Red hair dye that actually works on dark brown hair

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Is this actually just some form of mythical beast?

I swear I've tried pretty much every hair dye out there! From a brief flick through the Boots site, I have used L'Oreal Preference, Feria, tonight I tried that new Garnier Olia, each time I've used whatever colour looks like it will be a strong, obvious red. I think I've even tried an XXL red. I've got naturally quite dark brown hair, and I just want something that looks a vaguely natural-ish red. Not bloody purple like I'm getting every time. I look like I'm using Wella Plum Mousse

I can't afford to get it done professionally, I haven't got time to try a trainee anywhere, home dye is about all I have time for. And I don't really want to do a pre-lightner as if it goes wrong I will look really stupid.

Is this the universe trying to tell me to go back to black instead, or is there a red hair dye that actually works?

You cannot lighten your hair without bleach. If your hair is dark then it will not go lighter, just the tone will change.

I bleach mine to go purple, but I do mean PURPLE not that purple shade you get from Xxl and the like.

Have a look on the beeunique photo galleries if you want ro see some results of the kind of vibrant dyes you can put on lightened hair. Though they are at the extreme end of the spectrum! I love directions etc but it is abit much for some people. I love mine though.

And for what it is worth I have bleached and gone wild for a while and then covered it back up successfully with a regular colour. Though I got bored and bleached again to use Directions within a few months. I don't think for a minute a professional would recommend that but my hair is in good nick!

Hmmm I use majicontrast mixed with peroxide, so you don't bleach first, it's all income to, had mine redone yesterday and its bloody bright red again, probably the reddest your going to get. You need to get it from Internet or such like as its a professional colour though.

It all in one that should say not income.

Not me but same colour.

www.google.co.uk/search?q=majicontrast+magenta+red&hl=en&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=lagBUaWhAtCq0AWg-YH4Aw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=768&bih=928#biv=i|3;d|pbG9qqfDKEqWkM:

Have you tried the live one with peroxide? It lightens and goes redder. If you want red you need to take the natural colour out.

You do need to pre lighten. It's not a scary as it sounds. I do a "bleach bath". Use a jerome Russell high lift powder with the high volume cream bleach. Mix that with baby shampoo and apply to damp hair. Comb through lots to make sure it's even. Wrap in cling film then check every 5 minutes. 15 minutes is enough for me. Then I use a professional brand of dye called Rusk in "red". You can get it at Salon Supplies (used to be called Sally). It does fade a bit, so I use crazy colour in "fire" every couple of weeks to keep it bright. My hair is not quite fire-engine red, but its not far off!

The ones you buy in the chemist only have a certain strength of peroxide in them which is enough to cause the chemical reaction to put the permanent colour in your hair and make it stay but not really enough to lift the original shade so what you're getting is the red shade layered over your dark brown hair which means you will only be able to see it in bright light.

The Majirel "Majirouge" ones, as mentioned earlier, are the reddest I have used in terms of permanent colour and you can control how bright they go depending on the strength of peroxide you mix with them. I have quite light brown hair which is fine in texture so I didn't need a very strong peroxide but someone with thick dark hair would need to probably go a level or two up in strength if you want a pure red without your own dark brown base that you still have at the moment. I would recommend shade 6.66. You can buy it in Sally's, or other professional hair & beauty supply shops. You might need to get some advice on what ratios to mix though. Also, bear in mind that even permanent red fades quite fast so you might need to top it up with a semi permanent in between root touch ups too. It's pretty high maintenance.

i think you will need to bleach it first if you want an immediate, vibrant red result

i am the same, dark brown hair and dye it red

if it helps, been doing it about 2 years now and it has gradually gone more and more red every time i have done it (without bleaching first) so i think its a gradual thing

i use live colour xxl in red passion

I've mid brown hair & would try www.lush.co.uk/content/view/1120
In the 80s the Body Shop used to do henna semi permanent dye & Looks like the next best thing

wow that sounds amazing murray. have always wanted to try henna

does it make it go proper bright red ?

Henna still won't lift the natural colour though, so if you have dark hair it will just make it shine red in the light. Also, if you don't get the result you want you're stuck because you can't use any other dye over it.

The same as you, OP. I have tried every colour at home. I've been to salons. Today i had a mobile hairdresser. No luck, despite today using magi contrast and peroxide. One day...

Hi aftermay

Which colour majicontrast did you use? My hair dresser really ramps us the peroxide and it works a treat.

I don't know. There were two tubes, one darker and the other just the perfect shade. With hindsight I think she should have omitted the first colour and just gone for the second.

This happens to me when I ask for short haircuts as well. Hairdressers are way more conservative than I want to be and play it far too safe. Perhaps because I come across as so conventional otherwise (and I am!).

Haha. My hairs short, abut longer than it used to be, but short and spiky. I'll have a look what number is on the tubes I've got upstairs. But I'm positive mine is rouge magenta. Google images for that colour. I've once had it dine at a pants hairdresser and it screwed up, but never since my friend started sorting it and just buys the stuff for me. She literally mixes it, slaps it on and goes home, 45 mind later DH washes it off for me. :)

The tubes are dark, it's all about what colour comes out the tube, think fire engine red.

I'll keep trying. I'll suggest it next time to the hairdresser, just the one colour. She kept me for only 30 minutes with the second red, maybe that's why it all came out. I'm a nice shade of dark brown now and I had my eyebrows done too whilst waiting so it wasn't completely wasted time.

Should look like this like this

That's amazing. That's what I want.

gorgeous, thats what i would like my hair to be like

Asking my Hairdresser what ration of peroxide to colour she uses, will update later :)

That's the colour I got from Majirouge Number 6.66

Still need to check my colour, but my hairdresser has just reliably informed me, for my short hair, she mixes half a tube of colour to 40ml of 12% cream peroxide.

I think there is quite a bit spare after she's done it, but generally it covers fab at that :)

Ratbag - is your hairdresser in London/Surrey? She sounds like she knows what she's doing.

Haha, nope. I'm east mids, she works for T&G but has been a friend of mine for years so sorts me out.

I've just checked, my hair dye doesn't have a number, but its absolutely Majicontrast - Rouge Magenta.

Tell you Hairdresser thats what you want next time, with peroxide as described above and on for 45 mins, I've had it for about 1 year (and on and off previously before that) redone every five to six weeks :)