5 Simple Steps to Make Your At-Home Hair Color Last

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sally Beauty. All opinions are 100% mine.

Alright. You dyed your hair at home – spending the time and money it takes to get it just right, only to have it not last. What a pain right? I love to color my hair at home. In fact, I can count on one hand the times I’ve had it professionally colored. Why do I prefer coloring my hair at home? Time and money.

From working all day and taking care of family responsibilities in the evening, squeezing in a few hours to head to the salon just doesn’t happen. And I’m okay with that. I’m also okay with spending $15 to $20 dollars coloring my hair myself, rather than the $100 to $150 I’ve spent in the past.

It’s all about simple beauty for me and coloring my hair at home is what I prefer for the stage of life I’m in right now.

But, getting the color to turn out right and to last has been a little tricky for me. Especially now that I’m dealing with, wait for it, gray hair. I have no idea how much gray hair I have, I just know it’s a lot and given that I’m only 40 and consider that still very young – I am not ready to start going gray. I’ll keep dyeing it and owning the fact that I dye it for as long as my heart desires.

So I took on the #SallyHairDare and challenged myself to get my best hair ever! What is the Sally Hair Dare you ask? Sally Beauty (Hair) Dared me to ditch my drug store hair color, try out AGEbeautiful and get the best color ever. What were the results? Read on my friends…

Start with a good hair color

This is extremely important because believe it or not, all hair color brands are not created equal. I have tried just about every brand out there and some have been great and some have been absolutely horrible. I’ll never forget the time I tried a new brand and not only did my hair turn a very strange shade of brown, it dried my hair out so badly it felt like straw.

I was recently introduced to a hair color brand that is salon-quality and gave me the richest hair color I’ve ever gotten when done on my own at home. I have officially dumped drug store hair dye. Meet my new love – AGEbeautiful Anti-Aging Permanent Liquid Haircolor, which is available at Sally Beauty and www.sallybeauty.com.

I needed a hair color that would cover my gray completely and last. Since AGEbeautiful products are so richly-pigmented packed, they give me the ultimate gray coverage I’ve been looking for. There are a few grays throughout my bangs and on the top of my head that are so stubborn, they would not take to hair color. They decided they were gray and we’re staying that way thank you very much.

It’s extremely frustrating to spend the time and money coloring your hair, only to have it not turn out right. I worked with a couple of people from Zotos, the creators of AGEbeautiful, to get some tips on coloring my hair at home, as well as helping me pick out a great shade for me. At first, I told them I wanted to go lighter but they quickly made me realize that might not be the best idea for me.

So, we decided I would go darker.

Let’s start with my before picture shall we? Here I am, in my pj’s with my lovely bed head.

As you can see, my roots are darker and my color is flat. You can’t see the grays here, but don’t worry…I have another picture for you. (Ugh.)

And here is my after picture. What do you think? I think I love it! I feel like this color was made for my skin tone and eye color. I now have the same rich color and quality I would get from a salon.

Plus, it’s incredibly easy to mix. I put two ounces of the developer into the bottle, and then added the 2 ounce bottle of AGEbeautiful color (7NN). Shake to mix and you’re ready! It was recommended I use the bottle instead of a tray because the bottle is a bit easier to use if you’re doing color on your own. I have learned through trial and error that sectioning your hair with clips makes coloring not only easier, but your hair color turns out so much better. I section off my hair and do little sections at a time, focusing on the roots. I wait until one area is saturated and then I remove the clip and move to a new section.

And now you get to see my grays. Lucky you! Sally Beauty also has a love it or return it guarantee, which makes me shop there even more. I like it when a company backs up their products like that.

Give your hair a boost and a seal

What do I mean by that? I’m glad you asked. There are products you can use during the color treatment process to help your hair color last longer. I used the Ion® Color Brilliance® Absolute Perfection Booster and Color Sealer, which is also available at Sally Beauty. 

The booster helps to reduce breakage while color treating your hair and the sealer restores moisture, protects the integrity of your hair and protects against color fading.

Just add the boost to your bottle of developer and color, after you’ve mixed it. Add the small vial to your mixed hair color and give it a little shake. Use the sealer after you’ve rinsed your hair, leaving it in for 10 minutes.

The first thing my 12 year old son said when he saw my new hair color was ‘It’s so shiny!’ My hair looks healthier after coloring it than it did before. Now that makes me one happy woman!

Don’t wash your hair everyday

This was something I used to do for years – wash my hair every day. I couldn’t stand the way it felt and looked if I didn’t. But then I discovered two things – dry shampoo and the messy bun. These two things are my best friends in between washings and not only is my hair healthier for it; my color lasts a lot longer. Shampoos are designed to remove the grime off your scalp, but while doing so, they also can strip away the color. Get into a routine of washing your hair every other day (or even every three days) and you’ll start to notice healthier hair and longer lasting hair color.

When you do shampoo and condition, use the right types of products

Just like you wouldn’t use any old product on your face to prevent wrinkles, don’t use just anything on your beautifully colored hair. Use a conditioner and shampoo specifically for color-treated hair. You can also use products that are tailored for your hair color. Now that I’m a darker brunette, I use a shampoo that not only boost my color, but also protects it.

Stay out of the sun

Staying in the sun for long periods of time not only dries out your hair, but it fades your color as well. If you know you’ll be out in the sun for an extended period of time, wear a hat or use a hair product with sunscreen. A quick search will help you find good quality products that contain SPF protection — from a protective primer to hairspray and gels; there are great products out there to give your hair the protection it needs.

Now that I have salon quality color I did myself, I’m going to do everything I can to keep it vibrant and healthy until it’s time for a refresh. From washing it less to using the right kinds of products – all of these tips and tricks can add up to beautiful hair color that lasts.

And yes, I have officially ditched drugstore dye. 🙂