Your favorite permanent hair color / dye? (blonde, product, toner, Walmart)
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I need to find a replacement hair color, since mine has been discontinued.
The key things I'm looking for are doing the least damage possible to my hair, and a natural looking light to medium brown color. I don't care if it fades quickly, since I touch up every 3 weeks.
I've used Clairol Balsam for many years. Don't laugh. Yes, it's cheap, but I decided to use it years ago after trying MANY different brands, and trying a professional, as well. I spent a small fortune on many bottles of different brands, in different shades of brown...from semi-permanent to permanent. And going to a pro once.
Clairol Balsam won hands down for what I was looking for, which was a MILD hair dye that didn't damage my hair, and had a natural color to it. I've been stopped by strangers several times over the years to compliment my hair or ask what hair color I use because they thought it looked great. Just 2 weeks ago, a man in the grocery store passing by told me, "Hey...you have beautiful hair." How often does THAT happen to a "mature" woman?
What matters most is that the color is NATURAL, and it doesn't damage my hair much. My dyed hair is in almost as good a shape as before I started coloring it years ago (still shiny and healthy looking).
The fact that Balsam was very inexpensive was just a perk. I was prepared to spend whatever was necessary.
Do you use a permanent hair color that you think fits the bill?
I'm allergic to most hair dyes, even at the salon. I tried Garnier Olia, which doesn't contain ammonia(an allergy trigger for me), and my hair has never looked better. My stylist actually complimented my hair when I went in for a cut.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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I use ion that I get from Sally Beauty. I used the online tool they have for choosing color and it worked for me. I don't use permanent all over, though. I only use permanent on the roots and then I use a matching demi color on the rest of my hair to refresh as needed.
Henna. It's cheap and it's a plant. Easy to buy at the Indian grocery and it's good for your hair.
Is it easy to use? Messy?
Ive been coloring my hair 2-3x a year for the past 15 or so years. The last time I colored my hair, with a brand I had used many times before, I ended up with sores all over the top of my head. I don't know if it was a chemical burn, an allergic reaction, or what. It healed just fine, with no hair loss. My hair was still shiny and healthy looking too, so no issues there. I never had that happen before, but now I'm scared to color my hair again. Ive been thinking of trying something more natural, and less harsh. I didnt want to go to the salon, spend all that money on getting my hair colored, only to have the same issue as the drugstore brands.
I've used Revlon's Colorsilk (original, not the expensive Buttercream) for years, just as a root touch up. It's less than $3 per box and, occasionally, Walmart has a "twofer" special.
What I especially like is that there's no smell because there's no ammonia. I toss the conditioner packet--that does smell "perfumey," and leaves the hair slick.
I hope they don't discontinue it in favor of their newer, expensive version.
I use ion that I get from Sally Beauty. I used the online tool they have for choosing color and it worked for me. I don't use permanent all over, though. I only use permanent on the roots and then I use a matching demi color on the rest of my hair to refresh as needed.
ION. I use permanent and sometimes demi permanent. For shine and color I like Sebastian's Cellophanes. It's semi perm. I also like Manic Panic which also washes out eventually.
For perm I use ION from Sally Beauty. I use the brights (pink usually or purple) but they have tons of "regular" colors.
Henna washes out too easily. Though it is plant based. When I was a redhead the henna lasted two weeks tops. Tried the light blonde and that was a bust.
I avoid ferria.
Tried the sallys semi perm tube and toner. Wow! Less expensive and I had even coverage. I found that using olaplex treatment was a saving grace.
My favorite color is a honeywheat by loreal preference.
Henna washes out too easily. Though it is plant based. When I was a redhead the henna lasted two weeks tops. Tried the light blonde and that was a bust.
I've been using henna for 7 years. Quality henna is PERMANENT, you need to bleach multiple times to get it out. It is also best to mix it with an acidic liquid, like lemon juice, not plain water. There is also a window of time that it has to sit to produce the best dye release; I let mine sit for 12 hours before applying it to my hair, and I leave it in for 6 hours before rinsing.
Light blonde henna? Sounds like you were using cassia, not henna, and that is not a permanent product. Or some fake garbage like Light Mountain, that claims to sell henna that comes in different shades. Henna only comes in one shade, red, and the intensity depends on the percentage of lawsone (dye molecule). I use the highest documented percentage on the market, and I get a deep auburn that does not fade out, unlike chemical reds.
OP, if you want to try henna, mehandi.com is the site to go to. They have full, detailed instructions on selecting, mixing and applying henna to get the results you want, plus they sell everything you need. I only buy from this site because they test their henna for dye content and also for purity, as they only sell henna that is free from metallic salts and adulterants.
I wouldn't trust the cheap stuff because declarations of ingredients are not required, so you won't know what it is you are getting. Many stylists are anti-henna and that is why.
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