You can have violet-black hair today with a spray that washes out in one shampoo, or commit with permanent Féria in Power Violet.
The step people rush is the wait: after bleaching black hair for purple tips or peek-a-boo layers, give it at least 14 days before any permanent dye goes on.
1. Black Hair With Purple Highlights
Purple strands woven through black hair add movement that a solid color can’t, since the violet picks up light where the black stays flat.
The easiest way to try it is the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray, made in Purple and Pastel Lavender. It washes out in one shampoo, which makes this the lowest-commitment option on the list.
I’d reach for Purple if you want the result to read as dark violet black, and save Pastel Lavender for a lighter, softer streak.
Spray in sections rather than all over, so the color lands as separate strands instead of a wash across your whole head. If the placement looks off, shampoo and try again tomorrow.
2. Blackberry Hair
Blackberry hair keeps the roots black and lets deep purple balayage highlights take over from the mid-lengths down.
The gradient is what sells it. Natural hair is darkest at the scalp, so black roots read as your own color, and the purple appears to grow out of them rather than sit on top.
With no hard line where one shade stops, the berry effect looks soft instead of painted on.
For anyone who wants purple that still reads as hair, I’d pick this over an all-over violet. Balayage is painted in by hand, so the purple falls unevenly through the lengths, and that irregularity keeps the color from looking flat.
3. Half Black, Half Purple Hair
A center part does the work here: black on one side, purple on the other, with the part line as the border. Contrast is the appeal, so the two shades need to complement each other, and black and purple do.
On naturally black hair, I’d run a trial before any commitment. L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color in Purple or Lilac covers one side and washes out with a single shampoo.
Part your hair first, clip the black side out of the way, and color only the other half.
If you still love the split by evening, you have a good case for making it last. If not, the next wash settles it, and nothing about your natural black has changed.
4. Black Hair With Purple Tips
Dip-dye is the easiest way into black and purple, because only the ends take any chemistry and your roots and mid-lengths stay untouched.
Lighten the black ends first with L’Oréal Paris Colorista Bleach, since purple needs a lighter base to show.
Then apply L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Purple, which lasts 7 to 15 shampoos. That short run is why I’d pick this over a permanent purple if you’re unsure how it will sit against your skin tone.
When you’re done with it, you have two exits. Let the tips wash out, which costs nothing but takes a while, or have a salon cut them off for a faster, cleaner finish.
5. Peek-a-Boo Black and Purple Hair
Peek-a-boo is the quietest way to wear dark violet black hair. Only the underneath layer gets color, so the purple stays hidden until hair swings, tucks behind an ear, or goes up in a ponytail or bun.
Black won’t take violet on its own, so that bottom layer has to be bleached first.
Then comes the step people rush: wait at least 14 days before any dye goes on. After that, apply permanent L’Oréal Paris Féria in Power Violet to the lightened layer only.
I’d pick this over all-over color for anyone with a dress code or a wary family. The black on top does all the covering, and the violet shows only when you want it to.
6. Eggplant Black Purple Hair
Every other style in this article puts purple somewhere you can point to.
This one is a tint over the whole head, so there is no visible purple section at all. L’Oréal Paris puts it simply:
Black purple hair involves adding a purple tint to your black mane. The result? A beautiful eggplant shade that truly shines in the sunlight.
That makes it the subtlest option here, and my pick if you want purple that doesn’t announce itself.
The eggplant shows when you step into daylight. The box to look for is L’Oréal Paris Féria in Violet Soft Black, which you can use at home.
Check Your Starting Shade
Naturally black hair makes every look here easier, but anyone starting from a lighter shade needs black dye first. Here’s what determines your path:
- If your hair is already black, you’re set. The purple shows up cleanly and you skip the black dye step entirely.
- If you’re not starting from black, reach for black hair dye before you add purple. That base is what makes the violet read correctly.
- This trend works as a DIY project for anyone comfortable with at-home color. The six looks ahead come with product suggestions you can pick up and apply yourself.
- Bleach is optional. You can get black and purple hair without lightening first, though skipping bleach will change which purple options work best on your hair.
Temporary, Semi-Permanent, or Permanent
Dark violet black hair comes in three levels of commitment, and the one you pick decides the product.
- Temporary spray: It washes out in one shampoo. That makes it the way to test a bold look, because a shade you dislike is gone the next time you wash.
- Semi-permanent: It lasts 7 to 15 shampoos. That is long enough to wear the color through a few weeks and see how it looks in daylight and at work.
- Permanent: The Féria is the one used for the peek-a-boo and the eggplant tint. I’d treat it as the last step, and try a spray or a semi-permanent shade first, since permanent is the hardest to undo.
When to Bleach and When to Skip It
The six looks split on whether you need to lighten first.
Three can be done on black hair as it sits: the temporary highlights, the half-and-half split, and the eggplant tint work without bleach because they either sit on top or blend into the dark base.
The purple tips and peek-a-boo styles require lightening the black sections before you apply purple, since the color needs a pale canvas to show up clearly.
If you do bleach, the wait matters. After you’ve lightened black hair, wait at least 14 days before reaching for permanent purple dye.
The hair needs that recovery time between chemical processes. Semi-permanent purple can go on sooner since it deposits color rather than lifting it.
When you’re ready to move on from purple tips, two routes get you there: wait for the semi-permanent color to wash out over seven to fifteen shampoos, or cut the dyed ends off.
Cutting wins if you want them gone now rather than gradually.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get dark violet black hair at home?
Start from black hair, and if yours is lighter, use black dye first so the violet reads correctly. Then pick a commitment level: a temporary spray, a semi-permanent color, or a permanent one like L’Oréal Paris Féria.
Bleach is only needed for the purple tips and peek-a-boo styles, and you should wait at least 14 days after bleaching before applying permanent purple.
Does violet hair fade fast?
It depends on the product.
A temporary spray is gone after 1 shampoo, and a semi-permanent purple lasts 7 to 15 shampoos. Permanent color is the hardest to undo, so it sticks around longest, which is why trying a spray or semi-permanent shade first is the safer route.
What undertones can black hair dye have?
Black dye can carry a purple tint. L’Oréal Paris Féria in Violet Soft Black is one example: the hair looks black at first glance, then shows an eggplant shade in daylight.
It’s the subtlest way to get violet into black hair since no section of color stands out.
