Hi y'all...I need to color my hair, and don't have the extra cash to go to the salon this time around.

What brand do you recommend?

Do you guys do wash outs or permanent? My husband "politely" commented on my grey around Thanksgiving, but I've only been brave enough to do the wash outs.

I discovered a website makeupalley.com where there's reviews on products. Everyone there seems to like Excellence the most. Go look at the reviews for different hair color products, while there you might as well see about makeup and other stuff. I've dyed my hair for years, it got so dark that now I have to bleach it, then tone it with haircolor, not recommended at home but I'm a risk taker. If you want to go to Sally's to buy haircolor you have to know more about hair - what your base haircolor is, if you are covering grey, and how to mix the color. This site is meant for professionals but I learned a lot there - google clairol professional, this isn't their main store bought site. Unless it's a salon you can't really change your haircolor more then one or two shades, so go there, find your shade then look one or two shades lighter, most people look best lighter not darker, especially as they get older. But if you go to makeupalley you can read about women who have tried various brands and colors, and how it turned out, it's sort of interesting but I like hair. There's also a new book out I bought at Barnes and Noble called the Hair Color Mix Book, although one of the formulas to get Jennifer Anniston hair didn't work for me.... yet it has some great ideas in it if you want to try color and some highlights yourself. I'm going to streak some small highlights on my hair as it's a little flat at the medium blonde I came up with. This was more then you asked for, my favorite haircolor is bought at Sallys, it's the Clairol Professional with Soy, mixed with a 20 vol developer. I tried medium blonde this last time but next time I'm going to mix light and medium blonde so it's not quite as dark. It takes some playing around but if you don't know a lot you don't have to be too nervous because everything - almost can be fixed even if you mess up.

I'm a fake red-head For years I used Herbal Essences "Radiant Ruby" (I have tried other brands for red, and I got the -best- result with this color). Recently, for my red, I've switched to using body art quality Henna (I get it at www.hennaforhair.com). I get a longer-lasting, beautiful red with Henna--it looks natural and it doesn't damage my hair like the boxed stuff did

Shelby, if you have grey hair the best coverage is permanent hair color or it'll wash out quickly with a semi perm. But if you are just playing around, start with semi perm. until you find a shade you like, then find a perm. version similar to the color you like...

If you want to do it at home and want to do it correctly then I urge you to see if there is a Sally Beauty Supply in your area. I work there and can tell you that you will be very happy with their products. I "box" colors are o.k. BUT...it's sort of a "one size fits all" and for alot of us that does not work. If you go to Sallys they will show you what colors to mix to get a color that is close to your natuaral color (if that's what you want to do) and they can also help you with the developer. I don't think you'll spend more than $10. I would personally recommend the ION hair color. It's very true to color and is very easy on the hair. You'll get nice coverage with it.

I wanted to add that you do not have to know alot about hair to shop at Sallys. That's why they have staff there to help you. You just have to know what you want the final results to look like. I know the store that I work in is owned and managed by someone that use to have their own shop for years and she's great at teaching us about the products and helping the customers.

You can go and get something in a box and you'll get the color gel or liguid you'll get 20% developer (that's where the "one size fits all" comes into play) and you'll get some conditioner. When you go into Sallys you'll get your hair color gel or liquid the developer that is best suited for your level of color and the level of coverage that your looking for and really good advise. They also have products there to add to your coloring to ensure that you will not come out looking like a copper penny or brassy.....it's really for everyone not just the pros or the people that know alot of hair...Trust me when I first started going there over five years ago I knew nothing about hair!! LOL!!

Hope you have fun

I might be headed to Sally's

I only have probably 20 gray hairs, but I have dark brown hair with some red highlites, so they show up a lot!! Funny, when I was younger I was either blonde or a red head -- but I actually really like my own color now!!

Thanks for your replies....I've been coloring my hair in the red family for a long time. I'm a medium brown naturally, with gray (of course!) I'm having some photos taken on Saturday and want to cover my gray, cover my roots and get a fresh new color.

I do like excellence because it is a creme--it seems easier to apply.

Shelby

When you go into Sallys they will show you how you can mix two color together to get close to your natural color. I have to do that with my hair. I like a little golden (red) highlites in my hair but will not color it with a golden blonde because it's just too much red. I mix a blonde neutral with a golden blonde and it's perfect. I wish I could help you!!! LOL!!

I've thought of that, mixing in gold with blonde, my hair seems "flat" with just plain old medium blonde which should have been mixed light/medium blonde. I think maybe next time I'll try medium and light blonde with just a bit of golden blonde mixed in, I bet that would be pretty.

Jen, have you tried the Feria brand. I asked a gal at a coffee shop who did her hair color thinking it would be some top stylist and she said it was feria and it was some color with red in it, whatever it was it was pretty. Another woman I know buys Redken off ebay and has the prettiest red/brown with highlights, I can't remember the name of that either. I don't like a bit of red in my hair so I bleach it to death then tone it. If you lighten dark hair it always turns red, at least mine does.

Thanks for all your input! I took a look at makeup alley and decided to go with Garnier Nutrisse in Light Auburn. It looks pretty good!

same here, I have dark brown hair with a few whites, the whites seem to all be mixed in with the hair around my forehead and they gleam in the light terribly, lol. Ironically, the white hairs showed up just as I stopped coloring my hair and was getting used to the real color. Now I don't know if I should dye again or not. ^_^

I used Feria for a while and the reds were really nice but they washed out quickly for me. I had the same problem with Garnier, though it looked nice for a time too. I haven't colored mine in a while.

I think a lot of women on makeup alley like the garnier, I've never tried it. But I only have less then 5% grey, although that's a crisis in itself for me to SEE GREY. It looks like a good product for multi tones too. Glad it turned out nice!