Madison-Reed Hair Color At Home Review

Today I suck a little less at dying my own hair.

Let me start off by saying that I have the absolute BEST hair colorist of all time. Her name is Stevee Lynn. She's the bee's knees. But, I have since moved to NYC and now Austin. Flying out to California and spending around $200 to color my hair is hardly in this lady's budget. For the last few years I've only really dyed my hair when I was prepping for a video or photo shoot. The rest of the year I'd just let it be. But, in an effort to not be a slob in my daily life I've been searching for an alternative.

I've been extremely tempted to use boxed dye at home. But, Stevee and I basically spent 2 years bringing my hair back to life after I murdered it with Feria dye. I thought about Henna, but I've heard such horror stories from stylists. Well, in my darkest, dying hour (see what I did there) the hair gods smiled upon me! I stumbled upon Madison-Reed on Refinery 29's website one day.

I decided to take the plunge and give it a try! This was utterly scary for two reasons. One, I suck at doing my own hair. Like, I can barely braid my hair. At 33, I'm finally trying to learn a french braid. Secondly, I have a music video shoot on Sunday for my song, "When We Were Young". This is totally scary because, if I screw it up it will be forever on film. Ah, what the hell! It's only hair, right? Right?!

The Order

Quick and easy! Their online chat was very helpful in picking the correct shade and helping me feel at ease. At one point she said "You got this!" Yeah, I got this ;)

The Package

Exquisite design, directions and everything you could possibly need to dye your hair at home. Except hair clips, make sure you have at least 4 of those. I also ordered and extra color and activator because, my hair is so long. I did end up using it so, I'm glad I made the purchase.

The App

I highly recommend you download the app and use it while you color. It's voice activated so you never even have to remove your gloves! It talks you through each step and provides a video. This really helps if you are more of a visual person. The directions on the box are really good too, but this is just awesome! At any point you can press the chat button to contact a color specialist. I actually ended up calling and the sweet thing helped me out, even on the 4th of July! I had a simple question about timing and how long I should leave it on.

(Think I need a new iPhone?)

The Color

I ended up ordering Vesuvius Red, the brightest red they offer. If this was a few years ago, it definitely wouldn't have been bold enough for me. I loved to dye my hair to look like a clementine. But, I'm a bit older now and I want a rich red that is just a little brighter than my natural reddish-brown color. I have to say, the color ended up the exact same color I paid $200 for at the salon a few months prior. I would like to see Madison-Reed offer a brighter red option in the future.

The Product

The first thing I noticed, there was NO smell! I remember the days where I'd have to take breaks from dying my hair just to breathe in some fresh air. The shampoo they send you has more of a scent than the hair dye. Although, I did get very nervous and I may have missed a few spots on the roots near my ears, the color was simple to apply. With practice, I'm sure it'll be a breeze.

The Verdict

See for yourself! My hair looks and feels really healthy. I love the product, process, color and the PRICE! Did I mention it's only $25? I think it is safe to say, I will be dying my hair at home from now on!

Sorry, Stevee :(

(taken indoors // same lighting)

Tips

• Don't be afraid if you get a little product on your skin. I had no trouble removing it.
• Don't forget the roots next to your ears. I did! Luckily my natural color isn't drastically different.
• If you have long hair, buy extra color.
• Stop reading and go dye your hair already!