Style

Fruity Pebbles Hair Color Will Leave You Feeling Oddly Nostalgic

by James Hale

So far, 2017 has been the year of uber-colorful hair trends. That's not a complaint — the world seems to need a little more color these days. And adding a touch of nostalgia to all that color is the newest trend: Fruity Pebbles hair, which screams of '90s mornings with cartoons, and a bowl of milk-covered, mom-approved cereal.

Vancouver-based colorist Amanda Gilkes, aka amandavshair on Instagram, created the look, and PopSugar got the lowdown on how she used Joico Color Intensity dyes to make the Fruity Pebbles magic: "To achieve this look, Amanda dyed the roots hot pink and added streaks of yellow, orange, and green. She left the underside of the hair brown, which makes it look like the model's mane has been enveloped in colorful cereal milk."

Joico Color Intensity Dyes, $12, Amazon

Gilkes shared the look on Instagram, and since then, the site's bevy of stylists, both professional and DIY, have been embracing the new look.

While it may seem difficult at first to distinguish Fruity Pebbles hair from the other rainbow trends that have taken over Instagram this year, the key to this dye job is having a large amount of one color — usually the wearer's natural color — and then streaks and/or chunks of bright colors.

Like many color trends, the concern with Fruity Pebbles hair is, of course, how to keep it vibrant in the weeks after that perfect Instagram snap. Brightly colored dyes often just stain the surface of the hair rather than conditioning and developing like natural-tone dyes, so in some cases, the dyes can begin to fade almost immediately, which can be a real downer if you spent a chunk of change at the salon.

Keeping Fruity Pebbles hair vibrant is all about your hair care routine, says Sarah Ramos, hairstylist and manager at MacKenzie Hair Parlor. "After your salon visit is over and you leave with your fresh, bright, vivid hair color, you need to use a color-safe shampoo and conditioner," she tells Bustle.

You should also shampoo as infrequently as you can, and when you do, wash and rinse your hair with cold water.

"The cold water will seal down the cuticle, preventing the color from escaping and creating shinier hair," Ramos explains. In between washes, "Dry shampoo will be your best friend. Use the dry shampoos to absorb any oils on your scalp."

Ramos recommends using Death Valley by R+Co or Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. Using the right products for your colored hair is absolutely vital — and that means being willing to spend a little more on good products to help keep up your 'do. Take a look at this vid, which shows the difference between a cheap product and a pricier product.

Death Valley Dry Shampoo, $17, Amazon; Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo, $22, Amazon

And finally, if you want your hair to be at its absolute best, hair care products shouldn't be the end of your regimen either, Ramos says. "Before you leave the salon, make sure to book your next appointment for a toner in two to six weeks," she says. "This will refresh the brightness of your color and cause it to last longer."

By following Ramos' advice, you'll be able to keep your Fruity Pebble-licious hair fresh for quite a few Saturdays to come.