Going purple from faded red(ish)

I'm not aware of this purple over red going green thing... red and blue make purple, not green! Purple over red will make reddish purple.

I would say use a colour remover to get some more out. Then try a strand test, but you should get a lovely purple over what you have no even. It's a little on the orange side which might make it a darker purple (blue tones orange to brown) thats why I think you should use a colour remover to see if it'll shift a bit more. Purple generally is very forgiving.

What sort of purple did you fancy? I think a magenta/pink based purple would definitely cover what you have now (Virgin Rose, Pimpin Purple etc) but you would need to fade the orange further for a violet toned or pale purple.

And I've also read that some purples over a red base can go brown which I definitely want to avoid (although hopefully mine is too light for that). Any suggestions for what dyes I can use while the Special Effects aren't in stock?

If you have an orange based red and put a very blue based violet over it you could get a muddy brownish purple-ish color.

you could test strand a warm purple to see how it goes. If its not nice, I would do a color remover then try a purple like Violet Gem, Virgin Rose, Pravana Wild Orchid or mix something like Purple Rage with Pink Rose. If it still hasnt budged much you could try bleach bathing it, or try going a magenta first then purple

Sorry, yes, i meant to say medium to dark purple is very forgiving!

Oops yes, I should have clarified! I want to go a bright purple, not a lavender or anything. Ideally something like below...

Will a colour remover work on permanently dyed hair then? My hairdresser's going to pop over so I'm sure she'll have some idea on how to get a good base.  Then I just need to figure out which dye to put over the top to finish it off. To be honest, I don't mind if it's not a perfect purple (like I was very picky with wanting a true red), I just fancy a bit of a change and not being able to order Special Effects colours is throwing me a little! 🙂

Colour removers are designed to be used on permanent dyes, you get a much more reliable result than on semis.
Diluted Directions Plum used to come out that colour, but I am not sure how it will dilute since they changed the formula.
Adores Purple Rage looks similar or Crazy Colour Hot purple.

Ah right, I just assumed the colour remover was for semis. That gives me a few options then.

Yeah, I've been looking at Directions Plum. Does it normally come out really dark then? What dilution would you say to go for? A 50% mix? And just mix it with conditioner?

Thanks for all the help! I'm excited to get a bright colour back on it.  *yay*

Undiluted Plum comes out nearly black, it also bleeds and stains everything. Even a 50/50 mix with conditioner will be a deep intense purple, that stuff is very strongly pigmented. It is great for coverage and longevity as well as being excellent value for money. I have only used the old formula though, i don't know if the new one is the same in terms of intensity.

Personally for me I wouldn't use the new plum again, it didn't stay the true purple like the original formula did! I found the new plum washed to a deep blue within a couple of washes and it was a pain to get out!