Choosing the Best Hair Colour for You
Choosing your hair colour
Choosing a hair colour is very personal. But to avoid unpleasant surprises, you do have to take into account your current hair colour, your complexion and your skin!
Pick your colour according to your hair
For a more natural effect, choose a shade that is close to your current colour. Whether it’s a natural colour or not, what your hair looks like now will definitely influence the final result.
- Are you blonde? You can go for anything, since you don't have to lighten your hair first. But be wary of intense semi-permanent hues (like orange, red or purple), very pigmented products or black colouring that stains and can be hard to get rid of.
- Are you a redhead? A copper or mahogany tone will spark up your natural hair colour. Want a chestnut or deep brown tone? Opt for an ash-coloured shade, which will neutralize the red highlights.
- Do you have brown hair? Choose a colour one or two shades lighter or darker than your current shade. Try a colour with red or mahogany highlights. The result will be spectacular!
- Is your hair black? Skip the platinum blonde and the bleaching it requires. Blue or red highlights are a great option!
- Do you have white hair? Choose permanent colouring that is as close as possible to your natural hair colour. Avoid very light blondes if more than 60% of your hair is white: the product won’t take.
Choose your hair colour according to your skin tone
For a natural, eye-pleasing look, choose a colour that only slightly contrasts your skin colour. Do you have pale skin? Don't use a shade that’s too dark. And vice versa: for a dark complexion, avoid light colours.
- Is your complexion pale or pinkish beige? Go for soft colours and cool tones, like blond or light brown.
- Do you have a matte or slightly yellowish complexion? Opt for warm tones, like golden, red or orange highlights.
- Do you have a dark complexion? Deep brown or even black will be perfect for you.
And if you have freckles, head over to the reds. You’ll get a stunning result!
Choose your hair colour according to your eyes
When choosing your hair colour, take the colour of your eyes into consideration.
- Blue or green? Red hair will suit you perfectly.
- A very light blue? Try a hazel for a striking result!
- Hazel or brown? Go for a warm colour, like chestnut, caramel or brown to soften your look.
What are the different types of colouring?
There are three types of home hair colouring on the market.
- Semi-permanent hair colour is perfect for adding hair colour highlights without changing the colour of your hair. It lasts between eight and ten shampoos and does not contain ammonia or peroxide. This method will cover about 25% of gray hair.
- Tone on tone is lighter than permanent hair colour. It covers 50% of gray hair. It contains little or no ammonia, but is still a chemical colour. So beware of allergic reactions! The colour fades gradually and disappears after 25 shampoos.
- Permanent hair colouring gives your hair a permanent tone! It needs to be touched up at the roots every five weeks.
You can choose from three different colouring textutes :
- Mousse is easy to use, like a shampoo.
- Cream nourishes your dry ends while colouring your hair. It’s the best option for covering gray hair.
- Gel is the best choice if you’re going for very intense colours (deep brown or jet black) because of its pigment-rich formula.
Tools to choose your hair colour
There are several tools out there to help you choose your hair colour.Hair colour chart
To determine your current shade, don't rely on the colours you see on your computer or smartphone. Each device is calibrated differently. Instead, use the Echosline hair colour chart available at your local store. It includes 10 natural colours, from black (1) to platinum blonde (10). You can find your colour by comparing your hair to the samples.
Simulator
You can find colour change simulation tools online and in mobile apps. A quick search will point you to colour simulators, like ModiFace or Hair Color BoothTM. They’re easy to use: just upload a photo of yourself and test a virtual look change!
Simulator
If you want your home hair colouring to be a great success, be sure to avoid these pitfalls:- Colouring damaged hair. Often more porous, damaged hair absorbs more dye and becomes dry, elastic and dull. Your hair must be in good health if you want to get brilliant, long-lasting colour.
- Combining colouring with a perm or chemical straightening. Wait at least two weeks between treatments to avoid stressing your hair and getting undesirable results.
- Fixing your mistakes. If your homemade hair colouring goes wrong, don't try to fix it yourself. Call a specialist!
- Not adjusting your hair care routine. Coloured hair is more porous and quickly becomes dull. Opt for specialized care products that deeply nourish and maintain colour over the long term.
- Over-colouring. A little goes a long way to hide gray hair or new growth.
- Forgetting the conditioner that comes with your colouring. Designed to be combined with the dye, conditioning is crucial if you want your colour to set and finalize.
Pharmacy services
Need help choosing the best shade for your current colour, skin tone and eyes? Ask your beauty consultant to tell you about the various options available!
The pharmacy services presented in this section are offered by pharmacist owners who are affiliated with Uniprix. The pharmacists are solely responsible for the professional activities carried out during the practice of pharmacy. These services are offered in participating pharmacies only. Certain fees and conditions may apply.
* The information contained herein is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide complete information on the subject matter or to replace the advice of a health professional. This information does not constitute medical consultation, diagnosis or opinion and should not be interpreted as such. Please consult your health care provider if you have any questions about your health, medications or treatment.