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.
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Tip No. 6:
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.
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Tip No. 7:
"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.
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Tip No. 8:
"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!
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Tip No. 9:
Coloring thick and/or long hair can be time consuming, but try not to get frustrated and skip strands. Slattery suggests dividing hair into four or five sections to make it more manageable. "Let a portion of hair down, color it, then pin it up and out of the way while you work on another section," she says.
If you've recently started experimenting with at-home color or are thinking about making the switch (in the name of saving cash), use these tips as your guide. With this expert help you can get salon-quality results in the comfort of your bathroom. So go ahead and cheat on your colorist -- with yourself! You and your wallet will be happy you did.
