Best Semi Permanent Hair Color Dye for Blonde, African American Hair & Shades

Find out the best semi permanent hair color/dye for blondes, dark African American hair, to cover gray roots, natural relaxed hair and shades including, purple red and copper.

Semi-permanent hair color is chosen by many for various reasons. This hair color is less damaging to the hair and offers more temporary results that last up usually anywhere from 8-16 washes. This type of hair dye also doesn’t contain any ammonia and PPD (or contains lower amounts of these chemicals) and is indicated for those looking for a natural change to their hair, without investing in a permanent hair dye.

Now, the results you will get by using a semi-permanent hair dye depends on the shade you have to begin with. In general, semi-permanent hair color can’t be used to lift and bleach hair more than a couple of shades as it contains no amount of bleach and only adds color to the outer hair shaft—it can’t really penetrate to the hair structure and lighten it several shades. Here is a guide for each specific starting shade below, and what you should expect by using a semi-permanent hair dye for each.

Semi Permanent Blonde Hair Dye -best

Best semi permanent hair dye for blondes — L’Oreal & Schwarzkopf Dyes for Blondes

Most brands that carry semi-permanent hair colors in blonde shades usually have darker blonde shades, as it’s easier to dye your hair a dark blonde than a light platinum blonde hair shade with this type.

In case you are a natural blonde and really want to enhance your natural blonde hair color or lighten it up subtly, some good options (dark blonde to medium blonde) include:

Clairol Natural Instincts in shade 9A, Light Cool blonde. This is a cool blonde shade with grey undertones suited for natural blondes with pink skin undertones. A darker shade in this range with more golden undertones that suits most blondes regardless of skin undertones is 8G/4 in shade Medium Golden Blonde.
L’oreal Casting Crème Gloss in shade 1010. This shade is a vibrant blonde shade with warm peach undertones and is suited for blondes with medium to light golden blonde shades. Other great options for medium to light blonde hair include: Silky Blonde (801), and Light Frosted Blonde (1013).

Semi permanent blonde hair dye on black hair

Unfortunately semi-permanent blonde hair dye on black hair won’t work as it can’t lift and lighten hair more than a couple of shades. Therefore, if you expect to go from a black or dark brown shade (natural or dyed) to a light blonde shade, that would be impossible. If you do use a semi-permanent hair dye in a blonde shade in your dark hair, the lightest shade you can achieve will be a dark golden brown. Recommended shades: L’oreal Casting Crème Gloss in shade 700 (dark blonde), and Clairol Natural Instincts in 9G, Dark Golden blonde.

Semi permanent blonde hair dye on brown hair

Brown hair that is between medium to light golden brown/dark blonde, can lighten up to two shades with using a semi-permanent hair dye. Suggested shades for brown hair: Clairol’s Natural Instincts in shades 6 (medium cool blonde) and shade 5 (medium natural blonde). L’oreal shades in satin blonde (801) and Sun-kissed blonde (9304) are also good choices.

Best Semi-Permanent Hair Color for African American Hair (Dark Hair)

Best Semi Permanent Hair Color for dark African American Hair — A model with African American Hair

African American hair tends to be much coarse, wild, and dry than other hair types and has special hair-care needs that differ from the rest of hair types. Hair color is not an exception to this rule, even though that doesn’t necessarily mean that regular hair dyes won’t work in African American Hair. Hair color designed for African American hair in general, tends to be more nourishing and more pigmented for better looking results.

The main brand that carries a semi-permanent hair dye range is Dark and Lovely: Reviving Colors. This range is available in 5 popular shades for African American women: Radiant Black, Natural Black, Ebone Brown, and Ravishing red. This range can be used on relaxed hair same-day with no problems and contains nourishing ingredients like Shea Butter, to nourish and moisturize dry African American hair.

Another great semi-permanent hair color option that wants to maintain its natural bounce and kinky curly texture is Shea Moisture Rich Ammonia-Free Hair Color system enriched with natural Glycerin, Shea Butter, and Soy protein for nourishment and strength.

Best Semi Permanent Hair Color to cover Gray Roots & for Natural relaxed Hair

African American Dark Hair

Although semi-permanent hair color can’t cover gray hair 100% as permanent hair dye formulations, it’s possible to blend and cover to a great extend (up to 90% in some cases) graying hair. Some good semi-permanent hair dye options for gray hair include: John Frieda precision foam color (available in twenty natural looking shades) and Clairol’s beautiful Collection, which blends 30% of gray hair.

In general the darker hair color shade you use, the better blending and coverage of grey hair you’ll have as gray hair needs to be covered/ blended with a darker color to become less visible in the eye.

Now when it comes to using semi-permanent hair color to relaxed hair, in general there are no issues with dying your hair around the same period after using a relaxer. This is because semi-permanent hair color does not bleach or damage the hair like permanent formulations and usually contains additional natural nourishing ingredients.

L’oreal Crème Casting Range and Clairol’s Complements Semi Permanent Hair Color are great choices for natural relaxed hair as they contain no Ammonia or hair color which may damage relaxed hair. Other lesser known brands you could try include: Hair Wonder By Nature Color and Care, Herbal Time henna color cream, and Adore Semi-Permanent hair color line.
Here is a video review of two semi permanent hair dye Clairol products on natural hair

Best Semi Permanent Hair Color: Purple, Red, Copper- Crazy Shades

Best Semi Permanent Hair Color for crazy hair shades

In general, you can use semi-permanent hair color to achieve more dramatic results as long as your hair is natural or bleached medium to light blonde. This is because, as mentioned earlier, semi-permanent hair color won’t lighten hair more than 1-2 shades and dark hair should be bleached first before using a hair color in a crazy shade as purple, red, or copper.

Note here that almost all hair brands that carry crazy shades are within this type. Here are some suggestions for vibrant purple, red, and copper shades.

Schwarzkopf’s Live XXL color range is great for those looking to dye their hair a crazy red, purple, or copper shade.

Purple hair shades:

semi-permanent-hair-dye-purple-shades-crazy — Purple Hair Shades-Dark, Pure and Bright Purple

A true bright purple hair shade is Schwarzkopf’s Live XXL color in shade 94-purple. Additional options:

Manic Panic’s Hair Dye in Purple Haze (a dark reddish blonde shade), Deep Purple Dream (a dark purple shade with blue and violet undertones), and Violet Night (a deep violet color with blue undertones).
Crazy Color’s Hair Dye in shades 62/Hot Purple (a bright medium purple shade with neutral undertones), 43/Violette (a bright purple shade with violet blue undertones), and Burgundy (a dark purple shade with red undertones).
Stargazer semi-permanent hair color dye in shades: Purple (a pastel purple shade with cool undertones), plume (a deep purple shade with plum undertones), and Violet ( a deep purple shade with violet blue undertones).
Arctic Fox in shades Purple Rain (a bright purple shade with cool violet undertones), and Violet Dream (a bright purple shade with cool magenta undertones).
Adore in shades 116/Purple Rage (a deep purple hair dye with blue ink undertones), 90/Lavender (a very light pastel lavender shade with gray undertones), and Violet Gem (a dark purple shade with neutral undertones).

Red shades of semi permanent color dye — Manic Panic Red Hair dye permanent

Vibrant Red hair shades:

Manic Panic Hair dye in shades Electric Lava (a bright light fiery red shade with copper undertones), Electric Tiger Lilly (a bright medium to light red shade with copper undertones), and Holly’s Rock& Roll Red (a dark vivid red shade with burgundy undertones).
Crazy Color Semi-Permanent Hair Dye in shades: Vermillion Red ( dark red shade with warm copper undertones) and Fire (a light very bright red hair shade with coral undertones)
Adore Semi-permanent hair color in Paprika (a medium warm red shade) and Rich Amber (a dark rich burgundy shade)
Stargazer ‘s hair dye in shades Foxy Red (a vibrant red shade), Golden Flame (a bright fiery red shade with golden undertones) and Rouge (a medium bright shade of red with slight magenta undertones).
Schwarzkopf’s XXL color in shades Raspberry rebel (a light red shade with strong pink/magenta undertones), Pillar Box Red (a true bright red shade with neutral to cool undertones)

Vibrant Copper hair shades:

Manic Panic in shades: Psychedelic sunset (a bright medium orange shade),
Crazy color in Coral Red (a bright golden copper/orange shade), Orange ( a light orange shade with golden blonde undertones)
Arctic Fox in shade Sunset Orange (a medium to light bright orange shade).
Adore’s semi-permanent hair color in: Sunrise orange ( a sunny bright orange shade with peach and golden undertones), Cinnamon ( a natural yet rich medium cinnamon shade with golden copper undertones), Honey Brown (a medium natural honey shade), Spiced Amber ( a light copper shade with strong golden undertones), Copper Brown (a medium light shade with copper red undertones).

Sources: