Photo: blvhair on Instagram

While treating yourself to a colour job at the salon may be an expensive habit, mastering the art of at-home colour is certainly a way to solve this pressing issue. While lustrous, beautifully dyed locks are best achieved by a trip to your favourite salon, this can quickly become costly. Whether you’re looking to maintain your honey highlights or keep your golden locks looking glossy and healthy, we’ve rounded up a few key tricks to create the look at home. Here are our favourite techniques for getting the hair colour of your dreams, all without leaving the comfort of your own bathroom.

Buy more than you need: 

For women with long or thick hair, one dye box may not be enough to evenly cover your hair. Buying an extra box or two ensures that you won’t be left with uneven patches. If you’re not sure if you’ll actually need an extra, it’s better to stay on the safe side – you don’t want to be left scrambling mid-dye.

Don’t shampoo: 

Skip the shampoo at least 24 hours before you plan to dye your hair. The natural oils in your scalp not only help to prevent irritation but also allow the dye to get a better hold on your hair. This tip works for after your dye job too, as the more frequently you shampoo your hair, the faster the dye will fade.

Be reasonable with your hair colour choices: 

Going from light to dark brown at home is quite simple and can normally go off without a hitch. Dark brown to blonde, however, is another story. Drastic colour changes require multiple processes, which is why it’s safest to leave your dramatic colour change dreams to the professionals.

Start with the roots: 

If, like many women, you have stubborn roots, this trick is crucial for achieving even coverage. Roots require the most colour and the most time to process the dye, so start at the top and work your way downwards. This allows your roots some much needed time to fully soak up the colour.

Use a toothbrush to highlight: 

If you’re a DIY hair dye pro, this trick is a sneaky way to distribute even highlights at home. Use a new toothbrush to paint on natural looking highlights, working from your part downwards. To avoid out-of-place streaks, we recommend highlighting with a colour that isn’t too far off from your base colour.