Missy Blog

Whether you’re looking to cover up those pesky grey hairs, or change your look, you can avoid embarrassing mishaps and botched colorings without paying an arm an a leg at your local stylist. Yes, that’s right, you CAN get $500 results with a $6.99 drugstore hair coloring kit. You just have to know the secrets.

The first, and possibly most important decision you’ll need to make is the shade. Make sure you check the chart on the box to see where your current shade falls and what color you’ll get. This is what will show you the end result, not the girl on the package. If you can’t decide between two shades, always go with the lighter one. Store bought colors tend to be a little bit darker. And never, ever make a drastic change by yourself. In other words, if you’re a blonde, don’t try to go black, and if you’re a dark brunette, do not attempt to go blonde yourself. Let the pros handle the trickier stuff.

In picking your color, make sure that the shade flatters your skin tone. Fair-skinned women should avoid very blonde and very dark shades as either extreme tends to wash them out. Olive-skinned women should avoid anything red or gold toned, which will bring out the yellow in your face and make you look sallow. Women with darker skin look best in colors close to their natural color. Going too light could cause serious dryness and breakage.

Once you’ve got the color all sorted out, you’ll want to start applying the hair color. But before you rush into anything, get prepared so you don’t make a mess. Take off your top and wear an old robe. Smooth some petroleum jelly around your hairline so you don’t stain your skin. Next you’ll want to gather all the essentials: an old towel, a timer, and a comb. If your hair dye is too watery you can add a bit of cornstarch to the dye to thicken up. This will not affect the color, and will make things less messy.

Instead of just dumping the hair color on your head, section off your hair into four parts to get even application. Make a part from the middle of your forehead down to the nape of your neck, then from the tip of one ear to the tip of the other. Meanwhile, you can clip back the sections that you’re not working on.

Make sure you set your timer when you’ve finished applying the hair color. Not leaving the color in long enough won’t get you the desired results, and you could end up with orangish colored hair because you didn’t let the color fully process. Leave the dye in too long, and your color might end up too bright, too dark, or too light (depending on the color).

And finally, if you have relaxed or chemically straightened hair, do not attempt to dye your hair at home. You’ll likely only end up with a mess that will need to be fixed by a professional anyways. These type of treatments make your hair absorb color much more quickly than normal, and you can easily end up with a shade that is too dark or can cause serious damage to your hair.

Follow these steps carefully, and you’ll end up with a great color for an even greater price. Happy coloring!