I’ve flirted with many hair colors throughout my life. From my natural blonde to black to red – I’ve tried almost everything. My romance with rose gold hair, though, was probably my absolute favorite. Rose gold hair color isn’t common. I felt unique. I felt like a fun version of me.
Going rose gold can be tricky! There are not only several different shades of rose gold, but there’s a whole process involved when it comes to execution and there is some maintenance required to keep up the color. If you’re considering dyeing your hair rose gold – this one’s for you!
Things to consider when dying your hair rose gold.
Cost.
Dyeing your hair rose gold doesn’t necessarily have to cost a ton of money, but it can. DIY methods of rose gold hair don’t typically last as long as professional salon color (and sometimes the overall effect isn’t as quality). That said – salon color inherently costs more. From the initial color to any touchups you may want in the future, cost is definitely something to consider when making the call to go rose gold.
Maintenance.
Rose gold hair does require upkeep. If you’re going full rose gold, your roots will need regular touch ups. If doing rose gold highlights, you may not need as frequent root touch ups, but you might want toner to help keep the color looking vibrant and fresh. Not only does the maintenance of rose gold hair cost money, but it requires time. If salon trips or making time for DIY at home touch ups seems like a pain, you may want to reconsider dabbling in this hair color. Faded rose gold doesn’t have nearly the same allure as well maintained color.
Color tone.
If you’re committed to the rose gold hair lifestyle – yay! You just need to think through what shade you’d like. Rose gold can lean more gold or more pink. Even within the pink family, there are more pastel pink shades, light rose shades, metallic rose gold shades, cropper rose gold, or even slightly more lavender shades. It’s definitely fun to dabble in at home color (we’ll talk about my favorite options later in this post), but sometimes this is where having a stylist with a well trained eye is best. Salon stylists can help you choose the appropriate rose gold shade for your skin tone so that it’s flattering.
I’ve died my hair a dark brown in the past and by the time it faded to red it was really anything but flattering on my skin tone. The tones of your hair color tend to look best when the undertone compliments your skin tones. Although I’m not typically a fan of super warm shades on myself, when I had my rose gold hair color done in a salon we opted for a slightly warm rose gold tone to flatter my skin.
Your natural hair color and texture.
This is where a stylist really comes in. I really recommend consulting with a stylist before making any dramatic color changes to your hair – always. Different hair colors and textures can take on dye differently. Not every dye color is perfect for every natural hair color.
My hair soaks up black and dark brunette for example – but it’s nearly impossible to go back to blonde without chopping off the majority of my hair.
Stylists can help you discern what styles and trends are right for you not just in the short run, but long term.
The process of going rose gold.
At the salon.
Adding a rose gold toner to your normal color appointment.
When I went rose gold in a salon, my stylist made the call to execute our standard balayage appointment and utilize a rose gold toner to top it off. The toner helped me get a taste of the rose gold trend, without going full pink. Rose gold color can definitely be done with a straight dye (I’ve seen photos of rose gold balayage circulating around) – but I really just wanted a “natural” rose gold look, almost as if just lightly kissed by the color. Adding a rose gold toner to the process gave me a really light rose gold color on my naturally blonde hair.
I definitely had my mom spray on pink highlights for me before school in middle school – so this whole situation felt like a much more mature version of the fun color I’ve always loved.
At home.
Using temporary color masks in the shower.
Trips to the salon aren’t always convenient or affordable. It’s for that very reason that I set out to find the best way to DIY rose gold hair at home! The Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask in the shade Rose Gold is hands down my favorite way to get rose gold tones in my hair at home. This product is definitely explicitly labeled for light to medium blonde hair only – and they mean business. Unfortunately if you have brown hair or really anything darker than blonde, the color won’t absorb and take. I’d also be a little cautious using this product if you’re a true platinum blonde, as the lightest shades of blonde do soak up color more quickly (you may end up with a little more pink than you were bargaining for).
Hair dye is such a tricky and fickle beast. I’m personally not a big fan of using actual box dyes to get rose gold hair at home. Color depositing masks tend to be the safest bet, although admittedly they aren’t very inclusive in their ability to work on all hair colors and textures.
How to style rose gold hair.
Using color on your hair at all really requires you to think through how you style. Color tends to fade with heat and frequent styling – so it’s time to get strategic!
Always utilize protecting products prior to styling.
Heat protectants are non-negotiable when styling rose gold colored hair. Heat protectants help create a protective barrier around the hair strand, preventing heat damage, breakage, and even frizz. Heat protectants can also help reduce the overall impact of heat on the hair. Since rose gold hair tends to fade with each heat styling session, a hair protectant is important because it can actually help extend the life of your color.
I swear this blog post is not sponsored by Morrocanoil – it’s not sponsored by anyone – but I do really love the Morrocanoil Treatment oil. This oil hydrates my hair like no other product and almost acts as a secondary conditioner for my hair. If you have normal to thick hair, the classic Morrocanoil treatment is best. If you’re like me and have fine hair, they make a Light version that works wonders at adding hydration without weighing down the hair.
The Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat & UV Protective Primer is another one of my favorites – and is a bit more hard hitting in the heat protective department than Morrocanoil. The Invisible Oil not only serves as a heat protectant to help preserve hair health while styling with heat, but also has UV protection to help shield hair from the drying effects of the sun. Given that rose gold hair toner can fade fast in light and heat, the Invisible Oil has become a staple for me when I’m rocking my rose gold hair.
Style without heat wherever possible.
Since I just went on a full rant about the damaging impact of heat on rose gold colored hair – this tip should seem like a no brainer! If you can style your hair without heat while you have your rose hair color, I highly recommend leaning in. The less heat you utilize while you’re enjoying your color, the longer you’ll be able to enjoy your color.
Curling rose gold hair with heat.
I hate to admit it – I’m BIG on heat styling. My natural hair isn’t particularly attractive (a bit like bed head to be honest), so I reach for my Dyson Corrale almost every single day. I do always use a heat protectant, but I’ve also found a few ways to help preserve the longevity of my color when using heat to style my hair.
Use medium to low heat settings.
The Dyson Corrale specifically has three heat settings. When my hair is rose gold, I always opt for the lowest setting possible. This might mean I get a softer curl or not as straight of a straighten, but I’d trade hair health and color preservation for looser rose gold curls any day.
Use strong hold hairspray to lock in your curls.
I’m typically not a huge fan of any strong hold hairsprays because they leave my hair feeling hard and crunchy. When it comes to preserving my rose gold color; however, the goal is to style less which means locking in those curls early on is crucial. Strong hairsprays can help extend the life of curls by holding their shape early on.
Extend the life of your style with products.
The same principles of attempting to not wash your hair every day apply here (except the goal is not to style every day). I typically can get one good day of curls on the first day of my heat styling. To avoid taking an iron to my hair again the next day (or days afterwards), I reach for products like dry shampoo and salt spray to extend my style. Dry shampoo helps keep roots looking clean, fresh, and without oil (which my scalp seems to have plenty of). Salt spray actually helps me take my curls from true curls and relax them into a more casual, beachy look. Salt spray keeps my styling looking intentional rather than like flat, dull curls that didn’t survive past day one.
Are you wanting to try out rose gold hair? Let’s chat in the comments below!