AF Blog

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Pastel hues have had us all in a chokehold for as long as we can remember. And with summer right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to go for a shade that looks oh, so pretty even when it fades. From blues, to greens, to purples and pinks, the color options are truly endless! And don’t worry, Fox, we’re here to help you safely get your dream head of pastel from start to finish.

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Step 1: Bleach, Please

The first step to going pastel, is to completely strip your hair of any color. Pastel will only show up on a level 10 platinum blonde or lighter! Depending on your current shade, you might need a few bleach treatments to get your hair to the appropriate level. You can safely bleach at home with our Bleach, Please Lightening Kit, but if you don’t fully trust yourself, or your hair is already fairly damaged and contains previous color treatments, you’ll want to head to a salon first! We don’t recommend using Bleach, Please to remove color from hair - doing so can cause unexpected color results or permanent staining of the hair! If you do need to remove color, please use a color remover formulated for the type of hair color in your hair. 

Bleach, Please can lighten your hair up to 8 levels and includes a 35 Volume Developer. Its 3 oz tube of violet-toned bleach is packed with tons of ingredients that help protect and repair your hair during the bleaching process. Although we’ve formulated Bleach, Please to be as safe and healthy as possible, bleaching will still damage your hair to an extent. Bleach opens up the hair cuticle to remove pigment from the strand, which can result in a dry, rough feeling on your strands. Before and after treatment, nourish your hair with our Resurrected Shampoo and Conditioner, which is color-safe and sulfate-free, to keep your strands as moisturized as possible. 

Carefully follow the instructions on the Bleach, Please kit to safely color your hair, or read our Bleach, Please spotlight here, for more detailed instructions. Once you’ve let the bleach sit for 30-45 minutes, rinse it out and see if you’ve reached your desired result! If your hair is dark and you need several treatments to get to a level 10, make sure to space out your lightening sessions at least a week apart.

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Step 2: Do or Dye 

Now comes the fun part! 

Arctic Fox hair colors are formulated to be a bit thicker due to their conditioning properties, so you want to make sure that you divide your hair into small sections and fully saturate each with color to achieve your desired shade. 

Arctic Mist Diluter is your BFF when it comes to going pastel. Start with Arctic Mist as your base, then add in your shade little by little until you get the color of your dreams. The lighter you’d like to go, the less your color ratio will be to Arctic Mist. Remember, you can always add more Arctic Mist to lighten your mix to get that perfect pastel hue, so go slowly! 

If you want a one-step application to a pastel, check out our very own pastel formula favs, Frosé, Neverland, Periwinkle, and Girls Night! The best part about going pastel is how truly endless the possibilities are. You can mix, match, lighten, or darken, and as long as your base is at the appropriate level, you’ll see those light hues shine through! 

Image Credit: neutraljacqueline

Step 3: Color Care

Now that you’ve got the pretty pastel, hair care is a must! Care for your color in the shower with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner duo (try our Resurrected Formula for color-safe treatment), and cool water. 

One thing to note is that pastels are not as pigmented as other dyes, so in the coming weeks, give your locks a quick refresh by adding a few drops of dye to your conditioner in the shower, or giving your entire head of hair another coat of dye for a more pigmented look. Pastels fade in the most stunning way, so you can let it go or touch it up, depending on the look you’re going for. 

Shop our Perfect Pastel Starter Kit, find your next color, and show us those hues, pretty please!

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We’re so proud to be a brand that uses our platform to give back. Thanks to our Fox Fam, we are able to give to organizations that are making extraordinary efforts in the lives of animals around the world. One of those organizations is Pup Culture Rescue. Pup Culture is a non-profit animal rescue dedicated to saving dogs and educating the community about the importance of adoption. They support their rescues through providing everything from food and supplies to surgeries, training, and rehabilitation. Our donation will further positively impact the lives of the dogs in their care, and we couldn’t be more excited to help!

To celebrate our 10 year anniversary, an additional 10% of proceeds will be going to Pup Culture Rescue for the next 10 days! That means 25% total of our net profits from our website only, are being donated to animal rescue efforts now through April 20th.

We again, want to thank our Fox Fam for making donations like this possible. When you support AF, you make an impact and we are so excited to be able to help Pup Culture Rescue with their efforts.

Looking to adopt a dog from Pup Culture Rescue? You can virtually meet all of their adoptable dogs below! 

Meet the Pups

Artemis

Artemis was a neighborhood stray who relied on the kindness of the humans who saw her wandering for food. She raised a litter of puppies and had just weaned them when one of our amazing fosters found her and took her in. She is officially a Pup Culture dog and will have consistent meals, love, and care for the rest of her life! She is a hilarious little chihuahua mix who is great with people, dogs, and even cats. She loves to snuggle and play with her foster siblings.

Boomer

We love this sweet hound dog! Boomer struggles with epilepsy and we have been working with a neurologist to get his seizures under control. He is full of life and love, and we can’t wait until he finds the perfect forever family.

Curry

Good-natured and mellow, six-year-old Curry just wants a second chance at happiness. This sweet dog has never lost his love for belly rubs and snuggles even after everything he has been through. He’s in need of a foster home or foster-to-adopter who can give him the TLC he needs to thrive.

Frida

This petite German Shepherd was surrendered to us after her loving family got evicted and had no other options. She grieved her family for so long, showing her loving and loyal personality. Now Frida is looking for a new family to love. She is gentle, mellow, and so sweet. She is great out in public and will lay by your feet at any restaurant. She loves hiking off leash and is great at sticking by your side. She is good with other dogs and bonds hard to her people.

Igor

Igor was a stray in East LA. He was rescued on the cusp of death, frighteningly thin with terrible mange and a painful, deafening ear infection. He is 7 years old and mellow. He prefers to be the only dog, walks well on leash, and is extremely loyal.

Lloyd

Lloyd is a multipoo who gets along great with small dogs but would also be totally fine with being the center of attention as an only dog. He is a happy go lucky, playful pup who is eager to find a forever home to love.

Marnie

Marnie is a 5yr old, 10lb Chi/Pom mix that is house trained, great with kids, loves the car, walks well on leash, and is crate trained. Marnie is the best! She is very chill at her foster home where she lives peacefully with another small dog and is well behaved in public.

Moon

2-year-old Mexican street mutt who is quiet, sweet, and docile. He is a gentle boy and would be great in a family with kids or other dogs. He is respectful on leash and doesn’t pull because he wants to be right by your side.

BomBom & YomYom

These two, three-month-old Jindo littermates are looking for adopters! They made the trip all the way from our rescue partners at Aniband Goku Sanctuary outside of Seoul, South Korea to our rescue in Los Angeles. Their last stop will be their perfect future forever homes. The Jindo breed is known for their loyal and affectionate nature, making them wonderful family companions.

Chai

This adorable terrier mix was found as a stray by one of our rescue partners. When we took her to the vet, we were thrilled to learn she had a microchip, and we were excited to facilitate a reunion! Unfortunately, when we contacted her former owners, they told us they no longer wanted sweet Chai in their family. We promised Chai that we would help her find a fresh start and a loving family that is truly hers forever!

Roman

Roman is a stunning pup who is as handsome as he is friendly. He's looking for a loving family who understands that dogs are more than just trainable pets - they are loyal companions who deserve love and attention. He loves to play and would do best in a home with other dogs. He's always up for a game of fetch or a good snuggle on the couch.

Sheila

We don’t know Sheila’s past, but we know it couldn’t have been easy. She is covered in scars and a bit shy at first. Once she warms up, her goofy side comes out and she shows you how much she loves to snuggle and play! She is great with other dogs and kids. She is a gentle soul and we can’t wait for her to find her forever family.

Your dollars make a difference and when you purchase now through the 20th, you'll be making such a big impact on animal rescue and welfare all over the world. Shop through our website and support the cause! 

Guess what Fox Fam? 👀 It’s our birthday and we’re celebrating ALL 👏 YEAR 👏 LONG 👏 🥳 We’re celebrating by continuing our mission and partnering with a brand new, very special rescue. For the next ten days, we’re increasing our donation amount by 10% (that means 25% of our net profits) to Pup Culture - a non-profit animal rescue dedicated to saving dogs and educating the community about the importance of adoption.

And of course, none of this would be possible without our incredible Fox Fam. We’re shining the spotlight on the iconic colors that started it all and celebrating YOU for being a part of our mission all these years. Support the cause while we take it back to the OG iconic colors that made us who we are 🌈 🦊

Purple AF: Purple AF is one of our FAVES! Formally known as Purple Rain, this deep, true purple is a versatile color that works well on a variety of base colors from platinum to light brown, giving deep tints of color to darker hair and showing vibrantly on pre-lightened hair. It even works well to cover up other faded colors effectively!  

Image Credit: chris0712

#AFProTip: Purple AF pairs well with tons of other AF shades; try mixing it with some Wrath for a burgundy, or Poseidon for a deep indigo. (glitter)

Poison: This fiery shade should honestly come with a fire extinguisher! This is our most vibrant and truest red and it does not disappoint. Because Poison has a slight orange undertone, it will not fade to pink, it will fade into a lighter version of itself. Poison will give a dark, subtle tint to darker tones of hair but will turn out most vibrantly on hair that is pre-lightened to around a level 8.

Image Credit: jezzharding

#AFProTip: For a super sweet peach add a few drops of Poison to an Arctic Mist base

Aquamarine: Let the mermaid vibes flood over you with this unreal blue. It is one of our most pigmented blues with aquamarine/teal undertones. It'll turn out most vividly on pre-lightened hair, but will still work to give a deep teal tint to darker shades of unbleached hair.

Image Credit: cozywithsam

#AFProTip: To cover a more brassy-toned blonde, try mixing Aquamarine with a little bit of Purple AF to get a perfect cobalt or a deep indigo!

Wrath: This bold classic never goes out of style! Not even after 10 years 😉. Wrath is a deep red with berry undertones which can become more pink as it fades. It shows up well on brassy tones and gives dark, dimensional tints to darker hair. This shade turns out best on hair pre-lightened to a level 7.

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#AFProTip: Try mixing Wrath with a drop of Transylvania to create a deep crimson red!

Arctic Mist Diluter: Want the perfect pastel? Arctic Mist diluter is the ideal base for mixing up a custom color or pastel using any other AF shade. Start with Arctic Mist, then add your next shade in (little by little) until you get that perfect hue. Want to learn more about achieving the perfect pastel hue? We got you! Head to our blog to Read about Pastel Hair Levels! 👈

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* 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 🧪 ✨

Virgin Pink: Ready to bring those tropical vibes everywhere you go with Virgin Pink? This vibrant hot pink will give a deep magenta tint to light brown hair, and will turn out most vibrantly on pre lightened hair - no need to fear brassy tones with this shade. 

Image Credit: derekkildall

☝️ #AFProTip: Want a lighter pastel pink hue? Start off with an Arctic Mist Diluter base, add drops of Virgin Pink until you've mixed the hue you want! 

✌️ #AFProTip: Try mixing with some Wrath for a deeper pink! Want all the pink mixes? Read our Pink Mixology Blog! (pink emojis)

Violet Dream: Ready to stop and smell the violets? Violet Dream will give you a hint of spring in any season! This floral purple color does have some strong magenta undertones and will generally fade into a pink shade. As a highly pigmented color, Violet Dream will give a deep warm tint to darker shades of hair, and will cover up brassy tones without any issues. It will turn out best on hair that is around a level 7 or lighter!

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Want to read more about Violet Dream? 💜 Check out the color spotlight on Violet Dream HERE.

#AFProTip: Try diluting this shade with Arctic Mist to get a gorgeous pastel pink/lavender!

Poseidon: Make some serious waves with this mythical shade. She may be the last but she is far from the least. Poseidon is a vibrant, medium true blue. For the most vivid results, this oceanic color should be applied to hair that has been pre-lightened to a cool-toned level 8 or lighter.

Image Credit: _.lilalou._

#AFProTip: Add a dash of Purple AF to fight those unwanted brassy tones.

We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your love and support of our brand for 10 amazing and colorful years. We can’t wait to celebrate and see where another 10 years of color takes us because this is only the beginning. So stay tuned Fox Fam 📺  We have some VERY exciting announcements to come 👀

What is your favorite iconic OG shade? 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 [email protected]. Stay colorful! 🎨

If you’ve been here for a while, you know how much we love animals. You also know how much we value input from the Fox Fam, whether it’s asking what our newest color should be, your favorite mixes, or any rescues that are near and dear to your hearts - we let you make the decisions here. Well, we’re ecstatic to share the latest rescue we’ve added to our roster: Judith A Bassett Canid Education and Conservation Center.

JABCECC is a licensed non-profit (501c3) located in San Diego and Southern Utah. The center specializes in canids and provides forever homes to rescued canids from fur farms, research institutions, exotic pet trade, and any wild canids that can no longer be released back into the wild. 

Just last month, the AF team took a road trip to visit the center and learn more about the animals being saved and exactly what the JABCECC team does.  Not only do they provide forever homes for these animals and allow them to live their best lives, but the center also offers interactive educational programs to the public and speciality groups aimed at helping to heal humans through the canid-human bond. These programs also increase the commitment to advocacy for the captive and wild counterparts of the animals in their care through a better appreciation and understanding of these animals. JABCECC believes that every animal has a right to live, both as a species and individual

We had the opportunity to meet all of the animals on site, but were of course drawn to Freddy Snowballs, the resident Arctic Fox. Freddy was purchased illegally when he was just 4 weeks old, by a family through the exotic pet trade. The owner quickly realized this beautiful arctic fox is in fact, not the same as a domesticated dog. Once the team at JABCECC received the call, they knew they had no choice but to take over and give Freddy a forever home at their rescue. Freddy joined JABCECC at 5 months old, and he was lucky because in many cases people will just let these animals back into the wild or euthanize them. Freddy now spends his days living an amazing life of purpose and helping to educate the public on arctic foxes and the reality of the exotic pet trade.

Freddy has been with the center for about 1 year and has become a favorite to the volunteers and guests.  Unfortunately, due to the exotic pet trade, he actually stays white year round. In the wild arctic foxes will turn a lovely brownish color in the summer for camouflage. Due to the harsh climate arctic foxes typically live in, they adapt behaviorally and physically.  Freddy has small ears that allow him to keep his heat in, a thick coat and a large bushy tail to wrap around his body, as temperatures in the Arctic can get to -50!! They are omnivores like red foxes, and can eat small mammals, insects, and berries. These foxes are truly adapted for survival in the harshest of climates.  Of course, Freddy Snowballs gets to live in the mountains of Southern CA where the temperatures don’t get that cold, but we do get some snow.  When it snows, Freddy can be seen playing in the snow and vocalizing his delight.

While Freddy may have been the perfect candidate for a fresh dye, we also had the chance to meet several other animals including a REAL life wolf, a pair of coyotes, Russian domesticated foxes and New Guinea Singing Dogs and Dingoes.

We’re so thankful to have found the team at Judith A Bassett. And thanks to YOU Fox Fam, we were able to kick off this partnership with a donation of $50,000 to help in their mission partnering with canine shelters, rescues and animal assisted therapy organizations. Amy at the Foundation let us know the donation will be helping them expand their perimeter fence which is already under development - this will allow the current canids to explore well beyond their current enclosures. Additionally, the team will be adding more enclosures so they can rescue more canids this year. We can’t wait to go back to see it!

You know grunge is back in a big way for spring 2023 when supermodel Kate Moss rocks tattered jeans, a plain T, and an oversized plaid shirt on the catwalk. 

With the fashion industry currently focused on thrifting and sustainability, dealing with a seemingly never ending pandemic, the current polarized political climate, and Pluto entering Aquarius for the first time since 1777 (if you are into astrology, this is a period of chaotic energy and big change!), it makes perfect sense why grunge would also be making a resurgence. 

Grunge was originally a social statement fueled by a new style of music, and when it was reflected in clothing bent all of the rules that were deemed acceptable in society. Men were dying their hair pink and growing it long, wearing make up, and breaking the rules of masculinity, while women opted for short or messy hair, and played into oversize clothes for a more androgynous look. 

It was a time to break the rules, and now it’s time to break them again. Whether it is a Seattle- style thrifted oversized plaid, or a more modern take on the grunge aesthetic - just a little less polished and a little more clash - the natural evolution of fashion this spring is to lean into the mess. 

The overall message we will be seeing right now is: Do whatever the F*ck you want!