A decade ago, when I was a college freshman, a friend showed me how to bleach and dye my own hair in our school's locker room. Since then, I've dyed my hair dozens of times, from platinum blond to a vibrant rainbow [1], which is usually a multihour process. So recently, when I got the opportunity to try L'Oréal's personalized hair-colour line, Colour & Co [2], I was ecstatic because my hair was ready for a fresh coat of colour.
Over the past few years, I've been an avid fan of dying my natural dark-brown hair [3] into a blue-black. It gives me the hint of fashion colour I love, but while keeping my hair black. So going into this process, I was hoping to retain my blue-black crown with my very own Personalized Colour Box [4] ($30). Ahead, follow the journey from colour quiz to the colouring process along with all the supplies that got me to my final result.
- L'Oréal Colour & Co: Quiz and Consultation
- L'Oréal Colour & Co: Supplies
- L'Oréal Colour & Co: Colouring Process
- L'Oréal Colour & Co: Results
L'Oréal Colour & Co: Quiz and Consultation
When you visit the Colour & Co website, you have the option to take the colour quiz [5] or have a free consultation with a colourist [6]. I got to do both.
Colour Quiz
The colour quiz asks you a series of questions to then recommend a colour for you. During my colour quiz, I went through a series of questions about my current hair colour, the history of what colours I've dyed it in the past, and the colour I wished to have before showing me a grid of hair-colour options, which highlighted the Colour & Co recommendations. Throughout the quiz, I hoped I would be suggested a blue-black, and I was!
Consultation
For the consultation, I got to speak with Troy, who has 30 years of hair-colour experience. We met virtually with cameras on so he could see my hair. After we spoke about our love for fashion colours, I mentioned that I wanted blue-black hair but didn't really get as much blue as I wanted. That's when he recommended something I'd never thought of. He recommended I use two packs of colour. For my curly hair, it made perfect sense. Usually, I feel like I have to squeeze the product to get to the very last drop to make sure it covers all of my hair, so having two packs of colour made perfect sense. He also recommended that I use a colour gloss to maximise the amount of blue I could get and the replenishing conditioner to keep my hair hydrated.
Tip: Troy let me know that the only way to get two packs of colour in one order is through a consultation, so if you have a lot of hair (especially if it's curly), you might want to do a consultation with a stylist.
L'Oréal Colour & Co: Supplies
After the consultation, I was able to request all of the products Troy suggested. When the package landed at my doorstep, I was pleasantly surprised that I got a full set of supplies. Below is a list of what I got:
- Two Personalized Colour Boxes [7] ($30)
- Included two colour vials, two 10-volume bottles, two pairs of gloves, colouring brush, barrier gel cream, stain eraser, mini replenishing conditioner, and instructions
- Blue Colour Gloss [8] ($30)
- Included colour gloss, three pairs of gloves, and instructions
- Full-size Replenishing Conditioner [9] ($20)
The barrier cream gel is one of the items that I was surprised to see included. It's a gel that stylists use to keep colour from dyeing the face near the hairline and ears. At home, I usually use petroleum jelly, but to have the gel included was an added bonus. Another plus was that the gloves fit my hands and didn't tear. Usually, the gloves included with colour never fit me since I have large hands — I wear a men's size large glove, for reference. With everything I needed for the colouring process in my hands, it was time to colour.
L'Oréal Colour & Co: Colouring Process
Hair Colour
Before I put on the colour, I made sure to detangle my hair, then divide it into sections. Following the provided instructions, I emptied the colour into the developer, gave it a shake, and was ready to go! To apply the colour on my hair, I started with my roots, then went onto my ends. From there, I spent the next 30 minutes listening to a podcast before it was time to rinse out the colour. Pictured above is what the colour looked like toward the end of the process.
I used my usual method of kneeling in the bathtub and running my hair under the showerhead using cool water, so I could minimize any possibility of splattering colour all over my wall and shower curtain. Once the water ran clear, I reached for the colour gloss.
Colour Gloss
From the times I would get my hair done in the salon, my colourist would always book me for a colour and gloss for my blue-black. So I followed suit on my own. While the colour gloss came with three gloves — for what I'm assuming are three uses — I used two-thirds of a tube in one use. The colour gloss went on as sort of a Sonic the Hedgehog-blue conditioner. I left it in for about 10 minutes before rinsing it out. Afterward, I applied the replenishing conditioner, focusing on my ends, and rinsed everything out.
L'Oréal Colour & Co: Results
Once I was finally done in the shower, I styled my hair like I normally do (argan rich oil blend, leave-in conditioner, and gel). The result: a blue-black with no brown in sight — which I consider a win. The colour got to every strand evenly, my hair never felt dehydrated along the way, and my curls are still bouncy after the colour. Overall, the entire process was super simple. I was able to follow the instructions from prep to colour, gloss to conditioner. Most importantly, I had all the supplies I needed to achieve my blue-black look — including professional advice — and did my hair in just under an hour.
L'Oréal Colour & Co: Before and After
Here is my before and after once trying the L'Oréal Colour & Co products.