- Fade-resistant
- Excellent gray coverage
- Ammonia-free
- Can't lift more than one or two shades
- Colors run darker than advertised
Bottom line
Revlon ColorSilk is a permanent hair color product that can lighten or darken hair by two to three shades. The formula is ammonia-free making it a gentler, less malodorous option, but experts say that it can't lighten hair as much as ammonia-based formulas can.
Performance
Total gray coverage, but colors are darker than expected. Revlon ColorSilk is one of the more affordable hair color options at the drugstore, and reviewers say it outshines its pricier competitors. The formula tops Good Housekeeping's list of best anti-aging hair care products because of its excellent gray coverage and fade-resistant shades. One tester for the magazine said, "It covered my grays better and for a longer time than similar products I've tried." Users at MakeupAlley.com agree. One says, "I have about 90 percent gray at the crown, and this covers it 100 percent." A few users point out that colors are darker than advertised.
Editors at BellaSugar.com are pleased with Revlon's permanent at-home hair color kit. They note that the formula doesn't cause as much damage as other color products. The only downside to the formula is that it doesn't lift color as well as ammonia-based hair color products. Editors note that if you try to go too much lighter than your natural shade, "you'll get brassy results and quicker fading."
Ease of use
Basic formula is easy to use. Users at MakeupAlley.com say Revlon ColorSilk is easy to use due to its thick liquid-like consistency. One notes, "The consistency of the dye was perfect, not too runny. It was very easy to apply."
Smell
Friendly on the nose. Users at MakeupAlley.com agree that Revlon's inoffensive scent is a rarity among hair color products. Editors at Good Housekeeping say volunteers for their tests were equally pleased with the "non-irritating ammonia-free formula and scent."
| Revlon Colorsilk Beautiful color # 30 DARK BROWN | |
(83 reviews) In Stock. |
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Our Sources
1. Good Housekeeping
Various shades of Revlon ColorSilk are listed as best in three out of four categories tested: brown, red and blonde hair. Both Dark Brown and Burgundy shades ace the fade resistance, shine and gray coverage tests, but the Ultra Light Natural Blonde only does an "okay" job of covering gray hair.
Review: Best At-Home Haircolor, Editors of Good Housekeeping, Not dated
2. Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping tests several hair products with anti-aging claims, including hair color products that cover gray. Revlon ColorSilk tops the list because of its excellent gray coverage and fade resistance. Testers also say the formula's scent isn't as offensive as most at-home hair coloring products.
Review: Anti-Aging Hair Products, Editors of Good Housekeeping, Not dated
3. MakeupAlley.com
More than 650 reviewers at MakeupAlley.com give Revlon ColorSilk a high overall rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, with 77 percent of users saying they would purchase the product again. While readers' comments about Revlon's gray coverage and long-lasting color are mostly positive, some point out that the colors run darker than advertised.
Review: Revlon ColorSilk, Contributors to MakeupAlley.com, As of June 2013
4. BellaSugar.com
BellaSugar.com, a beauty website, lists top-performing home hair coloring kits based on the personal experiences of the author, who has been dying her hair since the seventh grade. She says Revlon ColorSilk is the "holy grail" of ammonia-free hair color. She praises the formula for being fade resistant but says that it's not able to lift color enough to go dramatically lighter.
Review: Great Drugstore Hair Color: Tried, Tested, and Loved, Popsugar Beauty, Sept. 8, 2010
5. Redbook
Cheryl Kramer Kaye offers tips for getting celeb-inspired hair color at home. She recommends Revlon ColorSilk in Bright Auburn to achieve red hair in a hue similar to Christina Hendricks in the TV show "Mad Men." Nothing else is said about the brand, however, and it isn't rated or compared to others.
Review: Gorgeous Hair Color You Can Get at Home, Cheryl Kramer Kaye, Not dated
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