Premium Hair · The Edit

Purple and Blue Shampoos

Premium toning shampoos judged on pigment colour, the hair colour each one is actually for, and the leave-on time printed in its directions.

Purple and blue shampoos do the same kind of job in opposite directions, and confusing the two is the most expensive mistake in this category. A purple shampoo deposits violet pigment, and violet sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so it is the tool for blonde, lightened, silver and grey hair that has gone warm and brassy. A blue shampoo deposits blue pigment, and blue sits opposite orange, so it belongs to brunettes and dark blondes whose lightened hair throws orange and copper tones instead. Used on the wrong hair colour, each one does very little, and used too long on the right one, each one can leave a cast of its own.

The ten shampoos in this topic were chosen to cover both sides of that split honestly. Eight are purple or violet led, from a prestige Kerastase bain with hyaluronic acid to the intensely pigmented Fanola No Yellow that salons reach for on strong yellow brass. Two are blue, both aimed at lightened brunettes: the Matrix Brass Off in a standard salon bottle and the Fanola Wonder No Orange in a full litre. Every product below was confirmed on a live Amazon listing carrying its brand's own storefront or brand entity before it was included, and every leave-on time in the spec tables is the one its published directions actually print.

Read the best-of guide How to choose

Kerastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra-Violet purple shampoo 250 ml lilac bottle with silver cap — Kerastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra-Violet Purple Shampoo: the leading pickThe Purple and Blue Shampoos Edit

No. 1

The Leading Three

The top of the ranked guide, in brief. The full ranking sits in the best-of.

No. 1

Kerastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra-Violet Purple Shampoo

Best Overall

The prestige purple bain, with hyaluronic acid behind the pigment.

For the blonde and grey majority of this category, the Bain Ultra-Violet is the most complete bottle here: blue and violet pigments, hyaluronic acid and edelweiss behind them, and the clearest directions in the set, at least 2 minutes and never more than 5. It tones like a salon product and conditions like a prestige one.

Suits

Lightened, cool blonde or grey hair that wants strong violet toning wrapped in a caring, prestige formula rather than a purely functional one.

Skip if

Your warmth is orange rather than yellow, which is blue shampoo territory, or you want a sulfate free formula.

Size: 8.45 fl oz (250 ml) bottle
Pigment: Blue and violet pigments (ultra-violet neutralizers), with Acid Violet 43 in the ingredient list
Hair types: Lightened, cool blonde or grey hair, as printed on the bottle
Leave-on time: At least 2 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes, as published; weekly use directed
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid and edelweiss flower, with vitamins C and E on the bottle

View on AmazonPremium listing verified: Official Kerastase listing on Amazon sold by Kerastase in the set listing and carrying full Blond Absolu brand content; manufacturer Kerastase and item model number 3474636692231 as printed in product details

Fanola No Yellow Shampoo 350 ml white bottle with purple cap and purple label band

No. 2

Fanola No Yellow Purple Shampoo

Best for Strong Yellow Brass

The salon staple with the strongest violet hand in this set.

When yellow brass is pronounced, No Yellow is the strongest violet hand in this ranking, with extra violet pigment and a 1 to 5 minute window that lets the user set the intensity. It asks for respect, gloves and a timer, and rewards both with the fastest visible cool down here.

Suits

Bleached, super lightened or grey hair with pronounced yellow brass that gentler purple shampoos barely move.

Skip if

Your blonde is only slightly warm, or your hair is porous and grabs pigment easily, since this formula tones hard and fast.

Size: 11.83 fl oz (350 ml) bottle
Pigment: Extra violet pigment, Acid Violet 43
Hair types: Bleached, blonde, streaked and grey hair
Leave-on time: 1 to 5 minutes, as published; once a week or when yellow becomes visible
Formula notes: pH 5.0 to 5.2 printed on the bottle; vegan mark on the bottle; made in Italy

View on AmazonPremium listing verified: Listing carrying Visit the Fanola Store and From Fanola brand content on Amazon; manufacturer Fanola and manufacturer part number 8032947861460 as printed in product details

Olaplex No.4P Blonde Enhancer Purple Toning Shampoo 250 ml lilac bottle in front of a violet lather splash

No. 3

Olaplex No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo

Best for Lightened Hair That Feels Fragile

A concentrated violet shampoo built on the brand's bond building active.

No.4P is the toning shampoo for hair that has been through bleach and heat as well as brass: a concentrated violet formula carrying the brand's patented bond building active, working in 1 to 3 minutes. It ranks third only because its 250 ml bottle is a routine cost the two above it soften.

Suits

Blonde, lightened and grey hair that is also chemically stressed, where the buyer wants toning and the brand's bond care positioning in the same wash.

Skip if

Your hair is brunette with orange warmth, or you want a large bottle, since this is a concentrated 250 ml format.

Size: 8.5 fl oz (250 ml) bottle
Pigment: Violet pigment, Acid Violet 43 (CI 60730)
Hair types: All blonde, lightened and grey hair, natural and colour treated, all textures as published
Leave-on time: 1 to 3 minutes, and up to 5 minutes for more intense toning, as published; weekly or as needed
Key ingredients: Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate bond building active, with glycerin

View on AmazonPremium listing verified: Official Olaplex listing on Amazon (From Olaplex, Olaplex Shampoo and Conditioner Collection); manufacturer AmazonUs/OLAPQ and model number 20142192 as printed in product details

See all 10 picks in the Best Purple and Blue Shampoos 2027 guide

No. ·

Keep Researching

Every page in the Purple and Blue Shampoos edit.

No. ·

More from the Premium Hair Desk

Premium Hair

Bond Repair and Hair Treatments

Bond repair treatments sorted by technology, format and the damage pattern they actually suit

Read the edit

Premium Hair

Clarifying and Sulfate-Free Shampoos

Two different wash jobs, kept separate: deep cleansing clarifiers for build-up days, and gentle sulfate-free shampoos for every other day

Read the edit

Premium Hair

Dry Shampoos

Premium dry shampoos judged on absorbency, residue on dark hair and how honestly each one bridges wash days.

Read the edit

Best bond repair and hair treatments Best clarifying and sulfate-free shampoos Best dry shampoos All premium hair coverage

Disclosure: links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Eclat Press earns from qualifying purchases, at no added cost to you. Rankings are never sold. See our affiliate disclosure and methodology.