Dear Color Crew: How Do I Color Highlighted Hair?

• Luckily, it's easier than you think. First, apply a  hair gloss, such as our award-winning Color Reviving Gloss, then a permanent color like our award-winning Radiant Hair Color. (Yep, both have won Allure Best of Beauty awards!) This will ensure that your highlighted color won’t look too dark or drab.

• Not sure which shade is right for you? If you have any questions at all, you can always book a complimentary Video Hair Color Consultation with a Licensed Colorist Concierge. Or just take our color quiz. We have stunning permanent hair color shades for:

• - brown hair

• - blonde hair

• - red hair

• - black hair

• If you’re going back to black or dark brown, choose a gloss that has warm bronze tones. Color Reviving Gloss in Amaretto is a rich mahogany that will deposit bronze tones before applying permanent color.

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• If you’re going back to medium brown to light brown, choose a gloss with copper gold tones. Color Reviving Gloss in Cannellahas the copper-gold that does the job.

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• For those that have used bleach for a super blonde look and want to go back to a medium to a light blonde, choose a gloss with gold tones, such as Color Reviving Gloss in Prosecco.

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Color Reviving Gloss is easy to apply—there is no mixing required, and you simply apply it on dry hair. Focus on the hair that has been lightened the most and leave it on for 20 minutes. Shampoo and dry hair.

If your natural hair color is a black to a light brown, we suggest choosing a color from our Knockout Shades in the NNN series (those in the NNA category will be too cool for going darker as they contain ashy tones). They are neutral shades that have a lot of pigment and perfect for going darker (and covering grays!). You will want to choose a color that has gold tones, and steer clear of colors that have ash tones.

How to dye over highlights at home? Here's the next step. Your roots will need to process longer than the rest of your hair, so apply your color to the roots first and set a timer for 15 minutes. Your mid-lengths and ends will grab the color faster, and need less processing time. Once the timer goes off, apply the color to your mid-lengths and ends and set the timer for another 20 minutes. If you want a darker result, let the color process for another 5-10 minutes.