1 Can we talk about different types of hair-coloring products ? There are three types of hair-coloring. • Temporary hair-coloring last for 6 - 8 shampoos. These products don’t need mixing - they are ready to use. For example : “Color Pulse” for intense highlights tints. “ Dédicace” to gently cover your first gray hairs. • Semi-permanent color last 20 - 28 shampoos and covers up to 50 % of white hairs. For example “Casting”. Needs to be mixed. • Permanent color : “Excellence, Préférence and Récital of L’Oréal” perfectly cover white hair. “Féria and Féria booster of L’Oréal” transform natural shades and give visible or intense highlights. And to further clarify : “Perfect Blonde of L’Oréal” does not color white hair. Products need to be mixed.   2 Which color should I choose ? The right color choice is made according to        1- your base color        2- the quality of your hair         3- your skin color        4- your eye color The right color is the one which sets the overall look and skin tone to its best advantage. I don’t advice lightening the overall color too much if the eyes and skin are too dark. If you want to lighten dark hair begin with subtle highlights. For skin that is too red I also advise against reflections that are too warm or reddish, because this accentuates redness. It is better to choose a cool reflections which balances the skin’s redness. Generally, it is best to stick closely to your natural color, to consider hair color like make-up, not to want to transform yourself, but, rather, to enhance what you have. If your hair is badly damaged it is obligatory that you intensively condition it before coloration. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COLORS WILL NOT ADHERE TO DAMAGED HAIR.   3 Who can color their hair at home and who would you recommend go to a salon ?   4 What are the secrets to achieving a pretty color at home ? To achieve the ideal color, it is best to go either 2 tones lighter, or 2 tones darker, than your natural color. If you have been coloring your hair for a long time, and, perhaps, no longer remember what your natural color is, look at your eyebrowns (they are close in color to your natural hair color) and compare their color with the one on the box. You must know what your natural color is, have healthy hair, and carefully follow the instructions provided.   5 How often can I change my hair color ? Everything depends on the color you choose and the quality of your hair. It also depends on your roots : are they gray, or very different from the color on the ends of your hair ? I think an average of 3 to 6 weeks is the normal rhythm between coloring your hair. It is no longer in fashion to radically change your hair color every season. Models and actresses have to change their color for work, but most women find their color at a particular moment, often when they are 25 – 35, then stick to it, with minor changes to match the seasons, or their mood. Some want to be lighter for summer, and warmer, or darker, for winter, while others do the complete inverse.   6 I have a lot of gray hairs, which color should I choose ? That depends your skin color and eyes. If the color you have chosen has a strong tint of red or orange, you risk having a lot of transparence along with fluorescent orange colored hair !!! So a red tinted highlight is more visible on grey hair. And the higher the percentage of gray hair, the more subtle the highlight should be.   7 How do I keep my color looking beautiful day after day ? The key to keeping your color beautiful is to deeply condition your hair every time you shampoo in order stop the artificial pigments from fading. Carefully protect your hair from the sun, sea and swimming pool water, and try not to wash your hair too often, or blow-dry it too often either.   8 Can I modify the amount of time ? I leave the product on my hair for ? Start the timer once you have finished applying the product. You shouldn’t modify the suggested leave-in time, but, I have noticed that cold, ashy tints set better if you leave them on an additional 5 minutes.   9 I have a lot of hair - should I use more product ? Be generous when applying product. If you have a lot of hair, or long hair, buy 2 boxes. It is better to have too much than too little !   10 What can I do if my resulting color has become matt or dull ? If your hair is dull it is because the cuticles of your hair shafts weren’t sealed. In order to properly seal them you must wash your hair with a shampoo that has an acidic pH level made specifically for colored hair.   11 Why is an acidic shampoo necessary ? Coloring products are alkaline, so, to be effective, the cuticles of your hair must be opened in order that coloring pigments can be added or stripped away. Afterwards, you should seal the cuticles, in order to set the color. This is why the pH balance of shampoos and conditioners made for colored hair is acidic. Coloring your hair is not supposed to leave it porous. If this is the case, then you have subjected your hair to too many chemical processes, and probably, also choosen colors too different from your natural hair color, and your hair has either not been conditioned, or not been conditioned enough.   12 How can I avoid staining my skin ? Generously apply a very rich moisturizer around your face, on the nape of your neck and around your ears getting as little as possible on your roots. Semi-permanent color like “Casting” and permanent color like « Excellence, Préférence, Récital, Féria et Perfect Blonde de L’Oréal » are very safe and easy to use. Only certain coloring products can sometimes stain the skin, but, even then, the stains can be easily removed with a creamy make-up remover or by shampooing.   13 A natural chestnut can often appear dull. Flow can I brighten it up ? You can liven it up either by using a tone shampoo with shimmering highlights, which would remain discreet even with new growth, or, alternatively, by placing a few honey or caramel streaks near the face, in order to render it more luminous.   14 What products should I use to cover my first gray hair ? If you have very few, and they are very scattered, and you don’t wish to change your hair color, I recommend a tone on tone shampoo. They give a transparent coverage, make your hair shine without assaulting the hair shaft, and don’t leave roots too visible.   15 How can I put streaks in my hair at home ? Practise first on dry hair and without any product. If you feel too clumsy, don’t hesitate to ask a friend for help. Strat applying approximately 1 cm from the roots, and avoid the nape of your neck.   16 When hair has too many streaks in it, is there a way to darken it ? You have to gently put right your color with streaks that are the same tint as your natural color. If you feel capable of doing so yourself, you can do it at home, otherwise, go to your hair salon.   17 Why does blonde, little by little, tend to turn orange ? Decolorizing products are becoming more and more gentle, and colorists have practically stopped using peroxide 40 volume. Therefore, hair is less bleached, and blonde hair, as it oxydizes in fresh air, often has a tendency to turn orange.   18 What hair-care products do you recommend ? Deep conditioners, like huile à la lavande, or masque au germe de blé, which are left on from 1 hour to all night, once a week. These intensive treatments are especially effective when applied the night before your hair gets colored, because your hair is then well prepared to undergo chemical processing. Your hair should not be washed. The hair color will be applied directly upon the conditioner. Regularly conditioning also prevents the artificial pigments from fading.   19 What is your advice for making hair shine ? Shiny hair is hair that is well taken care of, hair that isn’t exhausted and weakened by over-processing. That is why, when doing your own color, it is important to remember to apply color to your roots first, and then, during the last few minutes of application time, to apply the rest of the product to the length and ends of your hair. Also, giving your hair a final rinse with cold water will make it shine. Rincing with lemon juice, thanks to its acid pH level which seals your hairs cuticles, will make your hair shine. Just use a few drops, and only on your hair length, not on your scalp-it doesn’t need the extra acidity.   20 Can I color and perm my hair ? I advise against doing so. The only solution for permed hair is to use a temporary color-tinting product like “Color Pulse of L’Oréal”. But be careful : you must wait at least one week after perming your hair before applying this color product, and you must know that the color will appear more pronounced and marked than usual because of your permed hair’s increased fragility and porosity.   21 How long should I wait before coloring my hair again ? You can color your hair 1 to 2 times per month. But be careful : if your hair is damaged don’t color it until you have fully restored it using products like the shampooing and masque aux germes de blé. Or use a tempory color like “Color Pulse or Dédicace of L’Oréal” to subtly accentuate, lighten, or darken your hair color.   22 How can I darken my hair ? Be careful : if you are blond, and would like to be brunette, you must pre-color your hair (add basic color pigments) before applying permanent color. If you do not,  through frequent shampooing, your hair color will turn khaki !!! If you want your hair to be a lot of darker go to a professional for the first time. Afterwards, you can do it yourself.   23 What kind of hair color should I use after having used henna or vegetable dyes ? You must wait for the hair to grow back. Red henna forms an impermeable layer around hair, thus preventing any color from penetrating and taking hold. Be very careful of dark hennas: often they contain metallic particles which react dramatically to traditional oxydizing coloring processes.   24 If I use a wig, or have extensions, can I color them ? I strongly advise against this. Because wigs and hair extensions - even when made with natural hair - undergo various chemical treatments, they don’t react to color like your real hair does. You should save a lock, and test it first, to see how the extensions will react. There is not much risk if you use “Color Pulse of L’Oréal”   25 Would you advise men to use products made for women ? Yes, but if you want a natural looking result, avoid colors that are too dark or warm-tinted highlights. Choose a natural color, or a color with an ashy tint to it, and always choose a color one or two tones lighter than your natural color. However a product created specifically for men does exist : “Progress Hom of L’Oréal”.   26