Good news for your colour-brave clients: blue hair is trending once again, and there’s no limit on the shades they can work – from icy aquas to muted navies. Whether deep and dark or bright and bold, true blues are big news for this season, as seen on Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish and Ciara.
But riding that blue wave takes plenty of prep and post-colour maintenance. Not only have you got to achieve the right base for their shade, but you’ll want to help clients maintain their hue too. Here, we reveal everything you need to know about creating a true blue hair colour, from choosing the perfect formula, to locking it down with the best colour care routine.
Image Credit: @maryg.hair Opens in a new tab | @ans0403 Opens in a new tab
How to Create Blue Hair Colour
1. Pre-Lighten Locks to Make Colour Pop
Blue shades appear at their brightest and boldest on a pre-lightened base, so make sure you lift your client’s hair before applying their chosen hue. It’s important to use a hair lightener Opens in a new tab that nixes overly warm tones, as remnants of yellow and orange can alter the final shade and make colour look ‘muddy’. Try BlondorPlex Opens in a new tab, which allows you to lighten hair up to seven levels, and contains anti-yellow molecules to help reduce orange and yellow undertones during lightening.
2. Choose the Right Colouring Technique
Talk to your clients about what kind of blue hair look they hope to achieve. From balayage Opens in a new tab to ombre Opens in a new tab to dip-dyes Opens in a new tab, there are so many ways to wear the shade, each requiring a different technique. Some clients get confused about the difference between balayage Opens in a new tab and highlights Opens in a new tab or ombre Opens in a new tab and sombre Opens in a new tab, so have photos to hand to help them choose the right service. (You’ll find all the inspiration you need below.)
3. Pick the Perfect Blue Hair Product
There are so many ways for your clients to go blue when using the Wella portfolio. Select a shade that suits their condition and lifestyle, whether they need a gentle tint or a pure pigment colour. Apply one of the colours below to pre-lightened locks, allow it to develop, then wash out with ColorMotion+ Color Protection Shampoo Opens in a new tab, followed by the Express Post-Color Treatment.
For a zero-damage, semi-permanent blue: try Color Fresh CREATE Opens in a new tab in New Blue. You can apply it solo for a cobalt shade or personalize it with our collection of Color Fresh CREATE additives. Use Tonight Dusk to deepen to a navy, Vintage Blush for a powdery finish, or Tomorrow Clear to pastelize to a fresh aqua hue.
For an ultra-glossy, demi-permanent blue: apply Color Touch Opens in a new tab Special Mix 0/88. It’s a dark blue hair hue you can sweep on alone, or blend with lighter tones to make it brighter or softer. Best of all, this punchy product packs plenty of shine that gradually fades between washes. It’s ideal for a low commitment blue with a subtler regrowth line.
For a shiny blue with permanent colour: use Koleston Perfect Opens in a new tab Special Mix 0/88 by itself or mix it in with your permanent colour range.
7 Blue Hair Ideas and Formulas to Try
Silver Blue Hair
Image Credit: @golgojanadelina Opens in a new tab
Name a more mesmerizing shade… We’ll wait. This silvery blue metallic is packed with shimmer and shine from root to tip, courtesy of Koleston Perfect. After lightening locks with BlondorPlex + 6%, Golgojan Adelina Opens in a new tab mixed up a cool-toned (and rather complex) blend of 10/8 + 10/1 + 10/0 + 9/03 + 0/88 +1.9%.
Short Blue Hair
Image Credit: @wellanordic Opens in a new tab
Color Fresh CREATE in New Blue is at its best through these close-cropped curls, coloured by Sanya Minette Opens in a new tab. When bleaching afro hair, she recommends using low peroxide, and adding bond-strengthening WellaPlex to your Blondor formula. These simple tweaks will help you take care of the hair as much as possible, while the use of Colour Fresh will ensure that statement sapphire shade is damage-free.
Blue Highlights
Image Credit: @im.eriq Opens in a new tab
Go multi-tonal with your client’s blue hue by adding fresh strokes of foilyage Opens in a new tab. These ultra-bright highlights lend the perfect base for brighter blues that pop through mid-lengths and achieve. To achieve this particular look, foilyaged highlights were pre-toned with Color Touch 9/86 + 10/81 + 0/11, then toned again with 8/81 + 9/86 + 0/11 + 0/88.
Icy Blue Ombre Hair
Image Credit: @mr.mishwu Opens in a new tab
There’s only one thing cooler than blue ombre hair and that’s icy blue ombre hair, as seen in this frosted look by Wella Hairstylist and Trainer Mihai Badin Opens in a new tab. Midnight blue roots melt into metallic tips for a mane so flawless, it deserves to go viral. Try it yourself by mixing New Blue with Tonight Dusk for deep roots, then blend New Blue with Tomorrow Clear for cool mid-lengths. Dilute the blue further (still using Tomorrow Clear) for a sheer finish on the ends.
Electric Blue Hair
Image Credit: @hairbylizzielane Opens in a new tab
Lizzie Lane Opens in a new tab took her client’s hair from blonde Opens in a new tab to bright blue in this electric look, which was prepped with babylights Opens in a new tab (AKA micro-fine highlights) to break up solid regrowth from a past bleach job. Then, Color Fresh CREATE in New Blue was melted into Super Petrol – a deeper teal – for this killer cobalt. Obsessed.
Navy Blue Hair
Image Credit: @hana_knowledge Opens in a new tab
Nothing says ‘chic’ like navy blue – whether it’s in your wardrobe or on your client's hair. This muted blue bob haircut is the definition of sophisticated, thanks to subtle lowlights Opens in a new tab and super-sleek styling. Navies look better when they’re boosted by shine, so complete the look with EIMI Thermal Image Opens in a new tab to style with heated tools, followed by a misting of EIMI Oil Spritz Opens in a new tab for a frizz-free finish.
Light Pastel Blue Hair
Image Credit: @jhair_stylist Opens in a new tab
Here’s proof that pastels Opens in a new tab aren’t just for spring. This icy-cool shade looks fresh every season – especially with a platinum money-piece Opens in a new tab, a blunt cut and piecey waves. Wella Digital Ambassador James Earnshaw Opens in a new tab used Color Touch 0/88 to create the look, mixed with level 10 blondes for a light and luminous glow. Work it year-round, from summer to winter.
How to Maintain Blue Hair
Keeping blue hues true isn’t easy. Like all bold brights, they’re prone to fading fast, which is why it’s crucial your clients adopt a colour care routine Opens in a new tab. If they’re not sure where to start, recommend they add the following products to their kit:
1. A Shine-Boosting Shampoo and Conditioner
Not just any shampoo Opens in a new tab will do. To keep colour locked down and to protect it from fading aggressors, INVIGO Color Brilliance Color Protection Shampoo Opens in a new tab is a must-try. The pH balanced formula helps to close the cuticle after washing, which enables better colour retention. It also bumps up gloss, ensuring your client’s blue tones look extra-bright. Recommend they complete each hair wash with the INVIGO Color Brilliance Vibrant Color Conditioner Opens in a new tab.
2. A Colour-Depositing Mask
If your client’s blue is bright, bold or navy – any shade except one that’s light or pastel – they can top up the tone at home with the Color Fresh Mask Opens in a new tab in Blue. All they have to do is shampoo their hair, apply the mask from root to tip, then allow it to develop for 10 minutes before rinsing. The vibrant treatment will keep colour fresh between salon appointments.
3. A Heat Protection Spray
Last on the colour-shielding list is the EIMI Thermal Image Opens in a new tab heat protection spray, which protects hair from heat up to 220 degrees celsius. Heat is one of the key culprits of shade fade, so suggest clients use it every time they style their locks – whether they’re blow-drying, curling or straightening their hair. Bonus: it injects hair with extra shine, too.
