AF Blog — Ritual

Split dye:

A split dye is when you use one color per side of your head, giving a two toned look. 

@Die4whitney in a Transylvania and Virgin Pink split dye

 How to create a split dye at home:

1. Pre-lighten hair if you’re planning on doing pastels or any AF colors that aren’t great for darker hair. See this blog for the best colors for unbleached hair if you don’t want to pre-lighten.
2. Part hair down the center of your head starting from the top all of the way to the base of your neck. 
3. Clip the half of your hair that you are dyeing second to one side starting from the base of your neck, using more clips as needed to make sure the hair is secure to one side. 
4. Take the other half of your hair and clip the top of your head, leaving only one small section, starting from underneath.
5. Apply dye section by section, roots to ends, until you have reached the top of your head. Make sure the last section you are careful to only apply product on the side of your hair you are dyeing. Go slowly here! I recommend using a small amount of dye applied with a brush and repeating until the last section is fully saturated.
6. Apply steps 4 and 5 to the other side of your head with your second color.
7. When you are ready to rinse, use cold water and lean your head to each side to prevent bleeding. Or if you have a detachable shower head, rinse each side at a time. 
8. Air dry or style from there and take a selfie or video of your new look and share it with us on Instagram!

Money Pieces

@pret_a_paisley in Wrath, Ritual, and Violet Dream Money Pieces

Money Pieces are dyed face framing sections for a fun color pop!

How to create money pieces at home:

1. Part from the middle of your scalp from the top of your head about 1-2 inches back depending on how chunky you want your money pieces to be.
2. Section each side from the end of that part, moving down the side of your head towards each ear. Clip or tie back the hair behind the money piece sections to make sure it is out of the way.
3. Apply dye to each side of the hair starting from the root to the ends. If you have thicker hair, do this in sections moving from underneath to the top. I recommend using a brush to do this. Be sure your hair is very saturated.
4. When it’s time to rinse, use cold water and keep the back of your hair clipped or pulled back. Lean your head forward and rinse to prevent any bleeding.
5. Enjoy your new fun look! 

Color Melts:

Color melts can be applied to any sectioned portion of hair, whether that is all over color, money pieces, peek-a-boos, etc., and can include as many colors as you want. Just make sure you are using complementary colors so when you blend them, they work together! A color melt is exactly what it is called- you are melting or blending each color into the next. 

@Ciarasikes created this rainbow color melt

How to create a color melt at home:

1. Section hair into the style you want to do the color melt on.
2. Take a smaller section of hair and clip up the rest, sectioning from the base of the section to the top of your head.
3. Apply the color you are using for the top of the melt at the root, making downward strokes with the brush. Apply as far down as you want for that color.  
4. With the second color, apply starting about a centimeter from the end of the previous color. If you are only using 2 colors, apply all of the way to the ends of each section. If you are using more than two colors, apply as far down as you want each color section to go, and apply the last color to the ends.
5. With a gloved hand or brush, blend the two colors filling in the gap. The colors will mix creating an ombre gradient so there is no banding in the melt.

AF pro tip: Make sure you are making each color block the same size for an even melt for each hair section for an even look! 

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Here is a video for multi-colored rainbow color melt!

There are so many color placements and mixes you can create using Arctic Fox, but these are some of the trendiest placements for the summer! You can even get creative with combining all of them, like a color melt on a split dye, split dyed money pieces, or a combination of all three! What color color placement are you going to try next?

@rubyhair3 in Wrath, Virgin Pink, Electric Paradise, Sunset Orange

Want to start getting creative with your AF hair dye shades and don’t know where to start? Well take a deep breath because you are exactly where you need to be 💕 The last thing we want to do is overwhelm you, so allow us to ease you into some information and a few of my favorite beginner friendly mixes to achieve a custom shade! 

Pro Tip ✨: It is important that before applying a mix of shades to your hair that you perform a strand test to be sure the outcome on your hair is what you’re looking for. It is much easier to adjust the shades in the bowl than it is after you’ve already colored your hair ☺️

Let’s first go over the 5 things to ask yourself before you color your hair and understanding the best AF colors for your undertone, as this is the best place to start, if you’re unsure. Now, if you aren’t familiar with the color wheel, here’s a full explanation on how to easily understand the magic of mixing! Once you’ve got an understanding of this, you’re ready to go.

Purple AF: Purple is a VERY versatile color simply because it’s a combination of warm and cool tones, made with red and blue. Just about any color or mix can include Purple AF for added depth and can also be used for color correcting, fixing brassy tones, adding to blue dye to counteract green results OR you can add a few drops to your conditioner to create your own purple shampoo! Moral of the story, if you’re a custom color addict like us or you’re just beginning your custom color journey, purple is a must-have so let’s jump right in!

For a deep cobalt hue, use a half-and-half ratio of Purple AF and Poseidon, or for a more pigmented shade use Aquamarine instead of Poseidon!

Adding in less purple will achieve this gorgeous blue, so I’d recommend starting with a base of Poseidon and adding in small amounts of Purple AF until you’ve reached your desired shade. 

However, for a more purple leaning shade, I’d recommend a base of Purple AF and slowly incorporating your Poseidon for a “blurple”! 

Now, if you didn’t know already, purples look SO good with other purples and Purple AF is the perfect shade to punch up our other purple shades. For example, here is a base of Girl’s Night + Purple AF for a vibrant indigo:

@ashley_the_fairy_color_mother

More Purple AF mixes: 

Basically, Purple AF is a necessity when it comes to mixing and can also be used to cover leftover green, red, orange, or blue tones that simply won't budge 🍇  💅

Pro Tip ✨: If you haven’t noticed it by now, when mixing, we suggest using the lighter shade as your base and adding the more pigmented shade in smaller amounts to not overpower your lighter base shade. This allows you to control the colors easily! 

Ritual: This color is a gorgeous burgundy all on its own, but today we wanted to showcase some of the awesome mixes you can create with this versatile tone! Whether you’re looking for a deep, dark red, or a soft, smoky pink, the possibilities are limitless. 

Base of Poison and added in Ritual for this hot look 🤤

Believe it or not, this mix of Sunset Orange, with a bit of Cosmic Sunshine and a drop of Ritual created this must have ginger shade 🤩

A moment for Ritual alone because she’s stunning 👏

🤤 Okay okay okay. We still have so many mixes to get to! 🏃♀️

How about a base of Ritual and Wrath for when you’re feeling a merlot moment? I’ll cheers to that 🍷

More Ritual Mixes: 

Note: Arctic Mist is not a dye, toner, or lightening product. This diluter will have no effect on the hair if applied by itself - it’s meant to be mixed with other colors to create custom shades.

Up next… Aquamarine! 

Aquamarine is one of our most pigmented blues with aquamarine/teal undertones. If you’re looking for an easy to mix shade, this is it! Starting strong with one of my favorite Aquamarine mixes: 
Aquamarine + Phantom Green 🌱: The jewel toned green can be achieved by combining two super pigmented shades! Starting with Phantom Green, slowly incorporate small drops at a time of Aquamarine for an unreal shade, guaranteed to turn heads.

I mean, c’mon! …

If you’re wanting more of a blue mix, we have this Poseidon + Aquamarine mix, which is a base of Poseidon and slowly incorporates Aquamarine until you get to your preferred custom shade.

For an extra deep blue, try Blue Jean Baby + Aquamarine 👇 Lots of Blue Jean Baby and small add-ins of Aquamarine. 

Maybe you want something on the lighter/softer side? PERFECT because this next mix is just that and it’s gorgeous! 

Diluted Aquamarine and Neverland (base of Neverland + drops at a time of Aquamarine + Diluted using our Arctic Mist Diluter) 

You could also try adding in a bit of Iris Green to your Aquamarine + Neverland mix (without diluter).

One of the last shades that I’d like to showcase is Sunset Orange. It may not seem like it at first, but Sunset Orange is a surprisingly versatile shade and can be used in lots of different mixes for custom colors! As you may or may not know, she is BRIGHT and on her own, this shade is a jaw dropper. However, let’s unveil some of these mixes, shall we? 😏 Buckle up, Fox Fam.. She’s coming in HOT!

Sunset Orange + small drop of Cosmic Sunshine.

Sunset Orange + 2 drops or so of Cosmic Sunshine

Sunset Orange + Purple AF for a rich red

Looking for an even spicier red? How about a base of Poison + Sunset Orange added in? 

Sunset Orange + Electric Paradise? Yes, please! This mix can be used to achieve that peachy vibe 🍑

I hope you enjoyed these simple custom mixes and we can’t wait to make more of these! 

Let us know your favorite color recipes with Sunset Orange, Ritual, Aquamarine and Purple AF in the comments!

Need more inspo pics before making a decision? Check out our Instagram for tons of inspiration! And of course, if you ever have any questions or need help mixing up the perfect custom shade, send us an email at support@arcticfoxusa.com. We’re always here to help 🫶 

 Happy coloring, Fox Fam! 🎨

Pink hair is the hair right now. Whether it is the perfect spring pastel or Barbie dream house inspired, you can’t go wrong with choosing a pink shade as your next color. 

If you love pink but don’t want to bleach, we recommend sticking with Virgin Pink for a true, vibrant pink. Virgin Pink is a highly pigmented hot pink that shows up best on pre-lightened hair, but will give a light to deep magenta tint on most darker bases. If you want to have all of the fun with none of the bleach damage, Virgin Pink is it! If you want a richer magenta shade, add some Ritual or Purple AF to add some depth, just like this custom mixed @yeseniadavis.hair look.

If you are aiming for a striking pink, Electric Paradise is the perfect stand alone color. It’s vivid, neon pink with coral undertones, that appears best on a level 10 pre-lightened hair and is UV reactive. Add some Poison like @tamaracamps did and you will have the most brilliant shade of pink!

If pastel is what you’re after, make sure you are at a level 10 platinum base. Pastels won’t show up or last on hair that isn’t pre-lightened as much as possible before application. Achieve the ideal pastel pink with Bleach, Please to lighten and our favorite pastel pink, Frosé to color. Frosé is the perfect bubble gum pink that is gorgeous on its own or is great as a starting point for a custom pastel pink base! @Laura_lape looks pretty in pink showcasing Frosé as is. Cotton candy bubble gum dreams!

These are just some of the pink shades you can achieve with Arctic Fox! Check out our Instagram to learn more about other custom mixes to find your perfect pink 💓

Fall is finally here, Fox Fam! 🤪🍁 We’ve gathered some of our favorite hair color mixes for all of your fall hair transitions. ✨  From warm tones to dark smokey hues, we’ve got all of your Fall color inspo in one place. Sit back, relax, and get ready to get inspired! Here are some of our favorite color mixes that we’re loving this season.

Feel the (Burn)gundy 😏

This one is so nice, we had to mix it twice. Burgundy tones make us feel ALL the feels, and for good reason. Try it yourself by mixing Frosé and Ritual (top) for a lighter take on the trend, or go dark by mixing Ritual and Blue Jean Baby (bottom) for a richer color that’s also friendly to darker hair bases!

Dream of Green(ie)

One of our highest requested mixes this season! Forest green has become one of your favorite shades (and ours too 😉). This mix is suitable for just about ALL hair base levels, showing up vibrantly of prelightened hair, and as a gorgeous tint on darker bases. 🌲 Try it for yourself by mixing Phantom Green Aquamarine and a touch of Transylvania.

Ginger Spice

Our ginger spice mix is one of our most beloved mixes of all time, and for good reason! 🧡  This custom shade requires a base of Cosmic Sunshine, a bit of Sunset Orange and a dollop of Purple AF to create this ginger tone. BUT, you can also modify the mix to achieve a more coppery tone by adding in more Sunset Orange and Purple AF to the mix!

Let’s Get Witchy 

Did someone say… smokey purple? 😏💜 To say we’re OBSESSED with this shade, would be an understatement. Want to turn heads? Try this truly unique shade (suitable for darker bases) by mixing up Violet Dream and Transylvania!

Let us know in the comments below if you will be trying any of these mixes!

When choosing your next AF color, considering your skin’s undertone can help narrow down your choice and accentuate your natural features.

So what is an undertone anyway? Your skin tone is the surface level color of your skin that can change due to the season or sun exposure. For example, your summer foundation color might be darker than your winter foundation. Your undertone on the other hand is the underlying tone of your skin that is ever-present and doesn’t change with the seasons. Keep reading to find out more about how to determine your undertone and which Arctic Fox hair colors are best suited for you.

While knowing your undertone can help narrow down your choice of color, don’t let it stop you from fully expressing yourself. We’re all about breaking the rules at AF! Read through to the end and we’ll give you some tips on how to break the rules in a way that still accommodates your undertone.

Undertone Categories

There are three categories of undertones: cool, warm, and neutral. Cool undertones have a pink or bluish hue to their skin. Warm undertones have a yellow, golden, or peachy hue to their skin. Neutral undertones have undertones that are close to the color of their surface skin.

How to Find Your Undertone

Figuring out your undertone can be a bit confusing at first. Follow the tests below for an easy way to determine your undertone.

Vein Method

Take a look at your veins. A good place to look is around your wrist or the back of your hands.

1. Do your veins appear purple or blue? You have cool undertones.
2. Do your veins appear green or olive? You have warm undertones.
3. Do you have a mix of blue and green, or can’t tell? You likely have neutral undertones.

Jewelry Method

If you have trouble seeing your veins or want confirmation of the vein method, the jewelry method is a great option! Most people are attracted to either silver or gold jewelry based on the way it looks against their skin. Grab a piece of silver and another of yellow gold. Try them on and take a look at which you feel best in.

1. If you prefer the way silver jewelry looks on your skin, you have cool undertones.
2. If you prefer the way yellow gold jewelry looks on your skin, you have warm undertones.
3. If you look great in both or don’t have a preference, you likely have neutral undertones.

White T-Shirt Method

Throw on a white t-shirt and go outside in natural light. Pay attention to how your skin looks in comparison to the white t-shirt.

1. If your skin looks rosy or pink, you have cool undertones.
2. If your skin looks golden or yellow, you have warm undertones.
3. If you don’t really see a change, you have neutral undertones.

If you’re struggling to figure out which category you fall in, or you’re a mix of cool and warm undertones according to the tests, then you most likely have neutral undertones!

Best AF Colors for Cool Undertones

If you have cool undertones, cool colors will complement your skin best. Think blues and purples or colors with those undertones. Check out the color chart below for the best AF colors for cool undertones.

@blairemartine

@sheaella

Best AF Colors for Warm Undertones

If you have warm undertones, warm colors will complement your skin best. Think reds, oranges, yellows or colors with those undertones. Check out the color chart below for the best AF colors for cool undertones.

@notyourdestiny___

@itslauren.jpg

Best AF Colors for Neutral Undertones

If you have neutral undertones, lucky you! You can rock any literally any AF color.

@berlinstacey 

How to Break the Rules

Rules are meant to be broken, babe. So how do you break the rules while still considering your undertone?

Frame your Face 

Use the trendy money piece look or face framing layers in a color that does complement your undertone in combination with colors that don’t.

@chjango john.n1115

Split Dyes

Split dyes are a great way to incorporate multiple colors. Choose one side that compliments your undertone with the other half that doesn’t.

@itskcphan

Create A Melt

Create a melt with a color that matches your undertone closest to your face melted into a color that doesn’t match. Another option is to melt AF into your natural color. For inspo on the best color melts, make sure you’re following us on TikTok and Instagram!  

@la_main_d_argent_

@kisandyy

Don’t Give A F!

Seriously. Do whatever you want! Rules are meant to be broken, and if you feel great in a color that doesn’t complement your undertone, who cares?! Confidence is the best complement.

@ashley.smit17