Home hair colouring kits have come a long way! In fact, newer and advanced formulations now mean that almost anyone can achieve that brilliantly shiny, long lasting colour desired.
The first step in any DIY colour makeover is to determine which shade will suit you best. To achieve this, the two most important factors to consider are your skin tone and natural hair colour. The second step is to decide whether you fancy going lighter or darker. Whatever you decide, as a rule, it is usually best to stay within two or three shades of your natural hair colour for natural and most feature-flattering results.
If you have a dark or olive-based complexion, darker hair colours tend to be best for you.
If your natural hair colour is light brown, try Schwarzkopf LIVE Color XXL in 48 Red Night, medium or dark browns should try 96 Black Red, 99 Deep Black
If you have a pink-based complexion, avoid reds or golden tones which can cause skin to look ruddy. Instead, stick to more neutral tones such as chocolate browns or sandy/beige blondes. If your natural hair colour is black, try 89 Bitter Sweet Chocolate, if it is dark or medium brown, try 66 Cool Brown. If your natural hair colour is light brown then try 02 Chocolate Blonde
If you have a warm-based complexion, choose reds or golden tones which can enhance your warm skin tones. Girls with black hair should try 89 Bitter Sweet Chocolate. Dark or medium browns go for 66 Cool Brown and light browns should try 02 Chocolate Blonde
If you have a pale complexion you are lucky as almost any colour will suit you - just be careful with super dark tones, which could make you look ghostly or older (as the contrast can have an ageing effect).
Want to become a golden girl? If your natural hair colour is dark or medium blonde but you had very light blonde hair when you were younger - you're most likely to suit platinum blonde and paler honey blonde shades. If your natural colour is medium or dark blonde, try 00 Absolute Platinum, 01 Ice Blonde.
If you're a natural red head your hair is full of red pigment, so it can be difficult to predict what the end result will be when you dye your hair. But by sticking to warm shades you can brilliantly enhance or intensify your natural red. Natural shades of brown will tone down natural red. Try 89 Bitter Sweet Chocolate or 66 Cool Brown. Warm, copper shades will make hair redder and more intense for example 35 Real Red, 37 Hypnotic Red, 43 Red Passion.
If you don't fancy spending a fortune at the salon then at home hair colour is the way forward and Schwarzkopf LIVE Color XXL have come up with some helpful tips for applying colour yourself. Armed with these tricks of the trade, the right tools, and maybe a little help from your friends (never hurts to have an extra set of hands) - you too can achieve irresistible at-home hair colour results! Read and follow all instructions provided and always carry out a skin patch test as indicated on the box 48 - 72 hours before colouring your hair.
Before you apply your colour make sure you gather a few essentials: an old T-shirt, a few old towels + washcloth (that you won't mind getting stained a bit), some hair clips and a wide tooth comb to help section your hair, a hand mirror to help apply colour to the back sections of your hair (or better yet - recruit a friend to help you out!)
Start with a clean, dry, blank canvas. Make sure hair is clean, but don't wash it the same day you are planning on colouring. It’s best to wait at least a day after shampooing before using an at home hair colouring kit. Also ensure your hair is fully dry. Wet hair will not absorb the colour and damp hair can dilute the colour affecting the end result.
Colour-proof the skin around your hair line. Adding a thin strip of petroleum jelly around the nape of your neck and along the hair line prior to hair colour application can help prevent staining. If you do happen to get a bit of colour on your skin though - a warm soapy face cloth, lemon juice or an astringent skin toner should remove it in a flash.
Don't try to make ‘one size bottle fit all’. If you have fine or short hair, it’s okay if you do not use the entire bottle of colour solution. And if your hair is long and thick you may need to use more hair colour (sometimes an additional bottle) to achieve good, even coverage.
Watch the clock. Follow the directions and only leave the colouring product in your hair for the duration instructed. If you get easily distracted or are forgetful - set an alarm to remind you of when it’s time to rinse!
Keep cool when rinsing. When it comes time to rinse the colourant from your hair, cool to lukewarm water will rinse better than hotter water. Always rinse hair thoroughly until the water runs completely clear. Colour not fully rinsed can continue to process on the hair, potentially giving you a shade darker or lighter than you were expecting!
Hold on to that great new colour! Any remaining residue will be removed from hair once the colour is rinsed out - so to hold onto that shiny new brilliant colour - there’s no need to wash hair for 24 - 48 hours after colouring. When you do resume washing, keep your colour vibrant and fresh by using a shampoo and conditioner for colour treated hair.
Colouring products contain an effective sealing technology and unique built-in wash-out protection, so you can count on your new colour to be longer lasting and fade-free.