Bright but dark red hair dye - suggestions please!

[BotBotticelli]

I’m 39 and my natural hair colour is grey now (used to be dark ash blonde). For the past 2 years I’ve dyed it myself at home - I use Nice N Easy permanent dye in the shade 3.5BG dark burgundy brown.

But I think it’s a bit meh. I want something much bolder but I don’t want to pre-lighten my hair first (a few years back I had salon-bleached white blonde hair which got damaged and snapped off….it’s in good nick now so im reluctant to start lightening it again).

Can anyone recommend a vibrant bright-but-dark red hair colour which is suitable to use on grey hair? Most of the fun looking colours I’ve found say “do not use on 100% grey hair.” And whilst my hair is currently coloured burgundy, the roots that grow through each month are wholly grey and I need to be able to cover them.

When I was a teenager there used to be a “red black” and a “purple black” and a “blue black” colour made by one of the mainstream home dye companies but I can’t find anything like that now. I think the red black is what I’m looking for…

Have you tried colour xl?

So darker than these?

I have been using Schwartzopf Live in Red Passion for a few years now and still love it (I am 46). It is really vibrant, but it also fades to slightly copperish red which still looks good. I do have greys but not loads, so I'm not sure if it is suitable for 100% grey. Covers my greys well though.

I think some of the new colours of this brand are the type where you bleach first, but not this colour.

I use Colorista's bright red one, it covers my greys. It's not dark, it's definitely bright red, but it does look excellent. My natural hair colour is very dark brown. I don't use pre lightener.

@BotBotticelli Schwartzkopf Poly Tint comes in a red black. It's not sold everywhere and tends to be in places like Savers and Wilko over Boots and Superdrung.

I don't have any grey so can't comment on coverage but it's super cheap at £2.00 a box so might be worth a go.