Salon can't get my colour right

[origamiunicorn]

I'm going to try and cut a long story short...

I've dyed my hair a certain shade of copper myself, using a shop bought box dye, we've recently redone the bathroom and I don't want hair dye drips on the walls and I've never really got the underneath right, so I went to a salon on the high street (big name very well known) and asked for the colour I usually do.

It came out brown, not even the slightest bit of red. The lights are warm in the salon so it looked better inside. I mentioned it to the hairdresser who said they need to mix the shades and it might take a few goes to get it right. I went back a month later to try again and she said she'd add more red tones to the mix. I specifically asked for copper tones not purple-red and, you guessed it, it went purple-red. When she dried it I said how it looked purple and she said it would fade off into a nice copper. It didn't. I called and cancelled my next appointment and she said it will take a few goes to get the shade. My argument was to her, I can get the perfect shade from half hour with a box dye on my head, why can't they?

So my question is, or are, is it normal to have to take a few goes to get a specific colour? My hair is already copper so it's not a colour change. Should I keep going back until they get the formula right? (but for £80 an appointment it's not cheap!)

Any hairdressers out there or hair dye veterans who can shed any light?

This is the colour I get with a shop bought box dye.

This is the first and second (last) attempt by a salon.

Not a hairdresser but really want to know what the box dye is! It's lovely!

I have this problem. Took a picture of pretty much the exact shade of copper that you have in your box dye picture to the hairdresser. I ended up with brown with blonde highlights?!
Second time I took a more obvious natural ginger colour. Ended up with a fashion colour style bright orange.
I gave up! I now save myself the hassle and put my trusty red box dye on it.

Nothing to add except I feel your pain. No hairdresser has been able to do the lovely copper colour that apparently only exists in my head, despite bringing and showing numerous photos etc. I have warmth in my hair already and would love to go back to the hair I had as a child (like a blondey/caramel/ginger) but every time I say not a purple red red, more like a golden copper, yep it comes out 'red'. Any copper specialists out there point me to them.

PLEASE tell me which box dye you use! I love it!!

Maybe a solution would be to take your dye to a friendly salon and get someone there to apply it for you, for a small fee? Or ask a home hairdresser to come and do it for you in your kitchen. With plastic sheeting down. 😆

I use henna colourings and yes, my own bathroom frequently looks like a ginger bloodbath after I’ve applied it.

yeah Id stick to doing it yourself. I asked for chocolate and got red

Just do it yourself. I can see why it might take a few goes to get the colour right but those are way off the mark. And you can't keep paying until they get it right!

Always

Thanks all, I know it's lazy but (despite the colour) the salon does it much better than I could. I didn't realise it was possible to buy a box dye and get a hairdresser to apply it, I think that's definitely going to be my option, a happy medium.

The odd (annoying) thing is, they have pictures of the colour I want on their instagram page, so they can blatantly do it! Argh.

For those asking, the box dye I use is a Nice and Easy one. It's permanent and because I don't want to damage my hair any further I alternate it with the semi permanent castings one. So week 1 Nice and Easy, week 5 (ish) Castings. They are roughly the same colour with the castings one being a bit more coppery.

Pics would be good

@Cobblersandhogwash That made me chuckle 😂

Thanks OP! I’ll check out that Castings one. I use a Henna Copper thing from Amazon and it’s fab, lovely colour, but washes out really fast. I’ll try yours.

I think a friendly, small salon would be happy to apply your bought box colour for you? Offer them the wash/blow dry price plus a bit more. Or definitely a mobile hairdresser would do it. Or just your mates?