Beauty Pulp Riot Barcelona Noir vs Velvet: Toning Shampoo Compared
Noir, Velvet, and Absinthe are the three faces of the Pulp Riot Barcelona toning range. We compare them on strength, best hair type, and how to fit each into your routine.
| Factor | Pulp Riot Semi-Permanent Hair Color in N | Pulp Riot Semi-Permanent Hair Color in V |
|---|---|---|
| Toning strength | Strong, regular maintenance | Gentle, subtle toning |
| Best for | Noticeable brassiness, coarse hair | Fine or fragile blonde hair |
| Frequency | Once a week | Once or twice a week |
| Risk of over-toning | Higher, watch the clock | Low, very forgiving |
| Professional pedigree | Salon-grade pigment | Salon-grade pigment |
Our Verdict
Choose Noir for reliable strong toning that keeps brass away. Choose Velvet if your hair is fine, fragile, or new to purple shampoo. Choose Absinthe when your colorist points you to its specific toning character.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: Adventurous green hair color fans
Pulp Riot Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Absinthe
- Semi-permanent dye in a vivid absinthe green
- Bold fashion color from the Pulp Riot range
- Conditioning, ammonia-free formula
- Fades on tone without weird brassiness
Pros
- Striking, true green payoff
- Fades gracefully
- Fun for creative color projects
Cons
- Green is hard to remove fully
- Needs very light blonde base
- Stains everything it touches
Want the Full Picture?
Judging Toner Strength Before You Buy
With purple shampoos, experienced buyers check how deep the purple is in the bottle and where the pigment sits in the ingredient list. The same logic applies to semi-permanent toners like the Barcelona range. Noir is the deepest of the three, a near-black violet that deposits significant tone in one application. Velvet is a mid-depth violet, and Absinthe is the wildcard, a green-toned shade that neutralizes red rather than yellow. The depth of the shade name is your strength signal: deeper shades need shorter processing times and more dilution caution.
The beginner mistake is treating all three as interchangeable "purple toners." They are not. Noir on already-ashy hair can push it muddy gray. Absinthe on hair with no red undertone does almost nothing. Match the toner to the specific unwanted tone in your hair, yellow needs violet (Noir or Velvet), red or orange needs green-blue (Absinthe). If you are unsure which unwanted tone you have, look at your hair in natural daylight, indoor lighting lies about brass. The best purple shampoo guide covers the same tone-matching logic for shampoo-format toners.
Toner vs Toning Shampoo vs Toning Mask: Which Format When
No guide turns the format comparison into a real decision framework, so here it is. Semi-permanent toners like the Barcelona shades deposit the most pigment per application and give the most control, you choose the exact shade and processing time. They are the right choice when your brass is strong or when you want a specific tonal direction. Toning shampoos are maintenance tools, gentler, used weekly, designed to hold a tone between salon visits rather than create one. Toning masks sit in the middle, more pigment than a shampoo, plus conditioning benefits for damaged blonde hair.
Porosity decides more than preference. Highly porous, damaged hair grabs toner pigment fast and unevenly, so a toning shampoo used regularly is safer than a strong semi-permanent toner applied once. Low-porosity healthy hair resists gentle toning shampoos, which is when a dedicated toner earns its place. Wash frequency matters too, if you wash daily, a toning shampoo integrates into your routine effortlessly, while a toner becomes a separate project. Many blondes use both, toner for the initial correction, toning shampoo for upkeep. The blonde toning mask guide covers the middle-format option in detail.
When Toning Stops Working: The Diagnostic
Brass that resists toning is the most frustrating blonde problem, and stronger pigment is rarely the answer. Three causes cover almost every case. First, your underlying level shifted, hair that was level 9 when toned perfectly is now level 8 after regrowth or fading, and no violet toner fixes brass at the wrong level, that needs lightening, not toning. Second, mineral buildup from hard water coats the hair and blocks toner from depositing evenly, the fix is a chelating wash before toning, not a darker toner. Third, product buildup, especially silicones, creates the same barrier.
How to tell which problem you have: if the brass is mostly at the roots and new growth, it is a level problem. If the brass is even but toners suddenly do nothing after working for months, it is buildup, clarify first and re-tone. If the hair feels coated and looks dull overall, chelate for minerals. Applying Noir over mineral-blocked hair just deposits uneven dark patches, which is how people end up with the "toner made my hair darker and muddy" complaint. Diagnose first, pigment second.
The Over-Depositing Recovery Plan
Semi-permanent toners can go too far, especially Noir on porous ends. If your hair comes out darker, flatter, or grayer than intended, do not panic and do not reach for bleach. One to two washes with a clarifying shampoo removes a significant amount of fresh semi-permanent pigment, since these toners sit on the hair rather than inside it. Wash with warm water, which opens the cuticle slightly and releases more pigment than cold water.
For stubborn over-depositing, a vitamin C treatment (crushed vitamin C tablets mixed with clarifying shampoo, left on for 30 minutes under a cap) lifts semi-permanent color gently without the damage of bleach. To prevent the problem next time, dilute the toner with conditioner for the last five minutes of processing, or apply it to damp rather than dry hair, which slows and evens out deposit. The Amika purple guide has more on keeping tone bright without the darkening effect that heavy-handed toning causes.