I have been coloring my hair since I was a teen but have been doing so since I was 28 because I started going prematurely gray. I have been using Revlon Colorsilk in 34 DEEP BURGUNDY and 32 DARK MAHOGANY BROWN mixed together because it is economical as Walgreens frequently has it on sale for $1.99 a box and I touch up my roots every few weeks.
This is the color it was:
As I am job hunting I decided to go for a more conservative, less red color and a little more upscale an opted for Loreal's Feria Multi-Faceted shimmering haircolor in T42 - DEEP BEIGE BROWN that I got on sale a Walmart for around $9. I have used L'Oreal in the past and I have never had any problems with any hair dyes, so I skipped that patch test, but if you have never colored your hair, I would recommend doing so to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction before you put it on your entire head.
It was easy to mix together the three parts in the bottle and shake to mix together and apply. Although it was advertised that has a "new aromatic scent for a pleasant coloring experience" it smelled a little like dead fish. I have had some different brands smell worse than other, but I cannot say I have ever used a haircolor that had a pleasant smell.
One thing I did like about this particular brand was the "Pro Touch Color Applicator" as it was long and skinny and easy to get to every nook and cranny on my head. My hair is fine but it is almost waist length and sometimes I have had to use two boxes of hair color to completely color my hair, but with this applicator I was able to get it covered with just the one bottle. Only complaint, and I may have had a defective bottle, was if I squeezed to too hard it would splooge out where the applicator connected to of the bottle even though it was screwed on tightly.
I did use the enclosed conditioner and it had a rich texture and pleasant smell.
This is what my hair looked like after I used it. It did turn out a bit darker than the shade on the box because my hair has been previously color treated and therefore more porous and will absorb the color more than non treated - that will happen no matter what brand you use.
While the texture of my hair feels the same as it did before, I do find that overall, even thought it is just subtle, my hair looks less dry and much more healthy and will probably use it again in the future for an overall color.
Here is the before and after side by side:
BEFORE AFTER
I have been coloring my hair since high school too. I started getting gray hair in high school and it was way obvious in my natural black hair. I recently went to Sally Beauty Supply, and bought developer and color. An employee helped me pick out the color I needed/wanted. It was easy to measure, mix and it didn't smell really at all. Some of the boxes I have used were really strong smelling. It sounds like you are already mixing, you might want to check out Sally's. It was less expensive for me to buy the developer in a big bottle and mix it when I need it.
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