You want to give your hair a burst of colour but you’re wondering which hue will best suit your skin tone? I could tell you what the best bright hair colours are for black girls, but your options really are unlimited. Purple, blue, pink, green, orange and yellow all look amazing on brown skin.
I’ve dyed my hair pink, purple, red and blue – and, they all suited the colour of my skin. I really believe that our brown skin can suit absolutely complement any hair colour and, if you really want to get technical about it, it’s just about getting the undertones right.
Picking the Right Bright Hair Colour for Your Skin Tone
I do a quick little application of colour theory – just like I would when picking out an eyeshadow look or buying a new foundation. I have yellow undertones in my skin, so I look for hair colours the suit that.
So, you want to pick the right hue of any colour you’re thinking of. I’ll use red as an example, because it’s a pretty complicated colour.
If you have yellow or red undertones, a warm red colour will suit you best. This look on Rihanna is a great example of a warm red:
For cooler skin tones, you’ll go for a more blue-toned red like Porsha Williams:
Inspiration for Bright Hair Colours on Brown Skin
These are some of my favourite looks I’ve collected over the years of the most gorgeous colourful hair looks on brown skin:
Hair rings are a fun and easy way to dress up any hairstyle. I recently ordered a pack of rings and looked up inspiration, but I couldn’t find many examples on black hair. So, I wanted to put together a post of hair ring styles for afro textured hair to help out anyone else who might be in the same position as I was.
Just One Row
A single row of hair rings can go a long way to making your hairstyle pop:
Add some chains to your hair rings for a really fancy look. More editorial looks tend to combine both of these types of hair jewellery, and they’re great for a music festival or photoshoot.
If you’d rather not spend the time weaving the rings into your hair, a great option is to wrap them around your braids. It’s a unique look that jazzes up your hair.
For lots of styles with hair rings, it’s as simple as opening the rings up, sticking them in your braid, and closing them back up. However, if you’d like to weave them in, it can be a little bit tricky so here is a very helpful tutorial:
‘If you want to spice up the look of your locs, adding some colour will give you that extra oomph. Here are some looks to inspire your colourful transformation:
Putting a Pop of Colour In Your Locs
You can add a little pop of colour to your locs, whether it’s using an ombre effect or some highlights.
It might seem difficult to add colour to your locs, but the process is much easier than you would expect.
Bleaching and Colouring Locs
If you want a long-term change for your locs, bleaching and colouring your hair is the best option. Nurse Poizon Ivy has a great tutorial on how to do this yourself:
Colouring Locs With Hair Wax
For a less permanent solution, hair wax is a great solution. The most important thing to remember when using hair wax is that you should ensure that it is thoroughly dried before you’ve moved on.
It can be quite tough to remove from your locs, and you don’t want any residue left in your hair, so you should make sure that you thoroughly wash the wax out. It may take a couple of washes, and an apple cider vinegar rinse should get rid of any residual wax.
Hair chalk is another useful non-permanent solution. While you don’t see many people using it as much as hair wax to colour their locs, hair chalk may result in a bit less residue being left in after you’ve washed it out.
Zuri FX does a good job of showing how easy the process is:
So, this week, I changed up my hair from a horrible cut and colour to some sleek black extensions. I used a crochet braiding technique but I didn’t have any cornrows in my hair, so this is how I did it:
I waffled on A LOT in this video (very new to this!), so here are the main takeaways from the tutorial:
Clearly section your hair when making the little ponytails that you’re crocheting into. If there are any strays, this will make it really difficult to remove the rubber bands and the crocheted hair will get all tangled up.
The hair you put into small ponytails shouldn’t be bigger than half of the diametre of a standard pencil.
Towards the bottom of your hair, closet to your neck, do a full layer of crochet hair. Here, it’s best not to leave any leave-out, as there will be a really obvious divide between your own hair and the extensions.
I did six along the bottom and six through the middle. Another two were towards the top to get any extra bits that looked choppy.
The top row of crochets is just before the top of your temples. This will stop them from showing through.
If you’re struggling to blend, you can use heat. I just go over each side one with my hair straightener set to 150 degrees celCelciuscius (because heat up to 200 degrees can be used on this hair).
I don’t think I’m going to wash my hair with the crochet braids in. It’s a pretty quick process after silk pressing my hair, so I’ll just take them out before washing and putting them back in. The hair I used is £6.50 from the local shop, so I’m happy to do this once a month or every 6 weeks.
So, you’ve decided to make the leap from relaxed to natural hair. You’ve got a long journey ahead but it doesn’t have to be a difficult one. Most ladies making the transition are reluctant to go for “the big chop”, which is understandable – you’ve spent a long time growing that hair! Fortunately, it’s not always necessary to cut up inches upon inches of hair.
Braids and Twists are the Go-To
What encourages most of us to commit to The Big Chop is the line of demarcation between your relaxed hair and your natural hair. It can be quite obvious and also being the point at which your hair breaks off – but braids and twists and camouflage it.
If you’re using a method that isn’t particularly hard on your hair, this is a great way to protect it while transitioning. Jumbo twists, faux locs and box braids allow you to keep (and add) length while you wait for your hair to grow out. And, the don’t require lots of manipulation that could damage your hair while styling.
Low Manipulation Styles Are Ideal
If you’re not going for a protective style that will last you a few weeks or months, it’s important that you’re not touching your hair too much and too often. So, you should aim for a style that doesn’t need touching up every day. These are some of your best options:
Roller Sets
High Puffs
Faux Hawks
Braid outs
Corn rows
If you’re going to have your own hair out while transitioning, make sure you wrap it up every night in a silk/sating scarf to protect it and use a light moisturising daily (a spray is best).
Don’t Use Heat or Chemicals
You can choose one: avoiding the big chop or using heat and chemicals. These cause lots of damage to your hair and they can set back lots of your progress.
This means no dyeing your hair. If you want to switch up your hair colour, hair paint is a safe alternative to dye and there’s no penetration.
It also means no flat ironing. If you want a sleek look sometimes, a lace front may be an expensive investment but it’s worth it if you’re going to be wearing your hair straight often.
Trim Monthly
When you’re opting not to go for the big chop, it’s a good idea to trim your hair gradually. It’s best to do this once a month if you’re wearing your hair naturally or using a protective style. You should plan to get your braids, locs or twists tightened or redone every few weeks so that you have the opportunity to gradually trim off the most damaged bits.
Deep Condition Weekly
This is an essential step, and you should not miss it out. Write it down in your agenda or set an alarm – whatever it takes to remember your weekly deep conditioning.
Even if you have a protective style in, it is possible to deep condition your hair. Nappyheadedjojoba has one of the best tutorials on how to deep condition without ruining your protective style:
Be Patient
Transitioning is always going to be a difficult journey but just remember that you’ve got this! If you’re struggling with the process, you can always opt for another hairstyle, just as long as you remember to take the necessary steps to protect your hair.
For years, I’ve been working on a strategy for getting the perfect silk press. I’ve tried all sorts of products and it’s only recently that I’ve come up with a method that actually gives me the same kind of silky finish that I get when I go to a hairdresser.
Before, it was fine – but nothing special. Still frizzy and I’d be annoyed if I’d paid someone else to do it. After, it’s much shinier and silkier.
So, here’s how I changed up my routine to get the best silk press possible at home:
Cleanse with Clarifying Shampoo
I’ve been using clarifying shampoo for years now. For me, it doesn’t actually matter what brand I use. Right now, it’s Tresemme’s clarifying shampoo because it was on sale – but I’ve also used Dove, Head & Shoulders and OGX and they all do the same thing for me.
What really changed up my silk press game was adding a hydrating shampoo into the mix. I always shampoo my hair twice so, I subbed in a different product for the second go around. The best ones I’ve used are Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla and OGX Tea Tree shampoos.
Deep Condition
For a really long time, I avoided products with silicones. I totally understand that they are damaging in the long term – but, when you really want a silky finish, no-cone conditioners just don’t do the trick. So, I’ve splashed out for some good deep conditioning treatments. Briogeo and SheaMoisture make the best deep conditioning masks for my hair.
Use a Product with “Silk” in the Name
I know it sounds pretty cheesy, but this is something that I think actually makes a difference – scrap whatever you’re using right now and opt for something with “silk” in the name. I don’t know the exact science or if it’s just a marketing ploy but it’s made my silk presses that much silkier.
This is a list of products I’ve used that didn’t really give me that silky finish:
Fantasia IC heat protectant spray
L’Oreal Extraordinary Oil
Aveda Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight
CHI Silk Infusion (which, according to its name, should have, right?)
While they are all great products and gave me nice, straight hair, the result wasn’t super silky. So, I made the switch and it made a huge difference. These products have worked the best for me:
Kiehl’s Silk Creme
Keracare Silken Shield
Biosilk Serum
Use A Hair Straightener with Titanium Plates
This was the clincher – using a hair straightener with titanium plates gave me an ultra gorgeous and silky finish. It was something that every Youtuber mentioned in their silk press videos so I thought, I have to do it!
It was reluctant to replace my GHD straightener. I’d had it for 8 years and it was hella expensive, but it turns out I didn’t even have to spend very much on a new one. You don’t have to shell out much money to get a decent-quality titanium straightener. I spent £25 on one from a brand called Kipozi and it does the trick.
The key is to straighten in very small sections. You don’t want to go over the same section lots of times to keep from damaging your hair, and it means the straightener touches more hair to get it all nice and silky.
Important tip: get a heat mat or put your straightener on a surface that won’t burn. The titanium plates get suuuuuper hot and I’ve damaged plenty of duvet covers and table surfaces.
That’s it! This method has made such a big difference in how my at home silk presses look. This specific combination of products has given me the finish I’ve been trying to get for years. I hope it helps you, too!
Black Hair Magic 