Top 5 Tips for First-Time Colorers

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COLORING AT HOME

Hair coloring is fun and is a great way to change up your style. Don’t be intimidated if it’s your first time; Clairol color experts share the tips you need to know to make your hair color a success—and you might even have a little fun!

TIP #1: DON’T DO ANYTHING DRASTIC.

The color of your hair is possibly the most dramatic change you can make to your appearance. If it’s your first time, try coloring your hair with your current shade, just to add some depth and shine. Too much of a contrast can be a bit shocking.

TIP #2: START WITH A DEMI.

If you are coloring on a whim, “try before you buy” with a demi-permanent color. This is good for two reasons:
1.) It washes out faster, so if you don’t like it, it can go away.
2.) The color results you can achieve with a demi-permanent are usually closer to naturally occurring shades, so it keeps you from going too drastic.

TIP #3: WHEN IN DOUBT, CHOOSE A LIGHTER SHADE—BE CAREFUL GOING TOO DARK.

It’s so much easier to “fix” a lighter shade if you are not happy with the result. Most box colors turn out darker than what you think anyway, so unless you’re certain, choose a shade that looks a bit lighter than what you’d like the final result to be. “Fixing” a darker shade is more difficult, and can even be impossible. For example, lifting color that has been dyed black requires heavy bleaching, which can do more damage than good. Also, it may take several steps to correct color that’s too dark vs. a single intervention.

TIP #4: REMEMBER, COLOR IS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE.

Love your best friend’s hair color? You can get that color for yourself, but don’t assume you should buy the same box. How the color develops on one person is completely different than how it will look on someone else. You have to take into account the condition of the hair, the starting color, and how much other processing has gone on. It’s never the same twice. Also, it’s important to understand that this also means that the color result you get may not match the model’s hair on the box. Remember to check the starting color/resulting color grid to see the color result that will be closer to what you will get based on your starting hair color.

TIP #5: CHOOSE A SHADE FOR YOUR SKIN TONE AND EYE COLOR.

Women with more color in their skin can get away with much warmer shades. You want to play to your strengths. Blue and green eyes take cool shades very well. Don’t forget to consider eyebrows, too. You don’t want a sharp contrast between hair color and eyebrows, because that’s a dead giveaway that you’ve chosen the wrong shade.