When it comes to feeling good, there’s little to beat a mood-boosting new hair colour. Maybe you’ve been dyeing your hair the same colour for years and it’s just not working for your skin tone any more. Or perhaps those grey hairs are becoming more prevalent and you want to disguise them.
Small hair colour tweaks make a difference
Your hair colour doesn’t need to be complicated or scary. “The smallest of changes can really update your look,” says colour guru Josh Wood, who is responsible for Elle Macpherson’s gorgeously glossy colour.
“Keep your hair hydrated to calm frizz and make the colour look shiny. And use a once-a-week mask to lock colour in as well as strengthen and moisturise.” From lightening your ends to changing the type of dye you’ve always used at home, try one of these simple hair colour updates and get the best hair you’ve ever had…
ALSO SEE: How to make your hair colour last longer
Top hair colour tips
Lighten up your colour
If you’ve always had dark hair, it can be hard to get out of the cycle of colouring the ever-increasing number of grey hairs darker. “As your natural hair tone starts to fade, having a lighter frame around your face is a good way to blend in grey without having to colour your hair so frequently,” suggests Josh.
Between salon appointments, tend to those roots with a temporary root touch-up instead of a permanent colour, which creates a harsh line of regrowth.
Herbatint Vegetal Hair Colour Gel, R201 for 150ml, is ammonia- and peroxide-free. It also blends seamlessly with your hair colour to cleverly disguise greys. It lasts six to eight washes.
Rejuvenate your colour
You’ll be amazed at how something as simple as a trim and an intensive conditioning treatment can rejuvenate the colour you already have. But “hair colour will always lose its shine and vibrancy between appointments”, says hair-colour expert Siobhan Jones.
“Why not pop in to the salon for a glossing treatment every three to four weeks to refresh your colour?” It coats your hair with a subtle dose of colour to keep it looking vibrant. At home, try Evo Fabuloso Colour Intensifying Conditioner, R369 for 250ml, which repairs, tones and moisturises hair, and comes in eight shades.
ALSO SEE: Anti-ageing hair colour tricks
Go bespoke
Always book a colour consultation at a salon before trying something new. Take a Pinterest board of colours you love to the salon, to help your colourist decide on the perfect hue.
If you’re happy to do your colour at home, try ultra-nourishing L’Oréal Casting Crème Gloss Conditioning Colour, R89,99, a semi-permanent kit to mix together for a personalised tone in minutes. Choose from 15 shades that promise to last up to 28 washes.
Get it booked!
Goldwell’s @Pure Pigments Color Morphing, from R1 272, is an in-salon service that leaves hair vibrant with vivid pigment and a subtle holographic finish.
Also try our 6 best products for your new colour
Best luxury shampoo for colour-treated hair
Kérastase Reflection Bain Chroma Riche, R340 for 250ml, helps maintain clean, bright colour and gives your hair a beautiful glossy radiance.
Best shine treatment for coloured hair
Redken Shine Flash 02, R400 for 150ml, is a lightweight mist that’s light in texture with camelina oil and vitamin B5. It makes your hair look bright and clean, and feeling silky.
Best brightening shampoo for redheads
L’Oréal Professionnel serie expert Vitamino Color Shampoo, R280 for 250ml, brightens locks between colouring. It’s especially fantastic on reds.
Best sparkling shampoo for highlights
Joico Color Endure Violet Shampoo Sulfate Free, R330 for 300ml, helps neutralise yellow or brassy tones with its high levels of violent dye. It prevents blonde hair from tarnishing and keeps highlights looking bright.
Best conditioner for colour-treated hair
Dove Colour Radiance Conditioner, R39,99 for 200ml, is a creamy product with light-reflecting qualities that helps maintain colour. It doesn’t strip the way other cheaper conditioners on the market can do.
Best glossing conditioner for brunettes
John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Visibly Deeper Conditioner, R119, is a luscious conditioning mask that helps to maintain softness and shine in your hair after colouring.
