AF Blog — Sterling

@pasteljacqueline in Poseidon 

We’ve been in denial but summer is long gone, and the fall vibes are quickly fading into winter. As the cold months settle in, your tanning routine, skincare routine, and hair care routine are probably all undergoing a major change. So that calls for a whole new routine! AKA an excuse to indulge in some new self care, but hey, who are we to judge!?

The same hair advice we preach year ‘round for both lasting color AND ultimate hair health is don’t 👏🏻 wash 👏🏻 your 👏🏻hair 👏🏻 every 👏🏻 day. And guess what, that advice still applies during the colder months even though you might be sweating less, staying in more, and opting for a movie night instead of a night out with the girls. In any case, having designated wash days once or twice a week is a great way to keep that moisture locked into your strands for as long as possible. 

When it is wash day, make sure you’re using a color safe and sulfate free shampoo and conditioner! This step makes the biggest difference, and shampoo and conditioner is not the place to skimp out when it comes to your hair care routine! Our Resurrected Duo is vegan, color-safe, and sulfate-free, and it’s also PACKED with amino acids and antioxidants that contribute to hair strength and hydration. Resurrected shampoo is formulated with argan and macadamia nut oil to hydrate and soften while adding shine and reducing frizz. PERFECT for those winter months when hair static is an absolute pain in the a🫢. Shea butter, castor oil, and sunflower seed oil (just to name a few!) are the allstar ingredients in Resurrected conditioner - all of the above boost hydration, strengthen each strand, and leave you with soft, nourished strands. Ugh, can it be wash day already!? 

Even though winter seems to be the time to turn that shower knob as hot as it can go, remember your hair needs extra moisture during these months and a lower water temperature is your best friend! Try a lukewarm lather and rinse finished off with some cold water - this will help prevent brittle and breakage on those lovely strands. 

Whenever you do venture out into the cold, try a protective style like braids, a low bun, or tuck it into your favorite beanie! Depending on where you live, cold air or harsh elements actually dry out your hair and can contribute to breakage, so protecting your strands is a MUST. Silk or satin headwraps or pillowcases will be an absolute lifesaver during the dryer months - your hair will thank you. 🤝

Our favorite ✨Pro Tip✨ when it comes to keeping your hair ULTRA healthy and moisturized is adding in a pre shower hair mask to your routine. If you’ve been looking for a hair mask bestie to really take your haircare routine to the next level, Pool Party might just blow you out of the water! She’s packed with top tier vegan ingredients - castor, argan, sunflower seed oil, and apple fruit extract - a power team that accelerates hair growth, strengthens strands, fights frizz, and boosts hair hydration. Wow, that was a mouthful. 

There’s more than one way to party it up with Pool Party if you forget to marinate your locks before a shower! You can apply it any time to dry ends for a quick hydration boost, use it instead of conditioner during a shower, OR mix it up and use it as a wet styling cream (but maybe save that one for summer). 

Sometimes a pre shower mask and the perfect wash day routine still calls for some back up. Money Hunny Repair Serum is the IT girl of our haircare line. Her formula is silky, lightweight, and actually repairs split ends. With a blend of argan, babussa, arginine, avocado, macadamia nut, and jojoba seed oil, Money Hunny is the sweet remedy to dry, brittle, and breaking hair. You can use her on dry or damp hair for whenever you need that extra boost of TLC. 

Now that you’ve got that hair care routine on lock 🫡 you may be wondering if the dead of winter is still a good time to try on a new color. When you’re using AF hair dye, it’s always a good time to switch up your color!  Every color is formulated the same way - FULL of deep conditioning properties so it’s basically a color conditioner! ✨Girl Math✨So you know what that means! You can change your hair literally as many times as you want, all. year. long. Of course it depends on where you’re at now, but if you’re starting out fresh, use Bleach, Please to get to that platinum blonde, throw on Sterling for a totally icy look, and play around with the blues of the AF rainbow to find that wintery wonderland ‘do. Not sure what your starting point is? Check out our breakdown on the Color Wheel! 

And of course, we wouldn’t be your hair bestie without dishing our top inspo that’s making us reach for a new bottle of dye because OMG. 

@tejamaechele in Electric Paradise over Periwinkle

@lizzvargashair in Purple AF and Girls Night 

@faithlrobertson in Sterling

@pasteljacqueline in Poseidon   

@shealla in Arctic Mist Diluter, Bleach, Please, and Sterling  

@shemmysux in Periwinkle  

@kirathesith in Phantom Green and Transylvania

These hair dye mixes didn’t go as expected…they turned out even better!

We’ve been mixing up a storm this week and had to jump on here to share with our Fox Fam some of our favorite discoveries. Nothing is more exciting to us than experimenting with hair colors, and the endless color blends and creative applications for our AF hair color range that are just… *chef’s kiss*. Even more exciting is when we go wild and start throwing together colors that shouldn’t work together—but absolutely do.

Here are some traffic-stopping new hues that we’ve created with some seriously unexpected color pairings. If you’ve been collecting our color range at home but you’re not quite sure they work together, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Read on and have a look at some of the surprising ways our AF Hair Colors come together to shake up the rainbow. 

Why are AF dyes so great for mixing?

AF’s range of colors is truly full of endless possibilities - the bolds, brights, and pastels show up incredibly on their own. But if you’re looking for something new, or want to add a surprising twist to your usual color routine, you can totally mix away to your heart’s content! You’d be surprised at the stunning shades you can create. 👀 

Sometimes you might need a little inspiration when it comes to cooking up a new look, we’re here to save the day with all the inspo - ratios and swatches included! Ready to dive in? Let’s get into the mixes you wouldn’t think would work, but omg do they! 

✨AF Pro Tip✨ Once you’ve found a great hair color, you can stick with it and keep it intense with regular dyeing, or switch it up for something totally new! AF dyes are hydrating and deep conditioning, so coloring your hair as many times as you want is completely safe. 

Mixes you wouldn’t think work but do

First up on our list of surprising mixes is this velvety hue. 60% Blue Jean Baby to 40% Sterling gives the blue a serious depth. This swatch shows the results on a platinum base, but you’ll get a similar result on a medium blonde, and a gorgeous tint on light brown.

Electric Paradise with a drop of Wrath gives us this 5-alarm siren of a color that is hard to predict from two colors on the same slice of the color wheel. It’s bold and bright, but it still gives ‘sexy’. Again, a platinum base here yields this exact color, but up to a medium blonde will see the same color and a light brown will still get a tint.

Ginger Flare, Space Cowgirl, and Frosé on a medium blonde base bring a fiery edge to your locks, in what might be our most unexpected blend yet. How can you get it? The mix to get this one just right is 70% Ginger Flare,15% Space Cowgirl, and 15% Frosé.

Arctic Mist Diluter, Poison, and Girl’s Night make a bubblegum pink that will stand out no matter where you show it off. What’s extra fun about this cotton candy hue is that adjusting the mix is a snap. So this swatch (on platinum) is about 80% Arctic Mist, 10% Poison and 10% Girl’s Night, but if you find it’s a bit dark just add in more Arctic Mist!

Space Cowgirl and Virgin Pink in a 50:50 ratio brings out a cinnabar hue in the final mix, and on a platinum base it gives a va-va-voom effect that can really pack a punch. 

Space Cowgirl and Periwinkle join forces to create an unexpectedly dark, leafy, earthy green. A simple 50:50 mix will get this result on a platinum base. 

For a dreamy twist on a calming green hue, add 75% Neverland and 25% Transylvania in your fave mixing bowls and adjust away! If you want darker, drop in more Transylvania… if you like it on the lighter side of the spectrum, use less. This color feels very ‘underwater fantasy’ to us. FYI this swatch is on a platinum base but you’ll still get a lovely deep teal tint on darker colors.

Basic rules of mixing

If you’re going to use this post as the match to your potion-making fire, make sure to follow a couple of basic rules:

1. Don’t go overboard with the colors, at least at first! Mix one or two to start with, otherwise the colors start to all trend towards brown.
2. Use the right tools! We always recommend (and use) our tint bowls to make sure we’re treating our dyes right and keeping the blends precise. If you want to keep your Foxology manicure intact, use these reusable gloves as well.
3. Remember that some colors can cancel out certain shades. As always, take a look at our color wheel post for some ideas on how to mix and match using the right colors.

You don’t know until you try

Mix it up, baby! Splash your fave shades into your best mixing bowl and stir away. And let us know what you discover! As always—share your hair change journey with the Fox Fam, tag Arctic Fox, @arcticfoxhaircolor and let us see what you create.

Are you ready to say goodbye to your current hair color and switch things up? At Arctic Fox Hair Color, we believe that the best results often emerge from the most unexpected choices 😏. Get ready to dive into the world of "Unlikely Color Cover Ups," where we reveal four unlikely Arctic Fox shades that effortlessly conceal your existing hair color and reveal a STUNNING new look 👏.

1. Lavender Bliss 💜

Have faded blue or green hair that won’t quite go away? Prepare to be blown away by Violet Dream. By layering a VERY diluted Violet Dream over your faded green or blue, you'll experience Lavender Bliss. The blue and green undertones will be tamed into a soft, pastel dream, resulting in a perfect fusion of warmth and coolness that's sure to leave heads turning.

2. Teal Temptation 🌊

Arctic Fox's Aquamarine is a shade that dares to challenge convention. If you’re working with a faded pink or red, this shade will create a stunning contrast that revitalizes your fade. The bold teal hues mixed with the faded tones will create a purple shifting blue shade depending on how intense your color is underneath.

3. Rose Gold Stunner🌹

Brunette bases, we didn’t forget about you. Did you know that some of our shades work over brunette bases as gorgeous tints? Elevate your brown tresses by layering a mixture of Sunset Orange or Ginger Flare mixed with Purple AF. The warmth of our orange shades will give off a beautiful copper tint all on their own, but mixed with Purple AF this will give off a rose gold tint sure to stun. 

4. Slate Gray  🌫️

Got faded purple? Give Sterling a try! This smokey shade will transform into an ashy purple when applied over your faded color. Sterling is your go-to solution for gracefully transitioning from vibrant hues or evening out uneven tones, leaving you with the perfect smokey shade. *This shade will only appear on bases that were previously pre-lightened to a level 9+.

@averyrose1992 in Sterling and Girls Night

At AF, we understand that hair color is a canvas for self-expression, and we aim to offer a palette of possibilities. Not seeing a solution that might work for you? DM us on Instagram for custom color help or email our color specialists for more customized feedback ! 🌈

If you haven’t heard the good news yet, here it is… SUMMER HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN! 🥳☀️ Question is, have you decided on how you’re going to color your summer yet? Maybe you’re stuck between a couple of really great shades and just can’t decide? Well I’ve come prepared with some summer mixes, just for you 😉 

When I think of summer, I think HOT 🔥 So let’s crank up the heat with these orange and red focused mixes first. Sunset Orange is a wonderful base for this, so let’s get to mixing in some other shades.

Sunset Orange + Poison + Cosmic Sunshine 🥵 

@theeglamnaija

Sunset Orange + Wrath 🧯

@a.dragon.soul

Sunset Orange + Violet Dream  🌶️ 

@evelina.forsell

Unreal, right?! Why don’t we cool things down a bit with a few blue mixes 💧 Let's dive right in (pun intended 😏).

Poseidon + Aquamarine 🌊

@jessicamoralemusic

Aquamarine + Periwinkle + Transylvania 💙

@billiedawningle

Aquamarine + Phantom Green 🐚

@arisa_hair

Arctic Mist Diluter + Aquamarine 

@salinesimon

When you think back to how you colored your summer, what shade is going to forever bring you that summer nostalgia feeling when you see it? Is it blue? Is it pink? Maybe it’s green! ✨

The beauty of ‘color your summer’ could mean a lot of things but color expression is definitely one of them 🎨 You may be wondering “well, when I think of summer, I think of a beautiful sunset to end the perfect day with my favorite people”. To be completely honest, I couldn’t agree more. So let’s settle things down with a couple of sunset inspired mixes! 🌅 

Electric Paradise + Poison 🌺

@tamaracamps

Cosmic Sunshine + Frosé ☀️ 

@itslauren.jpg

Periwinkle + Purple AF 

@_gumshoe_

After a long day of laughter, heat and good vibes; It’s time to reminisce on the core memories you’ve built and get ready to make more during those long summer nights 🌌 Nothing says “summer nights” more than this last mix.

Using equal parts Periwinkle + Sterling with just a few drops of Blue Jean Baby and BOOM… You’ve created a masterpiece. 👩‍🎨🎨✨🤌

So how will YOU color your summer? 🌈 Let us know in the comments! And as always, if you have questions on how best to use any of our products, feel free to reach out to us at support@arcticfoxusa.com. Stay foxy! 🦊