Lunar Tides Hair Dye Review: Is It Worth It?

If you’ve ever felt bored by the same-old primary and neon colors on the semi-permanent dye market, I get you. I was tired of looking like a traffic cone. I wanted something different—something moody, muted, and magical.

If you want your hair to look like a smokey quartz crystal, a misty forest, or a deep, stormy ocean, you need to buy Lunar Tides Hair Dye. My main intent here is to share my honest, hands-on experience with this brand. It’s not perfect, but it’s the one I trust to turn my hair into a unique work of art.

My Experience With Lunar Tides Hair Dye

My journey with Lunar Tides started, as I’m sure it does for many, on social media. I was so tired of the “super-bright” primary colors offered by the mainstream brands. I’d used them all, but I was craving a more “adult” or “goth” aesthetic. I wanted muted, complex colors. I stumbled upon Lunar Tides’ feed and was immediately obsessed. They had smokey greens, dusty mauves, and deep, rich navies that didn’t just look blue, they looked velvety. The whole brand aesthetic—witchy, celestial, and crystal-inspired—spoke directly to my soul.

I decided to take the plunge. My hair was already bleached to a (somewhat patchy) level 9, which is the perfect canvas.

I was nervous, so I bought two very different jars to get the full experience: Juniper Green, a deep, forest-y color, and Smokey Mauve, one of their famous dusty pastels.

The second I opened the Smokey Mauve jar, I was hooked. The smell.

My entire bathroom was filled with this sweet, nostalgic scent of grape candy.

There was zero chemical, peroxide, or ammonia smell.

This is a massive plus when you know this stuff is going to be on your head for at least an hour.

The second thing I noticed was the texture. Lunar Tides dye is thick. It’s a rich, creamy, non-drip formula, almost like a high-end hair mask. As a home-dyer, this was a revelation. I’ve spent years cleaning up “watery” dye that splattered all over my sink, my neck, and my walls. This dye stayed exactly where I put it. It made sectioning my hair and getting an even application so much easier. I felt like a professional.

I saturated my hair, put on a processing cap, and let it sit for about two hours. (Since it’s a direct dye with no developer, you can’t “over-process” it. You’re just letting it stain and condition).

Then came the rinse. This is where I met my first challenge: the bleed. Rinsing out the Juniper Green section was… dramatic. My white bathtub looked like I had murdered a Smurf. The water ran a deep teal for what felt like an eternity. This is the price you pay for extreme pigmentation. The Smokey Mauve, being a pastel, rinsed out much faster and lighter.

I finally stepped out, nervous to see the results. I let my hair air-dry, and I was floored. The color was exactly what I saw on the website. The Juniper Green was a deep, complex, blue-toned green, not a bright, cartoony color. The Smokey Mauve was this gorgeous, dusty, grey-toned lavender. It was sophisticated. It was unique. My hair also felt incredibly soft and conditioned, not damaged at all.

Now, for the fade. The Juniper Green was a workhorse. It stayed vibrant for a good 3-4 weeks (washing twice a week in cool water). When it did fade, it didn’t get ugly. It faded into a beautiful, true-to-tone teal, then a minty green. It never looked patchy or muddy.

The Smokey Mauve, however, was a different story. It was breathtakingly beautiful for about two weeks (maybe 4-5 washes). Then, it faded into a very light, silvery-lavender. By the third week, it was mostly just a cool-toned, silvery blonde. This isn’t a flaw of Lunar Tides; it is the reality of pastel hair. They are a beautiful, high-maintenance fling, not a long-term commitment. My experience taught me exactly what this brand is: it’s the ultimate tool for achieving unique, complex colors, but it demands you respect the maintenance.

Read More: My Thoughts On Arctic Fox Semi-Permanent Hair Dye

Pros Of Lunar Tides Hair Dye

• The Unmatched Color Palette: This is the number one, undisputed reason to choose Lunar Tides. No other brand I’ve found comes close to their range of complex, muted, and smokey shades. They don’t just sell “purple”; they sell Smokey Mauve (a grey-lavender), Amethyst (a warm, pink-toned purple), and Nightshade (a deep, dark velvet plum). Their greens are legendary. Juniper is a deep forest green, Fraise is a muted mossy green, and Oracle is a stunning mint. This is the brand you go to when you want to look like a forest witch, a mermaid, or a living crystal. They have brights, too, but their “Velvet,” “Smokey,” and “Grey” lines are what make them a category-killer.
• Thick, Non-Drip, Creamy Formula: This is a huge pro for anyone who dyes their own hair. The dye is incredibly thick, almost like a paste or a body-butter. This means it stays put. You don’t have to worry about it running down your neck or dripping onto your shoulders. It makes application precise and clean. When you’re trying to do a split-dye or peek-a-boo highlights, this control is not just a “nice-to-have”; it’s essential. It also feels very concentrated, as if you’re not just paying for filler.
• Amazing Scent (Zero Chemical Smell): I’ve been dyeing my hair for 15 years, and I’m so used to that “chemical burn” smell. Lunar Tides has none of that. It’s a direct dye, so there’s no ammonia, no peroxide, and no PPD. The scent is a sweet, strong, candy-like aroma (most people say grape, and I agree). It makes the process of sitting with dye on your head for an hour or two genuinely pleasant.
• Vegan, Cruelty-Free, and Conditioning: This is a non-negotiable for me, and Lunar Tides delivers. The brand is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. Because it’s a direct dye (it just deposits color on top of the hair cuticle), it’s non-damaging. In fact, it acts as a deep-conditioning mask. My hair always feels softer, silkier, and healthier after I dye it than it did before. It’s a fantastic way to refresh your hair and add a ton of shine, all while repairing some of the damage from the bleaching process.
• Fantastic for Custom Mixing: Because the colors are so complex, they are a dream for custom blending. I’ve bought their Slate Grey just to add a “smokey” tone to other brands’ colors. You can mix any of their deep shades (like Blue Velvet) with their Pastelizer to create your own custom light-blue. You can add a drop of Fraise (moss green) to Citrine Yellow to get a perfect chartreuse. The thick formula blends easily in a bowl (like mixing paints) without getting runny.
• A Beautiful, True-To-Tone Fade: This is a mark of a high-quality dye. While some shades fade faster than others (looking at you, pastels), they don’t fade ugly. They don’t turn a strange, muddy, indeterminate brown. The blues fade to teal, then to mint. The purples fade to lavender, then to silver. The deep greens fade to lighter greens. They stay in their color family as they wash out, which means your hair still looks intentional and “done,” even as it’s fading.

Cons Of Lunar Tides Hair Dye

• The Bleed Can Be Intense: (Sub-heading: Staining and Bleeding)
  • This is my biggest complaint, especially with the deep, saturated “Velvet” shades (the blues, purples, and reds). For the first three or four washes, my shower looked like a horror movie. The water will run deep, dark blue.
  • This isn’t just a shower problem. Your pillowcases will be stained (you must sleep on a dark towel or pillowcase for the first week). Your fingernails will be stained if you scratch your head. If you get caught in the rain or sweat heavily at the gym, you will have colored drips running down your neck. You have to be extremely careful with your clothes and furniture for the first few washes.
• Longevity Can Be a Mixed Bag: (Sub-heading: The Pastel Problem)
  • If you are buying a pastel or a “smokey” shade, you must have realistic expectations. These are not long-lasting colors. They are a beautiful, temporary fling.
  • My Smokey Mauve was undeniably gorgeous, but it was noticeably faded after two weeks (about 4-5 washes). This is the nature of all pastel dyes, but Lunar Tides’ pastels seem especially fleeting.
  • The deep “Velvet” shades last much, much longer (in my case, 4-8 weeks), but they are still not the longest-lasting semi-permanent on the market. You are trading some longevity for the unique color.
• Requires a Very Light, Even Base: (Sub-heading: Not for Beginners or Dark Hair)
  • Because their colors are so complex and pigment-based, they are not forgiving. You cannot put Smokey Green on patchy, brassy, level-7 orange hair and expect it to work. It will look like a muddy, swampy mess.
  • You must bleach your hair to a very pale, even level 9 or 10 for these dyes to look as advertised. The “inside of a banana peel” yellow is the target.
  • This is not a “slap it on your brown hair for a tint” product. It is a product for people who are serious about bleaching their hair and getting it right first.
• Smaller Jar Size: (Sub-heading: The Cost Factor)
  • The standard Lunar Tides jar is 4 oz. (about 118 ml). Many of its main competitors, like Arctic Fox and Good Dye Young, sell their dye in 8 oz. (about 236 ml) containers.
  • If you have hair that is shoulder-length or longer, or if your hair is very thick, you are absolutely going to need two, or even three, jars to get a full, saturated application.
  • This can make a full-head application significantly more expensive than it first appears. Be sure to buy more than you think you need; the worst feeling is running out of dye halfway through.

Maintenance Tips For Lunar Tides Hair Dye

• The Post-Dye Rinse is Your First Line of Defense: This is my number one, most critical tip. After you’ve let the dye sit for an hour or three, you must rinse it correctly. Rinse with cold water. As cold as you can possibly stand. Do not use shampoo. Do not use conditioner. Just rinse with cold water until the water mostly runs clear. (With the dark shades, it might never run 100% clear). The cold water slams the hair cuticle shut, trapping the color molecules inside. Some people swear by a final rinse with a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water to further seal the cuticle. I’ve tried it; it makes your hair incredibly shiny, and the vinegar smell fades once it’s dry.
• Embrace the Co-Wash and Dry Shampoo Life: You cannot use a “normal” shampoo on your hair anymore. Any shampoo with sulfates (like Sodium Laureth Sulfate) will act like a paint-stripper on your hair. You must switch to a gentle, sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo. Even better? Ditch shampoo almost entirely. Switch to a “co-wash,” which is a cleansing conditioner. This will clean your scalp without opening the cuticle. My routine is to wash once a week with a co-wash, and use dry shampoo to survive the other six days. Every time water touches your hair, you are losing color. Your new goal is to touch your hair with water as little as humanly possible.
• Cold Water Is Not a Suggestion, It’s a Command: I’m saying it again because it’s that important. From now on, you wash your hair in cold water. You can have your nice, hot body shower, but when it’s time to rinse your hair, turn the tap all the way to cold. Hot water opens the hair cuticle, and you can literally watch all that beautiful, expensive dye pour right out of your hair and down the drain. It’s a heartbreaking sight. This one change will do more to preserve your color than anything else.
• Create a “Color Bomb” Conditioner: This is my holy-grail maintenance trick, especially for those fast-fading pastels. Go to the drugstore and buy a massive tub of the cheapest, silicone-free white conditioner you can find. (Suave or V05 are perfect). Scoop a bunch of it into a separate, clean tub or container. Then, add a huge scoop of your Lunar Tides dye and mix it thoroughly. Now you have a custom-pigmented “color bomb” conditioner. Every time you wash your hair, use this as your conditioner. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes in the shower. This will deposit a tiny amount of color back into your hair, replacing what the wash stripped out. This drastically extends the life and vibrancy of your color.
• Protect Your Hair From All Enemies: Your new, beautiful hair is fragile. The Sun: UV rays will bleach your color fast. Wear a hat or use a UV-protectant hair spray if you’re going to be outside all day. Heat Styling: Heat is just as bad as hot water. It opens the cuticle and fades the color. You must use a heat-protectant spray every single time you use a flat iron, curling iron, or blow dryer. Better yet, embrace heat-free styles. Chlorine: This is not an enemy; it’s a weapon of mass destruction. A chlorinated pool will strip your color and can turn blues a sickly green in one swim. Do not get in a pool. If you absolutely must, slather your hair in a thick, non-pigmented conditioner first, and put it in a swim cap.

Comparison With Other Brands

Lunar Tides doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s an indie darling in a sea of popular brands. Here’s my honest breakdown of how it stacks up against the ones I’ve also used.

Lunar Tides vs. Arctic Fox

• The Showdown: This is the main event. Arctic Fox is a powerhouse brand. Its formula is a bit thinner and runnier than Lunar Tides, which I find messier, but some of my friends find it easier to spread and saturate their hair with. Arctic Fox is also extremely conditioning and smells amazing (like grapes, just like LT).
• My Verdict: The decider here is the color palette. Arctic Fox is for brights. Their Poison (red), Electric Paradise (neon pink), and Poseidon (bright blue) are staples. Lunar Tides is for complex. If I want a simple, bright-ass purple, I’ll grab Arctic Fox. If I want a dusty, grey-toned, smokey lavender, I must use Lunar Tides. In my experience, Arctic Fox also bleeds less.

Lunar Tides vs. Manic Panic

• The Showdown: This is the “Indie Darling” vs. the “OG Punk.” Manic Panic has been my go-to for years. Their “Amplified” line has serious staying power. Their standard formula is a classic, but I find it can be inconsistent.
• My Verdict: I’ve switched from Manic Panic to Lunar Tides for most colors. Lunar Tides’ formula is thicker, smells better, and their color palette is just more “artistic.” Manic Panic’s colors are more “classic” and primary. Vampire Red is a legend, but I’d rather use Lunar Tides’ Blood Moon. It just feels more modern and the thick formula is so much easier to work with.

Lunar Tides vs. Good Dye Young

• The Showdown: Good Dye Young is another fantastic, high-quality, vegan brand. Their “I’m Bored” line of color-depositing conditioners is a genius product for a quick, temporary refresh. Their main “Semi-Permanent” line is very pigmented and has a great, (faintly) citrus-sunflower smell.
• My Verdict: I put GDY and Lunar Tides in the same “top-tier” category. They are both excellent. The choice for me almost always comes down to which brand has the specific shade I’m looking for. GDY’s Kowabunga is a perfect neon green. But Lunar Tides’ Juniper or Fraise are the perfect forest greens. It’s about the specific shade you’re after, and Lunar Tides just has a wider range of those muted, complex tones I love.

Lunar Tides vs. Splat

• The Showdown: This isn’t a showdown. It’s a public service announcement.
• My Verdict: Do not use Splat. Just… don’t. Splat is in its own category. It’s famous for two things: coming with a low-quality bleach kit and staining your hair permanently. I am not exaggerating. I have friends who have had to grow out Splat color. It doesn’t fade; it just is. It’s not a semi-permanent; it’s a neon-colored concrete stain for your hair. Lunar Tides is a gentle, PPD-free, conditioning direct dye that will fade out completely and cleanly. Splat is a mistake in a box.

Also Read: My Thoughts On Got2B Hair Dye

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

So, here’s my final word. Is Lunar Tides the longest-lasting hair dye on the market? No. Is it the cheapest? Definitely not, especially with the 4 oz. jars. But is it the most beautiful? Absolutely. This is the brand you buy when you’re tired of basic. It’s for the person who sees their hair as an accessory and a form of artistic expression. If you want to look like a forest witch, a stormy-sea mermaid, or a real-life goth fairy, this is the brand for you. It’s worth every bit of maintenance.