I ended up using the Paul Mitchell color.

With the salons being shut down, this may be of interest to someone.

I like this coloring a LOT. My hair still feels like hair and not straw. It is packaged in 3 oz tubes, mix 1:1 w/ 20 developer. Added 9 drops of Gray Drops. The mixed consistency is very thick. Like a stiff buttercream frosting. Zero drips, zero mess in the sink or on the counter. Very little odor. My hair is medium short and a bit on the thin side. I used a bit less than an ounce of color and a bit less than an ounce of developer. Next time, I can easily drop that to 3/4 oz. of each. Processed for 30 minutes.

The color turned out great. The coloring is on the pricey side but still quite economical considering that I can get 3+ dye jobs out of one tube of color.

Best results that I have ever had across 2 plus decades of painting my hair. Now all that remains to be seen is how resistant it will be to fading.

(It's a pro product but ya'll will know where you can find it.)

I used Loreal, usually the creme formula so no drips. It does have limited color choices, though. Last time I bought the regular Loreal and it worked fine, not a lot of dripping with it either. I also like that they don't have super strong odors like most hair coloring does. I have asthma so that's good. I also like the tube of conditioner that comes with it. Lasts me a very long time.

Loreal was all I ever used when I still colored my hair! I've used both Preference and Excellence, which are both great and no drips but I found that Excellence covered my gray better. I also love that they include a tube of conditioner, which makes your hair color last longer along with feeling soft.

I wish I could do at home right now. I have too many different shades and colors of highlights and lowlights to attempt anything at home!

Natural Instincts and Color Charm are deposit only colorants, not permanent colors. In other words, they don’t raise the hair’s cuticle and so are more gentle than permanent dyes. But they don’t cover greys as well. However, they do look better because they don’t leave a grow-out line like permanent dyes do.

I go back and forth between Clairol and Lo'real. I find no difference in them. I choose by color. I am (was) a red head and frankly no red has the longevity. As I age it is more difficult to choose.

I really liked Natural Instincts & used it up to and one time after the formula changed. Sometimes I get too hot & my head sweats during the night. After the formula change, I woke to to a ruined pillowcase, pillow protector and even the expensive down pillow was stained because the color bled. So me & Natural Instincts divorced.

I've used both LOreal Preference & Excellence. Excellence did cover gray better but also left my hair straw-like. Color Charm fades badly & is a bit harsh. Tried Revlon Colorsilk because it's supposed to be fade resistant. Didn't like it because it was quite harsh on my hair.

I really, really like this Paul Mitchell color. Am a little reluctant to try the LOreal Inoa because I like the PMitchell so much. My hair texture has very, very little change after coloring And I hardly ever find a product that I can enthuse about. I colored & conditioned w/ the L'Oreal conditioner that comes pkg'd. in their hair color. I found several full tubes of it at a garage sale for 25 cents a tube. It's good conditioner. I cleaned out the stock at that garage sale!

Could someone please link to the Paul Mitchell she likes? I Googled and found just tubes of Paul Mitchell color, is that it? Like this https://www.walmart.com/ip/Paul-Mitchell-The-Color-Permanent-Cream-Hair-Color-7Wc-Warm-Copper-Blonde-3-Oz/54829562?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=9559&adid=22222222227050293754&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=152520012130&wl4=pla-265726698137&wl5=9011747&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=115793744&wl11=online&wl12=54829562&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq-fI74q36AIVFYvICh1onQVaEAsYASABEgJn6PD_BwE

That's it Zalco. "the color" Paul Mitchell. I ordered a 'Gray + Coverage' version.

8NP is the specific color. Light brown ever so slightly reddish. My natural color has reddish highlights so don't know how much of the red is from the color or color lift on what remains of my original brown color.

Bonus points because I just noticed how shiny my hair is.

I'm just so darned excited because I have been battling hair color for years. Either it came out too dark or too brash or too something. Or left my hair feeling like broomstraw. And the salon too expensive. (I'm a cheapskate and I don't want to have a 25 minute drive to the hairdresser, have to sit in a chair for a couple of hours & then drive 25 minutes back home when I can do it myself in under 45 minutes for about the cost of just the tip I would need to leave for the hairdresser.) Crossing my fingers that I'm still happy with it a month from now!

I got mine from eBay. Comes in a whole lot of colors. Deciding on one was so hard. I researched (hard to find a color chart) & debated & debated. It took me a couple of weeks to decide which one before I ordered.

One other thing I read during the research on the Paul Mitchell color--let this one process this one for 30 minutes.

Oh, forgot to say that you buy the color and developer separately. 20 volume developer is recommended. You can buy large containers of developer at any beauty supply (like Sally's). I have a big bottle that I've had for years. Had a small bottle of developer from a Revlon Colorsilk boxed dye that I used w/ the Paul Mitchell color. (Didn't like the Colorsilk-harsh- so I had tossed the color but saved the developer.)

One other brand that I have tried in the past is Schwarzkopf. Got it in store Wal-Mart & then could never find my color # in stock again. IIRC, it faded pretty quickly.

Well I am siting here waiting for the time to be up with my Clairol Root Touchup. I get my hair done every five weeks and have had success with this since it came out between appointments. I leave it on for a full 25 -30 minutes. Don't believe the 10 minutes on the box. Won't cover the gray.

When I did color at home years ago I liked Loreal products, always going a shade lighter than what I wanted to get the right outcome.

I use Clairol's Loving Care, permanent color, medium brown. I only use half of the box for each treatment. I mix it up in a bowl and apply with a brush. Be sure to section off your hair for good coverage. Instructions say to leave on 20 minutes, but my hairdresser said leave on for 40. Thinking I should stock up on this stuff before it's on the black market like toilet paper!

When I did color at home years ago I liked Loreal products, always going a shade lighter than what I wanted to get the right outcome.

Wildchild, I liked the Loreal products the best of the drug store boxed stuff, too. Years ago, I used Loreal Feria. Liked that one. At the time, it was strictly a professional color but I had access to it. When that source dried up (days before the eBay Wild West), I had to find something else.

Good point about going up a notch. Using too dark a color was a mistake that I made for years. The usual description of hair dye colors are far from reality--or was in my case. Never took the time to research it like I should have. I was always picking 6 level colors when I should have been using at least a 7 level. After doing some research (still not enough), I stepped two notches and went w/ a 8 level this time. Much happier. Have to own up to being a (really) Slow Learner. ;-)

You can use any brand of hair color over gray if you get GRAY MAGIC. It's an additive that is put in the pricey brands. You put four drops in a lower-priced product and it covers the gray completely. How do I know? I was a hairdresser and it's a hidden secret. They sell it at hair suppliers like Sally's.

Yayagal--yes, I've always used Gray Magic. Mistakenly called it 'Gray Drops' upthread (that's what my highschool friend turned hairdresser called it so 'gray drops' has stayed stuck in my brain). A small bottle lasts a long time. They must have changed the formula; my bottle is several years old. Instructions on mine says to add 10 drops for each ounce of color. So, if you mix 1 oz of color & 1 oz of developer, you use 10 drops only (the developer doesn't count)...or whatever the directions say now.

Ci_lantro, I have very dark brown hair with white right on top basically, and nowhere else. . Are you suggesting I choose dye one or two shades lighter? I definitely want to avoid looking like I stuck my head in a coal bucket ;-)

Yaya, thank you for the Gray Magic tip.

Probably, Zalco. Because, IME, when I chose a boxed color that said it was 'Light Golden Brown' or some such, the results were anything but 'light brown'. More like what I would call a dark brown.

My natural color is/was what I would call 'Medium-light brown w/ reddish highlights.' So, logically, one would think that buying 'light brown' would yield a slightly lighter than natural color, right? Instead, I was ending up w/ brown that was 2-3 shades darker than my natural color.

In my totally amateur opinion, I would go at least one level up. 'Level' is the # on the box. The higher the number, the lighter the color. Match your natural brown color to a 'level' and then buy one up. This helped me to start to understand where I was going wrong:

https://www.madison-reed.com/blog/dear-color-crew-what-level-is-my-hair

I want to emphasize that for years, I blindly just bought a box according to color description. And kept making the same mistake time after time. I didn't understand anything about 'levels'. I estimate my current level of expertise at about a Point 0.03 on a scale from 1-10! Best advise I can give is for you to do some digging for info or consult someone who has experience and who you TRUST!

But, all along, I had a what the hell attitude. Don't look in the mirror! The color will fade (lighten), hair grows & I've worn short hair for years. What's hair today will be gone in 3-4 months anyway. And it has never turned out so badly that I felt that I had to wear a baseball cap. DH may have had different opinions. He usually has nothing to say about my hair--other than that I need to brush it! But after I colored it yesterday, he actually complimented the color. Reaffirmation that it turned out good.

L'oreal Preference, been using for years.

I've wanted to go grey for years, and maybe this will be the time. I'm going to look really terrible before getting a haircut. Can you imagine 2" grown out grey? Bad bad.

And the dog looks like a walking furball if he doesn't get a trim about every 6 weeks.

I've used Nice & Easy for years, but a year or so ago I accidentally (how?) bought Excellence by L'Oreal and now it's my favorite. So easy and good gray coverage, although I am going to look into that Gray Magic when life is normal again. And an upside, it smells good too.

My hair started turning silver in my 20's, almost fully silver in my 50's. I've earned by silver hair and wouldn't dye it.

I've had strangers and friends tell me what a pretty hair color I have.

Raye Smith...that is me, exactly. I grayed so early people used to compliment me and ask if it was natural. I would think, who in hell would dye their hair gray? I can't say that I like gray hair, and often when I see an attractive older woman with dyed hair, I imagine her being gray and it would make a person look older. But too much trouble for me because my hair is very white around my face and roots would show up very quickly. I wear my hair very short. I hate haircuts...hate being "fiddled with", but have to get it cut often. I would like to grow it out a little, but it is going to be a mess. My hair is very thick and gets bushy quickly.

Thank you so much for all the good advice, ci_lantro. I now have some understanding of what to look for.

I am in my early 50s. The way the white is coming in is very messy and unkempt looking for me to let nature take it's course. Once I get to all white, I'll consider going natural.

Zalco, I would dig around for info on coloring 'white' hair. There are probably things you need to know vs just trying to cover Salt & Pepper gray. Maybe like lifting the color on the dark hair to even things out & then coloring? Definitely do some more research before. Unless you don't mind a buzz cut or wearing a baseball cap 24/7. :-)

Or, you could just hang on until you can visit a salon & have a pro do it--taking notes & asking questions so you can replicate at home?

esalon!

I have been using Garnier Nutrisse for quite a while. I like the way my hair feels. If I need a little root touch up I use Loreal Magic Root Cover up. I never use the conditioner that comes with it as I like my leave-in spray conditioner.

Marylmi, what leave in conditioner do you use?

Ci_lantro... I use Matrix Pro Solutionist ( total results) Leave -In Treatment.

Use the purple or pink stuff! hahaha

I just did that -- used a pink color that washes out after several shampoos. No one from work will see it, LOL! I hoped the gray parts near my temples would pick it up, but they did not. It showed the best on my highlights.

Thank you Marylmi. I'll pick some up next haircut trip. Salons just starting to open--I'm not going anywhere so will wait for the first, second, third wave of desperate customers to clear out.

So glad I found this thread! Thank you! Will get Gray Magic tomorrow! I just colored my hair tonight, but the gray is still there. Can I color it again tomorrow night with Gray Magic? Or do I have to wait?

Makes me happy to read this thread since I stopped coloring my hair during 'the plague'. My last salon color was last Leap Year Day. My hair is not quite chin length. The color is finally all gone now. Luckily I have white around my face and mingled in with the not-so-lovely grey elsewhere. I've had compliments on my 'new old' look. I just get cuts now; prefer my home wash/condition/styling. Cheap Suave conditioner does just fine. The "It's a Ten!" styling goop (deep blue bottles) works great. I use a ceramic 'brush' dryer.

I used L’Oreal Excellence colour called Copper Pearl Aubrun. Since they discontiued that colour i stopped dying my hair.

I'm still sporting the old man grey cut with a #3 guard on the clippers.

I do miss seeing the old couple that owned the salon that I had my hair cut at since I was a teen. They retired and sold the salon a few years before Covid but one of them would still cut my hair at their house because I brought them fresh eggs and garden veggies as a tip.