Expert advice for colouring hair

Blonding dark hair

If your hair is naturally dark brown or black, becoming a pale blonde may not be possible. The natural red undertones in your hair may make it impossible for you to achieve a true pale blonde colour.

Keeping reds, red

Red is fabulous! But because red colour molecules are small, they tend to fade more quickly than other colours.

Here are some tips to help you keep red vibrancy longer:

  • Re-colour every 3-4 weeks to keep your red vibrant.
  • Use a Level 1 colour in-between re-touches to maintain the colour vibrancy of your Nice 'n Easy red colour, which is a Level 3 permanent red.
  • If you have lots of grey hair it may be necessary to mix in a neutral shade to achieve a natural looking red.

Create your own shade

Inventing your own "custom colour" is easy, once you know how. You can mix different shades of the specific hair colour product you're using to make a colour that's as dark, light, red, gold, or ash as you want. Go ahead. Be creative!

Hints and tips

  • If your current shade is a bit too light, but the next-darker Nice 'n Easy shade is a bit too dark (or the other way around), add the next-darker (or next-lighter) shade. Stay within the same tonal family (golden, reddish, or ash). For example, mix Dark Ash Blonde with Medium Ash Blonde, or Medium Golden Blonde with Light Golden Blonde.
  • If you want to add warm tones to your current colour, mix in a shade with the words "red", "auburn" or "golden" in its description. For example, add Dark Golden Blonde to your Dark Blonde colour. The resulting colour will be somewhere in-between.
  • If you want to tone down your current colour, reduce the red or gold in your colour by adding a shade with the word "ash" or "cool" in its name. For example, combine Light Ash Brown with your usual Light Brown.

Rules for simple mixing

  • Only combine shades from the same brand. For example, mix a Nice 'n Easy shade with another Nice 'n Easy shade. For best results, choose a mixing colour within a few shades of your regular colour. For example, don't mix Light Blonde with Dark Brown.
  • To keep it simple add 1/2 of your new mix-in colour and 1/2 of your usual colour to the developer. Save unused colour by securely closing the colour bottles. These should be used within 4-6 weeks
  • Use only one bottle of developer. Save the bottle included with your "mix-in" shade for your next colour application.

How to cover resistant greys

Some grey hairs can seem resistant to colour, or quicker to lose colour than other greys. Coarse grey hair, prematurely grey hair or the grey hair around the temples and hairline may seem particularly stubborn.

Try these simple strategies:

  • When colouring, apply colour to the stubborn grey areas first. Then apply colour to the rest of your hair. This gives the grey more time to colour.
  • Do the strand test as indicated in the product directions. Check colour every 5 minutes to find out how long the colour needs to remain on the hair in order to cover grey. It may take up to 45 minutes for complete grey coverage. If grey is still not covered the way you want, try switching to a Neutral shade.
  • If grey coverage is a concern, try a deeper, darker shade. They cover grey better than lighter shades.

For more information about grey hair, see Covering Greys.

Adding highlights

Go soft and subtle. Bold and vibrant. A little of both all over your head. Highlights and other dimensional looks can turn any recolour into a work of art.

Who can have highlights?

  • Anyone with medium brown to fair hair. People with permed or relaxed hair
  • Anyone with less than 25% grey hair
  • Anyone who wants permanent colour that gradually grows out
  • Anyone who only wants to retouch every 3-4 months

Colour hints

  • If your hair colour is medium to light brown, add subtle or dramatic glints of gold or blonde throughout your hair, on the tips, on a few strands or in golden chunks.
  • If your hair is brunette, be daring with vibrant burgundy highlights or soft coppery streaks.