Hair colour help please!

[NorksAreMessy]

after getting cheesed off with my hairdresser for dripping shampoo in my eye, dying my ears and generally being a pain, and then charging me £45 for the pleasure I am thinking of re-entering the world of home hair colour.

Recommendations please, easy to use, keep colour longest etc .

Also how do I know which is the right colourdo the colours on the boxes really match.

Have a real problem with Davina, so if you can avoid anything she pedles in the recommendations, I woud be grateful.

Thank you Oh sylish and beautiful people

[ellangirl]

IME they always come out much darker than the box says...

[NorksAreMessy]

OK Ellan, thanks for that... brand?

[Gooseberrybushes]

I just did bellecolor and instead of doing what it said on the box I just squirted it in lines in a sort of highlighty way and it came out ok, better than the last time I had it done at the salon

[NorksAreMessy]

ooooh, goose, arty!
I am a bit scred, because the last time I did my own, I made such a bollox of it, I had to pay to have it all stripped off and start again.

More tips please. My real hair is mid-brown, but about 50% white-blonde (ie GRAY) and my colour is a golden brown

[MarmadukeMarmalade]

Why not try a semi permanent first? I use Nice and Easy and their semi's have the same colour in permanent as well - I do find that the colour seems to come out darker than the picture on the box, well on me they do, so I'd probably try a lighter colour first - I've got mid brown hair with reddish highlights and grey bits and usually use semi permanent "Light Ash Brown" which for me comes out as a mid to dark brown and the Ash bit tones down the redness, this usually lasts 25ish washes. If you have any Moroccan Oil you can add a drop to the solution before you use it to make it a bit more conditioning - a Hairdresser recommended this.

[TattyDevine]

I think you would be a good candidate for Nice n Easy Medium Golden Brown. Much lighter and you might not like the grey coverage or the way it fades, any darker and you will be Pauline Prescott.

I suggest you do a strand test. Do advanced seach on posts including the words "strand test" posted by TattyDevine and you will get threads with details of how to do a strand test if you are not sure.

Nice n Easy Medium Golden Brown (I think its 117) is a good warm brown, not too dark, not too red (in fact not red at all, the undertone is more gold, but with the brown makes a good warm brown in a rich chocolatey way which isn't too "dark") - if you like, there is a photo on my profile of me with it on recently - should give you an idea, I took the photo in decent natural light.

But my advice is always do a strand test, always follow the directions, and remember that you an put darker colour on top but you cannot taketh away nor can thee lighten with a lighter box over a dark box!

[TattyDevine]

If the body of your hair is already quite brown by the way I suggest you apply it to the roots first, then run it through the lengths about 10 minutes before the end, but if you do a strand test you will see whether or not it goes very dark on the hair that is already quite brown or deep in colour.

[ellangirl]

Nice and easy semi is a good one. Remember that it stains- I have a nice brown patch on my bathroom lino to testify to that! Take your time with it- be really methodical, especially if your hair is long.

[WhipMeIndiana]

I like nice and easy, and the garnier ones.

[Bonitas]

at dyed ears. I've had that happen to me also.

One of the funniest things that happened to me was when the trainee spent quite a few minutes trying to wash off a birthmark which is near my hairline. I had to explain to her that it was permanent.

I agree with everyone recommending Nice & Easy. I used it for years before my hair became too....erm....difficult to deal with at home.

[NorksAreMessy]

Thank you all.
I am off to buy Nice and easy medium golden brown, will post pics if it looks good....and loads more if I cock it up :)

Now, I start at the roots, but do I section it as if seeking nits in the DC?. I like the idea of striping the leftovers through the rest of my hair, thank you

I have below shoulder length hair, will I need two packs?

And, do I do it in the bath, so it doesn't cover evrything and everyone?

And do I need a bath hat to stop it escaping everywhere


Sorry for lots of questions...I am a self-dying virgin

Thank you for holding my hand

[alwaysme]

Story of my life, always find important information too late, hence sitting here with hair darker than I was trying for! So I agree, it definitely comes out darker than the picture on the darn box.

TattyDevine thanks for that tip, at least you saved me trying to put a lighter box over the darker one. It was supposed to be dark blonde but, it's more a brown colour. Better go sit in the sun !!!

[TattyDevine]

You might need 2 packs. Probably not but I wouldn't risk it. If you get 2 boxes (often they are 2 for £7 or 2 for £8 at Boots or Superdrug) then you can do a little strand test and then if it works for you there will be plenty left for a root touch up. Whilst you can't keep mixed colour, remember that it is equal parts so you can mix a tablespoon of each bottle together and do a touch up or a strand test or whatever and reseal the bottles and use the rest another time.

Whack it on your roots, give it 20 minutes then run the rest through your hair, I think. Then rinse. I think you will get a fairly even result then without looking morticia.

I have just done my roots today with that colour, and I gave it 20 minutes on my roots, wet the body of my hair (ignore that bit, I was being ultra cautious about it not "taking" too much on my ends) and literally 5 minutes on the ends. But I'm not trying to "colour match" root to tip here so you might need 10 minutes on dry hair and that is what you should do.

Its a bloody lovely colour and I don't see me changing it any time soon and I have been every colour under the sun trust me.

Section it off, yes. Use a brush to brush it on if you can handle the thought - it is much better if you get used to doing it that way, then you can avoid colour build up in the future. Those women you see with way too dark hair who can't do anything about it and can't even get highlights because they will be dark ginger are women who have been home dying too dark colours and running them through each time. Don't be that woman.

Will it stain everything? It will stain a porous surface (grout, lino, natural stone) but not a sealed artificial surface (bath should be fine - careful of tile grout, most tiles it shouldn't)

Ellangirl - if you want to risk £8 to get your lino clean, you could buy ColourB4 by Scott Cornwall, mix an equal amount of each part together and paint it on your lino, leave it for half an hour, see if it gets it off. Its hydrasulphate so shouldn't damage your lino, and is designed to reverse the colour process. If your lino is a deep colour do a patch test first in the corner where the bin is. Or just don't bother

[NorksAreMessy]

tatty you are an absolute gem and a genius.
Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to help me with this. I am very grateful

[pissovski]

Also recommend Nice n Easy/Perfect 10. I go for the Light Auburn colours and really lie them. Was recently tempted away by L'oreal casting and am currently giving myself a scare every time i catch sight of myself in the mirror (even more so than usual) cos its darker then i thought it as going to be. Back to NnE next time (but not the foam one cos it was messy - and dark!)

[Fifis25StottieCakes]

Yes always go a couple of shades lighter as they always seem darker. The foam ones are crap but have no PHP or whatever it is which can make your face swell. I like the nice and easy permanents and movida for semis. If your going dark i would just do it with semis which dont wreck your hair.

Anything ash gets rid of coppery tones. Im using nice and easy light ash blonde at the moment after stripping the brown out with the Jerome Russel colour remover.

Ferrier are the nicest reds.

[NorksAreMessy]

Just popping back to say a HUGE THANK YOU.
I have coloured my very own hair with Nice and Easy lightest golden brown and IT WORKED!

I took all the advice offered, strand test, allegry test, choose a lighter colour than you think and my hair looks GREAT.

Thank you tatty in particular, but just having you all helping was brilliant.

£32.50 on its way to a charity of tattys choice, as that is the difference between the hairdresser and buying the box from Tesco. Next month and every single month for ever onwards, I will keep the Difference money for meeeeee!

Please let me know which charity tatty

[NorksAreMessy]

Oooh, yes I did use two packs. You don't really get much in one, I would have been very cheesed off. Probably OK for roots, though

[TattyDevine]

Oh I am so happy you are happy!!!

What a wonderful thing to do, to donate the difference to charity.

My chosen charity is Magic Moments, a charity set up by some very lovely people I know that raises money mainly for children's hospices but basically seeks to send terminally ill children to Lapland for Christmas with their families so they can have a really special (often last) Christmas.

Its a wonderful charity which is quite small and local and is promoted by people giving their time rather than huge advertising and administrative budgets, so each donation goes a long way and isn't used up mail shots and telemarketing wages.

You can donate via their Justgiving Page

This is their website if you would like to know more about the charity.

Thank you Norks, and may the universe always be kind to you, and your shiny golden locks

Cheers

[ElectricSoftParade]

TattyDevine, please be my hairdressing guru, as you are right!

Nice n Easy Medium Golden Brown is a splendid colour and I look (relatively) glowing again! Have used too many reddish and also too dark colours. I was shopping today and thought I would give the Medium Golden Brown a go - I actually love my hair! Although it needs a good cut but the the colour is GREAT. THANK YOU!

[Fifis25StottieCakes]

Ooh is it nice. I need my roots done. Will i be able to put it over nice and easy ash blonde?????

[NorksAreMessy]

brilliant tatty I am delighted to donate to this cause...and I have. Justgiving plus giftaid.

Everybody wins! :o

[NorksAreMessy]

electric listen to tatty she knows of what she speaks

[TattyDevine]

Yay!

Fifi - I'd be careful putting it over Ash blonde, the gold cast might go too yellowy/goldy - first "bring down/fill in" your blonde with Loreal Recital Preference "Rimini Lightest Brown" which will bring you to a dull, unshiny, very unispiring khaki brown which is neither particularly warm nor particularly cool. Rinse, dry. Then apply the Nice n Easy Medium Golden Brown, leave 30 minutes, rinse. The boring dull khaki brown "filler" colour will allow the true tones of the Medium Golden Brown to occur.

I "filled in" quite a lot of bleach highlights (I had Jennifer Annistony type hair in the spring) with Rimini and then did the Golden over the top, the photo on my profile is of it the day after I did it so you can use this combo and have confidence.

[TattyDevine]

PS: Because we are on the internet, I haven't seen your hair and I am not a hairdresser, I suggest you strand test this combination in case I am just plain wrong! That's the Tatty disclaimer. Always strand test and own your own result!