New to Hair Colour? We’ve Got You Covered.
If you’ve never coloured your hair before, read below for a Hair Colour 101. You’ll get the lowdown on levels and tones, how to find the right hair colour shade, and tips for maintaining your new shade.
Hair Colour Basics
Not quite blonde or brown, but somewhere in between, it's the perfect way to brighten up your look while giving your natural brunette hair colour some edge. To create this fresh, radiant effect, apply the color in layers. Choose the area you want the colour to begin, and apply near the root area of your hair starting with the bottom layer. After application, time and rinse as the kit instructions direct.
Levels
Hair color is categorised by Levels and Tones, to make choosing a shade easier to identify! “Levels” refer to how dark or light the shade is. Level 1 refers to Black while level 11 refers to Extra Light Blonde. Most permanent hair colors only lift your hair 2-3 levels, while bleach can lighten strands up to 7-8 levels. For the most natural look with less maintenance, it is important to stay within 2 levels of your natural hair color. The further you move away, the more dramatic your results will be, meaning your roots could be noticeable more quickly than if you had stayed closer to your natural hair color. Nutrisse, Olia, and Color Sensation are designed to lift your hair up to 2 levels so that you can go from a dark brown to a light brown or from a light brown to a blonde, for example, but not as far as a black to a blonde. For more dramatic change, look for our High Lift Brown shades or Blonde shades in Nutrisse Ultra Color, our highlighting kits, and our Platinum kits. Last but not least, before you buy your colour always check the box to make sure the shade will give you the result you’re looking for. There are pictures on the side of the box with before and after results. Match the shade at your roots (not your ends) to the “before” picture and you can expect a colour result shown on the after side. Another pro tip? Once you colour your hair, another box of hair dye will not lighten your hair without bleach, so make sure you’re committed to that Black or Dark Brown before you take the plunge! If you’re debating between two shades, it may be best to try the one that is slightly lighter so that if you do decide you want to go darker, you can reapply later.
Tones
“Tones” are referred to as warm, cool, red, or natural. Picking the right tone is key to achieving the best shade for you. Cool tones like “ash,” “platinum,” or “champagne” can counter-act brassiness, especially if you are lightening, and are great to complement cool skin tones. Warm tones like “golden,”or “bronze” can brighten your whole look, especially if you have a warm skin tone. Red shades can be either cool or warm. If you’re looking at a “mahogany,” “burgundy” or “violet” red, it’s more on the cool side, whereas “copper” shades will be more warm. Finally, Natural or Neutral tones are just that—not too warm or cool and are easily identified by not having a tone descriptor in the name, such as “Dark Brown.” Natural tones are a safe bet to provide the best grey coverage. Try on any of our hair colour shades using our virtual try on tool before you commit!
Maintenance
How often you should refresh your colour depends on how fast your hair grows, how much grey you have, and how far from your natural colour you have dyed your hair. Generally speaking, you’ll need to touch up your roots every 4-6 weeks. And don’t forget to use a shampoo and conditioner specifically formulated for colour treated hair.