The 5 Best Temporary Hair Dyes, Tested

Table Of Content

• Differences Between Temporary, Semi-Permanent, Demi-Permanent & Permanent Dyes
• Best Temporary Hair Color Spray for Gray Hair
• Best Personalized At-Home Hair Color
• Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Dye
• The best color-depositing shampoos for your hair color
• Why is eSalon the Best Home Hair Color?
• Best Color Depositing Mask for Hydration
• HailiCare Unicorn Purple Hair Wax

To find the best temporary hair color, we researched dozens of formulas before selecting 14 options for real-world testing. From there, our PEOPLE Tested team began a six-week testing period where we tried each temporary hair color to gain first-hand knowledge and experience of their performance. Temporary hair color is meant to be, well, temporary, so they usually don’t last beyond a few washes. This can help you prevent the inevitable fading that comes with washing while still getting to play with your hair color.

Differences Between Temporary, Semi-Permanent, Demi-Permanent & Permanent Dyes

Temporary hair colors are mainly used to refer to colors that wash away after a single shampoo. Therefore the only true temporary hair color by definition is applied by spraying it on,” says Paul Labrecque, creative director and master stylist at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa. As a rule of thumb, typically the lighter your hair, the brighter and more vivid a color will be, i.e. achieving bolder color is easier for blondes versus those who are brunette, redhead, or raven-haired.

Best Temporary Hair Color Spray for Gray Hair

If you do plan to use powder for all-over temporary black color, this is the one to try. High Ridge Beams Intense Temporary Spray On Black Hair Color is a better option if you’re looking to do an all-over black temporary color rather than just touching up roots. Sudsier detergents and clarifying agents are the ones responsible for fading pigments. When dealing with a semi-permanent dye where you're going to want to keep your color around as long as possible, the most effective way to do so is using color-safe hair products without harsh detergents and sulfates.

Best Personalized At-Home Hair Color

Sprays, crayons, powders, and chalks offer instant full coverage—and then rinse off as soon as you shampoo. Tinted shampoos or conditioners deposit a subtle hue that lasts for weeks; the more you use it, the brighter the color becomes. Semi-permanent colors and henna stain the hair upon application and stay vibrant for four to six weeks. Temporary hair color is there when you want the results of dying your hair a fun and vibrant hue without the actual commitment of going bold.

Best Hair Dye for Kids 2024 - Today's Parent

Best Hair Dye for Kids 2024.

Posted: Thu, 25 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Dye

Another thing to consider when choosing a shade is that warm colors (pink, red, orange, yellow) fade better and quicker, while cool colors (blue, green, violet) will stick around longer. Keep your hair colorful and conditioned with this full-coverage semi-permanent hair dye that's available in 27 shades. Its formula contains fatty acids and vitamins to keep hair feeling moisturized and soft to the touch. No matter what type of temporary color you choose, it's important to note that these types of dyes are great for darkening hair, says Norris, so don't expect dramatic results if you're looking to turn dark brown a shade of pink. To counteract this, Norris suggests limiting shampoos and using a conditioning hair mask once per week to nourish and moisturize the strands.

Whether you want to go pink, black, or simply cover up gray roots, stylists say these are the best temporary dyes for the job. Splat has become well known for its line of colorful collection of hair dyes. Lime Crime’s line of Unicorn Hair Dye is beloved by celebrities, including Kylie Jenner, and beauty magazines. Colors range from a dark chestnut brown to a bright red inspired by lipstick. From semi-permanent coloring conditioners made without harsh bleaching agents to a marker-shaped dye that you can actually color onto your strands, there are plenty of gentle options out there. Color-protecting shampoos won’t add color to the hair and are formulated to maintain the existing color for as long as possible without the potential for it to fade or appear dull, says O’Connor.

Why is eSalon the Best Home Hair Color?

You'll also want to consider the ingredients and whether the color is permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary. In order to find the best products, we consulted haircare expert Janet Zeitoun for their favorite products for covering gray hair. We also considered the ease of use and color performance of each option. This naturally formulated gel is free of oxidants and ammonia, easy to use, and safe for all hair types. Our top pick for the best temporary hair color is the Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Full Coverage, which also happens to be a favorite amongst celebrities like Megan Fox.

Temporary black hair color powders are a great option if you’re uncomfortable using sprays or chalks. These ultra-fine powdered dyes are dusted onto your hair directly to temporarily change the color and help conceal uneven patches, bald spots, thinning areas, and grown-out roots. Keep reading to discover the best temporary hair color on the market, including full-coverage semi-permanent formulas, single-use applications, glosses, and color-depositing masks. When we used a deep red, the color came out beautifully on bleached blonde and gray hair. It made a slight tint on brown hair, but it wasn’t as noticeable unless under bright lights.

HailiCare Unicorn Purple Hair Wax

Temporary black hair dye allows you to temporarily color your hair black without the long-lasting or permanent effects of more robust, harsher dyes. It comes in a variety of forms, from sprays and liquid to creams, chalks, and powders. Warm shades will also grab more evenly, so they might be a better option if it’s your first time dabbling into at-home color.

"Protecting the space where you will be dyeing your hair is essential, cover all areas that dye could possibly get to, accidents happen," says Zeitoun. Create the ultra precise blonde highlights you want with expert cap & hook... Root Touch-Up Color Refreshing Spray extends the life of your color...

Be sure to read our foolproof guide to coloring your hair at home like a pro, plus get inspired by our favorite hues for dark brown hair, black hair, gray hair, auburn hair and blonde color. Daydreaming about new reds, browns, or black hair color for upcoming season, but don’t want to fully commit? Have roots that you need to cover stat, but don’t have time to make it to a salon? Temporary hair color, i.e. color that fades over time with washing, is the ideal technique for someone wanting to experiment or conceal roots in a pinch. We asked expert colorists to break down temporary hair color, including how to pick the best temporary hair color, how to care for your new hue, and the best product recommendations to try. All of them deposit color onto the surface of the hair, but their application methods and longevity differ.

This will normally be enough to fade semi-permanent dye that has been applied to virgin hair. Our licensed colorists create a custom shade for you, based on your hair history and goals. It ranked highly with users at having instructions and an applicator that were easy to use, covering grays completely, providing even color and having a non-offensive scent. The color was "rich and uniform" and "didn't look like it was from a box," two testers marveled. As the daughter of a long-time hair stylist and salon owner, she’s spent most of her life as a guinea pig for new color and cut techniques.

Start applying your color where you have the most resistant gray hair first. "Resistant gray hair needs the full processing time required to take the color well," says Zeitoun. Once you have finished applying the dye, cross-check to see that you have covered all the gray strands but do not reapply the color. "If you keep overlapping the color, it will make your hair darker and can cause a dark ring around your hair that a professional will need to correct. Color correction can be expensive, so try and avoid this." They provide real-life feedback on resulting hair shine, softness and smoothness, as well as color fade over four weeks after application. Test out a new hair shade or refresh the one you have as you deep condition strands with Moroccanoil’s innovative temporary color-depositing mask, a GH Beauty Award winner.

Online reviewers love the smell of the dye, but some with darker hair did warn that their color wasn’t as intense as expected. This gets the color deeper inside the hair and results in a more long-lasting change. Experience custom hair color, made by a licensed colorist, and shipped to your door. —this formula uses rice starch in its spray to absorb dirt and oil while covering roots and strengthening hair fibers. For an incredibly precise application, use the pinpoint actuator on this can to suss out any stubborn greys.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab regularly tests at-home hair color, both in our Labs and by sending out blinded products to our consumer testing panel. When we test hair dye in the Lab, we dye uniform hair swatches with different dyes and see how well each covers stray grays. Of course, we also want to see how long each dye lasts, so we put them through 20 wash and dry cycles and 10 hours of UVA light exposure. We also have real consumers test out at-home hair color and report back on different factors like ease of use, gray coverage, color richness and uniformity to make sure the color holds up (and that it doesn't damage hair!).

If semi-permanent hair color isn’t temporary enough for you, we recommend the Curlsmith Hair Makeup Temporary Color Styling Gel. This one-time hair color is formulated to provide pigment to your hair and then completely wash out with one shampoo — and it does exactly that. In addition to an all-over look, we love this formula for those who have darker hair with bright highlights. While testing, we found that the color only really sticks to the highlights without muddying brown locks or giving them a dingier version of the desired hue. Temporary dyes are lower risk as they simply coat each strand with color. From bright orange to deep purple, Good Dye Young Poser Paste color options represent the whole rainbow spectrum.