Green hair color is a trend that doesn’t seem to slow down. We’re not surprised. Green hair color is unique, makes you stand out, and looks great on all skin tones.
With celebs like Kim K., Nicki Minaj, and Kylie Jenner rocking green hair on the red carpet, and lots of influencers following suit, it’s no wonder so many people want to try that look for themselves.
Thankfully, there are many green hair dyes to choose from. You don’t need to go to a salon to get the green hair of your dreams. You can choose from a wide range of green shades, and with permanent and temporary options, you can play around with the green tresses trend to your heart’s content.
One of the biggest trends for green hair this year is the shade olive green. While past seasons showed a preference for bright neon greens, this year there’s a move towards more subtle and earthy tones.
Olive green is a color that looks great with both warm and cool skin tones. It adds a level of edginess and earthiness to your look. If you’ve been contemplating going olive green, you have many dyes to choose from that will give you the color you want.
So what are the best olive green hair dyes on the market? The best ones contain conditioning ingredients to keep your hair healthy and shiny while giving you the most accurate olive green tone with the right balance of green and yellow.
In this post, we will show you our top picks for olive green hair dyes so you can achieve that trendy look at home!
Buyer’s Guide: How To Choose Olive Green Hair Dye
When shopping for the perfect olive green hair dye, there are a few things to consider:
The Right Shade
Colors are often subjective, at least in the hair dye world. What the manufacturer labels as “olive green” isn’t always what you think of as olive green.
Not to mention, there are lots of stunning olive green hair dyes on the market that don’t have the words “olive green” anywhere on the label.
When picking the right shade for your hair dye, it’s best to rely on your eyes, even if the color has a different title. Olive green is a dark yellow-green color. It has a lot of warm undertones and can range from light to dark, almost brownish.
Picture a green olive and go from there. Colors that are too vivid and neon are not something we’d describe as olive green. In this guide, we pulled together some of the best green dyes that actually have an earthy olive green tone.
Nourishing Ingredients
If you’re not naturally blonde and you want to dye your hair olive green, you will likely need to pre-lighten your hair before applying the olive green dye, otherwise, the color will not show up very well.
Pre-lightening your hair involves using bleach, which can be damaging to the hair. So, it’s important to choose colors that have nourishing ingredients.
Even if you’re not pre-lightening your hair, it helps to go with a dye that keeps your hair moisturized and smooth.
Look for dyes that contain ingredients like keratin, argan oil, coconut oil, etc. If possible, avoid dyes that contain ammonia as that can damage the hair.
Another thing to keep in mind is that temporary dyes are typically less harmful to the hair than permanent dyes, which brings us to our next point.
Temporary, Semi-Permanent, Permanent
Depending on what your goals are, you should decide if you want to use a temporary, semi-permanent, or permanent olive green hair dye.
Here are the main differences:
- Temporary dye coats the outside of your hair shaft with pigment. Because it sits on the surface of the hair, it usually washes off quickly after a week or two. It does not damage the hair at all since it doesn’t penetrate the hair shaft, however, it may not be the perfect option for you if you want your color to last beyond a few weeks.
- Semi-permanent dyes last 6-8 weeks. It’s a less invasive way to color your hair when compared to permanent dyes. Semi-permanent dyes don’t contain any ammonia or bleach, so they’re not very damaging.
- Permanent dyes can stay in your hair for months and don’t usually wash out. They can fade with time, but the only way to get rid of them is to cut your hair or use a chemical color remover. They can damage your hair because they contain some harsh chemicals that lift the cuticles of your hair in order to deposit pigment inside your hair shaft.
There is no one type of hair dye that is best. It depends on your current hair condition, whether you bleached it before, and how long you want your green color to last.
Another thing you might want to consider is if this is your first time going green, you might want to opt for a less permanent option to ensure you are happy with the way it looks.
And if your hair is already very damaged, you might want to stay away from the permanent dyes until your hair has had a chance to recover.
In our list, we will mostly include semi-permanent or permanent options since those are the most popular ones on the market that have good olive green options.
Best Olive Green Hair Dyes
Here are our top picks for the best olive green hair dyes you can use to get the perfect color:
Rank | Product | Key Features |
---|---|---|
1. | Celeb Luxury Colorwash - Green | Temporary color-depositing conditioner that gives your locks an olive-green tint |
2. | ARCTIC FOX - Phantom Green | Semi-permanent medium to dark olive green that conditions your hair |
3. | HJL - Grass Green | Permanent olive green hair dye for those willing to commit |
4. | Punky Colour - Spring Green | Semi-permanent bright olive green that lasts 35 washes |
5. | Manic Panic - Venus Envy | Semi-permanent dark olive green color with fewer warm tones |
6. | RAW - Super Green | Demi-permanent olive green dye that lasts 45 washes |
7. | Unicorn Hair - Jello | Semi-permanent deep olive dye that smells like cupcakes |
8. | L'Oreal Paris Hair Color Colorista - Green | Semi-permanent olive green dye for dark hair |
9. | L'Oreal Paris Hair Color Colorista - Lime Green | Semi-permanent light olive green dye for light hair |
1. Celeb Luxury Colorwash Color Depositing Conditioner – Green
The only truly temporary dye on our list, this color-depositing conditioner adds a hint of olive green tones to your hair every time you wash it and condition with this product.
This is perfect for those who already have olive green hair and want to maintain it longer. That being said, it would also work on those with natural hair who want to add a subtle color on top.
With a color-depositing conditioner, you have complete control over how vibrant the color gets.
The longer you keep the conditioner in your hair, the more vibrant the color becomes. And the more frequently you use it, the more you’ll be able to maintain the color.
The color fades after a few washes so it’s a great way to try it out without a commitment. The conditioner itself is packed with nourishing ingredients like a patented Bond Rebuilder that helps strengthen your hair.
2. ARCTIC FOX – Phantom Green
This Arctic Fox semi-permanent dye is perfect for those looking to achieve a medium-dark olive green color with minimal damage.
We love that all Arctic Fox dyes are vegan and cruelty-free. They also smell incredible and contain zero harsh chemicals.
To get the most accurate olive green shade, start with medium-blonde hair. The yellow tones in your hair mixed with this dye result in the perfect shade of olive.
If you start with dark blonde or even light brown hair, you’ll get a stunning dark olive green result.
This color will wash out after about 8 weeks, but you can re-apply it as many times as you want to keep it vibrant since each application won’t damage your locks.
3. HJL – Grass Green
When it comes to permanent olive green hair dyes, this one by HJL is hard to beat.
The color is called Grass Green but it comes out to a perfect olive shade if you start with light hair – anywhere from light blonde to light brown will do.
The box comes with everything you need to dye your hair, including an innovative brush applicator that helps you cover every single strand.
Although it is permanent, this dye is ammonia-free, so the damage is minimized as much as possible. It also contains jojoba seed oil which helps hydrate and condition the hair.
4. Punky Colour – Spring Green
This semi-permanent color promises to last up to 35 washes, which makes it one of the most long-lasting semi-permanent options on the market.
The real longevity depends on how often you wash your hair, but users agree that this color stays put better than many other brands.
The Spring Green color is a little bit on the vibrant side, but if your hair has any yellow-brown tones in it to start, you’ll end up with a perfect olive green shade.
What we love most about this dye is that it contains a keratin complex to strengthen and condition your hair. So not only do you get a beautiful color, but you will also get smoother and shinier hair as a result.
As with all semi-permanent colors, there is no strong smell or harsh chemicals, so you don’t have to worry about damaging your hair.
5. Manic Panic – Venus Envy
This semi-permanent green dye is not exactly olive, but it’s pretty close. If you’re looking for a more leafy, neutral green with fewer warm tones, this is a great option for you.
Expect to get a dark olive green result with this dye, even if you start with light hair. This dye is deep and rich, and the color might look really dark at first.
It tends to fade to a more vibrant version of warm green after a week or two of washing.
It lasts for up to 8 weeks and fades gradually. With no harsh chemicals or ammonia, this dye conditions and fights frizz while giving you super vibrant results.
6. RAW – Super Green
If you’re looking for an option between semi-permanent and permanent, try this demi-permanent hair dye by RAW in Super Green.
It lasts up to 45 washes, giving you more longevity than many other dyes, yet it doesn’t use ammonia or other harsh chemicals.
The color Super Green is a dark olive forest green shade that complements all skin tones.
Depending on the color you start with, you will get different results, but we definitely think this color looks close to olive green.
This might be another great option for people with cooler skin tones who are looking for an olive green that won’t pull too much yellow!
We love that the application only takes 15 minutes and this dye won’t stain your skin!
7. Unicorn Hair – Jello
Another great semi-permanent option, this Unicorn Hair in Jello smells like cupcakes and delivers vibrant results while conditioning and hydrating your hair.
The color comes out to a perfect olive green if you start with medium- to dark-blonde hair as it will mix with your warm tones resulting in the right shade.
The formula also contains conditioning ingredients like fatty acids and vitamins that help to moisturize your hair and boost shine.
Enhanced with a citrus vanilla scent, this dye is a pleasure to apply and leaves your locks smelling delicious afterward.
This hair color will gradually fade with every wash, so it’s hard to say how long it’ll last, but on average users report its longevity at 5-6 weeks.
8. L’Oreal Paris Hair Color Colorista – Green
Are you starting with brown hair and don’t want to pre-lighten it? No problem. This L’Oreal Colorista semi-permanent dye in Green is specifically designed for darker hair.
The color comes out to a stunning dark olive green and is vibrant enough to be visible on brunettes.
As a semi-permanent dye, this color won’t lift or lighten your natural hair color. So what makes it work on brunettes?
The dye is very vibrant and coats the hair shaft with a shiny pigment which makes your hair reflect the light better. This results in the green shade being more visible despite how dark your hair is.
Like most semi-permanent dyes, it washes out after 4-6 weeks and doesn’t contain ammonia or other harsh chemicals that can damage your hair.
9. L’Oreal Paris Hair Color Colorista – Lime Green
Unlike the L’Oreal Colorista dye we talked about above, this one is designed specifically for light blonde hair.
Don’t let the “Lime Green” label scare you – the color comes out looking like a beautiful olive rather than an acid green you might be imagining.
Designed with subdued vibrancy, this dye makes it possible for light blondes to rock colors like green without them looking too neon bright.
The result – a beautiful light olive green color that blends in nicely and doesn’t scream “look at me!”
Much like other Colorista dyes, this one contains no harsh chemicals or toxic ingredients. It will wash out after 4-6 weeks depending on how often you wash your hair, but it’s a great way to try out the olive green trend without a long commitment.
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