Bright Winter: Hair Dye

Hair dye goes beyond a simple cosmetic change - it’s a powerful way to express who you are. Whether you’re covering grey hairs, deepening your natural tone, or trying out bold, eye-catching colours, your chosen shade mirrors your personality and mood. It can also elevate confidence, helping you feel true to yourself or marking the beginning of an exciting new phase in life.

In Bright Winter, we see medium and dark brunettes as well as a variety of blacks: intensely dark, blue and brown. Due to its neutral-cool hue, colours tend to be ash in tone or tinged with blue. However, they border Spring so gold and reddish accents are sometimes possible.

In this article, we’ve used a variety of blonde, brunette and fashion colours to demonstrate which hair dyes we’d advise for Bright Winter as well as those that should be avoided.

Affiliate links have been used to provide additional visual examples. These products have been physically tested on our clients in order to provide the most accurate recommendations but results may vary. We always advise a patch test prior to dyeing your hair. To achieve some of these colourings, you may need to lift your natural colour or strip back any residual dye. This is something a professional stylist could help with.

Please note, this advice is generic for all Bright Winter individuals and recommendations will vary based on your unique colouring. Some trial and error may be required in order to find the best hair dye for yourself. For personalised advice, we suggest purchasing a Colour Analysis package with the hair option.

Bright Winter individuals typically have naturally brunette or black hair. These colours are ash or blue in tone but gold or red is possible due to influence from neighbouring Spring.

They belong to a season influenced by deep value, which makes these colours darker than those we see in Bright Spring.

Those who lean closer to Cool Winter need to select cooler variations. However, individuals who lean closer to Bright Spring will need the lighter, warmer variations.

BLONDE HAIR

As well as belonging to a season influenced by dark value, Bright Winter individuals have a high to intense contrast level. This makes blonde tricky as they need deeper variations that echo their natural intensity. 

Crystal’s strongest option above is the dark ash in example two, which is similar to Revlon Colorstay Longwear Permanent Cream Colour in 7.1 Dark Ash Blonde. This cool colour lights up her image and makes her eyes pop. It also draws out her rosy undertones. 

The medium ash in example one isn’t terrible but begins to reflect some white on her face. Her eyes still pop but it isn’t as effective as the dark variation in example three. Product recommendations for this colour include Clairol Nice'n Easy Crème Permanent Hair Dye in 8A Medium Ash Blonde. It would need to be balanced with dark makeup, jewellery or clothing. 

As this subtype borders Spring, some individuals can borrow golden variations from that hair dye chart. 

In example three, we see a dark golden blonde similar to John Frieda Sheer Blonde Precision Foam Colour Hair Dye in 7G Dark Golden Blonde. Crystal’s image is lit up by this warm, deep colour. However, it isn’t as balanced as the dark ash in example two. Note how it throws a little yellow on her face. Again, it could be possible if properly balanced with cool accessories. 

The blondes we do not recommend to Bright Winter include light ash as well as light and medium golden blonde. Bright Winter individuals need some depth to maintain their high contrast so light colours wash them out. 

Where the light ash in example four drains Crystal’s colour, the light gold in example five gives her a sickly yellow tinge. This is because it is too warm and clashes with her cool tones.

The medium gold in example six is better than the light gold in example five due to its moderate depth. However, the warmth is still too overpowering against her cool tones. 

brunette hair

Like other Winter subtypes, brunette is a colour we see naturally in many of these individuals. This makes it a great choice for a subtle change or complete image transformation. 

Crystal arguably looks best paired with both the medium ash brunette in example two and the dark ash brunette in example one. 

These deeper variations match her high contrast level, especially the dark ash brunette. Note how her image is lit up and her eyes sparkle. Product recommendations for medium ash brunette include Clairol Nice'n Easy Tone+Gloss Hair Dye in 511/77 Medium Ash Brown as well as L'Oréal Paris Excellence Cool Crème Permanent Hair Dye in 4.11 Ultra Ash Brown for dark ash brunette. 

Compare the effect of these images to the light ash brunette in example one. This colour isn’t terrible but begins to pale her appearance slightly. This is due to it reducing the contrast level slightly. The cool hue is still apparent, which is why it still works. However, it is certainly not as effective as deeper variations. For light ash brunette products, we would suggest a product such as Clairol Nice'n Easy Crème Hair Dye in 6A Light Ash Brown.

In example four, we see a dark golden brunette. Bright Winter has a neutral-cool hue but warm variations may work for those leaning towards Bright Spring provided they are balanced with cool makeup, jewellery and clothing. For Crystal, this colour gives her a slight pink tinge suggesting a colour imbalance. However, the depth works in her favour as it maintains her contrast level. This is why we do not recommend light and medium golden brunettes to Bright Winter.

In example five, we see a light golden brunette that reflects yellow on Crystal’s face. Compare this effect to the light ash brunette in example one where her image is blanched but the colour does not cast onto her skin. The combined warm hue and light value of this colour throw off both her cool hue and her contrast level. It does not create any balance.

The medium golden brunette in example six has a similar effect but is balanced by the depth. Despite this, it is still not as effective as the dark golden brunette in example four.

A good option for dark golden brunette would be Garnier Nutrisse Permanent Hair Dye in 4.3 Dark Golden Brown.

other hair

Due to their intense contrast levels, black hair dye works particularly well for Bright Winter. After brunette, it is one of the most natural colours to see in their hair. 

Example one shows an intense black that refines Crystal’s image and makes her eyes pop. Product recommendations for this colour include Schwarzkopf Oleo Intense Hair Dye in 1-10 Intense Black.

We also see a blue black in example four similar to Schwarzkopf Live Intense Colour Hair Dye in 090 Cosmic Blue. This colour emphasises the blue in Crystal’s eyes. Note that they are far brighter paired with this colour than the intense black in example one. 

Bold colours are also a strong choice for this subtype. Due to their dominant bright chroma, they can handle unconventional colours better than any other season or Winter subtype. 

The purple we see in example three lights up Crystal’s image without casting any colour onto her face. This indicates balance. It may be likened to Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color Hair Dye in 5.21 Intense Lilac.

Example four shows a cherry red with a similar effect. This colour leans warmer and would be best suited to a Bright Winter leaning towards Bright Spring as it would need to be balanced with cool makeup, jewellery and clothing. We would recommend a product such as Garnier Color Sensation Red Hair Dye in 6.60 Intense Ruby Red.

Colours we do not recommend to Bright Winter include warm reds and platinum blondes.

In example five, we see a bright copper that reflects yellow on Crystal’s skin.. It has the brightness required for her chroma but its warmth clashes with her dominant cool tones.

When assessing blonde variations in a previous section of this article, we concluded that medium and dark ash blondes are suitable for Bright Winter. Platinum blondes are cool but far too light for an individual with Crystal’s contrast level. We see the hair colour in example six before we see Crystal, which indicates an imbalance. It also reflects white on her skin making her look pale and unwell. 

Styling

Bright Winter has a high to intense contrast level. This means their best colour combinations complement what is in the individual’s palette rather than opposing or blending with them. 

The above visual demonstrates how to effectively combine colours to repeat this contrast level if you choose to style your hair with a mix of highlights and low lights. This also applies to styles such as ombre, which maintain Bright Winter’s intense colour depth. 

Example one shows how a dark neutral such as intense black can be paired with raspberry pink, a light accent. This could be done with an intense black base and the raspberry pink roughly drawn through the ends to create an ombre effect.

Another way to achieve this effect is to pair a light neutral such as a light ash brown with bright accent like blue-black. Again, this can be styled as an ombre effect or simple highlights and lowlights.

Alternatively, opposing hues can achieve the same effect. This involves mixing warm variations like brown black with a cool variation such as intense black. 

Bright Winter’s dominant characteristic is their bright chroma. This means their hair has a naturally glossy shine, which needs to be maintained with hair masks and shine spray. Purple or silver shampoos and conditioners are also effective for maintaining cool ash tones.

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