11 Plum Hair Color Ideas For Different Skin Tones

A guide to help you pick the perfect hue that complements your skin tone and suits your hair.

Reviewed by Madison Dufour, Barber & Cosmetologist
Written by Arshiya Syeda, BA (Literature & Psychology), PG Diploma
Edited by Subhrojyoti Mukherjee, MA (English)
Fact-checked by Anu Pallavi, BA  • 

Deciding to color your hair might be a spontaneous thought, but picking the right shade takes forever. Might we suggest the delicious and trendy plum hair color currently taking the world by storm? Plum is a deep purple shade with hints of dark colors added to it. There are many hues to this color. This means that you can find a plum shade that perfectly suits your skin tone, be it fair, medium, dark, tanned, or olive-toned. Keep reading to learn the other factors you need to consider when choosing the perfect plum hair color for your tresses.

protip_icon Fun Fact
The first purple dye was made by a German student in the year 1859. He had been experimenting with coal tar and, while diluting it, noticed the purple shade it had taken. Ever since then purple dyes have been widely used to color hair and fabrics.

If you’ve decided to dye your hair plum, Congratulations! One thing we know for sure is that there is no lack of love for the shades of plum. Here’s how you can determine what shade of plum will look best on you.
protip_icon Quick Hair Color Guide: Plum

How To Choose A Shade: Go for a pastel plum if you have a cool skin tone and raspberry, red, fuschia, or purple plum if you have a warm skin tone.

Level Of Maintenance: High

Suitable For: All hair types

Looks Best With: Nude makeup

How To Pick The Best Shade Of Plum For Your Skin Tone?

Step 1- Determine Your Skin Tone

Considering your skin tone while picking your hair color, by itself, can ensure that you’re choosing the right shade. While this might seem like the hardest step, it can be made quite simple with the help of a few simple methods.

One method of determining your skin tone is to observe the inside of your arms under the sunlight. If your veins appear to be blue or purple, you have a cool skin tone. If they appear to be green, you have a warm skin tone.

Another way is to get two pieces of gold and silver pieces of foil. Stand in front of the mirror and hold the foil so that it reflects light onto your face. If the gold light is flattering, you have a warm skin tone. Whereas if the silver light looks good, you have a cool skin tone.

The same logic applies to jewelry. If gold looks good on you, you have a warm skin tone. But if silver suits your skin, it is cool-toned.

If you could not determine your skin tone with any of these methods, it is likely that you have olive skin i.e. you have a neutral skin tone.

Step 2- Work With Your Eye Color

Brown

Plum hair color works well with brown eye color
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Image: Shutterstock

Shades of plum with cool undertones i.e. blue/purple undertones create a beautiful contrast with this warm eye color.

Hazel

Plum hair color suits hazel eye color
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Image: Shutterstock

This is a versatile eye color that can beautifully accommodate a number of different shades of plum, regardless of what tone they are.

Gray/Blue

Shades of plum suit people with blue eyes
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Image: Shutterstock

Shades of plum with warm undertones look best on people with gray and blue eyes because of the contrast they create together.

Step 3 – Choose Your Shade

Different shades of plum color
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Image: Instagram @justpurplelove

Now that you got your eye color and skin tone figured out, it’s time to see what shade of plum color will complement them best.

1. Classic Plum

Classic plum color
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Image: Instagram @couturehair

I would be lying if I said this isn’t one of my favorite colors for warm-toned skin. The classic plum looks great paired with wine and beetroot streaks, and tends to look best on people with blue or hazel eyes.

2. Double Plum Waves

Double plum waves hair color idea
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Image: Instagram @nothing_but_hair16

My favorite thing about this style is its incorporation of warm as well as cool colors, like aubergine, orchid, and mulberry, making it super versatile. This means that it can go with all skin tones and eye colors. While this style looks good on cool and olive skin tones, the burst of warm tones, however, pair best with warm-toned skin.

3. Electric Plum Balayage

Electric plum balayage hair color
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Image: Instagram

This electric plum is definitely on the bolder side, and we’re not complaining. This bright color with vibrant amethyst ends looks great on people with cool-toned skin. It also pairs extremely well with brown or hazel eyes.

4. Rose Plum

Rose plum hair color
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Image: Instagram @jocelynweis

This color looks like a blend of both; warm and cool tones. However, the prominent rose-gold undertones pair best with warm skin and light eyes. At the same time, people with cool and olive skin tones can also pull off this look.

5. Cool-Toned Deep Plum

Cool-toned deep plum hair color
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Image: Instagram

If you are looking for something cool but subtle, this is the shade to go for. This cool-toned deep plum has grape, fig, and currant tones and blends in perfectly with black hair. If there’s one thing we know about black hair, it’s that it looks perfect on olive skin. If you have olive skin, regardless of your eye color, this shade of plum is bound to look like it was made for you.

6. Eggplant Plum

Eggplant plum hair color
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Image: Instagram @lexiatbellazza

While not everyone might enjoy eating an eggplant, the one thing we can all agree on is that it has a wonderful color. This eggplant and plum blend has both; cool and warm undertones, with the cool being the dominant one of the two. And so, this color looks best on people with cool and olive-toned skin. It also pairs well with most eye colors.

7. Plum Purple

Plum purple hair color
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Image: Instagram

This shade falls right in between the cool and warm color spectrum with raisin, burgundy, and mahogany, and therefore looks gorgeous on people with olive toned skin. However, it also looks good on people who have cool and warm-toned skin. It pairs best with hazel eyes but also looks good on all other eye colors.

protip_icon Quick Tip
Pick outfits in indigo, pink, neutrals, different hues and shades of plum and purple, and olive green to best complement your plum hair.

8. Fuschia Plum Blend

Fuschia plum blend hair color
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Image: Instagram @kaylieghcwiertniahair

It can’t get any warmer than this for plum hair colors. This fuschia-plum blast pairs best with warm skin and blue or hazel eyes. If you have warm-toned skin and looking for a bold plum shade, this is probably the color for you. To add more dimension to this color you can also add cherry, raspberry, or cranberry highlights.

9. Pastel Plum

Pastel plum hair color
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Image: Instagram @noah.simonian

Who doesn’t love pastels? We sure do! And so we love this pastel take on plum hair color. The color has strong rose-gold undertones, putting it on the warmer end of the spectrum. This color is sure to look amazing on people with warm and olive skin tones, regardless of eye color.

10. Silver Unicorn Plum

Silver unicorn plum hair color
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Image: Instagram @stylingshyla253

No hair color list would be complete without a unicorn hair color style. This pretty color is a blend of plum and silver. The color has both; warm and cool undertones, with lavender and lilac hues. This hair color is sure to look brilliant on people with olive-toned skin and is best paired with hazel or blue eyes. However, it will also suit cool and warm-toned skin.

11. Subtle Brunette Plum

A subtle brunette plum hair color
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It is not every day you see people sporting plum hair color. The burgundy-red shade of this plum hair color, along with vibrant purple undertones, blends perfectly with natural brunette hair. It comes to life every time the sun hits the strands. It is ideal for those who want to try new things without getting out of their comfort zone. The hair color leans more toward the cooler tone of the color spectrum. The hair dye allows you to sport a rich plum hue without pulling out any warmth from your hair. Instead, it adds dimension to your hair and makes it look voluminous.

Achieving the perfect purple hair look involves a lot of color mixing. So we recommend you get it done at the salon by a professional. Ann Litts, a blogger, recounts her experience with plum purple hair in her blog post. She writes, “My hair stylist took up the cause and added a lovely ‘plum’, then ‘plum’ plus ‘jam’. Now we go with a bit of ‘’pink’, plus ‘plum’ and ‘jam’ for a really great rich looking effect. He does a stunning job of making my purple hair look naturally purple (i).”

Get ready to dive into a vibrant transformation in this video that shows how to dye untouched locks into a beautiful shade of plum. Watch now!

Infographic: 5 Trending Plum Hair Color Ideas

Plum hair shades suit all skin tones, as long as you are picking the right contrast of the shade you want to sport. To help you decide, we have shortlisted the most trending plum shades that complement all skin tones and eye colors. Check out the infographic below and pick your ideal plum hair color.

5 trending plum hair color ideas (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

The burgundy-red shades of plum are deep and rich, while its violet and purple tones add a robust punch of vitality. Both its cold and warm hues create a very natural (and sometimes neutral) look. Plum may have a highly natural feel (particularly on darker hair) for a not-so-natural hair color, which is one of the reasons this color trend is climbing to the top. Dyeing your hair this color is a fun way to step beyond your comfort zone and dazzle everyone with your eye-catching hair!

Here are some FAQs on plum hair color:

Frequently Asked Questions

How to get plum hair color?

There are many purple and plum dyes out there that can help you achieve the perfect shade of plum. If your hair is a pale blonde, you can achieve the color you want by simply dying it. If you have light brown hair, dying it with an extremely pigmented purple dye should give you the color you want. However, if you have really dark hair or hair that is almost black, you will have to bleach your hair before dying it to achieve a plum shade. In any case, it is always wise to consult a colorist before you decide to dye your hair. This is because everyone’s hair is different and a colorist will be able to give you the right directions for coloring your hair.

How to keep plum hair color from fading?

You can keep plum hair color from fading by ensuring that your hair is getting enough moisture. Moisture helps keep your cuticles sealed, minimizing the amount of color that washes away every time you wash your hair. You should also be using a color protect shampoo and conditioner to ensure that your hair retains color for longer. It is also recommended to minimize sun exposure and the use of heat styling tools as they can dry your hair out, causing the color to fade faster. Washing your hair less often and only using cold water to wash it are some practical ways to make the color last longer.

How long does plum hair color last?

Plum hair starts to fade about 3-4 weeks after dyeing your hair. If you want to maintain the shade, you will most likely have to dye it and touch up your roots every 4-6 weeks to ensure that the color stays just as vibrant.

How to get rid of plum hair color?

There are a couple of ways to get rid of hair dye. It is always simpler to make the change within the first 72 hours of dyeing your hair as the color settles in after this point. The simplest method is to bleach the color out of your hair or to neutralize it with a different hair dye. Another way is to smash up some vitamin C tablets, mix it with some shampoo, apply it to your hair, let it sit for about an hour and then wash it off. Washing your hair with a clarifying shampoo can also help speed up the fading process.
Admitted, it’s not easy to make hair decisions, but with this handy guide, it is impossible to falter. What do you have in store for your hair? Tell us about your next hair adventures in the comments section below.

What hair color makes you look younger?

Black, honey, strawberry blonde, and rose plum are colors that will generally help one look younger and brighter.

What is the hottest hair color in 2022?

2022 has seen the rise of brunette hair shades. There is more appreciation for natural but rich and deep hair shades.

What hair color suits a chubby face?

Deep and solid shades look good on fuller faces. A plum shade that will look fine on a chubby face is the cool-toned deep plum.

At what age should you color your hair?

Experts say that it is safe to keep the minimum age for hair coloring at 16, at least. Coloring the hair entails exposing the hair to a chemical process that slowly damages the hair.

When should you stop coloring your hair?

Roughness, brittleness, hair fall, dullness, etc., are all signs that you must stop coloring your hair.

What hair color is most unique?

Out of all naturally occurring hair colors, red is the most unique color with only about 1-2% of the entire population possessing the gene.

Key Takeaways

  • Plum is a deep purple color with dark colors in it and comes in various shades that suit all eye colors and skin tones.
  • You may choose plum shades with blue/purple undertones for brown eyes and shades with warm undertones for gray and blue eyes.
  • Pastel and raspberry plum shades may be more suitable for cooler skin tones, whereas purple plum may be more suitable for warmer skin tones.
plum hair color

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

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