Achieve Richer, Shinier Hair Color at Home: A Professional Guide

Lynda Churilla

Your Goal: Richer, Shinier Color

DIY Trick: Stay in the same color family. Forget trying to go light blond if your strands are cherry red: "At-home kits don't have the strength to change hair that much," says Jason Backe, master colorist at Ted Gibson Salon in New York City. Pick a kit that's within one to two shades of your natural tone, and look for one that's free of potentially damaging ammonia, such as Garnier HerbaShine Semipermanent Color ($7.99, drugstores).

Your Hair Color Tool Kit

Restore sheen. To give hair a mirrorlike effect, coat strands between color procedures with a glossing treatment, such as John Frieda Luminous Color Glaze ($9.99, drugstores). It penetrates the hair shaft but adds little pigment. "This type of treatment is loaded with silicone, which makes your hair look shimmery," says Edmondo Blando, owner of Salon Vanity in Philadelphia.

Boost Your Color

Brighten up...a tad. If you want to give your tone oomph, try a color-depositing shampoo, like Paul Mitchell Color Shampoo ($10.95, paulmitchell.com for salons), which will boost your color but wash out over time. "Use it once a week at most," Blando says, "or the color can build up and cause dullness."

Get Intense Color

Brighten up...a ton. Heightening your shade's intensity calls for an allover semi- or demipermanent kit, like Umberto U-Color ($12, ucolorbh.com). "It has enough peroxide to make the color stick, but it fades gently over four to six weeks," says master colorist Jason Backe.

Reader Review

Tester: Megan Ballinger, New York City

Tested: Garnier HerbaShine in Medium Gold Mahogany Brown Semipermanent Color ($8.99, drugstores)

Real-life lesson: "Setting a timer really does help. Don't just keep an eye on the clock because a minute or two can make a world of difference in the results, which were fantastic for me. I received many compliments from my friends and coworkers, and my hair looks shinier than ever."

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, March 2010.