Help with hair dye for novice please

[Scrantonicity]

Apart from teenage experimentation with Sun-In and some highlights about 5 years ago I've never dyed my hair, but would like to give it a go as its getting greyer.
I don't want to pay a fortune for the hairdresser so wanted to try a home kit. I'm off on holiday soon so thought I could do it just before, so that if it's awful I've got time to fix it.
I stood in front of the hair dyes today in Boots and didn't know where to start.
So what would you recommend for my lightish brown hair to cover the grey (but not really to change the colour much)? Which products are good and what happens if it goes wrong? What is the dyeing process? (Wasn't on the boxes I looked at!) How do I know what shade to pick?
Thanks

[notamummy10]

If you are worried about costs, why not go to a college's salon or become a model for trainee hairdressers at hair salons? They need live models to be assessed on

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

Will need more info than ' lightish brown' hair to recommend anything. Are you brunette or more of a dark mousey blonde? What colour are your eyebrows and do you have a cool or warm skin tone? A few greys or a lot? Do you have grey streaks?

[dungandbother]

Just look for one similar to your hair colour.

If it says golden it will bring out more red tones.
Ash will remove red tones.

Nice and easy is exactly that.... There's foam ones which are easy but I don't think the coverage is as good.

Excellence is about 30 mins on hair. Some are less but expect around that time to take.

Do a strand test if you've not dyed before.

[Scrantonicity]

Thanks. I'd say mousey rather than brunette, going lighter in the sun. No grey streaks as such but definitely greyish around the temples. You only see the grey when you look up close. Eyebrows are light brown and I've got paleish skin (Nordic roots) but not deathly pale. Freckles.
College is a great idea but not sure if I'll manage to get to one before hols (work f-t)

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

I would recommend Nice n Easy Age Defy in dark ash blonde. That will eliminate any reddish tones that won't suit your pale skin and will cover any greys. Apply the dye to your roots first, starting with your grey temples and then work through the ends of your hair.
Dark blonde is in essence a light brown. The brown dyes come out far darker than you think, the model on the front of the box is never a good guide to your end result.

If you're nervous, I second doing a strand test the day before. Decant a small amount from each bottle (equal parts) and mix on a saucer. Wash, dry and inspect under bright natural light.

To cover greys, you need a permanent dye but the one I recommended won't alter your base colour significantly.

L'Oreal Excellence are also a great brand.
Hope that helps

[RowenaDahl]

Another vote for Nice n Easy here.

[Scrantonicity]

Great, thanks for the tips! Back to Boots tomorrow

[Jmangel]

Just a tip to look for dye box colour to have a number 8.1. the 8 is a base colour. 7 will probably be too dark - definitely don't be guided by the colour on the box - always come out darker than shown. You may even be a 9 if you're more dark blonde than light brown as the box 9s come out more like an 8 as only 20 vol developer in the box. Then for the number after the 8 or 9, look for 0 for neutral or a 1 for ash. Avoid anything with a 3 or 4 after the full stop as these are gold and copper tones.
If I were you, I would pop into a hairdresser for 2 secs just to quickly ask them what base colour number you are - whatever they say, go one number up for the box dyes. Good luck.

[Knitella]

Scrant I know this is not what you want to hear but... I colour my hair (probably a bit more grey than you) and as much as I don't feel ready to be grey I kind of wish I'd never started colouring my hair.

Depending how much spare cash I have I either get mine done at a salon or DIY. it is really hard to get a nice natural colour that stays that way. Like you I just want a similar colour with the grey away. Home colours often end up darker or warmer than you'd want and DIY or salon, depending on your base tones, dye used, how much care you take, sun you expose it to etc, will normally fade to a greater or lesser extent. For example can end up looking a bit red/gingery even with a neutral/ash dye as a permanent dye will have lifted your natural colour up a little and then coloured on top (with the latter fading).

If I had light brown hair I'd be tempted to infrequently get some natural lighter/sunkissed bits put in at the salon under where your hair parts. No obvious roots, can be done infrequently (so not too expensive) and low commitment in that it is more easily grown out. OR a box semi perm colour in a slightly lighter colour than you think your hair is. That should blend the grey a little again with low commitment.

I'm dreading the day I decide to go natural. Not so much because I'll be grey but the process of growing/cutting out is going to be a headache.

Anyway, do what feels right for you and I hope you have a fab holiday!!