Pop stars Rita Ora and Jessie J love baby pink; Kylie Jenner favours mermaid-esque sea green; and Kelly Osbourne has made Parma Violets purple her signature.
It’s clear celebs love a pastel dye job, and now the My Little Pony hair trend has hit the catwalks, with models at the Haider Ackermann SS16 show rocking a rainbow’s worth of candy colours in their hair.
But does this sugar-sweet look work in the real world? Absolutely! And it’s easily achieved with temporary colour, even if you’re not blonde to begin with, so you don’t have to commit for long.
We’ve got the experts’ advice on five sugary shades and how to achieve them…
Think pink
“We’ve seen some great on-trend colours being used on celebs and the catwalk, and now consumers can create the looks in salons,” says Josh Wood, Wella Professionals global creative director of colour.
He describes the salon-only Wella Professionals Instamatic as a collection of “soft, diffused and muted tones that allow for unlimited creativity”, including Pink Dream, perfect for following Rita and Jessie’s lead – but hair will need to be pre-lightened first
For a more temporary touch of pink that works on darker hair, try Fudge Urban Hair Art Pink Ink spray, currently reduced to £3.99 from £5.99, which disappears after one wash, Superdrug.
Coral crush
“If you have warm-toned skin, this works well with peaches and corals,” advises Sean Nolan, technical educator for HOB Salons. “And hair chalks are great for experimenting, as they are the easiest to wash out of your hair.”
Tracy Hayes, head of global colouring for Fudge Professional, adds: “Fudge Urban Hair Art sprays are highly pigmented pastel sprays that work even on dark hair and wash straight out, so you can switch up your hair colour as often as you like.”
But with pre-lightened pastels, colour can fade quickly: “Avoid washing every day if possible, as the colour will fade with each shampoo,” says Hayes. “Use warm water and a gentle shampoo that’s sulphate and paraben-free.”
Pixie Lott Paint Hair Chalks, currently reduced to £3.32 from £4.99, Superdrug.
Fudge Paintbox in Coral Blush, £9.25, available in salons
See green
“A great way to get to grips with what skin tone you are is to look at the jewellery, make-up and accessories you wear. If you wear blusher rather than bronzer, or silver jewellery, lean towards cooler pastels,” says Nolan. That means Kylie Jenner greens, from mint to turquoise, will work for you.
Blondes can mix Fudge Paintbox Turquoise Days, £9.25, with Whiter Shade Of Pale, £11.25, to create a softer shade, Fudge Hair.
Brunettes, try dip-dying with Quif Blast Creative Colour in Pretty Green, £9.95, for a shimmering finish, Quif.
Azure you like it
“If you have a warm or pinkie skin tone, I would avoid the warm palette, such as coral and pastel pinks, but go with the cooler pastels, like lilacs or blues,” says Hayes, which means you can try the Instagram trend for grey-blue ’denim hair’ – but you’ll need to start with bleach blonde tresses for this one.
At home, Maria Nila Colour Refresh in Azure, £16.99, Sallys, will give it a baby blue wash, and in the salon ask for Wella Instamatic Ocean Storm shade, Wella.
Ultra violet
“Pastels tend to work best on pale blondes. However, brunettes can still get involved, keeping to blues and violets, as they tend to work better on the cooler skin tone,” says Nolan.
Pixie Lott Paint Wash Out Hair Colour in Violet 102, currently reduced to £3.99 from £5.99, superdrug, will work best on blonde hair, but Label M Powder Purple Spray, £6.50 (AllBeauty.com), is dense enough to show up on darker hair too, giving a gorgeous violet wash.
Tried and tested
Our testers line up to try the latest eyeliner launches…
Rimmel London Colour Precise Liner, £5.99, Superdrug, 4/5
“This fine-tipped pen does what it says on the tin, creating really precise lines both above and below the eyes. It lasts all day and doesn’t smudge or bleed into creases. If you want a liner that defines eyes but doesn’t stand out too much, this is the one for you.”
Inika Certified Organic Eyeliner Black Caviar, £13.50, 4/5
“This vegan, organic product is completely natural but just as effective as other eyeliners – and cleverly comes with its own sharpener. The formula is creamy in texture, meaning it glides on easily on the lower or upper lid – and stays put until you’re ready to take it off.”
Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner in Pitch Black, £18.50, 5/5
“The eyeliner to beat, this gel-based pencil is all you need to create the perfect flick. The twist-up design and built-in sharpener are great, but the best part? The sweat and humidity-resistant formula means it stays in place until you want it gone.”
