Beauty Best Dark Violet Vs Blood Moon: Lunar Tides Dye Compared
Two of Lunar Tides' most beloved dark shades serve very different moods. Dark Violet is a rich jewel purple that flatters many skin tones and fades like a dream. Blood Moon is a deep, smoky red with serious drama and stronger staining. Both need pre-lightened hair and reward good aftercare. This comparison looks at color character, base needs and fade so you choose the right dark vivid. Dark vivid newcomers often debate these two shades. This comparison settles it with specifics. Choose the mood that matches you.
| Factor | Lunar Tides Dark Violet Hair Dye, 4oz | Lunar Tides Blood Moon Hair Dye, 8oz |
|---|---|---|
| Color family | Deep jewel-toned purple with blue base | Dark red with smoky, moody depth |
| Best base hair | Level 8 blonde or lighter | Level 7 blonde or lighter, glows on pale |
| Fade behavior | Fades to soft lavender over weeks | Fades through pink to soft rose |
| Staining power | Moderate staining, manageable cleanup | Strong staining on skin and surfaces |
| Vibe | Mystical and wearable daily | Dramatic, gothic and bold |
Our Verdict
Dark Violet wins for versatility and graceful fading, making it the safer first vivid for most people. It suits professional settings better than red and fades to a pretty lavender. Blood Moon wins for drama and uniqueness, delivering a moody red that few brands match. If you want vivid hair that still feels wearable, choose Dark Violet. If you want maximum impact and love the red fade journey, choose Blood Moon. Both condition while they color, so hair health is not the deciding factor. Pick the shade that matches your style courage. Either way, bleach well and rinse cool. Both shades earn their devoted followings. Community swatches show real results. Browse them for inspiration. Your perfect shade awaits.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: Best for electric neon pink statements.
Lunar Tides Neon Dragonfruit Hair Dye, 4oz
- Electric pink-red neon
- High pigment load
- Vegan formula
- 4oz jar
Pros
- Incredibly vibrant payoff
- Stunning on level 10 hair
Cons
- Fades faster than dark shades
- Needs near-white base
Best for: Best for adventurous neon green looks.
Lunar Tides Neon Lime Hair Dye, 4oz
- Neon green-yellow shade
- UV reactive pigment
- Vegan formula
- 4oz jar
Pros
- Unique standout color
- Glows under blacklight
Cons
- Hardest base requirement
- Not workplace friendly
Best for: Best for mystical green-teal color.
Lunar Tides Magic Charm Hair Dye, 4oz
- Mystical green-teal shade
- Vegan semi-permanent
- Conditioning base
- 4oz jar
Pros
- Unique witchy tone
- Pretty fade-out
Cons
- Needs a pale base
- Niche shade choice
Want the Full Picture?
Dark vivid maintenance: why red fades faster than violet
Not all dark vivids fade equally, and the Blood Moon vs Dark Violet comparison on this page illustrates the chemistry. Red dye molecules are smaller than violet ones, which means they escape the hair shaft faster with every wash: Blood Moon fades noticeably quicker than Dark Violet despite both being dark shades. Red also stains more aggressively, skin, clothes, and pillowcases, because the small molecules penetrate everywhere, including where you do not want them.
The maintenance routine adjusts by shade. For Blood Moon, wash in cold water exclusively, stretch washes as long as possible, and refresh with a red color-depositing conditioner every second wash once fading starts. For Dark Violet, the same routine applies but the refresh interval stretches longer, since violet holds better. Both shades benefit from sulfate-free shampoo, but the red needs it more urgently: sulfates strip small red molecules fastest. Plan your dye budget accordingly: red vivids cost more to maintain than violets over six months, even at the same tube price. For comparing semi-permanent brands, our Adore semi-permanent comparison ranks shades and longevity.
At-home vs salon: the honest cost math
Vivid color has a real running cost that first-timers underestimate. At home, a tube of Lunar Tides plus the supporting products, sulfate-free shampoo, color-depositing conditioner, gloves, and stain supplies, runs a modest amount per session, with sessions every four to eight weeks depending on shade. Over a year, the at-home total stays well under a single salon vivid appointment in most cities.
But the salon premium buys things tubes cannot: even application without banding, professional lightening that preserves hair health, and correction when something goes wrong. The break-even analysis favors at-home for experienced dyers maintaining an existing color, and favors the salon for first-time bleaching, dramatic changes, or hair that is already damaged. The most expensive outcome is neither: it is a botched home bleach job that requires salon correction, which costs more than starting at the salon would have. For bold color without the damage tradeoff, our Arctic Fox hair dye guide covers a gentler vivid brand.
Roots vs lengths: the refresh strategy
The biggest at-home vivid mistake is re-dyeing all over every time. Fresh dye over already-dyed lengths over-saturates: the color goes darker and flatter with each full application until the dimension dies. The professional approach is roots-only touch-ups for regrowth, with the lengths refreshed only when the fade goes uneven, typically every second or third root session.
For the lengths refresh, dilute the dye with conditioner for a gentler deposit: the faded lengths need a tone boost, not full pigment load. This technique also prevents the banding that comes from overlapping fresh dye onto old dye at different porosities. And time the full process realistically: sectioning, application, processing, and rinsing a full vivid dye job takes two to three hours. Rushing any stage, especially the sectioning, is how missed spots and uneven roots happen. The patient dyer gets salon-looking results; the rushed dyer gets the correction bill.