How To Color Your Hair At Home

My gel nails have broken off, my brows are getting out of control, my lash extensions fell off, and my honeymoon tan is fading… but one thing is for sure, my roots are covered!

Since the weeks of quarantine are continuously being extended and all of the salons are closed, I wanted to let you all in on my hair color secret: I’ve used boxed hair dye for the past 5 years – and I love it!

If you’ve been regularly coloring your hair at salon for years, the inability to schedule a hair touchup may be a bit weird. Obviously it’s not a priority in this worrisome time, but still, we all like to feel put-together and pretty even if we’re working from home and wearing sweats 24/7!

Whether you’re looking for a root touch up solution, gray coverup, or the easiest $7 makeover to boost your mood, today I’m sharing all of my tips for coloring your hair at home + why I prefer to use boxed dye instead of visiting a salon!

Why I Prefer To Color My Hair At Home

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll remember the time I discovered my hair was turning gray at 25 and freaked out (read all about it here). I embarked on an experimental hair journey from brunette to black to purple to red to orange to blonde (and everything in between) – just to end up at my original brunette color a year and a half later. What can I say, it was a lot of fun!

My biggest takeaway from my hair journey is my love for boxed hair dye. It’s not that I don’t want to pay to get my hair colored at a salon (trust me, I’ve done it plenty of times!), but I have always loved the ease of coloring my hair at home. It’s fast, it’s inexpensive, and it makes my hair feel instantly richer and silkier in a matter of 15 minutes!

Clairol Natural Instincts is the one at-home hair color treatment I trust with my hair! I love Clairol Natural Instincts, because it’s a demi-permanent hair color that lasts for 28 washes. The product leaves my hair feeling so healthy and shiny, and the rich color gives me an instant makeover + covers all my grays!

To prove to you how much I trust this color, I dyed my hair in my hotel room bathroom the morning before my wedding. I swear by this hair color!

How To Choose The Right Color:

When choosing a color, I recommend choosing a color that is 1-2 shades darker than your current color. The color on the box won’t look identical to the result (depends on your current color), but choosing a color based off the color name is helpful too! If you’re trying to lighten your hair, this isn’t the product for you. It’s great for going darker, richening your current color, hiding grays or roots, and giving your hair an instant healthy shine!

Blondes if you need a quick & temporary root cover up spray, read this post! Or try my mom’s favorite, Color Wow Root Touchup for a daily root touchup powder! ** update: Back2Blonde is unavailable in stores, but try this similar option **

My Favorite Clairol Natural Instincts Shades

My everyday color: “Dark Brown” formerly known as “Nutmeg”

This color a tad darker than my natural hair color – but I love the results! I’ve been coloring my hair with this color every 6 weeks for the past few years. I love this color, because it’s a dark brunette with warm highlights when the sun hits!

Clairol Natural Instincts Dark Brown Nutmeg

My edgiest color: “Black” formerly known as “Midnight Black”

The name says it all, black. Just black. I kept my hair this color for about 6 months to a year and I loved it!

My lightest color: “Dark Warm Brown“ formerly known as “Roasted Chestnut”

When I first colored my hair brunette from platinum blonde, my hair color was a much lighter shade than my natural color. I used Warm Brown to darken it & loved the results! (Click here to see more before and afters)

The Process

The coloring process is incredibly easy. In the kit you’ll find four products: color enhancing creme (#1), color activator (#2), brilliant shine conditioner (#3), and a pair of gloves. The instructions are super easy and straightforward, but you simply mix products 1 & 2, apply through your hair, and rinse 15-20 minutes later. After you rinse all the color out, apply the conditioner and wait a few minutes, then rinse.

It’s that easy!

Tips For Coloring Your Hair At Home:

Unless you want a drastic color change, stay within 1-2 color shades of your current hair color. If you decide the color isn’t dark enough, you can always do it again!
The “warm” shades often have a reddish undertone in them, so keep this in mind when choosing a color!
Do it naked or with an old towel around you – No matter how hard I try to keep this process contained, I always end up covered in hair dye. It rinses off so don’t worry, but it will most likely stain whatever you are wearing.
If you have tape-in hair extensions like I do, you may want to use two boxes. I have colored my hair dozens of times with tape-ins, and I’ve never had an issue with it! I simply avoid conditioning the bonds of the extensions to keep them from loosening. (Click here to read all about my hair extensions)
Use the Clairol Natural Instincts Conditioner (included in the kit) a couple times a week after coloring your hair. It feels sooo silky smooth and helps extend the color!