How many things can you use to cover up the salt and pepper sparkles without looking ridiculous? I count 3 — Hat, headscarf, headband. I would count hands, except they are only suited for a brief 20 second conversation before your arms begin burning and you start looking ridiculous.
Temporary fixes are fine, but nothing beats looking back at yourself in the mirror with a fresh, glossy Hair Colour. And it seems you all agree as Greys have never been mentioned in our inboxes so much. It seems there is a wave of sheer panic out there because of salon closures. So what! Touching up those greys is easy to do at home (as so many of you have recently discovered) and when the time comes where you plan to return to the salon, save some coin and stretch each visit out by doing the touch-ups yourself.
We’ve outlined it all below — the rules to stick to, Hair Colour Shades that will give you the best coverage and the easiest methods to cover them. There’s no need to stray, everything you need is here, just hit go and get started. You’ve got this.
The Rules of Grey Coverage
Only use Permanent Hair Colours. Semi’s don’t do the job.
Using one shade will cover all your greys. Highlights and foils will only cover sections.
When you have more than 50% Grey Hairs, use 20 Volume Developer exclusively.
(This may seem overwhelming at first to digest, but it’s important to know your Hair. To determine if this is you, allowing some room for over a centimetre of root grow out is beneficial to get a grasp of your percentage of greys.)
For stubborn Greys and translucent white Hair, a Colour mixture of Natural and Golden pigments will grab and cover those uncooperative Hairs.
Keep your Colour mixture to your Regrowth to avoid Colour Build-Up. If you need to add vibrancy to your ends, use the Top-Up Technique.
Hair Colours that cover Greys
Naturals
The Natural Hair Colour formula is designed for supreme grey coverage. Their fresh, Natural Blonde and Brunette pigments engulf greys, restoring the Hair with pure, glossy tones that shine.
Golden
Colours with Golden hues grab and hold onto pigment-less Hair and refill it with Warm vibrant tones. Although Golden Shades won't offer the same potency on grey Hair, their flush of youthful glow shouldn’t be undervalued.
Custom Blends
We love mixing Colours period, but it’s when you're mixing to solve a problem, that the brilliance truly comes to life. There are times that greys are so dogged and stubborn you may need a little extra special somethin’ to get the best coverage and tone. A Natural and Golden blend has that double whammy of pigment to achieve exceptional coverage and a re-energised, glowing Hair Colour.
How to cover greys
Developer
Once you have 50% of more of greys, pair your Hair Colour with 20 Volume Developer.
Find your favourite Colouring tool
The choice differs from person to person. A Tint Bowl and Brush are generally preferred by those who like to use the same tools as the pros. It offers the full service, from using the brush and bowl to combine your Colour mixture to using the tip of the brush end to simply navigate through the Hair and then the brush for a meticulous application.
An Applicator Bottle offers the same convenience for those who enjoy a hands-on approach. Squeeze your Colour and Developer into the bottle, secure the lid and shake. Then, similar to using a Tint Brush, use the Applicator tip to steer through your Hair, squeezing your mixture directly to your regrowth line using your fingertips to smooth your mixture over the area.
Applicator
Bottle
Application
Apply your Hair Colour mixture along your regrowth line, targeting the grey areas first to allow the Colour longer to process. Once your Colour is applied, set your clock for 40 minutes, or 45 minutes for really stubborn Hairs.
And voila! Go on, you can do it.