Pastel Hair: Why It’s the Ultimate Challenge – and How You Can Master It Anyway 🩷🤍
Pastel shades are dreamy, soft, and look like a cloud of cotton candy floating through your hair. They make every look feel magical – but they absolutely belong to the master class of colorful hair. Why that is, and how you can still achieve perfect pastels, you’ll learn right here. ✨💗
🌬️ Why Pastel Shades Are So Demanding
Anyone who wants pastel hair is playing in the pro league. Pastel tones consist almost entirely of very light pigments – and those pigments struggle to show up if the base isn’t 100% perfect.
For pastel colors like La La Lila, Pink's Not Dead, or Banzai Blue to be visible at all, your hair needs:
an almost white-blonde base,
no yellow tones,
no leftover darker pigments,
and absolutely no silicones that block the color.
Why is that so important? Because every underlying tone shifts your final result. Pastel is like watercolor: it only looks beautiful on very light paper! 🎨
☀️ The Perfect Starting Point: White-Blonde or Nothing
Pastel colors only work on an extremely light base. If your hair is still yellow, golden, or coppery, your pastel shade can quickly turn muddy, greyish, or simply nothing like what you had in mind.
👉 Learn more about this in our blog:
Which bleaching method is right for colorful hair?
https://headshot-haircolor.com/blog/wie-blondiert-man-haare
Is yellow undertone a problem when dyeing hair bright colors?
(Spoiler: Yes. For pastels, it’s the final boss. 💀💛)
If there’s still yellow left after bleaching, a pastel purple like La La Lila will automatically turn darker and warmer. A pastel blue like Banzai Blue may even turn green.
🧪 Small Differences, Big Impact
Pastel colors are gorgeous – but unforgiving.
Here are the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them:
❌ Mistake: Base too dark
Pastel becomes invisible or patchy.
✅ Solution: Bleach lighter (or consider professional bleaching).
❌ Mistake: Silicone buildup
The color won’t stick properly.
✅ Solution: Wash several times with a clarifying or deep-cleansing shampoo before coloring.
❌ Mistake: Not enough processing time
Pastels need time – more than you think.
→ Shades like La La Lila, Pink’s Not Dead & others benefit from longer processing.
🎨 Tools & Tricks That Make Pastels Easier
Thankfully, there are a few helpers that make pastel hair a lot less tricky:
✨ 1. Matrix Color Base – Your Pastel Bestie
With the vegan Matrix Color Base, you can lighten darker dyes to create your own custom pastel shades.
Perfect if you want more options than the ready-made pastels and dream of crafting your exact color.
✨ 2. Color Masks for Gentle Refreshing
Vegan Color Masks like Purrfect Purple, Stranger Pinks or Badass Blue are perfect for maintaining pastel tones without heavy repigmentation.
They also nourish your hair with olive plant cells, lavender, chili & more. 🌿💜
✨ 3. Test Strand = Golden Rule
With pastels, a test strand is non-negotiable. It shows whether your base is light enough before you use up 150 ml of dye.
💧 Pastel Doesn’t Last Long? Here’s How to Extend It
Pastel shades are like beautiful dreams – fleeting.
But you can make them last longer!
🏷️ Check out our blog post:
“What can I do to make my hair color last longer?”
https://headshot-haircolor.com/blog/how-can-i-make-my-hair-color-last-longer
In short:
wash with cooler water 🛁
use color-protect shampoo
refresh with Color Masks
reduce heat styling
protect your hair from UV ☀️
Pastel needs love – but it’s worth every bit. 💖
🎁 December Special: Pastel Is Our “Color of the Month”
All pastel shades are discounted throughout December! 🎉🌈
💡 Important: The discount is applied only in the shopping cart.
If you’ve been dreaming of cotton-candy lilac or baby blue, now is the perfect moment.