Adventures in Home Hair Coloring: Clairol Root Touch Up Review

Product Sent for Review

My husband is going to be a bit shocked if he sees this review. Really. I do not color my own hair, I don't cut it, for the last few years I have even outsourced my primary brown maintenance (though I do a lot in between those every 3-5 week appointments, as seen in this post about how I groom my brows). While I've occasionally covered at home hair color on 15 Minute Beauty, it's mostly been tips from experts on how to get your hair color to look good at home.

But, recently Clairol asked if they could send me a kit for their Root Touch Up, which claims to match any in salon color. I was feel a little rooty at the time, though I had an appointment to fix it in less than a week. I decided to give it a shot, and let them send the box. If it went poorly, I had a pro lined up to fix things the next day, right?

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Ask a Beauty Blogger: The Truth About Salon vs At Home Hair Dye

This is something I've wonder about as well. How do the dyes used in salons compare to what you use at home? It seems as if a new at home color is released every few months, one would think that the products of 2013 are better than even 5 or 10 years ago. But, when putting heavy duty chemicals on the hair, there's definitely a lot of ways to mess it up!

I decided to ask someone trained in this, my hair stylist from California, the woman I miss dearly (my hair stylist here in Michigan is good, but she just isn't Shannon), and if I could afford it I would really, truly fly to California every 6 weeks to see Shannon. She is that nice of a person and that good. Shannon Ely works at Salon TM2 in Irvine, if you go and see her tell her I say hi! While Shannon isn't specifically a colorist (she does other stuff too), she does good color, one of the reasons I love her so much!

Here's what Shannon had to say:

The over the counter hair color has come a long way and if you are truly using it as directed it shouldn't be causing the problems your stylist is saying it does. However, if your hair is damaged, breaking, splitting, and not shiny then there is clearly something wrong.

What I tell my clients that insist on coloring themselves is to choose one shade and stick with it. Changing the color leads to unattractive "banding". Also, try to stay within 2 or 3 levels of your natural color. Anything more and you're likely to get into some trouble. I never recommend bleaching on your own. Please know, we stylists pay a lot of money and invest even more time in learning how these chemicals will effect your hair. I like to believe I know more than a box.

Do you have a question? Make sure you ask it! I'll address questions in my Ask a Beauty Blogger post series.

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My New Darker Hair: Lots of Adjustments!

Earlier today in my Valentine's day look you may have caught a sneak peek at my new hair. I started thinking about going darker recently (hello, Mila Kunis obsession) and during my Live Styling Event, Joey thought that "darker and richer" would be better for me.

So, last week I went from (very grown out) highlighted light brown/blondish hair to...

This new darker auburn color. You may have seen some of my sneak peek pictures on my Instagram, and I think these 2 pics from there are probably the best representation of how my hair really looks. It is a bit darker and redder than I had thought I'd be going, but once my stylist, Heather, and I had the hair color book in front of us, we both picked the same little hair swatch. It's a bit redder now than it was on the swatch, but she said it would fade a little with the first few washings (this is a demi-permanent color). This color is also very similar to my mom's natural hair color (though, this is a bit darker) so that is likely why it works so well for me.

I'm finally starting to recognize myself when I look in the mirror (rather than still thinking "who is that??"). I'm just trying to figure out all of the other adjustments that such a drastic change in hair color results in.

First, while I have about 20 foundations, I've noticed that all but about 1 (which I'm wearing in that right instagram pic above) are about 1/2 shade too dark and a bit too yellow. While this wasn't really noticeable with good blending before, it's really obvious now with darker hair. I think that's the main reason I felt like I looked a bit plastic in the pics earlier today. My hair was curled a bit strange (it looks better as 2nd day hair with this cut/color), my foundation color was a bit too yellow... you get the idea.

I also have noticed that my eye makeup now seems to somehow disappear with this darker hair! I need to break out some new and darker colors, get a new foundation (I already ran to ULTA this morning to do that) and I need to be a bit heavier/darker in my shadow application.

I'm looking back at pics of a few of my favorite brunettes for makeup ideas.

Obviously Mila was the biggest inspiration for this look, so I'm going to be rocking a lot more and darker smoky eyes! I think I need to buy the LORAC Pro Palette now, it's perfect for a Mila eye.

@15minbeauty you should totally channel Emma Stone...she always has fantastic makeup!

— Kim Porter (@MakeupbyKimP) January 30, 2013

Kim Porter, one of my fave makeup artists (look for a great wedding makeup post from her very soon) thought I should look to Emma Stone for some inspiration. I don't have Emma's amazing light eyes, but her hair color is closer than Mila's to mine now, and Kim is right! Emma is always flawless. The key seems to be always having more color somewhere, a lippie or an eye... there can't be a bare eye and a nude lippie, I look blah that way.

Finally, the last of my favorite brunettes, Jen and Emily. Definitely time to start playing up my eyes a little darker!

Have you made any drastic changes in hair color? What tips do you have for me?

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Which Hair Color Has The Most Fun?

I shared the survey about hair color with you recently and I had to share the results! (tip: click to enlarge)

How do you feel? I'm glad that I'm trustworthy, but I kind of miss being a blonde.


L'Oreal

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Ask David: Will Coloring My Hair Affect it... Forever?

I am so scared to dye my hair and I was wondering if dying my hair a lighter or darker color (I am currently light brown) will change my texture and color FOREVER.... obviously it will change it immediately, but will it have long term effects?
-Marla

First, nothing is forever, after you dye it new hair will grow.

You need to have healthy hair before you can have great color. I'm a big fan of depositing color. This will add more health, you're adding molecules into the hair instead of stripping something from your hair. This can help to restore the hair's natural strength.

Anytime you are bleaching, whether that is highlighting or all over color, you are stripping color from the hair. The result is that the natural integrity of the hair is jeopardized. Highlighting hair will definitely cause more damage than color because you're stripping color from the hair rather than putting something in the hair with color depositing.
-David


So, no long term effects. But color will always look best on healthy hair. Coloring your hair can damage it, especially if you are intending to go lighter. Consider going darker instead!

David L Hensley is the Chief Creative Officer, Head Stylist and basically hair guru for Laid Brand Hair Care, one of my newest obsessions. David has worked in both Los Angeles and Florida and works with both celebs and us normal people. He has a great understanding of hair and how to work with hair to create great looks!

David has agreed to help with a series of posts answering your hair care and styling questions. Please let me know if you have questions you'd love to see addressed!

Laid Brand Hair Care
David L Hensley

image via brandon milner

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Get Celeb Worthy Color at Home Thanks to Clairol Color Director Marie Robinson

Recently I received some great hair color tips from Clairol Color Director Marie Robinson. Direct from the red carpet for the People's Choice Awards, she saw two big trends: Blondes wearing pretty shimmer and sparkles, and those with rich brown hair wearing bold, bright colors. So pretty!

The problem? Sometimes it can be really hard to translate those looks over to your own look, particularly if you're doing your own color at home. Luckily, Marie shared exactly which colors you should buy to recreate those looks at home!

Bright "California Blondes" such as Julianne Hough coordinate well with sparkle.

To get the look: Try Color Blend Foam in 9-Light Blonde

Dark brown hair is the perfect backdrop for a pop of color! The Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev really was amazing in this Kelly Green. Ginnifer Goodwin also showed off in a bright pink for a similar look.

Try: Color Blend Foam in 5A- Medium Ash Brown or 5G-Medium Golden Brown

The night of the People's Choice Awards Marie did the hair of The Office's Angela Kinsey. Angela was a great example of the Blonde & Shimmer trend, though lighter than Julianne.

To duplicate Angela's look: Color Blend Foam in 10-Extra Light Blonde, the same color Marie used on Angela.

If you're nervous about at home hair color, Marie recently gave me some great tips on at home hair color.

Clairol

Image Credit: Please note I purchased the rights to use these images. Check Dreamstime to purchase them yourself.
All three celeb images: © Carrienelson1 | Dreamstime.com
Marie Robinson c/o Clairol.

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Clairol: What's Your Hair Color Alter Ego and How to Get Amazing Hair Color at Home!

A few weeks ago I had the chance to talk to Marie Robinson, a hair color expert for Clairol. She had some great tips for at how to get great at home hair color, plus we had a lot of fun with the Clairol Facebook page!

First, you'll want to head over to Clairol on FaceBook, where you can take a Hair Color Alter Ego quiz. It has fun questions such as your plan to spend a million dollars, and they translate that over to what your hair color should be! Probably no big surprise, but my answers gave me the Alter Ego of a brunette. I'm a "reliable brunette", which sounds horribly boring. But really, it is a good description. Would you want someone wild and crazy as your kid's ICU doctor? Probably not.

So, after figuring out that I'm a brunette, the next step is picking a color! Clariol has quite a few product lines. Semi-permanent, demi-permanent, permanent, foam.... sooo confusing! So, once again head over to Facebook for some help. On their page, Clairol has an amazing app to give expert hair color advice, and it is serious fun to play with! I found it best to upload a picture of myself looking straight at the camera. You answer a few questions such as how much gray you're trying to cover, pick a color range you're interested in, and the app will offer up suggestions and show you the results!

Based upon my Alter Ego, Marie picked out a color selection for me. You can see that this is just a little punch up in color, it warms up my complexion just a bit. I really like it!


Marie had a few great tips for at home color application.

Choosing the correct color/formula
• Marie suggests that you should first know what your skin tone is. My favorite test comes from The Girls in the Beauty Department. In general, cool tone girls have bluish undertones, look best in silver jewelry and wear colors like pink, blue, purple and other jewel tones. Gals with warm tones usually have gold jewelry, reddish undertones and look great in browns, tans and oranges. Think warm fall colors.
• Once you know your tone, you'll want to make sure you have a color that is in the same range. Yes, it is possible to be a warm or cool blonde!
• Stay within 2 shades of your natural color. If you mess something up it will be much easier to fix.
• If you have more than 25% grey Marie recommends using a permanent color. If you have less grey or are making less of a color change then a demi-permanent color should be fine.

Application
• Consider a swatch test! A small section of hair behind your ear is perfect to color an then pull over to hold against your skin to check results.
• Don't wash your hair the day of application. Day old hair will have natural oils to help protect your scalp.
• A layer of Vaseline around your hairline can help protect your skin from color.
• Divide your hair into 3 even sections prior to application. If you have particularly long or thick hair consider using even more sections.
• Marie says that Nice‘n Easy Color Blend Foam has quite a bit more hair color than the other products. If you have thick or long hair consider using the Color Blend Foam or buying 2 boxes. You should have enough to coat your hair evenly, without trying to scrimp.
• During application, apply to your roots (especially near your hair line and part) and then work hair color through the rest of your hair.

Keeping Your Color Fresh
• Clairol comes with a Color Seal Conditioner which makes your color last longer and maintain shine. Use it once a week to help prevent fading!
• Use shampoo/conditioner for colored hair. They are usually a bit gentler than other products and will help maintain your color.
• When roots are a bit obvious, try using a product such as Root Touch-Up every 3 weeks or so. Concentrate on your hair line and part, those are the most obvious areas when you need a touch up.


Clairol on FaceBook

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New Mommy Beauty: Hair Tips from White Sands' Fernando Salas

Fernando Salas is the CEO & Creator of White Sands Hair care, a brand that I've had great luck with in the past. Fernando started as a hair dresser, and with his family built up the White Sands brand, creating amazing products that really do give the amazing results they promise. My favorite White Sands product is probably The Fix, which I use 3-4 times a week, creating shine and making my hair look healthier.

Fernando had some great tips about hair color during pregnancy and avoiding horrible roots!

For a mom who wants color or highlights, but has limited time to visit a salon: Opt for subtle highlights meaning few in number which will make your color last longer because this will not show re-growth. Have your stylist choose the tone of the highlights from the flex of your eyes. But, make sure your colorist does not bleach then tone, because the tone in the bleach will fade and you will be left with white hair. (Thus showing re-growth) Compliment your subtle highlights with White Sands Color Secure Shampoos and Conditioners to make your color last even longer at home.

We see a great number of women going through pregnancy and of course as new or experienced moms. There are some noticeable differences in the hair of these women at different phases of pregnancy and certainly post-partum.

Pregnant women typically experience increased hair growth (length and thickness) due to their bodily changes occurring during pregnancy and as a result of pre-natal vitamins. For women with normally thin or wimpy hair, this can be a real bonus (hair and nails like they have never had before!). We also often see hair texture change from curly to straight or vice versa. This can also be a bonus for some while a not so welcome change for others depending on what they are used to.

During pregnancy the condition of the hair tends to be pretty nice so we focus on keeping it trimmed and we don't hesitate to do color services. This is a question we receive quite often "can I color my hair during pregnancy"? The answer is of course you can. Today’s color products are so advanced and nothing we use on the hair for color will be absorbed into the skin so there is nothing to fear. Hair color can be a wonderful way to make a pregnant woman feel beautiful at a time when her body is changing so dramatically.

White Sands Hair Products

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How to Color Your Hair at Home

Hair color is not usually something that I write about. Why not? Because I'm pretty clueless about it. I don't color my hair at home (I've always left it up to the experts), and the whole idea really, really scares me. Because I know I'd somehow come out spotted or orange.

Well, if this describes you as well, Clairol has come to the rescue. They've released a super simple, how to color your hair at home video. If you're about to do this for the first time (or even if you've been coloring your hair at home for a while), I strongly recommend watching anyways. I bet you'll learn some new tips!

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The Ultimate Blonde- Advice from Brad Johns

There she is- my ultimate blonde, Reese. Just looking at her blonde hair makes me regret changing my color from blonde to a light brown. I'm sure that I'll be going blonder as the weather warms up.

But, unless you are naturally this blonde (and so few of us are as we get older), staying this blonde is a huge undertaking. I really do not recommend dramatically changing your hair color without the help of a professional. Really, the investment is well worth it!

Lucky for us, we got some great advice for maintaining your blonde hair from Brad Johns, one of the premier colorists in New York City! Brad is the national color director for Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas, and works long hours maintaining those "Bergdorf Blondes"!

How should you change your hair care routine for the summer months?
In the summer months, there are always more environmental stresses on the hair, such as salt water, sun, chlorine and salt, which add dryness and cause extra color fading. To prevent all of this, I always suggest using shampoo and conditioning treatment that contain UV protectors. Similarly to how you would care for your face/skin, you should take the time to treat your hair the same. In the winter, you should use more moisturizing products. I suggest changing your hair care routine every season, as hair tends to get used to your products and they are not as effective.


What are your favorite products for those times?
Products from the Davines collection


What summer elements fade hair color and why?
Chlorine is the absolute worst. Chemicals will harm all colors. It turns blondes green and brunettes orange.

Sun and salt water are known to fade color, but usually fade it in a natural way. It sometimes looks good and sunkissed, as long as you're not in a corrective color mode or have had color problems over the winter.


What is the best way to prevent fading and/or preserve color?
The best way is to wear a hat or a headband. Avoid oil-based hair products, as they attract the sun and magnify the color fading. Hair gels, waxes and crèmes protect the hair like an umbrella.


Why does blond hair tend to turn green or orange? How can this be prevented?
Any time that there are chemicals around the color, the hair strand is going to change. If it turns green, it means that you've exposed your hair to harsh water, chemicals, etc. A good way to understand this is by comparing hair strands to metal, where if brass is exposed to chemicals it will turn green. This happens when the chemicals attack. Orange happens when the sun fades the color molecules and takes out the brownish color, leaving you with an unflattering bronzy/orange color.


How should you correct your hair color problems if it has turned orange or green? Is the only recourse to run to your colorist?
Anything UV can be preventative. Also, another thing you can do to prevent color from turning green is as soon as you get out of the pool, pour club soda all over the hair. This will help take out the chlorine chemical that causes discoloration. But, when your hair gets to the point of severe orange/green you have to go in to see a specialist.

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