17 Best At-Home Hair Colors Brands and Kits, Reviewed for 2024

Table Of Content

• Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color Blondes Maximum Lightening Cream
• Revlon Root Erase Permanent Hair Color
• Schwarzkopf Keratin Color Permanent Hair Color
• The Best Demi-Permanent Color: Clairol Natural Instincts
• Revlon Colorsilk Beautiful Color Permanent Hair Color
• Revlon Color Effects Permanent Hair Color
• Best for highlights

Whether you’re looking for a style change or need to hide unwanted bleaching, covering up your existing highlights yourself can seem a little intimidating. That’s why I reached out to Kerry Yates, trichologist and founder of Colour Collective, to explain how to get great results at home. According to Yates, all the best box hair dyes to cover highlights are formulated to be less damaging and come in a variety of colors. As you shop, you’ll also want to consider how long you want the dye to last.

Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color Blondes Maximum Lightening Cream

The level of expertise is an important factor to consider when deciding between salon hair color and box dye. When it comes to coloring your hair, there are two options to choose from salon hair color or box dye. Both options have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to consider a few key factors when deciding which one to choose. If you're thinking about coloring your hair, one of the first questions you may ask yourself is whether to use salon hair color or box dye. Going longer between touch-ups maintains hair health and keeps your customized color looking fabulous. But those off-the-shelf box dyes fade fast, leaving brassy tones or uneven results.

Revlon Root Erase Permanent Hair Color

While ammonia helps the color deposit, it can also dry out and damage hair over time with repeated use. A thorough consultation unlocks formulated colors to accentuate your eyes, brighten dull locks, and add a pop of color. The sweet simplicity of scanning aisles for that vibrant box has its place, though plush salon sessions pamper strands as they transform your tresses. As a budget-conscious beauty, scanning for sales on boxes gives you bargains. But a salon’s careful crafting of customized colors outlasts cheap chemicals. While an artist tailors each brushstroke to the canvas, a colorist tailors each formula to your hair, bringing vibrancy to your unique beauty.

Schwarzkopf Keratin Color Permanent Hair Color

Then you rinse it out like shampoo and follow up with an included color-protecting deep conditioner. Rather than looking at the model on the box, look at the before and after swatches printed on the box to determine which shade is the best. And remember that any time you are taking your hair a level lighter, you will see orange or yellow, which are tricky to manage. Gray or coarse hair may require longer processing time and you might need two boxes of hair dye for hair longer than shoulder length.

It's also infused with nourishing oat milk, soy protein, and argan oil to soothe the scalp and rehydrate your hair. If you’re trying to go all out with your hair color, this is the brand for you. With colors ranging from bright pink to deep violet, this semi-permanent hair color will last you four to six weeks. Just be sure to wash with a sulfate-free shampoo post-dye—they’re formulated to make sure your color doesn’t fade. This is because professional stylists use high-quality products that are designed to provide vibrant, long-lasting color. Additionally, the application process is typically more precise and controlled, which can result in more even color distribution and better color retention.

There's no ammonia in this product, and the unique oil blends make up 60% of the total formula, making this permanent dye safe for all types of hair. The non-drip cream formula comes in more than two dozen shades, ranging from natural colors to more unique hues like rose quartz and fire ruby. And while it's impossible to find a hair dye that doesn't damage your hair at all (the science won't allow it), Schwarzkopf's Simply Color box dye might be the next best affordable thing.

Revlon Color Effects Permanent Hair Color

In addition to an after-color conditioner, this kit comes with a convenient barrier cream (to reduce skin-staining) as well as a protective cap, gloves, and moisturizing shampoo. Alcohol-free formulations are less drying to your hair, while silicone-free formulas won’t weigh your hair down. In addition, if you’re looking for the least damaging hair dye overall, ammonia-free formulas may be gentler and less irritating — but the color may be less vivid than ammonia-based hair dyes.

Best for highlights

Revlon class action claims company falsely advertises hair color as ammonia-free - Top Class Actions

Revlon class action claims company falsely advertises hair color as ammonia-free.

Posted: Wed, 04 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

If color correction is needed later, consult with a professional to avoid any mishaps. If you're still not quite ready for permanent hair color, consider amping up your blonde with this best-selling set of lightening and anti-brass sprays. This kit is perfect for beginners, because it clearly lays out each step in the hair-dyeing process. It comes with foam developer, the blonde color, hair clips for easy sectioning, and gloves, as well as under-eye gels and stress putty to occupy your time while it develops. Here we have another at-home hair color designed to simultaneously address color and shine. Garnier's Olia line features six blonde shades, all of which promise to leave hair looking up to three times shinier.

If your hair color came with a follow-up conditioner be sure you save some to apply in between color treatments. You can also minimize damage by following directions carefully, including coloring hair that isn’t newly shampooed, and avoiding shampooing for two days after dyeing to allow the color to set. This will help you to go the full 8 weeks between coloring sessions. If your hair does become dry or brittle, treat it with a deep conditioning mask. Without a doubt, a professional salon color looks great but can be expensive and time-consuming.

Another way to avoid a costly fix is by only touching up the color around your hairline, and one inch on either side of your part. Two things you should either leave to the pros or attempt with serious caution? “Whether its breakage or brassiness, so much can go wrong here,” Grummel strongly warns. If you’re considering it, just keep in mind how much it will cost to fix if things go south.

The colorists can tailor the formula and technique specifically for your hair type and desired look. If more natural-looking hues are your preference, look no further than Clairol's Natural Instincts line. It features eight light-to-medium shades, all of which are on the dirtier blonde side. From the kinkiest coils to loose waves, we're celebrating natural hair in its many forms by sharing expert tips for styling, maintenance, and haircare.

The conditioner will make your hair super soft, and it will also seal your hair’s cuticles, which prevents the color from developing even further. No matter how many times you color your own hair, you can almost guarantee you’ll get some on your clothes every time. I wear a ratty old Backstreet Boys T-shirt and a pair of old shorts when I’m dying my hair. I also wrap a towel around my neck and make sure the vanity is clear of junk that could get splattered with dye. In the past I have only bought one box and run out of dye, which meant the final product was patchy and just plain gross-looking. If you’re wondering how to ditch the pricy salon and get professional-looking color at home, check out my tips.

“There’s no developer, there’s no hydrogen peroxide, there are no chemicals—the color just sits on the hair’s surface,” says Patricia Slattery, AVP of hair color education, training, and testing at L’Oréal Paris. P.S. If a box’s fine-print instructions tell you to mix anything at all, the dye is not actually semi-perm and will last closer to 28 washes. It outperformed other custom-color kits at being simple to use and not messy, having an unobtrusive scent, not causing irritation and resisting fading. At-home hair dyes tend to be less powerful than their pro counterparts, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. At-home dyes also aren't as customizable, which, again not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a lot of science and skill that goes into mixing hair color, and without the right expertise, things can go wrong quickly.

"This autumn, we'll see super high-shine solid brunettes taking the stage with dark mocha brunette," Lead Educator Shvonne Perkins at Madison Reed told Glamour UK. All hair color fades, but it's especially noticeable with fantasy colors. These color-depositing conditioners from Overtone are an easy way to keep less natural shades vibrant. Made in a wide array of fun and pretty colors, it's intended to replace your normal daily conditioner to maintain unique hair color (though isn't meant to conceal grays).

There is a shade to suit any style and complement any skin tone and hair texture. On the other hand, professional salon hair color is typically applied by trained stylists who use high-quality products and are skilled in minimizing the risk of damage to the hair. Salons also offer a wider range of coloring options, including more natural-looking shades and highlights, which can be difficult to achieve with box dyes. Available in natural-looking shades like dark chestnut, honey blonde, and copper, the dye is ammonia-free and gentle. Keep in mind, however, that an herbal formula may fade a bit faster than other picks, and according to reviewers, you may need to reapply about every five weeks. Of course, a dark-to-blonde transformation would require more than a box dye.