Ever since I got my hair colored at Loop Salon in Atlanta, I’ve been fielding questions left and right about how I got my hair in it’s distinct three toned gloriousness. While I’ve been strongly suggesting that people go to professional hairstylists for color processing, some folks either don’t have access to trustworthy stylists, or want to risk the color on their own. Well I’ve scoured the box color options for naturalistas and have found a few options to create the perfect three-toned hair color that is taking over the natural hair community! Again, while box color is a much cheaper way to get DIY hair color at home, it can be expensive in the long run if you mess up the color or damage your hair, so proceed with caution!
Brown Base
To start, you’ll need a dark brown base for the hair behind your ears. You can either leave your hair in it’s natural color (which is likely a dark brown), or you can enrich the brown with one of the options below. For my color, I had dyed my hair with Naturtint’s Light Golden Chestnut a few weeks before visiting Loop (though I wouldn’t recommend it that much), so that was my base. You can also use a brown rinse to add some gloss to your hair, without risking color damage.
Fiery Red
Section of your “bangs” for the blonde color. For the rest of your hair, use a shade of red that compliments your skin color. Shannon of Loop used a copper red permanent color, then went over it with a richer, but demi-permanent red. Auburn and fiery red are equally good choices, just be sure they color compliments the other two.
Blonde Tips
For your bang section that tops the whole look off, choose a blond that again compliments your skin tone, but also goes with the chosen red. You don’t want a very platinum blond against a subtle, cool red – otherwise the color won’t look seamless! For an even more effortless hair color, apply the same red to the roots of your bang section, and then apply the blond on the shaft and ends.
Two Important Things to Note for DIY Hair Color
1. Your hair may NOT come out as the box. It’s nearly impossible to go from black hair to bright blond by just using a box color, so keep in mind that you might need multiple processes to get the color you desire. Multiple processes should happen over the course of weeks, and not in one day!
2. Coloring your hair DOES MAKE IT DRIER. I can’t stress this enough. It’s a stressful, and chemical process that compromises your hair’s health. However, there are steps you can take to increase your hair’s moisture levels – particularly making sure you deep condition regularly.
I have tried box color in the past with not too much results. A three tone color is a salon visit.