I tried 50 box hair dyes, and these are the ones I genuinely rate...

If we're gonna do it at home, then let's do it right.

Home hair dye regrets….I’ve had a few

I’d like to think that with 15 years of beauty journalism under my belt - and being a hair-dye loving goth - that I know a great box dye, from a shitty one.

But truthfully, during lockdown when faced with the overwhelming hair dye aisles I opted for choosing method so many of us resort to; I picked the cheapest one. I thought it would be fine, they all do the same thing right? The box of permanent black dye I chose seemed to do the job initially, but a few weeks in it had almost totally faded and my greys were back (hai old friends.) It made me realise that I needed to get more clued up on box dyes and I wanted to know which ones were genuinely the best and worth paying a bit more for. So I went deep, knowing I would someday get to write about it - and here is that day. I’ve spent the last couple of years trying as many box dyes as I was humanly possible - over 50 in fact - which I tested on my own hair, and various hair pieces that I make at home too.

If you’re looking to get the best results from at home hair dye, then this is your guide on how to do that, alongside my edit of the ones that I genuinely buy on repeat. Let’s do this…

1. Get the right shade…

In hindsight this red fringe wasn’t my best look… (2004)

Tough love first; if you want a dramatic hair colour change and think you can do it at home yourself…don’t.

An extreme change like going from blonde to brunette or black to pastel green hair is best left to a professional (particularly if you have dark, fine and/or afro-textured hair) to get the best results with the minimal amount of damage. Professionals often also use in-salon bond repair treatments that really do save your hair from damage and prolong the colour. Likewise highlights, ombre and balayage etc are all super hard to do at home and are always best left to the pros.

REALLY enjoyed this picture research…

But if you’re going two shades lighter or darker, then that IS achievable with an at-home dye.

As a general rule warmer skin tones suit more golden shades, whilst cooler skin tones might be better suited to colder shades. If you’re not sure if you’re cool, warm or neutral-toned (i.e., a bit of both so you could do either) then try thinking about what jewellery you think suits you best, gold (warm) or silver (cool). If in doubt pop into a make-up counter and ask a make-up artist what they think your tone is or try a semi-permanent version first to try the shade out first.

My biggest tip: use the colour guide on the back of the box and NOT the model image on the front. I’ve been thwarted by this so many times, because the model picture on the front isn’t truly reflective of the final shade (and is most likely edited to look eye catching on the box) - so the colour chart is a much more reliable guide.

2. What kind of dye should I buy?
The different types explained…voila!

Permanent - is the strongest dye and should last until the hair grows out. It might contain stronger chemicals like ammonia that open the hair cuticle to give more lasting colour. I always use permanent as I want the longest lasting results.

Semi-permanent – this should last for 6-10 shampoos, is a gentler formulation and is better if you’re new to at-home dying, or unsure about a shade.

Root cover up – this is designed to just dye over root re-growth, and likely comes with a brush/kit to do that with.

Wash in, wash out – this should last a wash or two, but if you do have blonde or bleached hair it could give a longer tint the hair which has happened to me in the past, so that’s just a warning.

3. How do I get the most professional results at home?

Prep hard - Healthy hair holds colour the best, so to get the best results from your at-home colour use a hydrating hair mask a few times the week before to get the hair into the best condition possible (I rate Fable & Mane Holiroots Repairing Mask.) And do the recommended patch test; even if you’re usually fine with colour, you could develop a reaction at any time and hair-dye allergies can be severe.

Get ready - Hair dye works better on hair that isn’t freshly washed, so wait 24 hours after you shampoo before you colour your hair and the natural oils on your scalp also help protect it from irritation from the dye. It also goes without saying that you need to cover the shit out of everything in your bathroom in case of drips or splattering, keep an old t-shirt and towel aside for hair dying purposes – no matter how careful you are, you WILL get it on your clothes. If you’ve got any sections of hair you want to avoid colouring – like my blonde streak for example – then I wrap that piece of hair up using cling film and a hair elastic to keep it away from the rest of the dye.

Go forth - Thick or long hair? Buy two boxes or you might run out mid-dye sesh. When applying the dye use clips to section your hair back/up so you really cover every part of your hair and start at the top and work backwards/downwards until it’s all saturated. To stop it from staining your skin always wear the gloves provided, and use a little Vaseline around the hairline to protect your skin, ears and neck etc from discolouration. But if you do get dye on your skin, it will come off after a shower or two - otherwise try full-fat milk or non-gel toothpaste on a cotton pad to remove it from the skin.

After care - I love the conditioner that comes with a box dye, they’re usually super nourishing, so I’d definitely use it. After you dye your hair also use a keratin/protein treatment a few times (I’m obsessed with the k18 mask) to help strengthen the hair again.

4. How do I make the colour last?

-Every time you wash dyed hair the colour will start to fade, so you could try to wash it slightly less frequently to protect the colour.

-To keep your colour for longer use a sulphate free shampoo (sulphates can cause fading) or a shampoo designed for coloured hair (the conditioner doesn’t matter as much.) If you find your colour fading fast it could be that your shampoo is too strong and is leaching colour from the hair shaft so be warned that anti-dandruff, clarifying and detox shampoos are usually the worst culprits for this.

-Sun exposure can turn the hair a little brassy or reddish, so protect it using a hat (ideally with UV protection) and use a UV hair protection product (I like Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil and Phillip Kingsley hair masks.)

-Heat styling also opens the cuticle and allows the colour to leach out so use a heat protection spray to create a barrier, keep the colour in and stop your hair being burned (I like GHD Bodyguard.)

5. So, what dye should I buy?

Here’s what I’d recommend, with pics to make them easier to find in store too. Screengrab these and save this post so you have it for easy reference.

Best for the closest colour match– eSalon, £22

For colour that is as close to your salon shade or natural shade as can be, then eSalon your new best friend (hey, I thought that was me?!) Just fill out the details about your hair and you’ll be given dye options to pick from -you can even chat to a real colourist if you’re unsure about what to choose. You’ll then be sent a kit with your colour, brush, gloves, stain guard and conditioner. There are often first-time buyer deals on the website, so sign up with those and get your colour delivered right to your door.

Best for overall permanent colour  – Josh Wood Permanent Hair Dye, £14

Josh Wood is one of the most renowned hair colourists in the industry, and is the first choice of beauty editors and celebrities alike looking for beautiful natural colour. His shades are some of the best on the market and never look flat or blocky like some hair dyes can. There’s also a great colour-finding tool on the website too so it’s easy to pick a shade online or before you go into a store.


Best for overall semi-permanent colour – L’Oreal Casting Crème Gloss, £9.99

For semi-permanent colour, this range has 30 shades to pick from which is brilliant. There’s a virtual ‘try on’ to see what colours look like and the conditioner is lovely and leaves your hair super glossy too. It lasted around 10 washes on my hair.

Great for brunettes – Garnier Olia, £10ish

Garnier Olia is ammonia free and has a high oil percentage so it’s a great choice for more fragile or damaged hair. The brunette shades in particular are rich, have beautiful depth and are super glossy. I also much prefer this range to the new Garnier GOOD range (I found that the colour didn’t really hold that well.)
 

Great for blondes – Clairol Nice And Easy Creme Oil, £7.99

This range is a home hair dye classic and I like the creme oil formulation best as it’s more nourishing.) Out of all the brands available I think the warm, tonal blonde shades are really well formulated and never look yellow or harsh. But cooler-toned blondes might prefer colours from Bleach London and Josh Wood more.

Great for black hair – Schwarzkopf Live Colour+ Moisture Permanent Twilight Black, £5.49

This is a goth classic for a reason! Schwarzkopf’s black shades are really dark, last pretty well and don’t have red/brassy undertones. But on the flipside, they can leave the hair a little knotty and dry, so always follow with your own deep conditioning masks to counteract this.


Great for red hair – Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Colour in Copper Passion, £7.99

I’d go for eSalon for more natural red shades, but for a bold red/orange colour then Garnier Nutrisse has some great vibrant shades that really do show up this bright/punchy. (For even brighter colours then check out the recommendations for bold colour below, but you’ll need light/bleached hair to get the full effects.)

Best for bold, bright colour  - Lunar Tides, £12

I’ve tried this brand recently on some DIY hairpieces I’ve been making and was impressed by how bold the colour was, and how long the colour lasted when I washed them after each wear. Other brands to try for bold colour are Directions (I like them for nice deep colours), Manic Panic (has nice reds and has fun UV shades too) and Crazy Colour (great for brights, pinks and greens.) And these do only work on blonde, red, mid-brown and bleached/lightened hair colours sadly, so if you find anything that works on dark hair without bleaching it first then let me know – nothing I’ve tried has worked.


Best for pastel colours and tints – Bleach London, £6  

Bleach London does super cool semi-permanent shades that work well on lighter hair shades and bleached hair. They’re ace for a gentle hint of colour and this shade added a little antique pink to my blonde streak which I quite enjoyed. They’re also very reasonably priced and expert-created too; the brand was founded by the iconic Bleach salon in London, known for it’s bold and brilliant colour.

Best at home bleach – Bleach London, £7.99

You get a meme not a picture because I’m not encouraging this one…

Honestly, I want to say DON’T DO THIS AT HOME because I bleached my own hair until I was like 30, and it always broke off after a few weeks. Bleach really needs a professional touch, but if you must do it at home, then don’t use Jerome Russel like I did (it’s so darn strong) - use this Bleach London kit instead.

Best at home toner – Shrine Drops, from £18

This stuff is brilliant at removing the yellow tones from blonde/lightened hair or the reddish tones from dark hair too. Pick from a selection of shades and just add the drops to your own conditioner and apply it as instructed – it’s strong stuff and it’s very good.

Best at home Gloss - Josh Wood, £10

This glossing treatment (which is basically a mask meets dye) deposits a little semi-permanent colour to the hair as it deep conditions it. When my black hair starts to look a little reddish or brown I use this between dye-sessions as a bit of a top up and it does the job brilliantly - way better than other glosses/colour masks I’ve tried. And my hair was definitely more shiny after use.

Best instant root touch up – Colour Wow Root Cover Up, £22.13

I brush this on to cover my scalp/fine hair and when I need an instant root cover. Cheaper versions I’ve tried (Revolution, Topik et al) haven’t had the same staying power and neither has eyeshadow in case you’re tempted to try that. And, as a bonus hack, I also use the dark brown shade for my brows if it’s super hot weather and I need them to stay on.

And we are DONE.

If there’s anything else you want to know, or any dyes you love, then do share them with me below…