the mumsnet HOME HAIR DYE review thread...,

[lucykate]

there seem to be so many people asking about home hair dye thought this might be a useful thing to start. post here with your normal hair colour, brand and shade you are using and also with the result good or bad. i will have multiple posts coming as have used so many different ones in the search for my ideal shade, but will start with...,

L'OREAL EXCELL 10, shade 7.13 dark frosted blonde

normal hair colour - dark blond with a smattering of grey

outcome - bit on the light side and also a bit too red for me, was disappointed, won't use again.

[NobleFrangipani]

Um - may try to find a photo that only shows hair! I use a mix of Lush caca rouge (red) and caca marron (red brown). You can also get a brown and black colour.

I'm guessing it covers grey - have been doing iy since I was 20, so have no idea how grey I am!

Will attempt to find photo - hang on.

[NobleFrangipani]

it'll have to be later - dcs demanding dinner.

[squirrel42]

With a spot of googling I found a forum dedicated to long hair (the interweb really does have something for everyone!) with an entire thread dedicated to pictures of before and after Lush henna. Clicky here.

I've read that henna over grey hairs comes up a lot brighter and lighter, like it would on very light blonde hair. So if the rest of your hair is dark you might get quite a shimmery effect!

The henna process is a bit of a faff; grating the block, mixing with hot water then applying to your head and looking like you've got a cowpat squidged on there. But the longer you leave it the better the effect, so if you wrap cling film or a plastic bag over it to stop bits dropping off while it dries, and don't sit on a new cream sofa while it's on then you should be fine.

[Sweeedes]

How exciting to have our own colour expert tripping the boards.

I'm reading and interested but did it once and ruined a good Christy towel and splodged dye on a top.

Wilf (lovely to see you) You need to ask for hazlenut coloured hair with proper blonde highlights in two colours (no red) to achieve that trusafarian blonde you yearn for. I've never been blonde and it's never occured to me to want to be. Isn't it a bit "Tonight Matthew I'm going to be Kylie"?

[Sweeedes]

What on earth do they talk about in the longhaircommunity?

[WilfShelf]

Hi Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedes

Went AWOL after outed myself. namechanged but couldn't bear it so am following your example of slight tweaks...

hazelnut sounds good. Yes it is a trustafarian look. Haha. The irony.

Can very pale skinned, dark haired people really be blonde or do you have to have that permanent tan from the Caribbean and riding too?

[said]

I found another Lush site elsewhere where people were rating it. I used to use Body Shop Henna when in my late teens (oh, the joy to have all the time to mess about with that). Not sure I can take too many risks when have to turn up for work the next day now.

And there's still the root problem every 3 weeks or so. God, I hate going grey.

[Sweeedes]

Wilfy - What did you out yourself as? A low carb-er?

[mummytowillow]

Nice and Easy for me, I'll try most of the dark ones!! Sometimes they do come out too dark though!

Don't bother with the 10 minute ones, my grey shows through within a week, rubbish!

[Paulinespens]

Anyone know how you can lighten dark brown hair at home easily and cheaply?
I currently have highlighted caramel coloured hair but can't really afford the upkeep.
Many thanks,

Would a home colourant in mid ash blonde work?

[lucykate]

paulinespen, to lighten hair all over, you'd probably need to do a pre-lightening kit first, problem with those is they are very harsh (think full on neat bleach!) and unpredictable (as in they can take in some areas and not in others) and then colour, so it's maybe best left to the salon. but, you can now get home highlighter kits. i'd imagine they'd be best applied with a friend helping first time round to make sure it's applied correctly. i''ve not used one but there maybe someone else come along to the thread who has and can advise.

[2old4thislark]

Paulinespens my hair is perhaps medium brown(with lots of greys) and I used to use Boots Botanics darkest shade of blonde. It made my hair a nice golden brown.

I now use Boots Botanics Spiced COnker Medium Brown. It covers all my greys and leaves it a coppery brown. Looks very natural and doesn't fade too much. I do mine every 3-4 weeks.

I had mine coloured at a salon last year twice as I was given some vouchers. The colour faded far too quickly and ended up looking really brassy and cheap.

[Lulumaam]

just bobbing back to say the shwarzkopf copper canyon red is an absolute winner. it is fantastic

even my hairdresser commented on teh colour and shine.

i have had loads of compliments on it from friends and i am absolutely delighted, have redone it twice since the initial colouring to intensify the red and it looks absololutely brilliant

cannot recommend highly enough!

thnka you to whichever MNer it was, honeydragon i think, who recommened it on here

[Lulumaam]

just bobbing back to say the shwarzkopf copper canyon red is an absolute winner. it is fantastic

even my hairdresser commented on teh colour and shine.

i have had loads of compliments on it from friends and i am absolutely delighted, have redone it twice since the initial colouring to intensify the red and it looks absololutely brilliant

cannot recommend highly enough!

thnka you to whichever MNer it was, honeydragon i think, who recommened it on here

[lucykate]

haven't posted on here for a while, but am back to say (if not, just as a reminder to myself not to bother with any other brand/shade other than this one), for a decent ash blonde, this really is the best,

L'OREAL EXCELLENCE CREME shade 8.1 ash blonde - good colour, natural looking, hasn't faded as quickly as other brands, and is not at all gingery!

2 weeks on from dyeing, it would normally have gone a bit strawberry by now, but this still looks the same as when it was done.

[otchayaniye]

I have had grey hair (I have dark brown with reddish undertones) since I was in my late teens.

I have a couple of hairdresser friends and have asked their advice about home dyeing and it's worked well since then

He said buy professional products from Sallys, or online (eBay sells it)

Get a mixing bowl, a measuring pot and one of those fanned brushes. Have to

Buy 9 pct peroxide and majirel colour. Get one in a base colour (I believe I use 40) and one in a warmer colour (I think something like 4.8 or 4.6 or 4.4) You need this warmth as the redder dye molecules are the quickest to fade so need putting back in, as it were. Also you need some warmth in hair colour or else it looks flat.

Have on hand a knackered towel and some vaseline and some grips/hair band.

I basically count on using a half tube of the base Majirel (costs about seven quid) and a quarter tube of the wamer shade for a root retouch. Mix with requisite amoutn of bleach (it's something like 3:2, but the leaflet will tell you) and it should be quite stiff and firm (home dyes are way too runny I find). Apply mainly to the bits you can see -- usually crown, sides and temples and then try to work through layers. It can help to have divided hair in 4 sections with sections grips.

ONLY APPLY TO THE ROOTS. LIKE ABOUT A CENTIMETRE. This is proper professional hair dye and you will overdye it by running it through to early. In fact I hardly run it through nowadays. I had too many experiences with blackening hair as I was overlayering the dye and turning my hair into straw.

Put Vaseline around ears and hairline, but don't worry too mcuh, any staining will fade and it's better to catch the hairline greys than miss them if you are bothering to dye,

Be very careful the timing starts from when you apply it (ie, don't dick about for 15 mins applying it and then time from then). You can run the tip of the brush along the grey bits to see if it's taken. You can also lock the dye in better blasting it with a hair dryer.

About 5 mins before the end you can run it through the rest of the hair but be careful not to overprocess.

Rinse and condition, although I use my own stuff as I do the Curly Girl method.

This dye will last until regrowth, but don't be surprised with 30 pct plus grey you have to do it every 3-4 weeks.

More expensive than chemists' jobbies on special offer, but not that much more, and much better value than a hairdresser which can cost £40+ for a single full head colour.

[otchayaniye]

Also keep checking as body heat on crown (where it's hottest) accelerates the chemical reaction so if left on too long there can really leave it straw like when it grows longer.

[otchayaniye]

and MOP protein treatment, but don't use straight after a dye job as it will fade it. In fact, if you've overdyed it slightly and its too dark, you can leech it out slightly with a protein treatment.

Sorry, I'll shut up now.

[lucykate]

my mum uses the professional hair dyes you have to mix at home, she swears by them and won't use anything else. the bit i always struggle with the most at home is applying any dye to the roots only, is there a knack, does anyone know? i have to admit to applying it all over pretty much instead of just the roots, need someone to help really i guess.

[otchayaniye]

Part it into four sections with section clips. Two at the back, two at the front.

Apply with a brush (from a hair supply shop, like Sally's though eBay has them) on the partings that you see, and around the hairline, round the sides. Do it in a splatting motion, like you were applying butter or marmite.

Then use the fine point or the brush to go a centimeter lower (or higher) and create a new part (kind of equidistant to the original parting) and repeat. Keep going through each section. That way you can get at the roots with a brush without getting it everywhere.

Good luck

[charlysdevil]

Schwarzkopf Red Passion is a beautiful colour.

Natural hair colour is Mousy Brown but i put this over a dark chocolate brown hair dye.

It covered evenly and is a lovely deep red that is a great colour when the sun hits it. It doesn't fade too quickly and have only found that i need to dye it every 5-6 weeks.

Q. Can anyone suggest a nice warm light to med brown that i can put over this colour as my whole family liked my hair and dyed it same colour... do not want to look like my mum!!
PLEASE HELP lol