Beauty Lunar Tides Hair Dye Guide: Vivid Shades, Use And Care Tips
An educational guide from the Beauty AMZ research team. No hard sell, just what you need to know.
What makes Lunar Tides different
Lunar Tides is an indie brand built by vivid-hair lovers for vivid-hair lovers. Formulas are vegan and cruelty-free with no ammonia or peroxide. The dye deposits pigment while conditioning agents soften bleached hair. Pigment load is high, so colors apply true and vibrant. The shade range covers natural darks, jewel tones, neons and pastels. Prices stay reasonable for the quality. The brand's community shares endless real-hair swatches online. It is a favorite for good reason.
Bleaching basics for vivids
Most Lunar Tides shades need pre-lightened hair to show correctly. Bleach lifts your natural pigment to a pale base, usually level 8 to 10. Do it in sessions with weeks between for hair health. Use bond-building treatments during and after bleaching. Toner removes yellow before applying cool shades like violet. Never bleach over already fragile hair without a professional. Good bleach work decides 80 percent of your final result. Respect the process.
Application like a pro
Start with clean, dry, product-free hair. Divide into small sections and clip them up. Apply dye generously with a tint brush, saturating each section fully. Pile hair on top of the head and cover with a shower cap. Leave for 45 minutes minimum, up to two hours for intensity. Body heat under the cap deepens the color. Rinse with cool water until it runs mostly clear. Admire, photograph and avoid white towels for a week.
Aftercare for longevity
Wash as rarely as your scalp allows, using dry shampoo between. Always use sulfate-free shampoo and the coolest water you tolerate. Deep condition weekly to keep bleached hair healthy. Mix leftover dye into conditioner for a color-refreshing mask. Avoid chlorine and salt water, or wear a swim cap. Heat styling fades color faster, so use protectant. Vivid hair is a lifestyle, and aftercare is the rent.
Growing out and changing shades
Vivids fade but rarely disappear completely without help. Clarifying shampoo and vitamin C treatments speed fading. Color removers work but can be drying, so condition after. Going from red-based shades to cool tones is the hardest transition. Sometimes growing out with root shadow looks intentional and cool. Plan your next shade around your current fade, not a fantasy. Patience makes color changes far less damaging.
Recommended Products
These are the products our research team rates highest in this category.
Best for: Best first vivid shade for purple lovers.
Lunar Tides Dark Violet Hair Dye, 4oz
- Vegan semi-permanent dye
- Jewel-toned purple pigment
- Conditioning formula
- 4oz jar
Pros
- Fades to a pretty lavender
- Gentle on bleached hair
Cons
- Needs a pale base
- Stains skin and tubs
Best for: Best value for dark red vivid lovers.
Lunar Tides Blood Moon Hair Dye, 8oz
- Deep smoky red shade
- Large 8oz jar
- Vegan formula
- Long-lasting dark vivid
Pros
- Great value in the big jar
- Dramatic gothic shade
Cons
- Strong staining power
- Long hair needs the full jar
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
Ready to Choose?
See our top product picks for lunar tides hair dye, or jump straight to the head-to-head comparison of the two most popular options.
Removing Vivid Color Safely When You Want a Change
Vivid shades like Dark Violet and Blood Moon do not lift out with regular shampoo, and reaching for bleach first is the fastest route to damage. Work in stages. Start with a week of clarifying washes and hot water soaks, which pull surprising amounts of direct dye from porous hair. Next, try a color remover formulated for direct dyes before any lightener; these shrink dye molecules so they rinse away, and they are far gentler than bleach. Only if color remains should you consider a bleach bath, and even then strand-test first. For comparing brands, our Arctic Fox hair dye guide discusses the same staged approach.
Color-Depositing Conditioners as a Maintenance Tool
Between full dye applications, color-depositing conditioners are the maintenance category most vivid wearers underuse. A few minutes in the shower pushes fresh pigment into faded areas without a full dye session. Use one in a matching or slightly deeper tone than your base shade once a week, alternating with regular conditioner so protein and moisture stay balanced. One caution: they build up. If color starts looking muddy, skip a week and do a clarifying wash to reset. They also stain grout and light towels over time, so rinse thoroughly. The economics of stretching time between dyes are in our Adore vs Arctic Fox dye comparison.
Hard Water and Pools: The Silent Vivid Killers
Hard water lays a mineral film over hair that dulls brights and shifts tones, which is why Dark Violet can look murky brown in a hard water home within two weeks. A chelating wash every week or two strips the film and restores the true shade. Pool chlorine is worse: it oxidizes direct dye molecules and can turn Blood Moon an odd orange-pink in a single swim. Never swim with fresh vivid color unprotected. Wet hair with clean water first, coat the lengths with conditioner or oil, and wear a cap for longer swims. Rinse immediately after, before chlorine dries in. A brand-specific take is in our Got2b Metallics guide.