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In this report

See Also

Hair Colors: Ratings of Sources

Total of 20 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. ConsumerReports.org
May 2010
Hair Dyes
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentConsumerReports.org tests 13 home hair color kits for efficacy in covering gray hair. Editors say that all perform well, but a few produce excellent results. Included in the testing are two root touch-up products which analysts compare and contrast. Testers also evaluate ease of use and features of each of the products tested.
2. Good Housekeeping
Not Dated
Best At-Home Haircolor
by Editors of Good Housekeeping
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentGood Housekeeping tests nine home hair color formulas for gray coverage and fade resistance. Results vary by shade but Clairol Natural Instincts proves to be the best formula overall for all shades. Revlon ColorSilk's dark brown, burgundy and ultralight natural blonde shades also perform well, topping the brunette, red and blonde hair categories. Clairol Nice 'n Easy in natural dark neutral blonde performs equally well in the blonde category.
3. Don't Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me
2004
Chapter 6: Hair of a Different Color
by Paula Begoun
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentPaula Begoun does not review any specific hair-color products in this book. However, Begoun's information on hair-color types, ingredients and safety is solid, and this is by far the best source of information we found. Begoun says that most hair-color products, at both the store and the salon, are fundamentally the same. She concludes that both types can do a good job of coloring hair.
4. Good Housekeeping
Not Dated
Our Best-Ever Hair Advice
by Leesa Suzman
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentTesters at Good Housekeeping try several of the latest at-home color kits and rate them on how well they live up to claims. Only the top four are listed, with a brief description of results. The report would be more useful, however, if editors had compared the new formulas to older brands that are still available. Tips for maintaining hair color are also included.
5. MakeupAlley.com
As of Oct. 2010
Hair Color
by Contributors to MakeUpAlley.com
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentMakeUpAlley.com does not sell products at their website, but it provides a forum where registered users can rate beauty products on a scale of 1 to 5. There are more than 300 hair-color products listed and most get only a few reviews, although the major brands sometimes attract more than 200 reviews from those who've tried the products. Comments are extremely helpful, involving ease of use, the quality of the resulting color, odor and more. Of those hair colors with the most reviews, products from Revlon, Garnier Nutrisse, L'Oreal and Ion Color Brilliance rate the highest.
6. InStyle
As of Oct. 2010
Best Beauty Buys: Hair
by Editors of InStyle magazine
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentEvery year editors at InStyle magazine test hundreds of beauty products to find the very best of old and new products in several categories. Since 2005, 11 hair coloring kits have been chosen as the best in their respective categories. Some of the past winners are no longer available, but most are. A couple of kits -- including L'Oreal Feria, Clairol Natural Instincts and L'Oreal Superior Preference -- have been chosen in multiple years. However, editors don't explain their testing methods, and they don't discuss nonwinning products.
7. Allure
Oct. 2009
Best of Beauty 2009: Hair
by Liana Marraro Schaffner
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentAllure editors, cosmetics chemists and dermatologists test thousands of products and choose 189 as the best in their categories. Four products are listed under home hair color, including a highlighting kit, two root coverage products and a single process kit. This review would rank higher if editors included any details about the testing results.
8. Shape magazine
Oct. 2010
The Year's Best Beauty Products
by Editors of Shape magazine
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentShape magazine editors, beauty professionals and Shape readers test beauty products in order to find the best for the 2010 annual Shape of Beauty awards. Garnier Herbashine Color Crème with Bamboo Extract, Clairol Natural Instincts Rich Color Crème, and L'Oreal Paris Touch-On Highlights earn top spots in the hair-color category. It's not clear which other products were tested, and editors don't provide any of the kinds of details about testing that would bolster credibility.
9. Good Housekeeping
Not Dated
Hair Color Problems Solved
by Editors of Good Housekeeping
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentIn this video, Good Housekeeping editors discuss Color Oops, a product that promises to restore hair color when you're dissatisfied with a dye job. Testing of the product shows that it works. Editors also suggest getting a glaze to restore "lifeless" hair and recommend John Frieda Luminous Color Glaze for do-it-yourselfers. The Roux 'Tween Time Touch Up Stick is also recommended for temporarily covering roots.
10. BellaSugar.com
Sept. 8, 2010
Great Drugstore Hair Color: Tried, Tested and Loved
by "BellaSugar"
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentBellaSugar.com, a beauty blog, lists top performing home hair coloring kits based on the personal experience of the author, who has been dying her hair since the seventh grade. Each recommendation comes with a brief description explaining why it makes the list. Top picks here are similar to those found in other reviews.
11. Redbook
Dec. 2008
Beauty's Top 40 of 2008
by Cheryl Kramer Kaye, Krista Bennett DeMaio, Crystal Martin, Nadeska Alexis
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentThis article lists the best beauty products of 2008 for Redbook's annual MVP Beauty Awards as well as 24 "beauty must-haves" and monthly MVPs featured throughout the year. The writers say that 2008's winning products are innovative and "work smarter, not harder." Two hair-color products are included in the list: Ken Paves Healthy Hair Boost Up Color Drops and Fekkai Salon Color. Clairol Nice 'n Easy Perfect 10 is also listed as a monthly MVP. It's not clear how many products were tested for this article.
12. Prevention Magazine
April 21, 2008
Dye it Your Way
by Jessica Matlin
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentPrevention magazine lists three rules for coloring hair at home as well as tips to get a professional look. Five products are recommended for shine, highlights, blondes, extra dimension and quick results, but they are not ranked and the extent of testing isn't clear.
13. TotalBeauty.com
Undated
Reader's Picks for Best At-Home Hair Color
by Charli Schuler
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentThis slideshow spotlights TotalBeauty.com's top 15 reader picks for at-home hair color. Picks include hair-color highlight and single-process products, most of which are reviewed upward of 70 times. Those with the highest ratings and highest number of reviews include L'Oreal Paris Excellence Crème, Clairol Herbal Essences Colour Me Vibrant, Garnier Nutrisse Clairol Natural Instincts and Revlon Colorsilk.
14. Drugstore.com
As of Oct. 2010
Hair Color
by Contributors to Drugstore.com
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentDrugstore.com sells many drugstore items, including at-home hair-color kits, and allows consumers to post reviews and rate products on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Although the reviews are not as easy to navigate as those at MakeUpAlley.com and most product ratings vary from one color to the next, we still found the reviews to be useful in showing which brands are most popular. L'Oreal Feria shades receive high ratings overall. Clairol Nice 'n Easy Root Touch-Up, Naturtint, Clairol Hydrience, Clairol Nice 'n Easy and Garnier Nutrisse also do well in reviews.
15. About.com
Not Dated
How to Pick Your Perfect Hair Color
by Julyne Derrick
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentJulyn Derrick, About.com's beauty guide, lists 11 tips for coloring your hair that every stylist knows. Tips range from choosing the perfect shade of blonde to covering gray and deciding whether to do it yourself. A few home coloring products are recommended, but no details about them are given and it isn't clear whether they were tested. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
16. BellaSugar.com
Jan. 30, 2009
Take a Look at Fekkai's At-Home Color
by "BellaSugar"
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentThis blog documents one tester's experience with Fekkai Salon Color. The unnamed tester says the resulting color is rich, shiny and natural but that the application process is more difficult than it is with other at-home hair-coloring kits. She states that it is a two-person job and that there is barely enough product for a full head of thick hair.
17. Good Housekeeping
Not Dated
Find the Right Hair Color for You
by Leesa Suzman
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentGood Housekeeping outlines tips to get the best blonde, brunette and red shades at home and at the salon, as well as how to care for the color afterward. Tips for going gray are also included. A few products are recommended but they are not rated or compared.
18. Amazon.com
As of Oct. 2010
Hair Color
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentThere are a lot of hair-color products listed for sale at Amazon.com, but they can be hard to find, and they don't always have a lot of reviews. You may do better at this site if you search for a specific product. Naturtint, which receives nearly 50 reviews, is reviewed more than any other hair-color product. MakeupAlley.com and TotalBeauty.com are better sources for user reviews of hair color.
19. MakeUpLovesMe.com
Nov. 17, 2008
Clairol's Perfect 10 at Home Hair Color
by "makeup loves me"
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentThis anonymous blogger shares her experience with Clairol's Perfect 10 hair color and publishes before-and-after photos. She loves that it only takes 10 minutes and that it costs a lot less than salon coloring. Other products are not compared or even mentioned, however.
20. Beautifile
Aug. 8, 2008
Review -- Clairol Natural Instincts Loving Care Color
by Editors of Beautifile
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentClairol Natural Instincts Loving Care is reviewed at this beauty blog. The author says she has used the hair color for years. She says that not only is the price reasonable, the product is easy to use and adds body and texture to hair and lasts through several shampoos.
     
 

This is our assessment of the review’s relevance, clarity of testing and thoroughness.

Read more about our Ratings Criteria by clicking the link at the top of the page.
 
 
 
  
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