Will using Nice & Easy hair colour lighten my hair?

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

This is a daft question probably.

I'm 43 with very long, naturally dark-copper hair. I've been pulling out the greys but am in danger of going bald so have to start dyeing it. (Refuse to go grey. Not going to happen.)

My mum (who is now very grey naturally, white in some places) uses a light-auburn N&E hair dye that she recommends, but it's lighter than my actual shade. So will using it make my hair go lighter? I just don't want to have exactly the same colour as my mum!

I'm scared to dye it permanently because it's SO long. If I mess it up, it'll take about 10 years to grow out.

I've used copper henna but it's too bright, I look like Ronald McDonald's mum. :-/

What should I do? I just want to have natural-looking red hair. My real shade is like Juliane Moore's. Any advice MUCHLY appreciated. :)?

[Amarena]

If it's the Nice & Easy permanent colour then yes, it's likely it will lighten your hair.

Why don't you try a semi permanent, as they don't lighten hair? My hair sounds a similar colour to yours (perhaps a bit lighter maybe) and I use L'Oreal Casting Crème in Cinnamon. I only have one or two grey hairs at the crown but this dye is the same colour as my hair and tones them in nicely. If this colour is lighter than your natural one, it won't lighten your hair but should tone in your greys, giving more of a high lightened effect. (disclaimer, I am not a hairdresser!).

It is a complete nightmare finding semi permanents in a copper colour; so many are red toned which is not what I need. DO NOT try the Castings in Amber - it looks fab on the packet but is way way too dark and more brown.

The other option I use is a Daniel Field Watercolour dye - depending on how you use it, it can be a semi or a permanent colour. Again, these colours come up dark as well. Mid Golden Copper Blonde is the one for me - there is another which looks as if it might be a better match on the swatches but it really was too dark and too brown for my hair (can't remember it's name though.)

Hope that helps and good luck!

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Thank you SO MUCH! So the one you use is semi-permanent? Yes that sounds much better.

Is it reddy, rather than browny? The couple of semi-permanents I've tried have just gone a boring dark brown. Weirdly, the best colour I found was a Feria One to do dip-dyeing. But I don't know if it's wise to use that over the whole head?

I'll try your suggestion. Will it cover greys but still fade out over time?

[Amarena]

Yes, the Casting is a semi permanent and the Daniel Field can either be used as a semi permanent (on towel dried hair), or as a permanent (on dry hair). I've never used the DF as a permanent, only ever as a semi and yes, it fades out over time.

I think the longevity of the Castings is better than the DF one and the colour is better for me too (though not much in it).

It's coppery - not brown, but not red - more orangey I suppose. The colour on the packet of the Castings is pretty much how it turns out on me (my hair is perhaps a tad darker). I've tried to upload a picture of the box, hope it works!

Nice & Easy used to do that light auburn shade in a semi permanent. I tried it but it's too red for me, I need the copper/orange tones and look awful with the red tones so can't use it. If your hair is more red it might be worth seeing if they still do the semi-perm version as at least that way only your greys will be that colour and you won't be totally the same as your mum!

[Amarena]

Forgot to say that I also have tried one of the bright Feria's (Mango, maybe?) and it was ok. If you've a lot of grey/white though you might want to avoid as those bits could go carrot!

[ZaraW]

What about using Strawberry Blonde henna? //www.justforredheads.com has henna specifically for red hair.

[Karbea]

Hello,

My hair is different to yours (blond) but I used the casting creme for the first time last week, I was very nervous, but it was easy to do and I'm so pleased with the result.

[Raia]

I think most of the big brand semi-permanent colours including Casting contain hydrogen peroxide so it will strip the colour from your hair AFAIK. Check the ingredients or stick to Daniel Field or henna or similar :)

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

This is a photo I've found of my actual hair. :) it's lighter than I thought it was! Amarena, is this the same sort of colour as yours? If so, I think I'll try that Casting stuff.

Will it affect the condition of my hair? Make it more brittle, rougher?

I love the colours of that JustforRedHeads henna but it is ££££!

I'm really indecisive about this. I just want the little grey feckers to feck off.

Thanks for all your help!

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Googling more, this looks quite nice. And no ammonia or peroxide... Lasts 6-12 washes. Apparently good for your hair too?

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

The bloody Nice & Easy website is down! Don't they know I'm having a HAIR CRISIS? :)

[Selks]

Wow your natural hair colour is stunning, OP!

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Oh you're sweet! I like it, which us why I'm reluctant to dye it permanently and mess it up! I just want to cover the greys that are coming in at my temples.

I'm on the Boots site. I love this fiery permanent Feria one but I'm too scared. I'm 43 now, bit old for day-glo hair. :(

This is the closest Nice & Easy non-permanent shade I've found. And it's not my Mum's one! is it too dark though?

[WeAreGroot]

Have you thought about trying a true semi-permanent? Many dyes marketed as 'semi-permanent' are actually demi-permanent which still use some kind of developer.

Proper semi-permanents are ready to use straight out of the bottle and are non-lightening and non-damaging.

Have a look at Adore dyes. They do some lovely natural colours as well as the bright ones and you may find that a semi will take surprisingly well over your greys without doing much to the rest of your hair.

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

WeAreGroot - thanks for that link! Typically though, all the colours I really liked were sold out.

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

UPDATE (I know you're all gripped with my hair saga!)

I've bought 2 boxes of Casting Creme (all Boots gaur stuff is on 3 for 2 right now) non-permanent in Cinnamon on Amarena's advice, and it's on my head now as I do a strand test. Looking forward to seeing what happens!

Thanks for all your help. :)

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Gaur stuff?? Hair stuff

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

No, this isn't the one for me, I'm afraid. The strand test was just brown - no copper or reds at all.

I'm going to go back to henna and look for something else. Thanks anyway though!