I ended up with some cool
brassy highlights and my friends were not impressed. Skip forward to high school
and college and even though I was more educated in the beauty realm I still
didn’t know jack about hair color 101. “If it says ‘permanent’ then it must
last longer in my hair” and my favorite “I don’t really need a color preserving
shampoo”. I don’t even want to talk
about it.
Now, with a decade’s worth of
mistakes, I consider myself a semi-pro at coloring my own hair (but by no means
a trained professional) and have discovered a few tricks that take if from blah
box to perfectly professional.
Tip 1. If you have tried to
color your hair and it ended up looking more like an unnatural wig…Try mixing 2
colors with the same undertone (e.i. cool, neutral or warm). Or you can mix
either a cool or warm with a neutral. First, pick the color that you want your
hair to be and then choose a slightly lighter/darker shade to tone it a bit
(about 1 to 2 shades lighter/darker). The idea is that by mixing the two, you
are getting a custom shade (like at the salon!) that will have a more
natural/professional look because you are adding dimension and real-ness to
your hair. No one’s hair is one flat color, so why dye your hair with just one
color? The natural light and dark strands that everyone has will still take
color slightly different; however the idea is that it won’t look as harsh.
Tip 2. You really do need a
color preserving shampoo and conditioner. There were times where I didn’t want
to change shampoo because I really liked what I had or I was just too lazy to
go out and buy more. That was a bad idea. My color always faded dramatically in
2-3 weeks. It doesn’t matter what brand you get, just make sure it is intended
for color preservation. A shampoo and conditioner that is sulfate- free is even
better. By now, almost everyone knows about the ingredient Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
and how it strips hair of its natural oils and also your hair color on dyed/highlighted
hair. Finding the right shampoo/conditioner isn’t too difficult. There are so
many sulfate-free brands out there that address almost every hair issue (frizz,
breakage, dryness, lack of volume, etc.). Look at reviews and that can sort of
give you an idea if it will work for you.
Tip 3. Unless you are covering
gray hair or going from brunette to blonde, I suggest using a demi-permanent
formula. Basically the kind that says “lasts 28 washes”. I know, that doesn’t
sound like a long time, but when you think about only washing your hair 3 times
a week, that’s 9 weeks of color survival. Even 4 times a week is still 7 whole
weeks! Demi-permanent formulas are often ammonia-free, which means less hair
damage and it will be fine to dye it again in a month and a half or so. Just be
sure to do still do a weekly deep conditioning treatment.
Tip 4. Since we are mixing
colors, I found it useful to use a little mixing bowl and brush applicator. I
picked mine up at Sally’s for about $7 altogether. Trying to fit twice the amount of dye in one
bottle is going to be pretty difficult, so a larger open container works
better. I use every last drop of both formulas (because my hair is kind of thick
and longer) and mix it together in the bowl. If your hair is shoulder length or
shorter just pour in half of each formula instead.
My "professional" formula: Shampoo/Conditioner- L'Oreal EverSleek; Clairol Natural Instincts in "Dark Golden Brown" & "Dark Brown"; Mixing bowl and brush from Sally's.
Ok, so there are my very lengthy
at home hair color tips! And remember, only go a shade or two lighter/darker…if
you decide you want more than that, it might be a good idea to go to the salon
since that can get a bit more tricky. For those of you who decide to go for it
get ready for everyone to ask you where you get your hair done! Go on and tell ‘em!
Or….it can be your little secret ;)
Xo Danielle
