Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know what shade to dye my hair?
The first rule of thumb—and a solid piece of advice to live by—is that looks can be deceiving. It may seem like your dream shade is staring right at you, but our best bet is to turn the package around and see how the formula will actually look on your hair type, explains hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons, who the Kardashian-Jenner family has on speed dial.
“Be sure to thoroughly consult the chart on the side or the back, which gives a better indication of where your hair color will end up, based on your beginning hue,” says Fitzsimons. Dana Ionato, a New York City-based colorist, agrees: “The color always ends up lighter than the model’s hair on the packaging [because] the developer in at-home permanent dyes is very strong—stronger than the ones we use in the salon—so it lifts the color and makes it lighter than what you see on the box.”
Even if you consult the back of the box for guidance, it can still be tricky to figure out your perfect shade. According to Ionato, for at-home permanent dyes, your best bet is choosing a color that’s a touch darker than what you’re going for because of the strong developer. But for semi-permanent dyes, it’s the opposite. “Semi-permanent formulas don’t have a developer, meaning they get darker and darker the longer you leave them in your hair, so it’s safer to choose a color that’s a bit lighter from the get-go,” Ionato explains.
According to Fitzsimons, conditioning is another crucial step you don’t want to miss. “Using a deep conditioner at the end of the dyeing process seals the cuticle, so your strands stop absorbing the color,” he says. “If you skip conditioning, you’ll end up darker than you expected.”
How much hair dye should you use?
You’d be surprised by the amount of product you might need to use to completely transform your hair. According to bicoastal hairstylist Meri Kate O’Conner, hair can quickly soak up hair dye, especially if it is damaged—meaning your cuticles are lifted and more porous—which can lead to missed spots once you run out of product. “Never try to stretch the formula—insufficient saturation [flat or streaky dye] is one of the biggest causes of patchy color,” mentions Mena.
Your hair length and density also play a factor in how much product you use. “If you have short or fine hair, one box will typically be enough, but if you have long, thick, or very dense hair, I always recommend having two boxes on hand” to completely saturate your strands, says Murphy. So when in doubt: “It’s always better to have extra color than not enough,” shares Gonzalez.
How can I make my at-home hair dye last?
To make your hair dye last, aftercare matters most to maintain color vibrancy. As a start, Mena recommends waiting at least 48 hours before washing your hair, incorporating a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo on wash days, and always rinsing with cool to lukewarm water. Instead of conditioner, Richards says to swap it in with a hair mask to keep your cuticles healthy—Mena adds that this step is especially important for blondes, brunettes, and redheads. You’ll also want to avoid heat-styling (unless you use a heat protectant) as often as possible, excessive sun exposure, chlorine, and frequent use of clarifying shampoos—all of the above can accelerate fading.
Meet the experts
How we test and review products
We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created in order to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn’t want to pick up a purple shampoo that’s only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that’s never been tested by anyone with curls—right?
For our review of the best at-home hair color products, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and professional colorists to find the most vibrant, long-lasting hair dye formulations. Testers considered performance across four primary categories: efficacy, texture and experience, fragrance, and packaging. For more on what’s involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
