AF Blog

@bigfatjenna in Electric Paradise

It’s our favorite time of year as the nights get darker and the spirits begin to stir for Halloween. Yeahhh, it’s time for the Fox Fam to get a little spooky! 👻 🧛💀

We’re jumping in with Halloween costume inspo for our Foxes! Bonfire colors, bat-inspired looks, gothic shades. We’ve got everything you need to bring your hair out to party and get your scare on. All aboard our hair inspiration Ghost Train for a tour of our fave seasonal shades. As always, use this inspo as a springboard for your own insane costume creations! We know you’ll deliver (you always do). 

Light it up with Porange

Bright orange is THE color of the season - no respected Halloween costume inspo list can be complete without at least one vibrant orange color in the mix, are we right!?

We’ve had fun playing with some boss shades inspired by bonfires and carved pumpkins. Trust us, orange hair will turn heads on Halloween. 

If you want a look with equal parts delight and fright, our pro tip is to go for Porange. That’s right, Fox Fam, she’s back on the shelves for a limited time, so stock up while you can! She’s a powerful potion with a knockout punch AND she lights up in a neon glow when you wander under UV light, adding more fun to the mix.  

If you want to go further, faster, and louder, Porange and Electric Paradise, another UV light color, combine for a truly ELECTRIC mix that adds extra magic to your Halloween spell. 

@lizzvargashair in Electric Paradise and Porange 

Now, for the IT costume of the season…enter Sunset Orange! Apply her on medium blonde hair and oops! Now you’re floating too!

@evebombshell in Sunset Orange 

Join the underwater world and take the mermaid trend to the streets with Ginger Flare. She’s part of your world now, babe. 

A Classic Halloween in Transylvania or Sterling 

Ready for your goth era? Channel Wednesday, or project full-on Dracula with our black and silver shades. Dark hues capture the spirit of black cats, witches beside bubbling cauldrons, and all things spooky. Can you feel that dark Halloween energy simmering? 

@morganmckain in Transylvania

If you want to take it up a notch, Transylvania mixed with a bit of Poison…and snap snap! You’re a homicidal maniac too!

If you’re not up for going quite that dark this Halloween, try a silvery look from Sterling. 

You can use Sterling all on its own to set a frightful Halloween tone, or combine Transylvania and Sterling for a dramatic, gothic appearance. This hair color combo shines with dark clothing, blacks, grays, and silvers making it a great overall choice for your darkest look yet. 

@chris0712 in Transylvania and Sterling 

Perfectly Purple AF 

Feeling feisty? Step into the “best sellers” section on the color wheel this Halloween with a deep, vibrant purple hue. 

This palette spikes heart rates and elevates feline, witch, troll, or clown outfits from ‘awww cute’ to ‘ohhh snap’.  

If you want to go all cosplay for Halloween, we’ve seen everyone's favorite purple used to perfectly emulate one of Marvel’s most badass characters; Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy. 

And of course, we can’t forget the mixes! Purple AF is one of our most versatile shades - and for good reason! Get a deep cobalt blue with a half and half ratio of Purple AF and Poseidon, and if you want to go even more pigmented, throw in some Aquamarine!

Get a deep burgundy by mixing in Purple AF with some Wrath or Poison.

Yeahhh… Purple AF is THAT girl for spooky season.

@143joannagc in Purple AF 

Mean in Green 

Green hair is soooo right for this time of year. And it’s a certified Halloween costume superpower. 

Think green slime, Frankenstein, Joker from Batman, and viridescent potions. Or vibe with green tresses like one of our fave characters from the underworld - Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (Yeah, we said it 3 times). 

From neon greens, emeralds, to dark forest greens - there’s lots of room for Halloween costume playfulness here. So if you wanna channel Jared Leto’s Joker for instance, an electric green is the way to go. Space Cowgirl hits the spot with electric and neon vibes. 

Or maybe you feel like expressing your inner Beetlejuice. Beej’s hair changes along with his emotions, from a seagreen, to a darker, moodier green. Phantom Green can deliver a delightful deep forest shade that can add a little menace to your Beetlejuice look on October 31st. Or if you prefer to go a little softer and hit Beetlejuice in his sea green hair era, here’s some mixing inspo. Swish Phantom Green with a little Aquamarine to create an emerald or sea green hue. 

Split Dye and Mixes

Multi-color mixes and split color looks can crackle under the Halloween moonlight. We love this orange and black split color as two of the seasons most on trend shades. It’s an epic contrast, and this look gives off boundless dark October energy.  

@yadeemua in Ginger Flare

And if you’re looking to try out a different color placement, spooky season is the perfect time to test it out!

@die4whitney in Transylvania and Virgin Pink

Let out your inner ghoul or play nice when you trick or treat this year, but as always don’t be scared to share your stunning colors with the rest of the Fox Fam by tagging us @arcticfoxhaircolor. 

Update! Update! Update!

Our Fox Fam is out there, making a real difference! You know that our products are all vegan and cruelty-free, but did you know that we donate 15% of our profits to rescues and shelters that help our furry and feathered friends? One of our rescue partners has some exciting news that we are thrilled to share.

If you’ve been following our story for a while, you’ll remember that in March we added a new rescue to our roster: the Judith A Bassett Canid Education and Conservation Center (JABCECC). We talked all about them and their awe-inspiring work here. Basically, they home and care for canids that have been rescued from fur farms, research institutions or the exotic animal pet trade. They also do the important work of educating the public about these amazing creatures.

These rockstars have just sent us a photo of their newest pack member:

She’s a geriatric arctic fox female badly in need of some TLC. Luckily for her, JABCECC managed to get her to them—a trip that took 38 hours! Now that she’s safely tucked up in their quarantine area they can start giving her the vet care that she’s never had.

She’s lived her entire life on a fur farm, where it’s likely that this sweet creature was used as a breeder every season. Obviously, now she’s older and can’t have any more pups, which means she was in danger of being euthanized. Her new home is full of love… but after a lifetime of being mistreated it will take her a long time to adjust❤️‍🩹. She’s finally made it to a good place, and we hope she can relax and feel safe soon.

And JABCECC really is a Good Place. It houses different canids that have been saved and/or rescued and respects all animals and their right to live.

When we first discovered this rescue, we wanted to help them right away. In fact, the money that we donated to them in the spring has already gone towards expanding perimeter fencing! Their plan is to have an area just for our spirit animals, where this lovely grandma and the center’s other arctic fox, Freddy Snowballs, will be able to live their best lives.

Because fences for these nimble jumpers need to be 8 feet tall and made of heavy-duty chain link, they are taking their time to make sure it’s done properly. It’s slow going and costs money, but they’re working towards that goal with the help of donations and their partners (like us!).

It’s so important that we support the paws on the ground making real differences in the lives of animals. And that’s why we love when they share their latest wins. We have our fingers crossed that we get a lot of great updates about their new arrival and even more great news from their longer-term residents. As a part of our Fox Fam, we know you’re as happy as we are knowing that every time you add to your Arctic Fox collection, you’re contributing to these great organizations. Keep up the good work, JABCECC team, we are proud to help support your wonderful work.

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.

@aambriaa in Phantom Green

Going green without bleaching

Welcome back, Fox Fam! We went dark last week, and the results we’re seeing are dangerously head-turning. One color, in particular, seems to be popping up as a common theme in your potions and mixes. Abundance, renewal, harmony, stability. Yes, that’s right, it is easy being green! The ultimate down-to-earth color can represent all of those wonderful things. Aside from being hella powerful, it’s damn easy on the eyes.

If a change is in the cards for you but you’re going to give the lightening step a skip this time, then you have come to the right corner. FACT: Aside from being a great transitional hue and an absolute gem of a color, green can bring lush living color to even unbleached hair. It’s true! 

Due to our expertise with the color wheel and the fact that you fashion-forward Foxes are excellent sharers, we’re seeing A LOT of creativity on our radar right now. So we’re taking this week as an opportunity to share some of the amazing green-based mixes that have been tried, tested, and adored. This week we give some great color inspo for our emerald-inclined babes, PLUS the exact ratios you need to get the mix just right.

If you’re already green…

…but if you want to darken the shade for fall, we went over two ways to darken your color last week. You can go back and read it here if you happened to skip last week’s blog, or here’s a recap:

One way to double down on green is to level up on intensity. Do this by blending in a darker level of green with your current color mix. For example, if you’re already rocking Neverland, punch it up with some Phantom Green to move from a brighter to a darker shade.

The other way we covered was more subtle and involves a look at our famously helpful color wheel blog post. This involves finding your current color on the wheel and then drawing a line to the opposite side of the wheel! If you’re Iris Green, a couple of drops of Wrath will help you darken just the green hues.

Go green with these custom blends

One thing that we love about our AF hair dyes is that they are so inventive! They bring out the magic-potion-blending witches and warlocks in all of us. Here are a couple of must-try green mixes that have been discovered by more than a few alchemists, and look really great on unbleached hair.

Olive — not just for martinis anymore🍸! Get the ultimate down-to-earth green by using Phantom Green, Cosmic Sunshine, Sunset Orange, and Transylvania. Watch our reel for the mix ratios, and enjoy responsibly ;) 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Arctic Fox Hair Color (@arcticfoxhaircolor)

Aquamarine & Space Cowgirl get together for a green-shifted teal mix. To make this color yours, start with a heavy base of Space Cowgirl and slowly add in drops of Aquamarine until you reach your desired shade.

#AFprotip Aquamarine is a VERY pigmented shade. So go slow on the mixing, or Space Cowgirl may get overpowered.

This swatch shows the strong result of this blend on bleached hair, so keep in mind that depending on your base shade, you’ll get a slightly different outcome.

Phantom Green and Aquamarine are a green team dream. 2:1 Phantom Green to Aquamarine is the magic formula, but remember that Aquamarine packs a punch, so start with your Phantom Green and add in the Aquamarine bit by bit so you don’t overdo it. This sample square is done on bleached hair, so depending on your base color, you’ll get a different (but still fabulous) outcome.

Diamonds, move over: emeralds are a girl’s best friend this fall. For the ultimate jewel tone, this mix is simply equal parts Phantom Green and Aquamarine, with a drop or two of Transylvania mixed in. If you want to be inspired, watch Stella Cini color-shifting into an emerald.

This swatch shows a dark outcome, even on bleached hair, so your hair color will be a little different, depending on your base level.

Green’s great and the options are endless

Now that we’ve shown you how to get shades of green that work better for you, make sure you’re using the mixing and application tools and techniques that will get you the best results (patch & strand test always!) Our Lime AF tint bowl and brushes make going green easy to do.

Don’t forget that blends and mixes are a fun way to get new shades, but they don’t need to be a whole-head change-up! Color combos that slay with green are always a fun way to express your inner color-fiend, or you can simply add in some DIY lowlights to your cut and flirt with some new styles to show them off.

@charliewakeman in Aquamarine and Phantom Green

Here are some of you showing off the glam that green gave ya, so don’t be shy to try it on for yourselves!

We hope we’ve given you the nudge you needed to go green this fall, and we want to see how it turns out! Share your hair change journey with the Fox Fam by tagging @arcticfoxhaircolor and share!

@iamzoeyluna in Transylvania 

Keep your look top-class this fall

You can embrace the change, or you can dread it. But you can’t deny it: summer is over, baby. We’re working on ditching our late sleep-ins (dry shampoo for the win!), have restocked our coffee supplies, bought the organizers, and are getting used to the sound of the alarm. But how has our Fox Fam been falling back into a routine? Let’s just say that leaves aren’t the only things that are changing color!

Lustrous, rich hair tones can make even the most boring schedules feel brighter, and with the onset of busy days, we’re seeing a rise in the deep, dark tones. They can be low-maintenance while still being high-impact, and they give the rich feeling of thicker hair that autumn styles show off the best. On top of that, blends and color combinations keep the looks as interesting as you are.

Whatever your day-to-day looks like this fall, we’re excited to see everyone in dark mode.

New you, new hue

Good news, stargazers: Venus is out of retrograde💫! As (we’re sure) you already know, this means it’s a great time to start fresh with whatever’s been blocked for you lately. Romance can get kicked into high gear, work and creativity will start flowing, and we can’t think of a better sign that it’s time for a brand-new look.

Part of your 2023 back-to-real-life glow-up should be a hair color that you’re stoked to show off — not to mention the noticeably hydrated and healthy hair that comes with using our AF deep-conditioning hair dyes. We’ve mentioned a few times lately that we are really digging the transition from summer ‘cools’ to autumn ‘warms’, and that means going for a darker tone than what you rocked during the sunny season. Plus your hair will be totally in step with Fall 2023’s palette, making your hair the perfect accessory and always on-point.

There’s something else that a darker tone gives to your updated ‘do—aside from all that lovely confidence that comes with a makeover, that is. Going to the dark side of the color wheel gives the gift of a low-maintenance mane. 

In our previous blog on warm hair colors, we explained how a simple warm color can add depth to your hair that will give you a thicker, fuller-looking style without needing extra time with your diffuser. When you combine your warm-color lowlights with a time-saving volumizing shampoo you’re going to have a full look all day.

✨Remember that changing your look doesn’t have to mean changing your beliefs, and that’s why as much as we love watching your evolution, we’ll never be anything other than vegan and cruelty-free. Dye away, and with AF dark hair dyes, you’re dyeing for a cause.

To Bleach or Not to Bleach?

Real talk: Summer puts your hair through the wringer with chlorine, salt water, and sun damage. Keep in mind that even though we pack our potions to the brim with hair-helping ingredients, you can choose to skip the bleaching step now and again. You can also be creative and use it only in sections. Our influencers have found some truly jaw-dropping ways to only color parts of their hair—and still stun. Money pieces are a great example of a simple switch-up that can change your whole look, without changing your entire head.

@_negatronn in Iris Green and Neon Moon

@tavujesus in Frosé

@lazybonesbeauty in Cosmic Sunshine

AF’s Bleach, Please is as gentle as a lightener can get, and even has added goodness to keep your hair healthy while it works. And yes, AF’s range of hair color dyes produces a truer color match when they are used on lighter hair. But if you’re looking for a tint without putting your hair through the bleaching process, you can opt for a beautiful color undertone that will come through even on darker or already dyed hair. 

For an idea on how your color will turn out with your natural or current base color, have a look at our guide to using AF hair dyes on unbleached hair. If you like how these look, we’ve grouped all the colors here for easy shopping! 

Pro-tip: Knowing your hair’s color level will be key to planning your look, and we can help you with that, too! Just cruise by this gem of an explainer which breaks it down for you.

Of course, the only way to get the strong, intense pop of color you see on some of our most colorful influencers is to lighten your hair first.

@christystarmua in Aquamarine and Periwinkle

@violentinside in Purple AF and Transylvania 

Stir it up for some killer color

Remember: going dark doesn’t mean melting into the surroundings, and it certainly shouldn’t mean you’re stuck with one color! Blend your pastes for a unique shade, or combine multiple colors into your locks for a truly standout fall look. In our last blog, we talked about this fall’s trending hairstyles, and there was a lot of mention of color accents and how to use them. 

 In particular, the money pieces and the peekaboo styles work best when the color is applied precisely (and only!) where you want it. Because we want our Fox Fam’s hair dreams to come true and your looks exactly as you envisioned them, we recommend that you use our gentle-on-hair alligator clips to keep your sections secured and under control while you work.

Here are the results of perfectly applied color.

@yadeemua in Ginger Flare

@wonderingminds_420 in Ritual and Electric Paradise

@onedreamparis in Virgin Pink

How to Darken Your Current Shade

Looking for a darker shade that isn’t a total change of color? Easy peasy! 

There are two ways you can do this:

1. The first method will neutralize the color you have and deepen it slightly. Take a quick look at our color wheel blog (honestly, just bookmark it already) to find out what the opposite color is to the one you already have! Once you’ve got that, simply mix in a drop or two to your current color, and voila.
2. Method number two is using a darker shade of the same color to help deepen the tone. Let’s say you have Aquamarine, you can add a bit of Blue Jean Baby to darken it. Again, the color wheel blog has a wheel that shows where all the AF colors fall on the wheel so it’s a snap to find out which one you need.

 To keep the blending simple and the colors separate while you apply, our tint bowls are going to be some of your besties.

Peep these dark hues on our Fox Fam!

As always, we look to you, our boldest and bravest Foxy trailblazers for our inspiration. After all, we can talk about change, but you are the gorgeous bunch that does it, flaunts it, and shares it with the world! Here are some superb examples of falling into the dark for autumn.

@makeupbytiffanybanks in Poseidon covered in Ritual

@lil.mishroom in Cosmic Sunshine, Sunset Orange, and Purple AF 

If you’re thinking of going green, stay tuned! Next week we’ll give some precise mixing tips for gorgeous green hues that need a little bit of alchemy to get just right.

So lovelies, as you traipse into autumn vibes this year, remember that you can go dark and shine! Treat your hair right by using AF conditioning hair dyes, and for the love of gosh, share your hair journey with your Fax Fam by tagging @arcticfoxusa on your socials!