As far back as I remember, the ultimate compliment for anyone who colors their hair is the question; does she or doesn’t she?

For those who opt for a simple hair color enhancement and want to try and avoid the spotlight, subtlety is the most coveted outcome.

Sadly though, many find themselves looking flat or fake after trying even the most cautious approach.

Natural or Intentional?

Initially when I would consult with a client, I would ask; do you want it ‘natural’ or ‘intentional?’

By natural, I meant that you can do slight alterations to your color in a professional and intentional manner and still be understated yet appreciated. Think about it; what is natural hair color?

Natural can be gray, ashy, drab, mousy, and flat. Natural according to the magazines can be a lot different than reality, heck, that’s the reason we pay to have our hair colored! So if you’re going to invest in the process, at least receive the payoff with a color that looks great, however subtle it is.

How to achieve a natural looking hair color

The best way to do achieve a natural looking color is to stay within one (two tops) level of your natural hair color. This means that if you are a medium blonde, look for a product in a medium blonde shade.

From here you can take your ‘dishwater’ blonde and tweak it to a rich caramel, or add a hint of strawberry, or maybe cool down the brass without locking in your formula for future alterations.

To find your natural level, check out our guide to hair color shades

Many times you will find hair color swatches available for comparison in the hair dye aisles, which is better than holding the box up to your bangs. Check out our hair color charts page to see the current shades available from the major brands.

Select the right product

When trying to achieve a natural color, firstly I recommend using a low ammonia/peroxide color which are usually called ‘semi’ or ‘demi-permanent’ hair colors. They claim that they come out in a few shampoos, but I say to expect a bit longer if you add a pigment that is different from your own. This means if you are a medium brown, but you add a hint of chestnut, you may still see some of the red tones beyond the twelve shampoo mark.

Since these products do contain some developer (peroxide), you may also notice that the hair dulls over time. This is because a newly applied color adds shine to the hair, which is easy to get used to, but after the color is shampooed out all that is left is the treated hair with little or no tonal value. These semi-permanent products do allow a bit more frequency though so you can refresh your color more often.

Express Color

Another trick of the trade is express color, or ‘soap capping’ as it was called back in the day. Nowadays, some stylists will simply ‘bump up’ your natural color by mixing a natural tone formula with a bit of shampoo or conditioner, and lather it through the hair for a few minutes. Usually five to ten minutes will do the trick.

This will top up the natural base slightly, warm it up a touch, and deposit a little color. It is subtle but a great way to try on color for the first timer. Simply wet down your hair, towel dry, and mix up a small amount of the color of choice (usually about one half the formula) and add a few healthy pumps of shampoo. Mix and lather through and thoroughly saturate your hair. Process, and then rinse well and shampoo out the remainder.

This will give you a taste of a color, which you can always choose to make more permanent later. This is also useful to refresh your current color or to add tone to faded ends.

Preserving your natural hair color

One of the key ways to preserve natural color, whether it comes from Mother Nature or from a bottle is to respect your hair fabric as just that – a fine fabric.

Selecting good products such as color friendly shampoos and other reputable hair care products will extend the life of your hair and its color.

Also hot tools such as blow dryers and flat irons will split, dry, and compromise your fabric and reduce its ability to shine, which is a detriment to any color – natural or otherwise. Using silicone or glycerin based styling serums for shine can help repair some of the damage your styling tools deplete.

Conditioners are not only for comb-ability but also help maintain a moisture balance which is what locks the color molecules into the hair as well as seal the cuticle which keeps the color from escaping as quickly. There are many to choose from and if weighing your hair down is a concern, look for leave-in types which are often very light in weight.

Enjoy your natural shade!

Color does not have to be dramatic to be beautiful, and there is elegance through simplicity. Just remember to stay ‘close to home’ as far as your natural color level goes and it will not be hard to find your way back if necessary.

Remember to take care of your hair as it is truly your most valuable accessory, think about it, you wear it with every outfit!

The post How to Enhance Your Natural Hair Color appeared first on Hair Color Code.

So the burning question is, should you dye your eyebrows to match your hair? It can be argued that both looks make their own style statement, so which one is for you?

For years Madonna has worn her blonde hair with notoriously dark eyebrows. And she’s not the only celeb to be rocking this trend. Models Cara Delevingne (on the catwalk for Burberry) and Agyness Deyn have both been spotted with pale locks and dark brows, as have singer Gwen Stefani and actresses Scarlett Johansson, and most famously, Marilyn Monroe.

Is this really a look you can wear everyday?

If you dye your hair and don’t dye your eyebrows, ultimately you give away the secret that your hair color isn’t natural. Of course that’s not always a problem, particularly if you’ve gone for a shade in blue or pink!

Its true that mismatched hair and brows can sometimes look a little trashy, however there are plenty of gals out there who deliberately opt to contrast their hair and eyebrow color to create an edgy and modern look – it seems on every cycle of America’s Next Top Model someone gets their eyebrows bleached to create a dynamic effect.

Basically you have three options when it comes to coloring your eyebrows:

1. Color your brows to match your hair
2. Don’t color your brows
3. Color your brows to create an even greater contrast with your hair color.

Dying your brows can be an easy way to update your look, and these days there are almost as many color choices for the brows as for the hair. However just like with your hair color, you need to make sure your chosen shade suits your skintone and be realistic about the color you will be able to achieve (for example if you have a very dark eyebrows it will be more difficult to achieve a lighter shade).

How to dye your eyebrows

If you are dying your eyebrows for the first time it’s probably safest to have them tinted or lightened at a hair or beauty salon, but if you’re feeling confident you can buy home tinting kits from most drug stores.

The ready made kit will include the tint color and developer liquid (usually peroxide) but there are a few other items that will be useful. Here’s our how to guide to dying your own eyebrows:

• Small Pot
• Make-up brush or small paint brush
• Petroleum jelly
• Q-Tips
• Tint color
• Developer liquid
• Cotton pads

Apply petroleum jelly around your eyebrows so that the dye doesn’t adhere to your skin.

Add a small amount of the tinting color to a small pot you don’t mind getting the dye on (this may be provided in the kit).

Add a few drops of peroxide liquid (or follow instructions as directed on the packet) and mix together with the tinting color using the make-up brush until you create a thick non-drip paste.

Starting at the inner corner of the eyebrow, brush on the dye using the make-up brush in light strokes towards the outer eye, following the natural shape of your eyebrow.

Tidy up any areas using a Q-tip. You will see why applying the petroleum jelly was a good idea as any excess comes off with the dye, meaning your skin isn’t stained.

Leave the dye on the brows as directed or for approximately 2-3 minutes – eyebrows dye very quickly and take pigment much more easily than the hair on your head.

Remove the excess brow dye with a damp cotton pad, sweeping it from the inner corner out, just as you applied the color.

Top Tip: Remember not to leave the color on for too long if you want it to look natural or the color will stain both the hairs and the skin. If you’re using peroxide to lighten your brows it can cause stinging so make sure you remove it thoroughly too.

The post Coloring Your Eyebrows – Step By Step appeared first on Hair Color Code.

As women we are often defined by our hair color – redheads are thought to be wild and carefree, brunettes are believed to be sexy and studious and everyone knows that blondes have more fun, right?

Hair color is a fantastic way of showing your personality, and the shade you choose can give other people clues as to who you are and what you are all about.

It’s no surprise then that the decision to change your hair color can be the first step to a whole new you!

Why change your hair color?

We usually switch our hair color because we are ready for a change. There can be many reasons for this, for example a break-up or divorce, or because you’re starting a new school or job, or maybe you’re just tired of the same old look.

Changing your hair color can really feel like a new beginning, and a new color along with a new cut can make you feel like a completely different person which can give your confidence a huge boost.

We’re not talking a shade or two difference here but an extreme color makeover, for example, if you’ve always had long brown hair, going for the chop and changing your hair color to blonde can give you a new lease of life – equally, if you’ve always been blonde, dying your hair brown or red can make you feel like a new person.

This can be quite a daunting prospect, but when you walk through the door and your family and friends can’t believe how amazing you look, then it will all have been worth it.

So why did you make the change

We asked some of our friends and Twitter followers what prompts them to make a hair color transformation. Drop a comment at the bottom of the page and let me know what prompted your last (or first!) hair color change, and I will add it to the list.

Go forth and color!

The best piece of advice we can give here at Hair Color Code is never rush into changing your hair color.

Feel free to choose something completely different to your usual shade, but take the time to really think it through, taking into account your complexion, your style, how much maintenance you can commit to, and also how you are going to achieve the color you have chosen (salon or home dye kit).

Good luck, and a Happy New You!

The post Changing Hair Color – Transform Yourself! appeared first on Hair Color Code.

Whether you’re coloring your hair at home or at the Salon, the process usually involves reaching for a chemical cosmetics bottle at some point.

A home hair color starts with a fun trip to the drug store or beauty depot to pick up a hair dye kit, whereas the Salons receive the premium products direct to their door.

Which ever way you decide to go, with the right preparation, product and application you can achieve an amazing result, however there are downsides to using chemical hair color products, and that’s why more and more people are now actively seeking out natural alternatives.

What is the problem with cosmetic hair dyes?

The majority of hair dyes contain strong chemicals, and although these are safety tested, you can never be certain about how your body will react.

It’s not unknown for people who have never had any skin problems before to have a bad reaction to a hair color product, and the last thing you want when you are changing your hair color is irritation, burning, or even worse; serious injury.

If you are concerned about how your skin may react to hair color products, read our guide to hair dye allergies, and of course, always perform a skin test before applying any products to your hair.

The other issue with chemical hair colors is the environmental effect of producing and testing the products. There is still a worryingly high number of cosmetic companies who openly use animal testing on their products, and the production of these chemicals takes a toll on mother nature too.

With this in mind, we’ve tracked down some of the best natural hair dye products, as well as a few colorants that you can make using ingredients from your food cupboard – yes, really!

Ammonia, Peroxide and Paraben free

If you want to make sure that you’re protecting yourself against potential chemical damage when coloring your hair, look for products that are ammonia, peroxide and paraben free as these are the chemicals that have the potential to cause the most damage.

Ammonia, peroxide and paraben free colorants tend to be temporary rather than permanent, and nowadays they often come in the form of a foam color – L’Oreal Paris Foam is one such product and aside from being ammonia free, it is incredibly simple to use.

L’Oreal Professional Inoa is another product that is ammonia and odour-free, and it’s a permanent rather than a temporary dye so it’s ideal for people who don’t want to have to top up their hair color every 28 washes. The only downside is the effect on your budget, as Inoa is currently only available in salons.

Henna Hair Dye

Henna hair dye has often been thought of as an alternative or new age product, but henna dyes are increasingly making their way into the spotlight thanks to their flexibility, look, and natural benefits.

With henna hair dyes you can layer the colors to get a darker tone, or mix colors together to achieve an entirely unique shade.

Henna is an all-natural product that has been used for hundreds of years to dye the hair and to create temporary body art, and is ideal for individuals with allergies.

The bonus of using a henna dye is that it can actually give the appearance of thicker and shinier hair so it works as a dye and a hair care product in one. Unfortunately henna, along with most other natural hair dyes, will not dye your hair lighter than your natural hair color, you can only dye to an equal depth or darker than your natural shade.

Homemade Hair Dyes

Homemade hair dyes take a lot of getting used to because they are so different to the chemical dyes that you buy from the drug store. For a start, you will usually have to apply them every time you shampoo, but the bonus is that most of these dyes are incredibly cheap, risk free, and you’ll never wake up to find unsightly roots!

Desired color: Blonde

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. of lemon juice to 1 gallon warm water.

After washing your hair, rinse with this mixture 15 times, then on the final rinse leave the mixture on for 15-30 minutes before rinsing with cold water to seal the color. Let your hair air dry. The lighter your natural color, the more likely that this rinse will have an effect (someone with naturally black hair is unlikely to see much difference).

Desired color: Brunette

Ingredients: strong black tea or strong black coffee.

Rinse unwashed hair in cooled coffee or tea, then shampoo with a gentle shampoo. Repeat several times to build up color and then leave the final rinse on for 15 minutes before rinsing with cold water.

Desired color: Red

Ingredients: ½ cup beetroot juice and ½ cup of carrot juice.

Pour this rinse over damp hair then sit out in the sun for an hour or dry hair with a hairdryer before blasting hair with the cool setting to seal the color. Alter the amounts of beet juice to carrot juice to change the tone of the color.

And there you have it! There are plenty of alternative options to chemical hair dyes out there, and although some of them are time-consuming, they can give you a stunning and lustrous hair color.

The post Natural Hair Dye – Do It The Organic Way! appeared first on Hair Color Code.

Standing in a pile of tear soaked tissues, the image of yourself staring back at you in the mirror strongly indicates something went wrong with your hair color.

As you are now venturing into uncharted waters, taking the wrong measure of correction can sometimes exacerbate the issue or damage the hair.

Tread carefully my friends!

Where to start when your hair color has gone wrong

Often the biggest problem with a color gone awry is a level issue (too light or too dark) or a tonal issue (too warm or too ‘muddy’.) Check out our guide to hair color shades to make sure you are going for the right level and tone for you.

If it’s not that simple and you have done the damage yourself, it might just be you and the toll free number on the box as the recovery team, please think about this before you proceed.

This is likened to calling a medical hotline and stating, “I feel like I am dying and need to give myself surgery right now; should I use my soup ladle or butter knife?”

I really, really do not advise doing anything by yourself in your bathroom at this point. If it is a touch too dark, and I mean miniscule, you can sometimes wash, re-wash, and re-wash again with a low-quality shampoo to cause it to fade, but it is still often uneven and ineffective.

When it comes to neutralizing colors, stripping, or lightening, remember it was either your lack of skill or a bad product that got you here in the first place. Seek a professional stat!

What NOT to do…

Next; never, ever (and I mean ever) try to strip out your own hair color! I don’t care how easy it says it is on the box, even we professionals seek counsel with the clergy of our faith before attempting this.

‘From the box’ hair color removal kits are mostly in the form of a fast-acting bleach, and do not have a stopping point. If unattended it will continue stripping color, then cuticle, then the substructure, and then “poof”–your head is adorned with bubble gum (actually it used to be hair, it just now resembles bubble gum.) Please, please please; leave this to the pros!

What will the professionals do?

Hair color removal in the hands of a well-skilled and well-supplied artist can often be a quick and simple remedy.

It requires a trained and forensic evaluation of what went wrong and where, the porosity, the remaining and underlying pigments, potential for damage, and how much neutralization is needed. This falls somewhere between art and science.

There are so many factors that I find it hard to offer any specific recourse as it comes down to a, “How bad are we talking?” scenario.

By seeking a professional you may minimize your recovery cost from that of a mortgage payment to simply a salon service. I don’t want to be repetitive, but to bring the point home, leave this to the pros!

Check out our guide on how to get the best from your Salon Colorist.

Don’t try this at home!

You will notice that I did not (and will not) offer advice on how to tackle this in your own bathroom. Integrity steers me from doing so. It is simply time to resign yourself and surrender that a Hair Colorist may be your only savior.

It is okay. You sometimes have to go beyond the pharmacy counter and seek a doctor when your health gets challenging.

This is another case where admission of powerlessness or lack of resources is actually empowering. And for those who do not heed my advice and try to go it alone, I promise to write an article on proper hat and scarf selection.

The post Hair Color Removal – When It Goes Wrong… appeared first on Hair Color Code.

Before I start with any sort of professional perspective, I will say this: when it comes to artistic expression there are no rules. I find that matching your skin tone and hair color can take on an intuitive guidance solely because it feels right.

Of course there are things to consider, but don’t dismiss your own gut instinct (as well as the opinion of your closest girlfriends!) Hair color sometimes works simply because it works.

Selecting a hair color that will match your skin tone

Quick Selection Guide

Fair Complexion

There are many shades that look great if you have a fair complexion. Dark espresso browns with a cooler base can really flatter, as well as your warm reds. Fair skin will also look great with medium cool blondes and Nordic or champagne highlights. This complexion really does have a wide range of possibilities.

The main difficulties with pale skin occur when you stray too far into the extremes. If your hair is too dark or black, you may look gothic and menacing without the proper complement of make-up and fashion (unless, that’s the look you are going for!) If your hair is too light or platinum blonde, you can have a tendency to look washed-out (again, it can be ‘make-up to the rescue’ in this scenario).

Pink Complexion

Those with red or pink tones in their skin may want to stay away from the cooler red shades, as they can leave you looking flushed (and in extreme cases you can even end up looking like a human raspberry!).

This skin tone can benefit by sticking in the neutral ranges, but if you are feeling more daring go for a slightly brighter blonde and add a few highlights.

Tanned Complexion

Although tanned skin can look great; if you have yellow or gold tones in your skin you may want to avoid colors that have strong gold bases. These colors pull out the gold tones in your skin, which isn’t always flattering. Either add a touch of a copper to offset and complement your skin tone, or stick to a neutral shade.

Those with a more olive complexion can pull off the cooler reds and burgundies, and also seem to be flattered by darker shades and highlights of a “coffee-with-cream” or subtle caramel tone.

Dark Complexion

Those with dark complexions often have a hair fabric that has a tenacious adversary when it comes to lightening. It’s difficult to get through the brassy gold stages into the blonde shades without compromising the hairs integrity.

Lighter latte shades (that still have some depth) can flatter and colors with a flaxen golden hue bring out warmth in the skin. Reds in the darker levels can also add a richness to the skin, but trying to get the lighter reds require more chemicals and processes which will increase the fadage that reds have a tendency to bring.

Using make-up to match your skin tone to your new hair color

The one aid that the ladies have that may not work for the men is that once a new color is selected, a new palette of make-up can compensate for the tonal differences in the skin.

With any deviation from your natural color, or from a color you have worn for some time, you may want to make sure that you go straight from the salon to the make-up counter to address this issue. Remember that it’s not just the alluring eye shades that may need to be upgraded, but also your foundation! Gentlemen – you can grab a tube of self-tanner and hide it behind your mouthwash. No one will be the wiser.

Other things to consider…

As with any hair color change, doing your homework is essential for a striking outcome. Take the time to clip and save pictures of colors that you have in your sights. Ask your friends and loved ones as well as asking a professional and take all this information into consideration.

Also remember that makeup can give you the skin tone that nature didn’t. So hold back a few extra dollars for some new cosmetics after your color excursion. It is also a great excuse to go shopping for new clothes as well!

The post Matching Hair Color To Skin Tone appeared first on Hair Color Code.

Congratulations, you have made the big decision to change your hair color – that’s the hard work done, right?

Wrong. Now the job of selecting a shade begins. And let’s face it, if it was as simple as choosing between blonde, brunette, black and red, there wouldn’t be a need for HairColorCode.com!

When it comes to shades there are literally hundreds if not thousands of possibilities so it is wise to start by narrowing down your options.

Get started by finding your level

To kick things off, let’s start by selecting your level. This is how light or dark you want to go, and obviously a strong determination of whether you become a brunette or a blonde. Level 1 is the darkest and Level 10 is the lightest (however some cosmetic brands go up to Level 12).

As a general guide, Level 1 is black (reserved for the Goth kids) and Level 2 is typically the color found is most Asian/Indonesian hair. Levels 8 through 10 are the very lightest blonde (but remember to allow room for margin as every brand is slightly different). We are not concerned with tonality or shade here, just the lightness or darkness of your color.

Next step, pick your perfect tone

Ok, so you have chosen your level, the next step is to select your tone. This is how you tailor your color to your complexion and your wardrobe.

When it comes to tones you will have three options, cool, neutral or warm. Let’s say for example you have selected Level 4. You now have the choice of Level 4 cool, Level 4 neutral or Level 4 warm. Each of these categories will contain two or three specific shades so you can find the one that is exactly right for you.

The three options when it comes to tone:

So how do you decide if you are cool, neutral or warm?

One of the best indicators of your perfect tone is your skin complexion and eye color

Check out this article on selecting a color for your skin tone.

An understanding of tones is invaluable when it comes to color correction, for example if your neutral shade becomes ‘brassy’ you can select a shade with cool tones at the same level to balance it out.

There are some tonal selections which might initially seem confusing, for example ‘cool reds’ such as burgundy and merlot shades, these are called secondary pigments and are another means of subtly changing your color.

And Now it’s time to pick your next hair color shade!

Once you have decided on a level, and either a cool, neutral or warm tone, you will have narrowed down your options to two or three shades. Which one you go for is entirely up to you, but hopefully if you have followed these steps the choice should be a little less daunting!

If you’re ready to pick your new shade, check out our Hair Color Chart

Color does not have to be tricky, but a little research will help you to make the best choices. Whether you are coloring your hair at home, or starting negotiations with a professional, an understanding of levels, tones and shades will help you predict the end result prior to placing the product on your precious locks.

The post Hair Color Shades – A Selection Guide appeared first on Hair Color Code.

Whether giving Mother Nature a nudge, or taking your enhanced hair color to the next level, highlights can add interest and dimension to your style! From selecting subtle streaks or going for bold splashes, highlights allow you to personalize your color and add a touch of flair to your hair.

First Things First

Now first off I want to stress that when you start to venture into the highlighting (or low lighting) game, the skill levels needed increase dramatically! Since this is a technique of taking strategically selected pieces of hair that coincide with the chosen hair style, it is best to not do this as your first attempt at cosmetic enhancement. Although it can be done at home, skilled hands are essential. Without proper technique, bad color can happen to good people!

That being said, highlights can perform a variety of benefits. Not only do they add depth, movement, and eye-catching color complements, in some cases they can actually extend the time between retouches.

The highlights will have a tendency to diminish the visible line between your natural hair growing in and the chosen color – unless of course you have opted for a shade at the opposite end of the color spectrum.

The highlights visually ‘break up’ the line of demarcation, and many people feel that they get a little while longer between tune-ups as the noticability of the regrowth is lessened and looks a bit more natural.

For those with baby-fine or silky hair, highlights (whether alone or partnered with another color service) will add a bit more ‘oomph’ to the hair fabric. Many feel that the extra volume they are able to achieve is well worth the highlights regardless of the cosmetic noticability. Also by adding two or more colors in your highlight palette, you can add the illusion of having more hair as the density issue is overshadowed by the interest created by the infusion of new colors.

Your options in highlights vary, so here are some of your choices if you decide to take this route:

Frosting Caps

Many have heard of the ‘frosting’ caps of days of old. In small cases (very small), these can still work. But take note, you are best to have short layered hair – the thicker the better; if not, you better have a tough scalp and pain tolerance (the hair is yanked through a small rubber hole in a cap with a crochet hook), and you are best to not really care much about the outcome aside from the fact your hair is going to be lighter. So, in short– ‘caveat emptor’ (let the buyer beware!)

Foil Highlights

Among the most beautiful highlights are the strands you receive from the skilled hands of a professional. Often foils are used to isolate the chosen strands that allow them to process without the color bleeding. This skill is one that requires training, dexterity, and an artist’s eye.

However, it goes without saying that this will cost you, and the bills can add up if you go to a premium salon. Often foil highlights can be one of the priciest of salon services (for a full head.) A quick insider tip – upon consultation, you are often able be able to get a ‘sample’ by only doing a few sunny strands along your part line or to frame your face. You can always turn up the brightness too, so when sampling, baby-steps are recommended.

Panel Highlights

Panels, splashes, and veils (there are many names) are larger sections of color than can be few centimeters or more in width. They are for a more dramatic effect and are often used to make a dramatic color statement.

These are harder to retouch, so I also recommend consulting a professional on this method. Since this technique also looks good by using a few different colors that complement one another, this may also cost you more than single process applications.

Balayage Highlights

Balayage (derived from the French word meaning ‘to sweep’) is a beautiful, natural method of hand-painting randomly selected strands of hair to mimic the sun shining on the hair.

The impressionist style of painting is harmoniously placed to bring out the most of the style. The color is painted in soft, sweeping strokes, and the regrowth is almost undetectable as the color seems to just ‘appear’. Since this often uses a very strong chemical product it is my recommendation you do not try this at home! Even professionals must have a skilled touch and keen eye (and a paid insurance policy) to pull this off!

Go forth and highlight!

Although costly at times in a salon (do your research), it is my professional opinion to keep highlights out of your kitchen (without practice – a lot of practice) as it can cost you a car payment to get fixed if done incorrectly.

Choose what you would like to see in your style and then match the method accordingly. Browse through many hair color photos and see what catches your eye. It is best to fit the technique to the desired end result. Highlighting and low lighting (same technique, just adding darker pieces) are a great way to tweak and personalize your hair color statement.

Whether alone or in tandem with another service – highlights will bring out the best in your hair color!

The post Hair Highlights – The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Hair Color Code.

However to maintain the effect you can expect to touch up your roots at least once every 8 to 12 weeks, and there are some cheap and easily available items that can make that process so much less of chore.

Ladies and gentleman, may we present our essential home color tools…

1. Plastic wrap

Plastic wrap, or clingfilm, is the one essential we would never be without. Use it to wrap your hair once you have applied the dye and you can get on with life while the product does its job, without splattering a CSI worthy trail of fluid across walls and furniture.

Another great tip is to wrap your basin (and any other vulnerable surface) in film BEFORE you start mixing or applying the hair dye – once you are done you simply remove the film and with it any excess product that may have gone astray. Voila, a clean bathroom with no scrubbing!

2. Hairdressing Clips

You can pick these up from most drug stores – in fact the cheap plastic clips are perfect for dying hair as the plastic won’t be corroded by the chemicals in the product.

Hairdressing clips are invaluable for those of us with longer locks, use them to divide your hair into sections and you’ll find it so much easier to work the dye through every inch of your hair. Miss a spot and you’ll have to start the whole process again, or limit yourself to hair styles that cover the offending area!

Similarly, a basic plastic comb for working the dye right to the ends of your hair is another worthwhile investment – the product will be more effective without the hassle of getting dye out of your regular comb (just make sure you can tell the two apart).

Remember, if you clip your hair up during application you are less likely to drip product on yourself or your surfaces.

3. Gloves

Ok, we know that all the major brands of home hair dye kits include plastic gloves, and the quality of these have dramatically improved over the last few years, however the fact is gloves are useful at the application AND at the removal of the dye.

Most of us prefer to have the full use of our hands for the twenty minutes in-between, and is there anything worse than putting on cold, wet, sticky gloves once the application time is up?

The obvious solution, invest in a box of latex gloves.

They have a thousand useful household applications, from balloons to homemade chicken costumes, and until HairColorCode gets our “two pairs of glove per kit” campaign off the ground, having your own supply is the best way to keep your mitts nice and cosy.

4. Petroleum Jelly

Oh petroleum jelly, is there anything you can’t do? Apply around your face, on your ears and around the nape of your neck, and even if the dye lands on your skin, it won’t stain.

5. Old Towels/Rags

This may sound obvious, but if you are going to be coloring your hair on a regular basis it is well worth having a set of dedicated towels, rather than risking your best Egyptian cotton or throwing your fluffiest bath sheet to the lions.

If they get stained, no problem, if you spill a little product on the floor, use them to mop it up. No tears, no sweat.

6. Timer/alarm clock

I don’t need a timer, I’ve got one on my cellphone/designer watch, right? Sure, if you want to put expensive electrical items in the firing line of a product which is designed to stain! You can pick one of these up for a few dollars and in the long run it may save you a fortune.

So that’s it, everything you need to make dying your hair a walk in the park. If you’ve got any other great ideas to help take the effort out of home coloring, we’d love to hear from you on editor@haircolorcode.com. Til next time, happy hair!

The post The Essential Home Hair Color Kit appeared first on Hair Color Code.

As an alternative to harsh chemical hair dyes, using Kool-Aid (yes really!) to dye your hair is one of the simplest and most fun ways to change your look.

If you’re not familiar with Kool-Aid, it’s a flavored powder that you mix with water to make a fruit drink. But what does this have to do with coloring hair I hear you ask?

Well because Kool-Aid is available in a wide range of flavours and in individual packets a range of bright colors can be achieved, also Kool-Aid is a natural alternative to hair dye as it contains no harsh chemicals (obviously – because you drink it!)

The individual sachets make it easy to try different colors on your hair and you can create multi colored highlights, panels or an all over color – let your imagination go wild! Using the Kool-Aid powders will create a semi-permanent color which will stay on your hair for around eight weeks. However the overall color result will vary depending on the color of your natural hair.

Kool-Aid Color Combinations

Have fun trying out these colors and combinations:

Double Double Cherry

Bright Red

Triple Awesome Grape

Purple

Tropical Punch

Red Tint

Lime

Light Green

Blue Raspberry

Blue

Blue Raspberry + Grape

Electric Blue

Berry Blue + Lemon Lime

Turquoise

Lime + Blue Raspberry

Dark Blue

Try to avoid light colors like watermelon, lemonade and strawberry lemonade as they are unlikely to show up, and use sugar free Kool-Aid where possible to stop the hair becoming sticky.

Kool-Aid Hair Dye Tutorial

For this tutorial you will need:

– An old towel to put around your shoulders (I find a peg or clip is handy to stop it slipping)
– Petroleum Jelly
– 2 to 3 Sugar-free Kool-Aid sachets in the flavours you want
– Conditioner
– Water
– Glass mixing bowl
– Wooden spoon
– Latex Gloves (the kind you use to apply fake tan)
– Paintbrush (for application, alternatively you can use your fingers)
– Saran Wrap or foils (for highlights or panels)
– Shower cap (optional)

Remember if you have long hair that you may need to use several packets, and that if you have dark hair the shades will not show up as vividly and may just give you a tint of color. Also if you have blonde hair, please bear in mind that blue and yellow make green!

The post Kool-Aid Hair Dye – The Complete Guide appeared first on Hair Color Code.