T. writes: Hi Nadine – I want to ask you something about hair color! I want to dye my hair light blonde and I want to dye it at home, so please can you tell me how and give me the name of the products? Also I want something to keep my hair hydrated…

Hey T.!  The most important part of dying your hair at home is making sure you choose the right shade.  It should be no more than two shades lighter or darker than your original color, otherwise you’ll start getting into the danger zone and the finished result will likely look funky.  (And then you’ll probably have to head to a colorist to fix it, anyway!)

Picking the perfect shade is voodoo science: you’ll probably have to sacrifice a goat, the moon must certainly be full, and there may or may not be virgins involved.   Barring all that, the back of the box will show three different shades.  If you don’t see your current, existing color on the back–even if the hue on the front of the box is the most gorgeous dream shade you’ve ever seen–put it down and pick another box until you find one whose back panel does showcase your existing color.  (So, if you’re a dark brunette with Kate Hudson ambitions, or a redhead with a Catherine Zeta-Jones soul, get thee to your salon.)  Trust: color correcting a wonky at-home dye job is a pain in the ass.  Stay on the right track!

Any drugstore color will do, honestly.  There are three I’ve used myself in the past year, and my personal favorite is L’Oreal Feria, which provides rich, vibrant color.  (I also used Clairol Perfect 10 last year, which I found slightly difficult to maneuver with the applicator comb, but it did provide a pretty finished result.)  Meanwhile, if you’re looking for temporary color that will wash out after a few weeks, nothing beats Clairol Natural Instincts.

There are a million “Here’s how to apply hair dye” treatises on the web, so I’ll direct you there now, but here are the Cliff’s Notes: read the instructions, and don’t leave it on for too short or too long.

And a final side note: after I dye my hair, I hold onto the leftover intensive conditioner and use it occasionally as regular conditioner.  Clairol Natural Instincts once-a-week Color Treat is my favorite.  Best intensive conditioner at the drugstore, hands down!