Since Ultra Violet was named Pantone’s 2018 Color of the Year, countless iterations of purple hair have been invading Instagram feeds. Between photos of delicate balayage and low-key bronde looks, you can find purple hair in basically every shade imaginable. And stylists over at Be Scene Studios in Rockville, MD, have been experimenting with the trendy hue in ways you will want to try out as soon as possible. With spring coming up, there’s no better time to freshen up your colour, right?
If you’ve been into all the pastel hair trends we’ve been covering lately like kaleidoscope hair and pink cloud hair, you’ll love stylist Yokii Techi’s metallic lilac shade she adorably dubbed “taro bubble tea.” Prefer more vibrant hues? You’re going to want to check out colourist Ahn Le’s “smoked velvet” hair. Keep scrolling to find out more how the stylists created their viral purple hair looks.
Taro Bubble Tea Hair
A post shared by Yokii Techi💀♏️🌱(@yokii.san) on Jan 24, 2018 at 4:34pm PST
Let’s start on the lighter side of the spectrum: taro bubble tea. Yokii Techi executed this dye job on Reina Salguero, another stylist at Be Scene Studios. If you’ve sipped on taro bubble tea lately, then you’ll know that the grey-toned lilac is incredibly spot on. Just looking at it makes me crave it.
To bring this unique purple tea colour to life, Techi started off by toning Salguero’s pre-lightened hair with a silver hue. Then, she brushed on a mixture of Pulp Riot’s Mercury (silver), Blush, and Lilac. Considering this delicious shade now? “Anyone with healthy virgin hair can achieve this in two separate hair sessions,” Techi tells Allure. The first appointment would be for bleaching your hair, and the second is for the colour.
Smoked Velvet Hair
A post shared by Anh Le 💄(@annaabananax3) on Feb 28, 2018 at 5:57pm PST
On the darker side of the spectrum, there’s smoked velvet hair, which is a rich amethyst hue. It’s deeper and more intensely purple than taro bubble tea hair. Ahn Le’s inspiration was less literal than her fellow Be Scene Studios stylist. “My look was inspired by the last colour that we did on my client,” she tells Allure. “She loved the way her hair colour faded out and wanted to keep the purple and have the same fade out.”
Like Techi, Le started off toning her client’s hair with a silver shade. Then, she painted on a combo of Pulp Riot’s Smoke (graphite), Velvet (grape), Lava (neon orange), and Clear. The whole process took about three to four hours, Le tells Allure.
Despite the dark shade of purple used, light hair is still necessary to accomplish the look. To be specific, “smoked velvet works best on level eight to nine hair,” Le says. If your hair isn’t already lightened, she adds that it should be healthy and strong enough to be lifted to that level.
