Prod Review: Best DIY Hair Color, Period!
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free skin care · Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:43 am

m2cs wrote:

I am very excited that I found this thread. I have been coloring my hair for the last 6 months with drugstore color. Lately, I haven't been happy as it just doesn't look natural anymore. I have natural dark blonde hair (that was very blonde as a kid and has progressively gotten darker year after year). I have fair skin so I look better with lighter hair. I have been using Light Ash Blonde but it has been looking brassy and "bottle blonde" looking- especially when the roots show only 2 weeks later. I want a more ashy look without the golden look which is how it looked when I had it done in the salon.

We have a Sally's not too far away. Any suggestions on the color I should choose for what I want accomplished?

Thanks, Nicole

Just go look at the color swatches to find the shade you like. If you’ve got any stubborn greys, don’t forget the “Grey Magic” additive: http://www.sallybeauty.com/shop/1480/240900 and you absolutely must buy a tube of *this* additive to keep your blonde color true: http://www.sallybeauty.com/shop/1480/240905

I now custom-mix my mom’s hair color using Wella Color Charm and I use a mix of a “Dark Ash Blonde” shade and add just a tiny capful of “Dark Golden Blonde” to warm the color up just slightly/imperceptibly and my mom says it’s the best color job she’s ever had (including “salon” color!).

Don’t if you’re too afraid to mix the ash blonde with the golden blonde, then try adding a couple of drops of a “neutral” blonde – you’ll know which ones they are because the little swatch/label thingy will have a notation indicating “n” or “neutral” – just to keep the ash from being too ashy, if that makes sense.

The rest of my shopping list still stands:

• Wella Color Charm permanent hair color shades of your choice,
• 20% developer
• reuseable gloves
• reuseable plastic application bottle
• tube of Ardell “Grey Magic” and/or “Lock-in Blonde” additives

Did I leave anything off? Check my original post in this thread for the complete shopping list! Oh, and pick up a sample packet of L’oreal Natures Therapy Mega Moisture Nurturing Creme http://www.sallybeauty.com/shop/500/500342 to deep condition afterward. If you want to try my trick of applying the dye over the top of a protein treatment, then pick up a bottle of the Natures Therapy Hot Oil Treatment http://www.sallybeauty.com/shop/1220/500390 which is what I use if I’m in too much of a hurry to mix my own homemade hot oil treatment.

Just follow the instructions I laid out and it'll turn out great!

Wed Feb 22, 2006 6:09 am

Carekate- Thanks for the advice. I have a couple more questions if you don't mind. First, I went and looked at the swatches online. The dark ash blonde looks really dark to me- I have no gray so I am just coloring to lighten my hair (and hoping to get away from the brassiness that the color is giving me now). I have been using a light ash- should I be buying a medium ash for it to look more natural? Also, I do have red undertones so can I use both the lockin blonde additive and the ardell red gold corrector plus?

Thanks again!

free skin care · Wed Feb 22, 2006 6:27 am

m2cs wrote:

The dark ash blonde looks really dark to me- I have no gray so I am just coloring to lighten my hair (and hoping to get away from the brassiness that the color is giving me now). I have been using a light ash- should I be buying a medium ash for it to look more natural?

Don’t go by the swatches online as they are rarely “true” due to differences in computer monitors and stuff. Go to the Sally’s store and look things over in person because it’ll help you decide which shade and/or tone is better for you. And remember that they always say to buy one shade lighter than you think you actually need because women always misjudge the shade that they’re hair actually is. If you’re still not sure, try mixing half medium ash and half light ash blond (or a 70/30 ratio).

m2cs wrote:

I do have red undertones so can I use both the lockin blonde additive and the ardell red gold corrector plus?

Yes, you can use all three of the additives if desired (for those who also need the extra punch of “Grey Magic”). Personally, I use GM, Red/Gold Corrector Plus and “Unred” additives when I color my red head hair – yeah, I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but the latter two additives help cancel out the brassy redness that can make your hair come out hot pink if you’re not careful when using those drugstore kits! Anyway, yes, you can use one tube each of the Lock-in and Red/Gold Corrector Plus per bottle of color mixture.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:31 pm

Do you have any experience with home hair coloring and highlighting as two steps? I'm going to hurry to Sally's for Wella Color Creme but then I'd like to add highlights. I've been doing this with L'Oreal Couleur Experte ever since a salon debacle a couple of years ago. The results are always good for a week or two but then begin to get too brassy or reddish (I do use red gold corrector.) So I'm all excited about Wella Color Creme for an ash blonde base color, but what can I use with it for lighter ash blonde highlights, without the previously inevitable morph to red-orange in both the base and highlights? First of all, can Wella Color Creme withstand a second step? And then what second that will continue to look fabulous--a lighter Wella Color Creme shade? Or something else? I'm sticking to the tone of my historically natural hair color, but lightening it the way the sun used to, except I stay out of the sun more now. Gray isn't an issue--mine takes the color well. My hair is fairly thin and fairly dry.

free skin care · Thu Apr 20, 2006 5:12 am

cherie wrote:

Do you have any experience with home hair coloring and highlighting as two steps? I'm going to hurry to Sally's for Wella Color Creme but then I'd like to add highlights. I've been doing this with L'Oreal Couleur Experte ever since a salon debacle a couple of years ago. The results are always good for a week or two but then begin to get too brassy or reddish (I do use red gold corrector.) So I'm all excited about Wella Color Creme for an ash blonde base color, but what can I use with it for lighter ash blonde highlights, without the previously inevitable morph to red-orange in both the base and highlights? First of all, can Wella Color Creme withstand a second step? And then what second that will continue to look fabulous--a lighter Wella Color Creme shade? Or something else? I'm sticking to the tone of my historically natural hair color, but lightening it the way the sun used to, except I stay out of the sun more now. Gray isn't an issue--mine takes the color well. My hair is fairly thin and fairly dry.

The answer is yes, I frequently color and highlight my hair at home -- although I always go to my colorist when I want to try 'complicated' customized color the first time, then after I see how she does it, I'm usually able to successfully replicate it at home. I will post info about my Wella Color Charm then highlighting experiences as soon as I can -- I only get 30 minutes per day to use a computer and it's not nearly enough time to say everything I want to say!! Keep checking here in the next day or two for my post.

Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:47 am

Thank you so much!

Mon May 01, 2006 9:01 pm

I got a great shade of Wella Color Creme at Sally's but haven't worked up the nerve to use it--I'm still wondering about a second highlighting step after the base color. Anyone with experience on this?

free skin care · Tue May 02, 2006 12:54 pm

okay, i have a couple of DIY hair dye tips.

1. start at the roots of your hair, the hair is stronger, healthier (newer) here, so the most resistent, also, sart at the crown, because the hair texture tends to be thicker. then after the roots are saturated start spreading the dye out to the ends.

2. Henna + Hair Dye: okay this is a complicated subject, if you have used pure 100% henna, body art quality, you will not have trouble with hair dye. this also goes for pure REAL indigo, and walnut and the other natural substances that moderate henna tone. HOWEVER, most henna that you buy is NOT body art quality. there are all kinds of additives that they use to make the henna take better, or to change the tone of the henna. REAL henna is one colour, orangy red. So the rule of thumb is to not blend henna and hair dye unless you are 100% absolutely sure that you have used body art quality stuff.

3. I've found one place in vancouver, bc that will sell salon stuff to non-salon peeps, but they don't carry Wella. if you're interestedwww.secretnail.com

free skin care · Tue May 02, 2006 12:59 pm

cherie wrote:

I got a great shade of Wella Color Creme at Sally's but haven't worked up the nerve to use it--I'm still wondering about a second highlighting step after the base color. Anyone with experience on this?

what you want to do is:
1.mix highlight colour (with bleach? is it lighter than your hair colour?)
2. separate 1st strand to be highlighted. put foil strip under strand, apply mix, fold foil up
3. separate 2nd strand--repeat etc.

once all the highlighter colour is applied

4. mix main colour
5. apply to rest of head. in between all the foils.

you have to work fast, so plan out ahead of time where you want the highlights. preclip sections of hair to help with that.

Tue May 02, 2006 2:22 pm

Thank you for these details. It helps a lot. I had imagined it as a two-step process: first you dye the hair one color, then you highlight on top of that. But I couldn't figure it out. You've taken my thinking in a completely new direction. Now I just have to schedule the job when I'm not too tired to work fast!

Tue May 02, 2006 2:35 pm

Another question, Pustekuchen. Yes, the highlight is lighter than my own hair color, but my hair is colored now--a color as close as I can get it to my natural color. So I realize the highlights are going on over the color I already have, and will be lighter than that. Will that work? Is there a formula for how much and what kind of bleach I should add, and a rule for how long to leave it on? Or is this all too much for fairly fine, fairly dry hair?

free skin care · Wed May 03, 2006 10:45 am

Someone mentioned earlier in this thread the problems with Henna over metallic dyes....

IMHO Just wanted to mention that I have been using Henna on my hair over metallic dye for about 4 months now with nooo problem (previously had been getting my hair dyed with beauty supply store color for years). I think if you just use BAQ henna (body quality henna) that is pure and has no added metallics to it, it will be fine. But of course it will only give you reddish tones in your hair, as real henna is only red. I also have very long hair (almost to my waist) and it's wavy/ thick and prone to be a bit dry, but the Henna has actually made it healthier. But of course like Carekate also mentioned, it is a commitment to use Henna. Wink

Just my 2 cents.

free skin care · Wed May 03, 2006 3:14 pm

I'm sorry if this is answered, but this thread is getting kind of long and I'm wondering which is better, the Color Charm Gel Permanent Hair color or the Color Charm Liquid Permanent Hair color? Thanks!

free skin care · Tue May 09, 2006 1:20 pm

sorry cherie, i didn't see your question until today.

hrm, well, it depends on what you're using. but in order to put in highlights you need to make the hair lighter first.

so you will need to buy bleach from Sally's as well.

the standard process is to mix bleach with developer and colour., but i don't know the ratios you'll need for that.

i usually buy my bleach/developer in single dose packages and then mix it, use it like i described above and then after rinsing everything out applying the "highlight" colour with no bleach to the hair, then only the bleached areas will pick it up. however, this is not the official process and probably wouldn't work that well.

i would ask an employee at sally's for proportion instructions. and then follow the procedure i outlined.

Tue May 09, 2006 2:55 pm

Thanks again. I'll throw myself on the mercy of the people at Sally's, who know a lot and are funny.

free skin care · Wed May 10, 2006 5:28 am

cherie wrote:

Thanks again. I'll throw myself on the mercy of the people at Sally's, who know a lot and are funny.

You must be luckier than me because at my Sally's the sales people give me blank looks when I ask about this product or that -- it turns out I'm more knowledgable about the stuff they sell then they are! Shock

So much so that I've had woman come up to me in the aisles to ask my opinion and for recommendations!

Wed May 10, 2006 8:04 am

(I'm probably one of 'em.) CareKate, you had begun to reply to my April 20 posting about how to DIY two-step coloring and highlighting. You're experienced and I'd be glad to have as much information as you want to give.

free skin care · Thu Jun 29, 2006 5:30 am

I can't remember if I already posted this info within this thread so please forgive me if it's a duplicate, but I just wanted to make sure all of the hair color hints were grouped together in a single thread....

carekate wrote:

I posted this a long while back in one of the threads discussing color treated hair. It was advice that I specifically gave for someone with red color-treated hair, but the hints I posted are useful for ANYONE with color treated hair:

carekate wrote:

My hair is also colored red (and brown, auburn, gold, amber, copper, etc.!!). Unfortunately, red hair dyes are the ones that fade the quickest so here's a few tips that I utilize to help keep my color to stay "true."

Note: these tips can be used for anyone with color-processed hair, but for those with dyed red hair, they are "mandatory" to help maintain your look:

• Use only cool or cold water to wet/rinse your hair when you're in the shower. This is vitally important! Warm or hot water helps to open up the hair cuticle and make it more phorus, and when the hair cuticle is opened/phorus, your red hair dye is going to leach right out of the hair shaft and straight down the drain. By using cool/cold water, the hair shaft will stay sealed and your color will remain inside the cuticle;

• Use only a shampoo and conditioner specifically designed for color-treated hair (let me know if you need brand recommendations). These products contain ingredients that are less harsh and so will help to protect the cuticle to prevent the dye from being stripped out of your hair;

• Add a tablespoon of cider vinegar to your bottle of shampoo. Hair dyes have a high alkaline level so your hair needs the acid in the vinegar to help maintain a normal PH level, which in turn helps ensure that the hair cuticles stay sealed so the color won't leach out. Another benefit of the vinegar is it acts as a (gentle) clarifier to help cut thru product buildup on your hair so you get shinier hair everytime...and in case your worried that your hair will end up smelling like vinegar or the inside of a Fish & Chips Shoppe, I can assure you it won't! Adding the vinegar to your shampoo is 2nd in importance only to using cool/cold water to rinse. Since I've been doing this, I no longer see pink water running down the drain when I rinse my hair!

• Use a color enhancing conditioner once or twice a week. Nothing will completely prevent your color processed hair from fading but by using the color enhancing conditioner, you are refreshing your hair color by depositing a temporary color to your hair (effects normally last for 2-3 shampoos) and this will help ensure your color looks as good as the day you walked out of the salon! Although many hair product brands offer color enhancing shampoos or conditioners, I have tried nearly all of them over the years and have found that the ones from Aveda or the Redken "Earth Tones" brand are the most effective. And you can control the intensity of the color deposited by the amount of time you leave the product in your hair, the longer you leave it, the more intense the results will be -- at a minimum, you should leave it in for at least five minutes. Be advised that when you rinse the color enhancing conditioner from your hair (using cool/cold water!!), you WILL see some pink water going down the drain...this is perfectly normal, so don't freak and think the above-mentioned vinegar trick didn't work! You're just seeing the excess pigment that couldn't be absorbed by your hair rinsing out;

• Use a color protectant leave-in spray/treatment containing SPF15 or higher before using any heat appliance to blowdry or style your hair. This is the final step to lock in your color. Most people (including hair stylists!!) don't realize it, but heat appliances (blow drier, straightening iron, curling iron, etc.) and exposure to the sun can also make your color-processed hair fade more quickly!! Therefore, if you're going to be spending a lot of time in the sun (i.e.: at the beach or by the pool), in addition to the SPF color protectant leave-in spray, it's also a good idea to wear a hat or scarf to cover your hair in during exposure to intense sunlight -- besides, have you ever gotten a sunburn on your scalp??? Definitely not fun!

If you follow the above advice, I guarantee you'll find your hair color will help stay looking fab until your next salon appointment to touch up those telltale roots -- please give them a try before your appt next week and see how it goes before you decide on a change in hair color.

HTH,
Carrie

If you need specific product recommendations, just let me know!

free skin care · Thu Jun 29, 2006 7:28 am

Hi, Carekate, I too have red hair, some natural, some enhanced. What spray on heat /spf protection for colored hair do you recc.? Thanks, Janet.

free skin care · Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:38 pm

I would really love to be able to use the "gray magic" but I live in Canada and you need to be a licensed hair dresser to go to the beauty supply stores. And I don't see that I can order it online without being a liscenced hair dresser. Does anyone know where a lay person can order it?

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:38 am

Lily,

I am also in Canada and had a heck of a time finding a place that would ship to Canada. I finally found some Ardell Gray Magic at General Beauty Supply. They were out of the loz size so I'm not sure if they have that size yet. I ordered 2 1/4oz bottles. I ordered other items also, and the shipping was reasonable. I haven't received it yet as I just ordered last week. HTH

Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:54 am

What would you recommend for a brunette shade caretake.
I have a dark brown colour and was thinking of using the Loreal natural match wither in a 5N or 6W shade?
Should I also by the red color corrector for a brunette shade?

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:15 pm

Debster- where did you order it from and did you need to have a certification as a hair stylist or esthetician?

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:41 pm

lhttps://hair.generalbeautysupply.com/cart/pc/advSearch_h.asp?includeSKU=true&priceFrom=0&priceUntil=999999999&idCategory=0&idSupplier=10&resultCnt=10&SearchValues=&sku=&customfield=0&IDBrand=0&keyword=ardell+grayily,

I ordered it from this place,

and no, I wasn't asked for any certificate. Anyone can order from this company as far as I know.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:49 pm

Sorry, let's try that again.

https://hair.generalbeautysupply.com/cart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=235 Rolling Eyes

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