Beauty at Home, Ep. One: Hair Color

Ladies, my hairstylist canceled my color appointment yesterday, and of all the things that I have missed during my three-week isolation, that one was the hardest.  Because as much as I admire women who embrace their natural color or greying, late-30s roots, that ain’t me.

Whether it’s keeping your color fresh, maintaining the secrecy of your natural hair color, or covering your roots, many of us are probably looking for an at-home solution for our color woes.  So where to begin?

For a quick touch up.  If your concern is brassiness, dullness, or fade, you can freshen your color with a simple gloss. Glosses give you a subtle change and a lot of shine, so they’re perfect for women whose bottle-color is close to their natural color and those who aren’t concerned about greys.  Glosses are like hitting refresh on your hair because they brighten blondes an add depth to darker hues.

This Krisin Ess Signature Gloss is one I’ve used before. You choose your formula based on your color.  I buy Chocolate Cosmo.  But once word of caution, like all of Kristin Ess’s products, the smell will make you want to gag.

For another option, dpHUE makes a glossing treatment and deep conditioner in one.  I tried a sample of this when they released it, and it works really well if you’re looking for a subtle boost.

For a mild cover-up.  If you’re talking about your roots, you have a decision to make: do you want to cover or do you want to color?

This Root Concealer from Rita Hazan is selling out everywhere as women prepare for the hair color apocalypse.  But I think Dermstore is still has stock for most of the colors.

As for how it works, remember the RonCo hair in a can infomercials from the 90s (you have grey hair, don’t pretend I’m the only one who remembers!)?  This spray works on the same principle, it is a temporary cover-up for your roots.  Need a drugstore version?  L’Oreal has you covered.

Prefer to actually color your hair?  You don’t have to use a bowl and brush or color your entire head, there are several products that just color the roots.  My favorite is L’Oreal’s Root Rescue.  It’s $6, has an easy-to-use applicator and comes in enough shades that you can find a match.

Don’t need grey coverage?  If all you need is to blend your natural roots into your existing hair color, Clairol also makes a similar product that is applied with a paintbrush like applicator.  But this one will not cover greys, it’s just meant to blend roots.

For the works. I have a feeling the Madison-Reed people are going to make a lot of money over the next month or so.  How do I know?  Because 15-minutes after my stylist canceled my appointment, I remembered that I had a box of hair color in my beauty closet and almost cried.

Madison Reed makes a good quality at home hair color. My only tip is to watch many, many YouTube videos before you start.

Another option is eSalon, which mixes a custom hair color option after an initial consultation.  Your consultant is also available for additional guidance after your color is delivered.

Need something you can grab on a Target run?  If you’re intimidated by the idea of at-home hair coloring, try John Freida’s Precision Foam.  It’s super easy to apply and as long as your choosing a similar color, you really can’t screw it up.  If you don’t need training wheels, Garner Nutrisse is the best box color in the store.

Also, pro tip:  Buy a bowl and brush from Amazon or at Sally Beauty if you intend to home color.

The bowl and brush is just so much easier than using a bottle or your fingers.  It gives you better control and less chance of messing up.  Don’t believe me?  Watch a video on coloring at home.   Even the Madison Reed videos feature women using bowl and brush, despite the fact the kit  doesn’t come with one.

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This was the first installment of Beauty at Home, in my wildest dreams it will be the last.  Since this will likely continue, I will see you back here for more episodes about hair removal, painting your own nails, and trimming your own split ends.  Because I simply refuse to emerge from quarantine looking like I just spent several weeks living at the International Space Station.

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