Best at Home Hair Color

[Happy Mom2]

For financial reasons, I am going to attempt to color my hair myself. I've been coloring my hair for 20 years, and for the last 10 I've had a professional colorist do it. I just can't continue to pay $100 for a cut and color right now.

I need a permanent dye (maybe semi permanent will would be better?) that will cover gray. My natural hair color is dark brown (almost black) with some gray, but my current color is light brown with lots of hi-lights (not blonde, just varying shades of brown). My hair tends to pick up red tints every easily. I want to stay my same color and not go any darker.

Sorry if this is too much information, but I'm desperate! Anyone have any suggestions... brand, color, technique, etc?

 

[Eeyore1928]

I finally tried the new foam kind.....John Frieda brand.....I LOVE it. Best color ever!

 

[wishesuponastar]

I buy LK brand permanent color from a beauty supply store for $9 a box but that will do two color treatments. It covers my grey really well. Plus I buy the large bottle of peroxide for a few dollars. Gloves and a bowl. I wait about 8 to 10 weeks in between. The salespeople at the beauty supply store are very helpful telling you what to do.

 

[momof1princess]

i had my hair professionally colored ONCE, in late september, 2010. since then, i've been doing the roots myself about every 5-6 weeks with clairol nice n easy root touch up. it is a PERFECT match to the salon color! i tried loreal root rescue first, because it had an easier-to-use applicator, but the color was bright and brassy, and not quite a match.
the root touch up is usually always on sale at either walgreens or cvs, and the P&G brandsaver insert has coupons once a month.

 

[Happy Mom2]

Thanks ladies. I forgot about the root touch up. I may give that one a try. I really like my hair color... just not the roots.

 

[Cindy B]

I finally tried the new foam kind.....John Frieda brand.....I LOVE it. Best color ever!

I love that as well. I also tried the Loreal Sublime Mousee.. but the John Frieda was just so much better.

 

[rubysparkles]

I finally tried the new foam kind.....John Frieda brand.....I LOVE it. Best color ever!

I second this. I've dyed my hair so many times with so many different brands. The John Frieda foam colours are fantastic and don't damage my hair. They're a bit more expensive, but I dye my hair less often, so it actually isn't so bad.

 

[Irin997]

I like Nice and Easy the best. The color lasts the longest and doesn't get brassy like Preference. I've thought about trying the JF foam but have heard reviews that it turns hair a reddish color, which I don't want. Maybe I'll try it anyway.

 

[Muushka]

My hairdresser gave me a great tip. He told me to do the roots every 4 or so weeks and do the entire hair once about every 12 weeks. He said that my hair was being damaged by doing the entire head so often. My hair is bit healthier now.

 

[Mouseless2Long]

Just saw info on this on the Today show yesterday. L'Oreal Preference was rated the best for lasting the longest. You can probably find the whole story on their website.

I have always colored my hair at home. I do the roots every 4-5 weeks. Have not tried the John Frieda foam yet. Will have to check that out.

 

[sorcerormickey]

I have been using Revlon Colorsilk for years and love it. It is cheap and works great on covering grays. You would probably use the same one I do - #20 Brown Black. It is a very, very dark brown, almost black.

I must say though, that I have heard wonderful things about the new foams and I am half-tempted to try them......

 

[Sandy321]

I go to Sally's Beauty Supply

The first trip you invest in a bottle, gloves, and developer, and the special hair conditioner. And then a bottle of color - I use ION - its $5

I wash and rinse the gloves and bottle and have used it for 2 - 3 years....

I buy the color I want - and add equal amount of developer (#20)

The people at Sally's are really helpful - but they have 4 or 5 different brands as well - and are now promoting a different line (not ION, I believe ION is from Italy and isnt as harsh....)

I did read or watch a youtube video on how when you recolor you dont want to do the tips/ends of your hair as that always comes out so much darker, and its easy to tell who is coloring at home...

 

[rszdtrvl]

I went to the store today to grab a few items and grabbed the John Frieda Foam in Medium Chocolate Brown. On the JF website, there is a coupon to print for $1 off - regular price was $12.00 at Walmart, so it is pricier than the $3.50 haircolor.

I will try it this afternoon, after I put laundry away & do dishes.

It looks like you can actually kind of shampoo the foam into your hair - I love that idea!!

I will update when it is done!

 

[rszdtrvl]

Okay, so my hair is normally a medium brown with reddish highlights (natural).

The medium chocolate brown made my hair darker, with more red highlights. I would use this type again, but go for the light chocolate brown color instead.

I think I may wash my hair with Prell (on hand from my last hair color episode) this afternoon to lighten the color a bit. It doesn't look bad, but definitely is a few shades darker than normal.

 

[Kae]

Okay, so my hair is normally a medium brown with reddish highlights (natural).

The medium chocolate brown made my hair darker, with more red highlights. I would use this type again, but go for the light chocolate brown color instead.

I think I may wash my hair with Prell (on hand from my last hair color episode) this afternoon to lighten the color a bit. It doesn't look bad, but definitely is a few shades darker than normal.

That could make it pull more red tones. and well shorten the gray coverage(if you have grays) Use a deep cond instead it will push the color molacules(sp?) out.

Kae

 

[jjsmom]

I was in the same boat 6 yrs ago, as our budget was severed. There was NO money for fancy extras. I asked a few hairdresser friends which brand they recommend and they all said Loreal Preference. I know there have been other (better) products that have come out since then, but I haven't deviated from the Preference. My natural color is a medium brown, very, very dull. I get the #5MB medium auburn and it makes it a dark auburn. Now that my hair has gotten grayer , the color sort of makes some nifty highlights. I like the freedom of coloring my own hair; I can chose any time of day to do it and I don't have to make an appt. I also used to be "religious" about getting a haircut once-every-4 weeks. I had to widen that gap too; now it's about every 7-8 weeks and I really don't see a big difference.

 

[momto2inKC]

I use Nice and Easy and have always been very pleased with the results. It's the only brand i've found that covers my grays.
I tried the new foam a couple months back and OMG it was horrible! The dye would not wash off my scalp The color did not last near as long as the regular kit I use either.

 

[dakcp2001]

I use Nice and Easy and have always been very pleased with the results. It's the only brand i've found that covers my grays.
I tried the new foam a couple months back and OMG it was horrible! The dye would not wash off my scalp The color did not last near as long as the regular kit I use either.

What brand foam did you use?

 

[sydneysmom]

I use the John Frieda color foam and LOVE it!! the color is rich and it conditions my hair beautifully.

 

[kmccain]

I use Nice and Easy too!

I use it because it is a liquid and i can split the bottles in half. I seal them back up until the next time. They are fine until they are mixed. I bought an applicator bottle that has a bunch of fingers that makes it easier to apply to my roots. That is all you need to do your roots so you get 2 applications out of 1 box.