If you've never used at-home color before, it's important to practice. Patty Slattery, assistant vice president of education and technical services at L'Oreal USA, recommends testing your skills the day before you color using gloves, a paint brush (if needed for the box you're using) and conditioner. "This way you can mimic the motion of spreading the product all the way from roots to tips," she says.

Before highlighting at home for the first time, separate out a quarter-inch section along both sides of your part -- and clip it out of the way. Start your highlights below the clipped section. "It'll hide any errors or spots where the color doesn't make it all the way to your roots," Backe says. Our readers' favorite: L'Oreal Paris Excellence Cremelights.

There's nothing worse than ruining your clothes and staining your floor in an at-home hair color attempt. "Create a salon at home. Throw on a smock or old shirt and set up a station that includes gloves, a comb and a towel to wipe up spills," Backe says.

"Swipe a thin layer of petroleum jelly or rich moisturizer on the outermost edge of your hairline," Backe says. This provides a barrier to keep the dye from staining skin. Just make sure you don't get any on your roots or your color application may look uneven or splotchy. If you do stain your skin, pick up a bottle of Roux Clean Touch Haircolor Stain Remover to easily remove it.

"Hair color can feel tingly and uncomfortable if your scalp is too clean," Slattery says. So always apply hair color to unwashed hair. The natural oils act as a buffer to the product. And don't worry; color is strong enough to penetrate through hairstyling products, no problem!