Whether you’re a novice in the hair coloring world or a pro, you can’t deny that changing your hair color comes with many refreshing perks. For starters, it gives you a vibrant look, adds flair to your personality, and instantly boosts your mood. While the process of getting your hair dyed in the salon is unmatchable, it’s heavy on the pocket. Not to forget, the never-ending trips to maintain your hues in tip-top shape are time-consuming and daunting. So what other alternative do you have if you want to give your hair a makeover?
Luckily, today there are DIY kits on the market loaded with powerful ingredients promising long-lasting, shiny, and healthy hair. These home kits have stepped up their formula game and offer swoon-worthy results just like you get it done from salons.
To experience the beauty and power of these kits, choose the best professional hair color brand that resonates with you from below and give your hair the transformation it deserves. From highlights and covering grays to root touch-ups and fully dyeing, you can do a range of stuff with your hair. Wear gloves, open the boxed kit and start right away to.
Comparing High-quality Hair Colors
Garnier Nutrisse Permanent Hair Color — Best Overall
Suitable for every hair type, from straight to curly, wavy, or tightly coiled, this Garnier Nutrisse Permanent Hair Color provides 100% gray coverage. This hair color is perfect for all, from root touching to highlights and full dyes. Formulated with a color boost technology and a blend of triple-rich oils like avocado, olive, and shea, it nourishes, softens, and pampers your hair for silky, healthy locks.
Plus, This creamy hair dye comes in various shades, ranging from blacks, and browns to classic blondes and reds. The vast shade range allows people of different skin tones to find the hue that matches their choice. Also, this pick comes with a complete kit, meaning you don’t have to buy additional accessories to dye your hair. The non-drip formula ensures seamless application without worrying about staining your clothes, home, or other skin parts. The fact that this hair dye provides hair health with its nourishing formula makes it the best overall product on our list.
Pros
- Great value
- Creamy formula
- Provides nutrition boost
Cons
- Doesn’t offer bright or funky colors
Madison Reed Permanent Hair Color — Best for Gray Coverage
Get head-turning, radiant hair with Madison Reed Permanent Hair Color, which is all the rage these days. Available in a whopping 25 shades, this hair kit is packed with all the application tools, such as creme color, activator, and gloves. Plus, it includes extra accessories like caps, barrier cream, cleaning wipes, color-protecting shampoo, and conditioner that deliver a salon-like experience at home. The instruction booklet that comes with this kit is fantastic and provides a detailed step-by-step guide to ensure nothing goes awry.
What’s more, it’s enriched with powerful hair-loving ingredients like keratin, argan oil, and ginseng root extract that prevent breakage and split ends. The long-lasting and highly pigmented formula delivers an intense color payoff that grabs attention wherever you go. Boasting the first-ever 8-free formula, the brand claims it’s free from ammonia, parabens, PPD, gluten, SLS, resorcinol, and titanium dioxide. No harsh chemicals make it one of our favorite hair color products that are non-damaging.
Pros
- Easy to apply
- Large shade range
- Makes hair soft and shiny
Cons
- Expensive
Arctic Fox Semi-permanent Hair Color — Best Hydrating Formula
Formulated with all-natural ingredients, the Arctic Fox Semi-permanent Hair Color is long-lasting and refreshing. The intensely pigmented creamy color formula is entirely vegan and conditions your hair to feel healthy and deeply hydrated. You can choose your shade from over 20 vibrant color options, including sunset orange, frose, electric paradise, and sterling. The color payoff is excellent and stays even after four to five washes. If you want a subtle pastel look, you can mix the shade with its Arctic Mist Diluter.
As it’s crafted with clean ingredients, it is friendly for all hair types. The absence of harsh chemicals like ammonia, peroxide, and ethyl alcohol makes this product safer for even regular use to keep your hair color bright and sparkly.
Pros
- Super silky hair
- Transfer-proof
- Cruelty-free formula
Cons
- A little messy
Color Wow Root Cover Up — Best for Temporary Hair Color
If you’re looking for a hair color formula that covers grays and roots without having to go for a full dye, this Color Wow Root Cover Up is perfect. It comes in eight classic shades, from platinum to browns and blacks, that blend flawlessly and seamlessly with your current hair color. This pick effortlessly does everything from camouflaging grays to extending highlights or filling in gaps to thicken the thin hairline.
Infused with double-ended zinc particles, its mineral-powder formula is richly pigmented. It adheres to each strand firmly like microscopic magnets. All you have to do is dip the brush in the powder and firmly press it in the roots, and voila, rain or shine; it won’t smudge unless you shampoo it out. Mess and hassle-free, this product is easy to use and gives your hair a multi-dimensional, reflective, natural look. What’s more impressive, it’s not tested on animals and is free from all kinds of waves, dyes, and parabens.
It’s a fantastic find as it doesn’t make your strands limp or gritty; however, too much of any spray will clump your strands. So section your hair and spritz it on the roots rather than all over the top, as it takes little time to dry.
Pros
- Water-proof
- Instant results
- A little goes a long way
Cons
- Expensive
Celeb Luxury Semi-permanent Hair Color — Best Vegan Formula
We know it’s not your typical hair dye, but hear us out. With Celeb Luxury Intense Color Depositing Shampoo, you can quickly and easily change your hair color. Available in vivid, striking colors, from blues to reds, yellows, and browns, it has got every tone in the color wheel. The hydrating semi-permanent hair color shampoo is fit for chemically color-treated hair and won’t dry out your hair. The formula is infused with plant-based palm and coconut, moisturizing, smoothing, and softening your hair while depositing maximum color.
This viral pick goes one step ahead and ensures healthy, shiny, and lustrous locks. Just wet the hair, apply the shampoo, leave it for 2-5 minutes and rinse it off. You can even mix colors to create your own custom blends and be playful and bold with how your hair looks. The best part, this product is not harmful as it is free from all the harsh chemicals such as sulfates, parabens, and ammonia.
Pros
- Plant-based ingredients
- Bond rebuilder technology
- Keeps the color vibrant and fresh
Cons
- Pricey
Buying Guide: Hair Color
Whether you want to rock your new hair color for months, look to dye your locks for some weeks, or are short on time but what to cover up your grays quickly, there is a range of hair color products to suit all your hair needs.
Types of Hair Color
Permanent hair color
Permanent hair dye is the answer if you desire a completely new look and want it to last indefinitely. When mixed with a developer, permanent hair color opens the cuticles. It deeply penetrates the hair shafts, resealing the cuticle to prevent the color from escaping. You can lighten or darken your hair with this versatile hair dye.
Semi-permanent hair color
Ammonia and developer-free, semi-permanent hair color is a mix of gentle blends and does not cause allergic reactions. As the name implies, this hair dye doesn’t penetrate the hair shafts but simply deposits on the surface of your hair, acting as a sheer coating. If you want to keep your color-treated hair vibrant, get rid of brassy or ashy tones (faded color), or blend highlights with the base color, this is for you. Remember, it doesn’t cover grays, but blends flawlessly and, depending on your wash routine, can last between four to 10 shampoos before gradually fading.
Temporary hair color
Want to get an instant hair makeover? Enter temporary hair color. Available in powder, spray, or chalk form, they coat your hair and wash it out with one shampoo. You can mask the grays, create sections and add fun colored streaks. It is also ideal for testing a particular color and seeing how it looks on you before investing big time and making a permanent change.
There is also the latest addition to temporary hair color – color shampoos. They are best suited for everyone past the due date to visit salons and are fed up with faded greens or amber hues that look drastically unappealing. With every wash, you can make the color more vibrant and vivid.
Things to Look for
Determine your needs
Before spending money on hair dyes, ask yourself what you are looking for. Do you want to cover grays, or are you looking for a product to enhance the color of your hair? If you want to take care of grays that are present in abundant quantity, investing in a permanent hair color would be ideal as they provide maximum coverage and lasts longer. But semi-permanent is your best if you want to enhance the look of your already colored hair. There is also an option for root touch-ups or temporary hair color to get quick results that last till your next wash,
Ingredients
Pay close attention to the ingredients. Ensure that your hair color product is infused with nourishing and moisturizing ingredients like argan oil, keratin, or shea, as it prevents hair damage. Keep an eye out for harsh chemicals like ammonia, sulfates, and henna, and stay clear of them at all costs, as they are toxic and harmful to your hair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does salon hair color last longer than at-home DIY kits?
No. The lasting of hair color depends on the quality and type of the dye used.
What key ingredients should one avoid in hair color?
Avoid harsh chemicals like ammonia, parabens, sulfates, and metallic salts on your hair.