My First-time hair colouring experience: Honest review

It was a bright sunny day in the winters. I had just taken a shower and my natural black hair colour looked beautiful in the sun. I couldn’t help but admire the golden glow on my face and hair. I was getting ready for brunch with my friends and I was already running late. So, I decided to pull my hair to one side and flaunt my natural hair. 

However, when I pulled them all together, I saw a shiny silver strand. Initially, I thought it is just a reflection of light. So, I flipped my hair to cross-check. And I did spot a wired strand poking out. My world crashed for an instant. No matter how much you normalise the grey hair, the sight of early greys is always horrifying. It might sound dramatic, but you would relate with me if you spotted the grey hair on your mane when you have just passed out of college. 

My friends were calling me and here I stood frozen in front of the mirror staring at that villain that just made its way into my life. In the spur of the moment, I plucked it out and thought that it was gone for a few years. But how wrong I was. A few days later, some more grey hair sprouted out. And now I knew that I cannot just go about plucking them. The grey hair is here to stay and if I want natural black hair colour, then I have to look for a solution to cover it up.

The next day I began my research on – “Which is the best hair colour for women?”

Parameters to consider for the best hair color

I confided in my best friend and asked her help to cover my greys. She educated me about the two choices for colouring the hair. She advised, “It can be done at a salon or you can get a salon-like hair colour at home only.” This statement rang a bell in my ears. I said, “When we can get salon-like hair colour at home only, then why empty pockets in the salons?”

I asked her, “Which are the best hair colour brands in India?”

She suggested Godrej Expert rich crème hair colour for a number of reasons.

1.       No ammonia hair colour: I had heard this buzzword a lot of times earlier and I didn’t understand all the fuss around it. But my friend clarified my doubts that hair colouring with no ammonia hair colour is safe and good for the tresses. It doesn’t damage the hair. 
2.       Easy to use: Since it would be the first time that I would be doing hair colour at home, I was looking for an easy-to-use formula. The pre-measured sachets of Godrej expert hair colour make it really easy to do hair colour at home. No worries about measuring the colourant and developer in a 1:1 ratio. 
3.       Conditioning of aloe vera: Godrej expert rich crème has goodness of 10x aloe vera that makes the hair soft and silky. It moisturises the hair and protects it from any damage. 
4.       Easy on pockets: I had just graduated from college and you know how tight our budgets are. I didn’t want to take any chances with my hair also. So I was looking for a quality product but an economical way to do hair colour at home. In such stressed budgets, Godrej Expert rich crème hair colour is the best hair colour for women. It is one of the best hair colour brands and it costs just Rs. 33. I could easily afford it even at the end of the month.
5.       Natural Black hair colour shade: Finding the perfect match for the natural shade of hair is essential to make the hair colouring look seamless and natural. Even natural black hair colour has shades like dark brown or black-brown hair colour. I was skeptical about which shade to try because my hair looked black all the time. My friend recommended to me Godrej black hair colour. She was also using the same shade and it suited her perfectly. We checked our hair color and texture in bright sunlight. It was almost the same and I knew that this shade would suit me too. So, I got the natural black shade of Godrej Expert rich crème hair colour. If you are not sure about the natural shades then you can do a strand test.

Take a small section of hair near your neck and clip them near the roots, so that you can differentiate the strand from the rest. Apply hair color on it and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. Rinse it out and dry. Check if the colour matches your natural hair.

Knowing about the best hair colour brands is just one part of the story. The next question was “How to colour hair at home?”

The pack clearly states all the instructions. You just have to empty the sachets of developer and crème in a mixing bowl and apply the colour. Wait for 30 minutes and then rinse it out till water runs clear. 

But before doing hair colour at home, my friend gave me a few hacks which are a savior for beginners like me. After doing the entire process at home, I discovered a few hacks of my own too. So let me take you through all the hacks that will make hair colour at home quick and effortless too. 

10 Hacks for quick and effortless hair colouring at home

1.       Use two mirrors when you do hair colour at home: When you prepare tools for the hair colouring at home, you would need a few basic ones like a mixing bowl, applicator brush, gloves, and a few clips to secure the sections. Usually, people prefer colouring their hair in the washrooms in front of the mirror. In addition to that, keep a second mirror too. You can use it to check the hair color application on the hair at your back which is otherwise not visible to you. You won’t miss a spot This will give you good coverage and the perfect black hair colour at home.
2.   Don’t mix two shades of colour for experiments: We all are tempted to make experiments. But when it comes to hair colouring at home, don’t try such experiments. Never mix two different shades in hope of getting a new colour. It might just turn into a disaster.
3.       Remove the jewelry: This one is my own hair colouring hack that I learned after making mistakes. I was very careful while applying the hair colour. Still, to err is human. I was cautiously applying colour on the tiny hair near the ears when the applicator brushed past my earring. I removed it immediately and washed it. But it is better not to take chances with your delicate and expensive pieces. I advise you to remove jewelry pieces like earrings, ear cuffs, and chains before colouring your hair. This will avoid your jewelry from being stained and tarnished.
4.       Section properly: You must have heard a lot of times that proper sectioning is the key to good grey hair coverage. But it is simple. It just means to divide your hair into small sections. Take thin strands at a time and colour the strands one by one. If you have really thick hair then all the more reason why you should section properly. The thinner the strands, the lesser chances of missing out on a few sections of hair.
5.       Do not apply hair color on any cuts or bruises on your scalp: If you had scratched your scalp which caused bruises or cuts, then it is best to avoid hair colouring in those areas. It will avoid irritation and burning sensation. 
6.       Keep alcohol-based cleansing wipes handy: This tip is handy for clumsy ones like me. When you do hair colour at home, the colour can stain your neck or head. In case of such a spill, you can use alcohol-based wipes to cleanse the area immediately. The Godrej expert hair colour is creme-based making the mixture very thick. This spreads well on your hair and doesn’t drip at all.
7.       Use gloves while rinsing too: You would have always heard about wearing your gloves while doing hair colour at home. but you should also wear it while rinsing out the hair colour.  Your nail and fingers will remain absolutely after the hair colouring.
8.       Condition properly or oil hair overnight: After doing hair colour at home, you should condition the hair properly. Use a colour protect shampoo to lock the hair colour. Alternatively, you can oil the hair overnight which will keep your hair moisturized.
9.       End the colouring session with a massage: Once you have covered the roots in all the sections of your hair, massage softly from roots to tips. Then cup your crown with both hands and bring all your hair together as you do while tying a ponytail. This will spread the colour evenly and avoid any patchiness or uneven streaks in your hair.
10. Protect the colour from fading: This is a unique hack that I heard from my friend. She advised me to space out the shampoo sessions as much as possible. Also, apply conditioner on the wet hair before shampooing. The conditioner will protect the colour from fading out and at the same time, the shampoo will clean all the dirt from the scalp. 

In addition to all these hacks, my friend also suggested not to try doing hair colour at home alone. She told me to do with mom or sister, so that they can help when required. But after using Godrej Expert rich crème hair colour, I realised that it can be easily managed single-handedly. Because of the rich crème formula, it is really easy to colour hair at home. It doesn’t drip or leave stains around the house. 

After rinsing out the colour I was happy with the results. It revitalized my hair and made it soft and silky. I finger-combed my hair, left, right and center, but couldn’t spot a single grey hair strand. In fact, I couldn’t make out which hair used to be grey. My hair looked perfect and there was no change in the natural colour of my hair. The Godrej expert hair colour had worked wonders on my hair and I couldn’t help but admire it. 

Now all my worries were gone. Now I knew that it is possible to colour the hair at home without damaging the roots or compromising on the quality of hair. I shared my happiness with my friend and thanked her a million times. 

Let us know how was the first hair colouring experience for you. We would love to hear your views.