Yes! Simply leave a note for your colourist when completing our colour quiz on our site, letting them know the current formula and colour ID you use or the brand and shade of boxed colour—we’ll take it from there. Colorsmith has its own colour line, so our colourists will translate your current formula into a custom formula that’s just for you. It’s colour that’s different by design and fits like a glove.
What is “shelf life?” Shelf life is how long a product can sit on a shelf before it goes bad. You are able to store an unopened hair colour bottle for up to 6 months after it’s made. Has the liquid colour deepened to a dark brown shade? Throw it away. That’s a sign it’s no good.
How do I maintain my colour’s shelf life? Simply keep your bottle in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight and away from extreme temperatures. We do not recommend saving or splitting any leftover hair colour for later applications. That’s because the moment you open your hair colour, it will begin to oxidise. If not used immediately, you won’t get the colour result you’d hoped for.
You are more than welcome to use your colour on your beard or moustache, however we do not recommend using colour on your eyebrows or anywhere near your eye area just to be safe. Please be sure to do an allergy test before using any new colour, you will find your directions in your Colour Case, or check them out here.
Every Custom Colour Case includes:
If your hair colour bottle has ever been frozen, throw it away. After it freezes, the colour agents become inactive, so you won’t get the coverage you’re going for.
Getting Started: For optimal results, we always recommend applying your colour to dry, unwashed hair that is free of excessive product (a little gel is okay). This is because product buildup can interfere with your colour processing and unwashed hair contains a layer of natural oils that protect the scalp from potential irritation.
Darkening Hair: If your goal is to significantly darken your hair colour, we recommend working with your Colorsmith colourist to deepen it in stages, no more than two shades at a time. This will ensure your hair remains in healthy condition and you can get used to the darker colour gradually. If you’re looking to gradually blend your grey hair with a slightly darker shade, we recommend asking your colourist about our Grey Reduction Programme.
Lightening Hair: Hair colour does not have the ability to lighten previously-coloured hair. While permanent hair colour can lighten your hair up to two shades, demi-permanent hair colour is unable to lighten hair. The only way to lighten previously-coloured hair by more than two shades is by using a lightener or bleach.
Best Time to Apply Hair Colour: Hair colour is best applied just after a fresh haircut, so you don’t waste any colour. Plus, your hair is healthiest after you’ve cut it. We also recommend doing a deep condition a day before you colour your hair to give your hair the moisture it needs to coat your hair follicles. The healthier and more moisturised your hair, the better your colour result.
Touching Up Colour: Typically, we recommend applying hair colour every 2-4 weeks for men. However, this frequency may vary based on multiple factors, such as how long your colour results last, the vibrancy of your colour, your specific hair length, and whether you have permanent or demi-permanent hair colour. In general, demi-permanent hair colour will fade gradually, and permanent hair colour will begin to fade with a visible line with regrowth. Sun exposure, chlorine, too-frequent washing, or using a shampoo that isn't safe for colour can all cause hair colour to fade prematurely. So ask your colourist for tips on how to maintain your colour.
Fashion Colours: Fashion colours cover a range of shades in the rainbow, from pink to purple and green. Though fashion colours can be fun to experiment with, we focus and excel at creating natural shades with subtle coverage, and do not offer fashion colours.
Our tested hair colour formula only contains the highest-quality ingredients and pigments, free of Ammonia, PPD, Resorcinol, Parabens, and Phthalates. It’s how we get superior grey coverage and rich, long-lasting results.
**Colorsmith does not test our hair colour or other products on animals, so they meet the koalafications. View all ingredients & safety precautions.
That’s easy. Follow these two simple rules:
Tried both things and still didn’t get the coverage you were looking for? Let your colourist know, and they can increase your developer strength or processing time, or make adjustments to your formula to achieve better coverage.
Level:
Your formulation's level reflects how light or dark it is, from soft black (level 2) to lightest blonde (level 9). Each colour family includes multiple levels that indicate varying degrees of depth, for example, Light, Medium, Dark, or Darkest Brown.
Tone:
Also called hue, tone refers to how warm (with orange or red undertones) or cool (with blue or green undertones) a colour is. Examples of tone in our colour line include Golden, Copper, and Ash. The absence of tone indicates a neutral shade.
See the range of colours Colorsmith uses to craft your unique blend with our Colour Chart.
Our demi-permanent hair colour is Ammonia-, Resorcinol-, and PPD-free and deposits colour pigment onto the hair. Demi lasts up to 24 washes and fades gradually with subtle results to help with grey blending.
Our permanent hair colour is also Ammonia-, Resorcinol-, and PPD-free, and permanently changes the natural pigment of your hair. It’s made with Monoethanolamine (or MEA) to provide full grey coverage. This formula can begin to fade after 4-6 weeks.
You can easily transition from demi-permanent to permanent hair colour. Ask your colourist which is best for you or check out our video here.
What’s colour fade? Colour fade is when the vibrancy of your colour diminishes over time. In general, your hair colour will fade after approximately 24 washes, about 4-6 weeks. Sun exposure, chlorine, too-frequent washing, or using a shampoo that isn't safe for colour can all cause hair colour to fade prematurely.
How do you prevent it? To make colour last longer, we recommend you use gentle Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES)-free shampoos and conditioners specifically formulated for colour-treated hair. You should also make sure to limit direct sun exposure to your hair, and rinse hair immediately after swimming in a chlorinated pool.
Our Grey Reduction Programme is perfect for anyone looking to gradually blend their greys over time. You and your colourist will work together to create a Plan to help you achieve your most natural-looking results over two to three applications. And if you’re happy with your results after your first or second application, you can stop there and maintain your coverage. This programme is great for first-timers looking to blend greys or cover them up—the choice is yours.
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