Unwrapping Your Best Look: Why Jewel Tone Hair Color is the Ultimate Holiday Accessory

The holiday season is officially upon us. The air in Monrovia is crisp (well, California crisp!), the lights on Myrtle Avenue are twinkling, and our calendars are filling up with festive gatherings, gift exchanges, and countdown parties. We spend so much time decorating our homes, wrapping gifts in shimmering paper, and picking out the perfect velvet dress or sequined jacket for the season. But let’s be honest: the most impactful accessory you own isn’t hanging in your closet. It’s you.

This week, we are ditching the traditional and embracing the extraordinary. We aren’t just talking about a subtle gloss or a root touch-up. We are talking about hair that rivals the ornaments on the tree and the lights on the eaves. We are talking about Jewel Tone Hair Color.

If you have ever scrolled through Instagram and paused on a cascade of deep emerald waves or a sharp bob in electric sapphire, you know the power of vivid color. It stops traffic. It starts conversations. And right now, thanks to the artistry at BLU Salon and the incredible pigment power of Good Dye Young (GDY), there is no better time to transform your look into something truly gem-worthy.

The Magic of Jewel Tones in Winter

Why do we gravitate toward jewel tone hair color during the winter months? In the summer, we love our sun-kissed blondes and beachy balayages—styles that mimic the sun. But winter is different. Winter is about depth. It’s about richness. It’s about contrast.

When the days get shorter and the nights get longer, we crave colors that feel substantial and luxurious. Think of the fabrics we wear in December: heavy wools, silks, and velvets. Jewel tones—Rubies, Emeralds, Sapphires, and Amethysts—mimic that feeling of luxury. They are saturated, intense, and incredibly flattering against the paler winter skin tones many of us rock this time of year.

Unlike pastels, which are whisper-soft and fade quickly, jewel tones are bold declarations. They are the hair equivalent of a power suit or a red lip. They say, “I’m here to celebrate.”

Meet Your Vivid Hair Color Specialist: Ethan Hansen

Achieving the perfect vivid color isn’t something you want to leave to chance (or a box from the drugstore aisle). Vivids are high-fashion colors that require a high-fashion approach. This is where Ethan Hansen Stylist steps into the spotlight.

If you know BLU Salon, you know we have a unique dynamic. We have the masters of classic, natural beauty, and the rebels of color. Ethan Hansen represents that creative, artistic edge. Growing up in the salon industry, Ethan has an innate understanding of hair texture and health, but his passion lies in pushing the boundaries of what hair color can be.

Ethan doesn’t just “apply dye.” He paints. When you sit in his chair for a vivid service, you are commissioning a piece of art. He understands that a Ruby Red isn’t just red—it needs dimension to keep from looking flat. He knows that an Emerald Green needs to be placed perfectly to catch the light, creating that “cat’s eye” gemstone effect.

As a Vivid Hair Color Specialist, Ethan specializes in the complex process needed to make these colors pop. Vivids often require a “blank canvas,” meaning the hair usually needs to be pre-lightened safely before the fun colors are applied. Ethan’s expertise ensures that your hair’s integrity is preserved during the lifting process so that when the color goes on, it shines like glass rather than looking dull or damaged.

The Paint: Why We Love Good Dye Young (GDY)

To create a masterpiece, an artist needs the best paint. At BLU Salon, we are obsessed with Good Dye Young (GDY).

Created by Hayley Williams (yes, the icon from Paramore) and her stylist Brian O’Connor, GDY was born out of a love for self-expression. But it’s not just about the celebrity name attached to it; it’s about the product itself.

First, it has vibrant jewel tone hair color and oh so much more! The pigment load in GDY colors is intense, which is exactly what you need for jewel tones. You don’t want a “kind of” blue; you want a blue that vibrates with energy.

Second, and perhaps most importantly for our conscious clients, it’s a guilt-free indulgence. GDY is vegan and cruelty-free. It’s also incredibly conditioning. Because it’s a semi-permanent cream base, it acts like a deep-conditioning mask while it colors. It’s infused with essential oils like bergamot and sunflower extract, so when you rinse it out, your hair feels softer than it did before.

The Holiday Hue Lookbook

Are you ready to pick your gem? Here are the top four Jewel Tone Hair Color trends we are seeing for this holiday season, and how Ethan can customize them for you using GDY.

1. The Ruby Red: Rock Lobster Energy

Red is the undisputed color of the holidays. Santa’s suit, holly berries, poinsettias—it’s everywhere. But we aren’t talking about a natural auburn here. We are talking about a true, cool-toned, unapologetic Ruby.

Using shades like GDY’s Rock Lobster, Ethan can create a red that is so vibrant it almost glows. This color is powerful. It’s for the client who wants to walk into the holiday office party and own the room before saying a word.

• Vibe: Confident, passionate, fiery.
• Style Tip: Pair this hair with a simple black velvet dress and let the hair be the statement piece. A gold hairpin adds a literal touch of “gilded” to the ruby.

2. The Emerald City: Deep Green Envy

Green hair used to be considered “alternative,” but in 2025, it has firmly established itself as high fashion. A deep Emerald Green is sophisticated and mysterious. It brings out the warmth in brown eyes and creates a stunning contrast with cool skin tones.

Using mixes involving GDY’s Kowabunga or Move Mountains, Ethan can deepen the green to forest levels or keep it bright and grassy, depending on your preference. For the holidays, we love a dark, forest emerald. It feels like the evergreen trees of the season—timeless and lush.

• Vibe: Earthy, mysterious, chic.
• Style Tip: Emerald hair looks incredible with metallic clothing. Silver or gold tops make the green reflection in your hair pop.

3. The Sapphire Siren: Midnight Blues

There is something incredibly wintry about blue hair. It reminds us of crisp winter nights, icicles, and the deepest part of a flame. A Sapphire Blue is the cool-girl version of holiday hair. It’s anti-traditional but entirely festive.

Using GDY’s Blue Ruin, Ethan can craft a look that ranges from electric blue to a deep navy that almost looks black until the light hits it. This is a great entry point for someone with naturally dark hair who wants a vivid tone that blends somewhat seamlessly at the root.

• Vibe: Cool, calm, artistic.
• Style Tip: Sapphire hair looks amazing with white or cream winter coats. The contrast between the snowy-white fabric and the deep-blue hair is striking.

4. The Amethyst Dream: Royal Purple

Purple has historically been the color of royalty, and an Amethyst vivid is nothing short of regal. It’s the perfect middle ground between the warmth of red and the cool of blue.

Using shades like GDY’s PPL EATER, Ethan can create a purple that feels like a velvet cloak. Purple is also one of the most forgiving fade-outs—as it washes out over time, it often fades into a lovely lavender or silver tone, giving you a “second life” to your hair color.

• Vibe: Creative, whimsical, regal.
• Style Tip: Go monochromatic. A purple sweater with purple hair is a bold, fashion-forward choice that looks intentional and curated.

The Experience: What to Expect

If you are new to the world of vivids, you might be wondering what the appointment is actually like. When you book a Jewel Tone Hair Color service with Ethan Hansen Stylist, you aren’t just getting a dye job; you’re hanging out with a creative pro.

It usually starts with a consultation. Ethan will look at your current hair—is it virgin hair? Do you have old box dye on it? (Be honest! He needs to know to keep your hair safe!). He will talk about your “goal photo” and reality.

Then comes the lightening. This is the part where the canvas is prepped. While the lightener processes, you can relax in our studio, enjoy the vibe, and get ready for the transformation.

Once the canvas is ready, the fun begins. This is where Ethan mixes the custom GDY cocktail. Sometimes he might mix a drop of Blue Ruin into PPL EATER to make the purple cooler, or a touch of Rock Lobster into orange to deepen it. This customization is why seeing a professional is so different from doing it at home. You get a bespoke color that nobody else has.

Living the Vivid Life: Maintenance

We have to be real with you—vivid color is a lifestyle. To keep those jewel tones sparkling through New Year’s Eve and into 2026, you have to treat them like the precious gems they are.

Here is the “Vivid Girl” rulebook:

1. Cold Water is Your Friend: We know, it’s winter. A cold shower sounds terrible. But hot water opens the hair cuticle and lets that beautiful pigment slip right out. Wash your hair in the coolest water you can stand.
2. Wash Less, Style More: Dry shampoo is now your best friend. The less you wash, the longer the color lasts.
3. Color-Safe Everything: You need sulfate-free, color-safe shampoos. Anything too harsh will strip the color immediately. (Don’t worry, we have the perfect recommendations at the salon.)
4. Embrace the Fade: One of the joys of semi-permanent color like GDY is that it changes over time. Your deep Ruby might fade to a soft pink coral. Your Sapphire might become a pastel sky blue. Enjoy the journey of the color fading—it’s like getting three hair colors for the price of one.

Give Yourself the Gift of Color

The holidays are often about giving to others. We shop for our kids, our partners, our parents, and our friends. We cook, we host, we clean, we plan. It is easy to get to December 25th and realize you haven’t done a single thing for yourself.

Booking a vivid color appointment is reclaiming your time and your identity. It’s a few hours in the chair where you are the focus. It’s a change that you see every time you look in the mirror. It’s a boost of serotonin on a grey winter day.

Whether you want a full head of Amethyst or just a “peek-a-boo” panel of Emerald underneath your natural color, Ethan Hansen Monrovia’s vivid hair color specialist is ready to create something spectacular for you.

Ready to Shine?

The year 2026 is knocking on the door. Do you want to enter the new year looking the same as you did in 2025? Or do you want to walk into the future vibrant, bold, and colorful. Treat yourself to the skills a vivid hair color specialist.

The calendar at BLU Salon fills up incredibly fast during this holiday week. If you are dreaming of Jewel Tone Hair Color, do not wait. Let’s get you in Ethan’s chair. Let’s get some Good Dye Young in your life. Let’s make you sparkle.

Call BLU Salon today or visit our website to book your consultation with Ethan Hansen Stylist. Let’s make this holiday season your most vivid one yet.

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BLU Salon is Monrovia’s premier destination for luxury hair care, blending classic techniques with modern creativity. Located in the heart of Monrovia, CA.