How to colour your hair at home

Choosing colour
"The biggest trend in hair right now is shine. The glossier and healthier your hair looks, the better."
-- Christopher Martin

Made in the shade
• "For brunettes, chocolate and coffee shades (such as espresso) are hot, and for blonds, it's baby blond," says Johns, whose celebrity clients include Natasha Richardson and Jamie King. "These colours are even hotter with fine highlights a shade or two lighter in the front and at the nape of the neck."
• Warm shades work for complexions with golden or yellow undertones.
• Cool shades work for complexions with pink or blue undertones.
• If you're not certain whether you're warm or cool, don't worry. "Most people look great in warm or neutral shades," says Martin.
• Stick within two shades of your natural colour if you want a natural look.
• If you choose a semipermanent or demi-permanent darker than your natural hue, it will take longer to wash out than it says on the box.
• Drastic changes, such as going from dark brunette to blond or vice versa, are tricky to do yourself. Call the toll-free number on the box for advice from a home-colour consultant. "Hair colour is about the journey -- it's best if you change gradually from one colour to another," advises Johns. "You want to keep your hair in its best condition, which can be difficult to do with dramatic colour changes."

Covering grey hair: Dos and don'ts
Yes, those pesky grey hairs come with colour challenges. Stiff, wiry and resistant to colour, they're often the bane of our beauty existence. Follow these dos and don'ts to get the best results.

DON'T go for intense shades if you're starting from grey -- the result will be far too vibrant and artificial looking.

DO go for neutral hues to counteract the dullness of grey. "Start with the hair colour you had when you were about two years old," suggests Johns.

DON'T choose colours that are pale or ashy; they'll make your hair look more grey.

DO go for permanent colour if you want to cover greys completely.

DON'T be afraid of trying a semipermanent formula instead if you're less than 50 per cent grey and roots are your biggest concern. "A semipermanent will warm up your skin tone, boost your hair colour, blend your greys and make you look youthful without looking like you've had a dye job," says Martin.

DO "leave a few greys around the face as highlights," says Martin. "They work particularly well with semipermanent colour, for a soft, natural look."

DON'T skip the strand test. Greys can be rudely resistant to colour, so you want to know how long you'll need to leave the colour in to get the shade you want.

DO cover the greys first if you're colouring to hide them.

Fixing colour mistakes
You can adjust your DIY results, but call that hotline number for advice first.

• Your colour came out lighter than you expected? "Wait 48 hours to see if it tones itself down -- it usually does," says Johns. "If it doesn't, choose a demi-permanent colour one shade darker than the one you just used."

• You've lightened but the results are looking a bit orange instead of blond? Look for a demi-permanent ash shade of the same level as your current colour.

• You're more yellow than blond? Cool the hue down with a neutral shade of the same level as your current colour.

• Your blond's gone a bit blue or green? Warm it up with a neutral tone one shade lighter than your current colour.

• Your brown hair has a blue or green cast? Warm it up with a red tone one shade lighter than your current colour.

• Accidentally gone too dark? "It's difficult to lighten something that's too dark," warns Johns. "It's much better to start with a shade slightly lighter than you think you need. But if it's too late for that and you've just done your colour, try shampooing right away two or three times to get some of the hair colour out -- and remember to condition after the last shampoo."

Martin adds, "Sometimes a small change will do the trick. If you wanted medium brown but got flat black, following up with a medium blond demi-permanent will give the colour a little more depth and a little more life."

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