Can’t afford hairdressers colour anymore - any advice for dying hair?

[fatface001]

The price of highlights or any colour service in my local hairdressers has gone through the roof. I understand why and not complaining about it, but it has also coincided with needing to cover my grey hair every 3 weeks. A mixture of both means I can no longer justify the expenditure. I’ve been buying home dying kits but I can’t find one that doesn’t look fake or that looks nice. Does anyone have any recommendations for good brands for home dying kits or any ideas how to manage greying hair ?

I don't know what your colour is but I love nice n easy. I stopped having highlights in lockdown and haven't looked back since.

I'm a dark blonde and adjust which colour blonde I use depending on how I'm feeling. Even though it's an all over colour it seems to have highlights in it.

The only thing I'll say is I don't have a lot of grey (- I just use the dying to go from light brown to blonde ) so you may not be as pleased with the results. Although it does say 100% grey coverage on the box!

I feel your pain. I have to colour every 3 weeks or so too.

I have a lot of grey, am naturally a dark brown colour, so the grey roots look awful if I don't keep on top of it (and I'm not ready to embrace the grey).

I have pretty well tried all the brands. I rate Garnier Nutrisse, Nice n Easy and L'Oréal Excellence.

I'm currently using Garnier as it's usually on offer, something like 2 for £11 at Asda.

My tips would be:

1. The colours usually take darker than they show in the box, so I usually shade up (say I like a 4.5, I buy the 5 which is slightly lighter). I find if it's darker than what I'm trying to achieve, it just looks fake on me.

2. Sectioning my hair in small sections, using a colour brush to apply the colour evenly through the roots. Just so I don't end up with any patches. (I've done that more than a few times and ended up with untouched grey patches 😅).

3. Combing the colour through to your ends, for those last 10 mins of developing time, which helps give me less of an 'obvious roots coloured' look, and more of a 'this is my natural colour' look.

I honestly couldn't get by on salon prices every 3 weeks, so doing it at home for £5.50 a time is the only way I can justify it. 😬

I hope you find a colour you're happy with OP. x

Another vote for Nice n Easy. I get mine through Amazon subscribe and save. Also they do come darker/brighter than shown, but (being red) fade quite quickly. Best after 2 washes and up to 3 weeks

I use the same Wella salon colour my hairdresser uses to do my roots (every three weeks as well, bastard grey) so when I do go to the hairdresser it’s for her to balance it all up and do a few highlights so it’s brighter and lighter round my face (once a year) and a cut (twice a year). Dyeing at home is about £16 a time. Getting my roots done by her would he £60 and the works is more like £150 and rising😱

I’ve found using the salon colour is more customisable and also gives better coverage and looks more ‘real’. It’s no harder than using a box colour.