-free. All of that for only £12.99! What more could you want? That's why it's our top pick.

Customer review: "In love with the drop it collection. It's so easy to use and you can achieve so many different shades. My absolute go-to!"

Pros

  • spectrum of purple/lavender tones to choose from
  • leaves your hair super soft

Cons

  • Some reviews say they wish it would last a little longer

Best lavender hair dye on Amazon

Crazy Colour's semi-permanent dye has the most gorgeous pastel lavender result, with no dullness in sight. You can even mix a little of the dye with conditioner to use as a hair mask, making the colour last longer than 8 washes.

Customer review: "This colour is stunning on freshly bleached hair! I get compliments daily on how beautiful the colour is! I put it on neat once per month and add a splash to my conditioner every time I wash it to keep it topped up!"

Pros

  • Works on all blonde tones
  • pigmented
  • fades into a lovely pastel tone

Cons

  • Some reviews say it doesn't work well on more damaged hair.

The best affordable lavender hair dye

La Riche Directions Lavender Semi-Permanent Hair Colour 88mlAmazon
Price: £8.74
Alternative retailers
Walmart$14.83View offer

This little pot packs a lot of punch. Described as more of a conditioner than a typical hair dye formula, this long-lasting semi-permanent dye from La Riche means no dry ends for you. And at such an amazing price, you can always keep a tub in the shower caddy every time you want to wow the world with some lavender lusciousness.

Customer review: "Love, love, love how easy this is to use. Personally, I jump in the shower, wash my hair and put on plastic gloves. Then I use a squirt of conditioner and a tablespoon-sized scoop of lavender dye. 50/50 approx. I mix it in my hands and rub it all over my head. Have a little sing-song, maybe shave my legs. After 5 mins, wash off. Silky soft hair in a lovely lilac shade! If I want it darker I'll do a 10 per cent conditioner, and 90 per cent dye mixture… So easy. I love this brand and it's a great price!"

Pros

  • Super easy to reapply in the shower
  • very affordable
  • Conditioning

Cons

  • Some reviews say the development time of 30 minutes leaves the colour a little muted, so leave it on for longer for a stronger colour
  • Works best on chemically treated hair

Best lavender hair dye for a conditioning treatment

You can't go wrong with L'Oréal. This Colorista semi-permanent dye uses chroma-cream technology with a conditioner hair-mask base. This makes sure your hair is less damaged from the dyeing process and gradually fades over 1-2 weeks. With its tube-bottled design, it is super easy to apply, with beautiful results.

Customer review: "Easy to use, thick consistency and nice scent. My hair is naturally silver grey, I was worried it might not take as hair softer when silver, but it's now a lovely shade of lilac and very soft due to conditioners in the product. If your hair is past shoulder length, I would say you need two. Will be buying again."

Pros

  • Nourishing
  • Subtle pastel shade
  • easy to apply

Cons

  • Some reviews say you need more than one bottle to cover your hair, and your hair has to be light blonde

Best lavender hair dye for vibrant results

Schwarzkopf has been known for years to be an expert in bright, playful colours. With this semi-permanent Lilac Crush colour, you can try the shade for up to 8 washes, which means you don't have to commit long-term if you change your mind. If you want to keep topping up, this product comes as a 3-pack, so plenty to go around.

Customer review: "Love the colour, the dye was like a paste and was quite difficult to spread as you see I have short hair and had to use the whole 3 boxes to make sure all of my hair was covered as the paste was hard to spread over. But absolutely love the colour. Great value for money"

Pros

  • From a trusted colouring brand
  • Includes a nourishing conditioner
  • Vibrant colour

Cons

  • Some reviews claim the colour washes out much quicker than 8 washes.

Best lavender dye recommended by celebrities

This Bleach London semi-permanent colour creme is all over Instagram and TikTok and is a favourite of the likes of Lou Teasdale and Lottie Tomlinson. Apply to bleached and toned blonde or very light blonde hair and if you've got long locks, it's best to use two bottles.

Customer review: "I do love this colour despite how gentle it is! It needs your hair to be very light to take. It is also very sensitive to differences in your hair colour meaning it causes a noticeable gradient (however I think this improves the look and is rather pretty)."

Pros

  • It's not too bright
  • Nourishing
  • Suitable for all hair types

Cons

  • It won't work on any colour other than bleached or blonde hair, which can be a bit of a pain if you don't get your roots done as often as you'd like
  • It washes out pretty quickly

Best vegan lavender hair dye

Manic Panic lavender hair dyeAmazon

If you're after a brand that is good for your hair AND the environment, manic panic virgin snow is the one for you. Manic Panic semi-permanent hair colour contains no animal ingredients and uses superior ingredients.

Customer review: "Nice and easy-to-use hair toner. It makes your hair very shiny and light but doesn’t dry it out."

Pros

  • Vegan and climate change friendly
  • Notoriously strong colour
  • Known to last a lot longer than other dyes

Cons

  • Use on darker hair is not recommended

Best lavender dye toner

Revolution Hair Tones for Blondes Lavender FieldsRevolution Beauty

This hair toner from Revolution Beauty comes in so many shades, but the Lavender Fields is the one we've got our eye on. Perfect for a bleached blonde who wants to switch things up, these toners last for 2-15 washes. Reds and purples take longer to wash out so there's even more leverage for your locks.

Customer review: "Super happy- Great pigmentation, I love the smell, it's nice and pleasant. And the colours fix very well on the hair, lasting longer than other brands and brighter. It also made my hair so soft and hydrated. I would highly recommend and I will buy it again."

Pros

  • Tones and conditions in one step
  • Leaves hair super glossy
  • Vibrant colour
  • The smell is lush!

Cons

  • Be wary if you only want a lavender colour for a short period of time as purple tones are known to linger longer on certain hair porosities

Best for a smokey, ashy lavender tone

Toners are often used in hairdressers to banish yellow and brassy tones from bleached hair. Some have been created so they not only do that but give an ashy lavender tone to your hair - just like this Bleach London Grey Violet Toner.

Customer review: "I bought this toner after dyeing my hair blonde, as I wanted a change! It was super easy to apply, just like applying hair dye. My hair was more purple-toned after washing the toner off, and it seemed to be more intense towards the front of my hair than the back (not sure why- it was applied all over). It also did not colour the roots of my hair at all, even though they were blonde to start with. After washing my hair a couple of times, my hair is more grey/silver now and I love it! The violet came out after one wash but I love the grey colour so it didn't matter to me. This is my first time using a toner and I would definitely use it again."

Pros

  • Beautiful lilac to begin with and will fade to a lush silver tone
  • No long-lasting damage
  • It smells delightful!

Cons

  • It's best used on really light hair

How to dye hair at home

Whether you've got red-dyed hair, blonde or even purple hair, you can keep up your colour at home. Here are some top tips.

You will need...

1 - A plastic dye brush and bowl (you can get these on Amazon super cheap)

2 - Make-up wipes

3 - A disposable shower cap (again, Amazon)

4 - Latex gloves, a couple of pairs (once more...Amazon 😂)

5 - A barrier cream (like Vaseline)

6 - Hair clips/bands to section

7 - And your box dye, of course. If you have thick or long hair, you might want to buy two boxes.

Method (plus dos and don'ts)

1 - Put on an old shirt that you don't care about. You'll want something you can button open, but also something you won't mind the dye dripping onto (even if it says non-drip, there's no guarantee).

2 - Lay everything out in front of you ready to go. You don't want to be elbow deep in dye when you realise you haven't opened one of the bottles.

3 - TEST YOUR COLOUR. If you want to avoid green hair, test your dye of choice on a small patch of hidden hair before you start.

4 - Smear the barrier cream around your hairline to prevent staining. Don't forget to do it in and around your ears.

5 - Section off your first layer of hair with a clip (we recommend between four and six layers total, depending on your hair's thickness).

6 - For the best results, use your brush and bowl (don't squirt it on from the bottle), follow the instructions on the box and apply the dye to dry hair, starting at the root and combing down through to the ends.

7 - Wipe away any dye spills as soon as they happen to avoid any nasty stains.

8 - And, while the dye develops, use your shower cap to prevent any further drips/stains.

9 - Finish up the process/any conditioning treatments provided as instructed and enjoy your flashy new 'do 💁🏼‍♀‍.

10- Avoid getting dye on your skin, but if you do, don't worry just follow our guide to getting hair dye off your skin.

Once you're ready to move on from your hair colour, you can use a hair colour-stripping shampoo to begin resetting your hair for the next colour inspiration.

Ruby Barry is a Product Writer for Closer Online, specialising in fashion and beauty. The team has nicknamed her “dupe queen”, as there’s not a product in the world she can’t find a cheaper alternative for.

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