I use Wella Colour Charm Permanent Liquid Colours as kind of a two in one product. To me they're both a hair dye and a toner in one, particularly the ash shades. This is how I use them to keep my greys covered and my hair brass-free at home.
The essentials you need
Wella Color Charm Permanent Liquid Hair Colour
20 Vol Developer
Applicator Bottle (or bowl, but I prefer a bowl for this formula)
Tint Brush
Processing Cap
Gloves
Before you start
Just quickly, I'm sure you've heard it before but you technically should do a strand test before you start. But let's be real, most of us don't.
So I'm not going to tell you to do one before you start. What I am going to say is this:
Before you colour your hair, you want it to be as clean and as healthy as possible. No dirty hair here.
This is a stronger formula, so any extra masques or treatments you do in the week/s before toning will be beneficial.
This is what I personally do before colouring:
2 days before - Overnight oil treatment
1 day before - Scalp scrub, shampoo, masque and then condition. Minimal styling products.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prep your hair.
Start with clean, damp (towel dried) hair.
Use a wet brush or wide tooth comb to ensure there's no tangles.
Step 2: Put on gloves.
Step 3: Mix the colour.
In the applicator bottle, combine 1 part toner with 2 parts developer.
Shake the bottle well to form a gel-like consistency.
For example: For a 42ml bottle of Wella Colour, use 84ml of developer.
Applicator bottles usually have measurements on the side. But, heres how I measure mine: empty full bottle of toner in to the applicator bottle. Then, fill the empty toner bottle up with developer. Empty in to the applicator bottle. Repeat with developer again.
Step 4: Apply the colour.
Because I find the front pieces of absorb colour faster, I start applying to the back sections first. Work from the back to the front. Use a tint brush to work the colour in to the hair.
Step 5: Process
Pop on a processing cap to avoid any drips.
Let the colour process for up to 30 minutes, checking every 5-10 minutes.
Step 6: Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water, then wash, masque and/or condition.
How I know when to rinse
Ideally with colour, you want to try to leave it on for the full 30 minutes, if possible, as it helps the shade last longer.
Having said that, some hair (particularly if it's damaged), can process really quickly. Because of this, I always want to see how the hair is processing. I do this by checking every 5 minutes by scraping off some of the colour and looking at the hair underneath. When it's looking like the shade I want, I know it's ready to wash out.
A quick final note
I always think that less is more when it comes to colouring. Meaning, if it doesn't need colouring, I don't colour it. No slapping colour all over your head here! I avoid putting a colour all over my roots if they don't need it, for example.
When you are colouring roots, you want to make sure you're choosing a shade that's very similar to your natural colour (unless you're specifically trying to lighten your roots).
Where to buy
If you're in Australia, you can purchase the Wella Color Charm Permanent Liquid Colours directly through Tint Department.
If you're in the US / UK / International, I've included an Amazon link.
(This is an affiliate link, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase - at no extra cost to you.)
I hope that's given you everything you need to know, but the comments are open if you have any questions!
