I’ve been coloring my hair at Vidal Sassoon since, well, forever. I decided way back that I was meant to be a redhead. On a business trip to London, I thought I could either go to sleep after the long flight or get my hair colored red. I chose red hair. Actually, the colorist at the Sloane Square Vidal Sassoon told me to come back at the end of the day and he’d do it then. It took three times and a few hours to take, but the color was gorgeous! Super red, and potentially carcinogenic because, at that time, the UK didn’t have the ingredient restrictions that the US did.
Here’s me in the French countryside with red hair shortly thereafter.
It’s very expensive to have my hair colored at Vidal Sassoon once a month. But I love my stylist, Terry, and my colorist, Laurel. And most important, red is so difficult to get right. Otherwise, it can look pink (pretty but not what I want), orange or purple or opaque. That fear has really been what has kept me loyal to Sassoon.
photo credit: Pink! by minxlj, Flickr 1729195508
- my natural hair color: the shade chosen from a variety of photos of models with different hair colors/shades
- the percent gray in my hair
- permanent or semi-permanent color
- my current hair color: the shade chosen from a variety of photos
- my ethnicity, skin color, and eye color
- my desired hair color: the shade chosen from a variety of shade swatches that would be “doable” for my natural/current hair color and then displayed on a “model”
- what are my goals for color: roots only, reviving my color, going lighter/darker, or whatever I choose to write in the box etc.
After selecting my desired hair color, the site asked me to upload a current photo or to upload at a later time. I stopped at that point because I’m not sure that I’m ready to cut the cord with Sassoon.
Frankly, I was impressed with the thoroughness of the questions. They were the kinds of questions the colorist at a salon asks a new client. And I definitely think that sending a current photo is a great idea, so they can see where the client is at, color-wise.
The advertorial went on to say that the eSalon colorists blend a “custom” color and send it to the client with her name on the bottle: $24.95 for a one-time order or $19.95 for “auto-delivery” as often as she wishes to receive it. The order includes the custom color and developer.
I was also impressed that they sell Color Enhancing Gloss to put on your ends to maintain a more consistent color from root to end. Ends that have been dyed previously hold onto the color and, over time, become saturated and dull compared to the “fresh” hair at or near the roots. To prevent your hair from being different colors at different lengths (unless you’re intentionally going for an ombre look), you need to either cut the ends off from time to time, or take some of the color out of the ends first before adding new color. I would recommend going to a salon for color removal ‘coz trying it at home is a little dicey unless you know what you’re doing. It’s worth it every now and then because it makes a big difference in the outcome!
Another thing is that the eSalon website makes a big deal about covering gray (which is not easy), and they claim to be experts at providing dyes that cover gray. So, for those of you who have a few or more than a few gray hairs that you wish to cover, eSalon might be the answer.
Since I haven’t used the product and I have no relationship with the company, I googled eSalon and checked the blogs and YouTube videos of at least 10 women who did use the product. All but one was very satisfied (she had the “dark ends” problem). So, if you dye your hair at home and you’re not 100% happy with your color, you may want to check out eSalon. It seems like a great alternative to picking a box off the shelf, and it may be the next best thing to going to a salon.
Have you had good luck coloring your hair at home? If so, what’s your secret? Have any of you tried eSalon? If you have, let us know what you thought about it.
LauraLS This product sounds great! I’m tempted to try it! Thanks so much for the thorough information about it.
I thought it sounded very intriguing, Laura. Google it and check out their site as well as some of the women who have used it and reviewed it. Keep me posted if you find out more or take the plunge!
I don’t think it’s the hair color that is the issues .. it’s the application. I’ve used box hair color when in a bind (as in can’t get to the hair salon), and it’s ok .. but not every strand of gray is covered like when I go to a hair stylist. So, my preference is salon color for perfect coverage. I wouldn’t think that the eSalon is any better than what I can get at the drug store, besides a little more hand holding if you’re unsure of color. However, I’m just guessing as I haven’t tried eSalon so truly this isn’t a fair observation.
Monica.
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Since this post went live this morning, I’ve heard via email and on Facebook from a few friends and friends of friends who have tried eSalon, and they loved it. They said they liked the fact that there was someone to talk to (you can call them), and they said the color they received had more dimension than the boxed product they previously bought in the store. That said, I’m not ready to pull the plug on Sassoon. I can always tell women who do their own red hair because it looks awful…Maybe if I meet a redhead who uses eSalon, I’ll take the plunge!
Absolutely loved eSalon color,,,,the color has stayed longer then any other boxed color I have used and I have tried them all. You get to pick your color using your skin tone and eye color. I think it is great. The first purchase is $10 then $20 after that it is worth a try…I won’t go back to the shelf brand!!
Thank you, Marianne, for your comment! So glad it was a success!
There is a big difference between DIY coloring at home and in a salon. It can be difficult to reach the back of your head. A colorist can find a perfect match to your hair color. It is hard to match hair color based on a picture and not the actual hair strand.
Thanks, Imagique Hair Salon for the comment! I have my red hair colored in a salon because I don’t believe I’d be able to do it myself and get good results. The fact that my colorist does a Malibu treatment when she sees that my ends are looking brownish and less vibrant than the newer hair is important to me. But, other women have made the decision to do it at home, and it’s interesting to hear that many who have tried eSalon had good results and preferred it to other off-the-shelf brands.