I've always used Feria (L'Oreal) but it really dries out my hair, so I'm looking for something less damaging, but still permanent.

The only downside is that if you're going darker, the color tends to fade relatively quickly (I had no trouble when I went blonde, but when I went to brown, dark brown, and auburn-brown, the color almost went back to my natural light brown/dark blonde).

Mamichan, watch out for Feria... Any salon you go to will tell you not to use it because it's VERY difficult to strip out of your hair if there is ever a need to, and it's very damaging to the hair itself. Also, it can cause a reaction with any other brand of hair color you use. Basically, if you use it, your hair has to grow out completely before it's dyeable again. (This is just what I've been told by hairstylists though, so you might want to ask your own.)

Lately, I've been using Herbal Essences because it's been on sale alot. LOL I dye my hair to cover up the white hair that seems to be more abundant as of late. It works pretty well, but I agree with Fairystar-- it fades pretty quickly.

As for highlights, I have done my own highlights a few times. Depending on how good you are working in a mirrow and how long your hair is, it's definitely a doable thing. I've gotten the papers and brush from Sally Beauty Supply, done the cap thing, and done the comb through technique.

Of the three, I recommend the comb technique for beginners. (This is where you just dip a comb into the light dye and pull down through your hair in different sections from your roots to the end of the hair. Subtle, depending on what color you use.)

The papers/brush combo is a little more complicated than the comb method, but it provides more of a "layered" effect. Looks more professional in the end. Drawback is you have to have good coordination when working in the mirror. Or, you could just have a friend help you do it.

I would not recommend the cap method to ANYONE. Even if you have short hair. In my experience, it's painful and impossible to get the dye all the way to your roots. You end up with highlights that start at least 1/2 an inch away from your scalp, and that just looks dumb.

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Originally posted by lesliele:
Mamichan, watch out for Feria... Any salon you go to will tell you not to use it because it's VERY difficult to strip out of your hair if there is ever a need to, and it's very damaging to the hair itself. Also, it can cause a reaction with any other brand of hair color you use. Basically, if you use it, your hair has to grow out completely before it's dyeable again. (This is just what I've been told by hairstylists though, so you might want to ask your own.)

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Over the next few weeks, I thought my hair, normally a very dark blond, was getting lighter. I wrote it off as my imagination. Then, as more time passed and my hair continued to grow, I noticed I had dark roots. HOW could I have darker roots from dying my hair a darker shade? Well, it wasn't my imagination. The portions of my hair that were dyed, are now lighter than the rest of my hair.

The only thing I can think is that the dye somehow made my hair more succeptable to lightening in the sun. It's very frustrating. I'm not really sure if I should even to somewhere and redye the lighter portions darker...because what if it turns lighter again? So far it's down just past my ears. Sigh...

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Originally posted by lesliele:

Mamichan, watch out for Feria... Any salon you go to will tell you not to use it because it's VERY difficult to strip out of your hair if there is ever a need to, and it's very damaging to the hair itself. Also, it can cause a reaction with any other brand of hair color you use. Basically, if you use it, your hair has to grow out completely before it's dyeable again. (This is just what I've been told by hairstylists though, so you might want to ask your own.)

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You must be psychic, that's exactly why I asked for recommendations! My stylist was horrified when I told her that I've been using feria. She said it's really damaging... and lately I've noticed that the ends of my hair are crunchy.

fairystar -- I've had the same problem going darker. I dyed my color back to black in October, and it washed out in 3 weeks (I used Feria)! I've seen the L'Oreal 2-tones kit at Target, I didn't get it b/c of the cost -- $21.

I dyed my hair fakey cranberry red months and months ago, but it always faded to orange really fast. So I started experimenting with brands...unfortunately, one of them was Feria. I liked the color and that it didn't dye my scalp, and it didn't damage my hair that badly, but when it faded (in 2 weeks!) and I tried another brand, it JUST WOULDN'T STICK! I've been at it for months now, but I can't get any permanent dye to stick to my hair for more than two washes! AAAHHHHH!!!! At least now I know why and can save my money and time!

Princessjeanne: Highlighting your hair at home is never really as good as it is in the salon, but it is WAY way cheaper. I've had my hair highlighted in the cap before, and while it hurts like ass (yeah, that's right) it works pretty well as long as you get a friend to do it for you who's willing to take the time to make sure the whole length of hair is through and that the cap is on properly.

So, when you apply dye, you are simultaneously bleaching your hair a little so the colour will have a slightly blanker pallete to work with.

I'm so tired of my current boring color, but I totally can't afford to go to a salon, and am leery about doing it myself.

I'd like a change for the summer, but I don't want to have ugly roots and I don't want to dye my hair regularly. (And I'd like to keep my hair soft and nice obviously... I intend to keep its "never-dyed-before" silkyness)

I have dark blonde hair that naturally lightens in the summer (when I don't spend it sitting in front of a cathodic tube, that is) and that's approximately the effect I'd like to get.

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Originally posted by blanketbat:
As far as corrective color goes, how much can they do? At the moment the bottom half of my hair is just a bit lighter than the top. The light part is just about the color my hair turns if I sit in the sun too much. There is about 5 inches of the natural color on the top. Can a good colorist make it all match again? I don't want to waste the year of growing out I've already gone through if they can't match it to the natural color, but it they can...I'll be in tomorrow.

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Blanketbat -- I was in the same situation -- the bottom of my hair was medium brown, and the top half was my natural color (dark brown). I bought a medium-brown color and my hair is all the same color again.

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Originally posted by fairystar:
Has anyone tried or heard about the new L'Oreal 2-tone/highligts kit? It looks pretty neat.

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Originally posted by mamichan:
Weird thing -- I've washed my hair 3 times since, and every time, some color washes out! This has never happened to me before -- did I not rinse it out enough when I colored? Or is this something that's unique to Herbal Essences?

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I loved the consistency, and it puffed up the cuticle of my hair (for more volume) without damaging my hair too badly...at least that's what my hair guy says.

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Originally posted by BionicGirl:
I stopped using Herbal Essences because of this. I was tired of turning my towels pink! It just continuously did it, even a month later. The color didn't fade from my hair, bu there was always dye in the water. Weird. I switched to L'oreal Preference. It doesn't leave my hair quite as silky, but it's still really soft and the color is good and most importantly STAYS in my hair!

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so it IS an Herbal Essences thing. I'm not having a problem with the color staining my towels or pillowcase, but there's always this brown-ish dye in the water! My quest for the perfect at-home color continues. I think I'll try Garnier Nutrisse for next time.

www.makethemwonder.com

You just print the coupon out directly from there.

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Originally posted by HotGlueMama:
OK, so I asked a pro about my refuses-to-hold-color-faded-as-all-hell hair and she recommended I do a serious deep conditioning treatment, then use a semi-permanent dye. She said permanent dyes have peroxide in them and my hair may not absorbing dye because of it. So semi-perm should actually hold better.

Anyone heard anything like this before? Tried it? How'd it go? What IS deep conditioning?

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A trick on the deep condition front is they get you to leave the conditioner in for longer...which will make any conditioner work better. So if you use your normal conditioner, but leave it in 15 minutes, your hair will be deep conditioned.

Oh... and thanks so much for posting a link for the coupon. Definitely makes me feel better about spending THAT much money on at home hair color when I can get a discount to try it.