For many, the dawning of a new year sparks feelings of wanting a ‘new me’, bursting in to the new year with a fresh new look and hopefully, a fresh new confidence.
One of the ways we can boost our confidence is by making sure our hair is looking the best it can, and for many that means colouring away those pesky greys or enhancing our natural shade.
If you’re colouring your hair for the first time or thinking of making the cost-saving switch from salon to home colouring, it can be a little daunting knowing where to start trying to choose the right product and importantly, the right shade.
Well fear not.
It is very easy to make the switch to a home hair colour and in this blog post we’ll share some of Naturtint’s top tips for happy home colouring.
What type of hair colour do I need?
That depends on what you need the colour to do. If you don’t have many greys and you want to enhance your natural colour a little, a semi-permanent might be best. It washes away in around 10-12 washes.
If you have more than the early signs of fine grey hair or you want to change your colour more dramatically, you’ll need a permanent hair colour. Like the Naturtint Permanent Hair Colour Gels.
How do I choose a shade?
Understanding the colour code on the box is the key to choosing the most suitable colour. The code is simple – almost all (there’s always an exception to a rule!) shades are given a code that consists of a number and then a letter.
The number tells you how light or dark the colour is, with 1 being the darkest and 10 the lightest. The letter after the number tells you what kind of tones you can expect.
So, for example 4M is on the darker side of the scale. Five is the mid-point, so think mid-brown. The M means mahogany, so it’s a dark, plummy red brown shade, or Mahogany Chestnut to give it its official title.
What if I want to lighten my hair?
As Naturtint is free from ammonia and designed for at home use, it cannot lighten hair by more than two shades.
To use the colour code to determine which shades you can effectively use, start by deciding which N shade is closest to your natural colour.
If, for example you think you are closest to the 5N Light Chestnut Brown, you will have a base 5 shade. So, if you want to go lighter you can use a 6 or a 7. If you want to go darker, you can go as dark as a 1 but most skin tones generally suit one or two shades darker than the natural colour.
If you decided you wanted to go lighter but also a little warmer, you could then look at colours like the 6G and 7G. These colours are lighter than a 5 but also rich in warm golden tones as they are from our ‘Gold’ family of tones.
The Naturtint codes follow industry standards. So, if you are already colouring your hair and want to make the switch to Naturtint, chances are the codes will be very similar.
How do I use Naturtint hair dye?
Read the instructions first. It may sound obvious but it’s important that you read the enclosed instruction leaflet carefully and completely before you apply the colour.
You should carry out a skin sensitivity test 48 hours before every application. Even if you have coloured your hair or used the same shade before. Hair colours are complex products and sensitivities can develop at any time so plan ahead and take the time to carry out your own skin sensitivity test.
What will the colour will look like on my hair?
We recommend that you carry out a colour strand test at the same time as your skin sensitivity test. Particularly if you are colouring your hair for the first time or trying a new shade.
A colour strand test will show you just how the shade you have chosen will develop on your own, unique base shade. The same colour will always look a little different from one person to the next. The final colour result will vary based on the colour, thickness and condition of your hair.
You can also use the colour strand test to determine how long you need to allow the colour to develop. If for example your grey is quite stubborn, you will need the full 40 minutes development time.
What’s in the box?
In every box you’ll find a 60 ml bottle of colourant and a 60 ml bottle of developer. The developer bottle can be used as a mixing vessel and colour applicator, so it may look half empty This is so the colourant can be added and there is room for the two liquids to be blended by shaking the bottle.
You’ll also find a Quinoa Mask in every box of colour. This is designed to prolong your new shade and boost shine.
Lastly, attached to the instruction leaflet you’ll find some protective gloves – make sure you wear them throughout the colouring process to prevent staining.
So now you know how to choose the perfect Naturtint shade for you, we look forward to welcoming you to the growing tribe of Naturtinters!
In celebration of Veganuary, get 20% off Naturtint hair dyes until the end of January.*
*Offer ends 23:59 31st January 2024.