Found: 17 At-Home Hair Dyes That Are Truly Hard to Mess Up (2024)

Sometimes a girl just wants a pink streak in her hair, you feel? Whether you’re trying to get festival ready or you're already planning your looks for Halloween (hey, October will be here before you know it), this spray-on hair color is the perfect choice. It mists on evenly, feels weightless, and won’t leave your hair feeling heavy or crunchy.

THE REVIEWS: “This worked exactly as expected—all the lighter brown and blonde pieces of hair took the pink color super well," writes a tester. "I'll def be repurchasing for days when I want to try something new."

Instead of roaming through the drugstore aisle trying to guess what color is the best match for you, eSalon works to create a custom hair dye kit that's best suited for your exact needs. All you have to do is answer a few questions about your hair type, skin tone, etc. and their scientists develop a batch of hair dye that's delivered right to your door.

THE REVIEWS: “This was the best at-home color experience I’ve ever had," one tester writes. "The instructions are easy to follow and the color came out absolutely beautiful.”

This clean, vegan at-home hair color is just as good—if not better—than a lot of the conventional box dyes on the market. Not only will this formula leave you with long-lasting color that won't fade after a few shampoos, but it's also filled with all the ingredients you want (like hydrating hemp and camellia oil) and none that you don't (think: ammonia and sulfates). This means that the formula is extra gentle on your hair and scalp.

THE REVIEWS: “I am 75 percent gray and this covers perfectly," one tester's review reads. "It doesn’t look artificial or unnaturally dark— it actually looks better than the more expensive custom-made brands I've tried."

Bleach can wreak some major havoc on your hair—which is why DIY bleaching isn't something I'd recommend if you're a newbie. But if you know your way around a developer bottle, this at-home hair color kit is perfect for you. It's packed with ingredients like mango, castor oil, cocoa seed butter, and sunflower seed oil. Together, the MVP ingredients help to minimize the damage that comes from bleaching your hair by soothing the scalp, strengthening your hair, and boosting hydration.

THE REVIEWS: “This bleach the best I have tried at home," writes a tester, adding "it's super easy to prepare and apply and the final result was better than expected!"

Dull hair is never the look you want, so whenever your strands are feeling a little blah, reach for this at-home hair gloss. Its formula works to enhance your current hair color and will leave your hair as soft and shiny as the Jenner sisters’.

THE REVIEWS: “My hair looks as fresh as when I leave the salon after using this at home," one reviewer writes. "My friends always ask if I just got my hair professional colored after using this amazing product," another review reads.

If your scalp legit gets angry with you whenever you put anything on it, this hair dye is for you. It doesn’t contain known irritants, like ammonia, parabens, phthalates, and gluten. But the formula is packed with keratin, argan oil, and ginseng root—ingredients that will make sure your hair stays conditioned during the coloring process.

THE REVIEWS: “I was on the fence about shades and I used their website to help me figure it out and it is gorgeous! Beautiful shine and dimension immediately. Easy to apply and clean up and I got excellent gray coverage,” according to one tester.

IMO, ombré is a hair color that'll always be trending. And if you want to keep your ends bright, you need this at-home hair color kit. It's pretty easy to use too—it comes with a professional brush that evenly deposits the color onto your ends without looking streaky or chunky.

THE REVIEWS: “If you’re trying to lighten your hair color, this is the only bleaching kit I’ve found that truly works," one tester writes. "I was a red head for years and decided to go back to blonde. The other other bleaching kits I tried were useless, but this one worked on the first application."

TBH, showing a little root is no big deal, but when they start to take on a life of their own, it’s time to touch them up. All you have to do is shake this can, hold it about six inches away from your roots, and spray. The even stream will cover up your natural color in no time. Plus, it’s transfer-proof (just let it dry for a few minutes), so you don’t have to worry about it getting all over your hands.

THE REVIEWS: “Out of all the root concealers I have tried (and there have been many...) this is still the best I’ve found," one tester writes. "It stays where it is supposed to and lasts until your next wash."

If you’ve started to see a gray hair or two, don’t freak—it’s normal to see a few in your 20s! But in case you want to hide them, this gel hair dye will get the job done. Apply it to your hair with the nozzle, let it sit for 30 minutes, and rinse. Your grays will be gone (temporarily) and your hair will be really freakin’ soft (thanks to the inula flower extract in the formula).

THE REVIEWS: “This covers my gray well and doesn't have the harsh toxic smell of a permanent color. I can let some of the gray come through if I want, and I like that; it looks more natural that way!”

If your hair color could use a refresh but you don't want to, you know, severely damage your hair in the process, you might want to opt for this at-home formula. It's infused with keratin, a protein that works to strengthen hair's protective cuticle, to prevent breakage and split ends.

THE REVIEWS: “The color stays for a good two months (at least) for me, until it starts to fade slightly," writes a tester, adding "I love the color and it doesn’t feel like it damages my hair at all. I always come back to this exact box of dye."

If you’re trying to go all out with your hair color, this is the brand for you. With colors ranging from bright pink to deep violet, this semi-permanent hair color will last you four to six weeks. Just be sure to wash with a sulfate-free shampoo post-dye—they’re formulated to make sure your color doesn’t fade.

THE REVIEWS: “The color lasts for quite a while, and when it does fade, its still somehow vibrant," reads one review. "Just be sure to just protect your surfaces, or they'll wear Manic Panic too."

Okay, so normally, I wouldn’t recommend doing your own highlights (they’re so easy to mess up!), but this kit makes it simple. It’s only two steps—the first lightens your hair and the second one tones. It also comes with a wishbone applicator that gives you control over where your highlights are and makes sure the space between them is even. It’s a freaking gift from above.

THE REVIEWS: “I absolutely loved this kit. The results were subtle and natural looking. I'll definitely purchase again. I recommend watching the videos on the site a few times before using the balayage method. Overall, I'm very happy with the way it turned out.”

Moisture and hydration are major keys for all curl types—especially type 4 hair—you don’t want to put anything in it that will dry it out, you know? That’s where this hair dye comes in. Thanks to this ammonia-free formula that packs jojoba oil and five botanical extracts, you’ll not only be left with your dream color, but your hair will be soft and hydrated too.

THE REVIEWS: “This is my first time using this product and the color was exactly true to the description," one review reads. "My hair looks beautiful—I will purchase this color over and over again."

Worried that your at-home dye will leave your hair feeling like straw? Enter this box hair color, which contains three butters (mango, shea, and coconut) to ensure your hair doesn’t look dry AF post-dye. It also comes with a hair mask full of argan, avocado, and sunflowers oils to keep your hair deeply moisturized.

THE REVIEWS: “I've been using this for years now and I always get compliments on my hair color," one tester writes. "My hair grows pretty fast so I color it every three weeks...I get a salon quality color but at a fraction of the cost!” writes another tester.

Red hair can be the hardest color to nail when it comes to an at-home dye job. But this product from Revlon is the truth—the formula deposits the pigment evenly so it looks natural, and it protects your color from UV rays. The result? A bold, vibrant red that’ll have people asking, “Wait, is that your real hair color?”

THE REVIEWS: “I’ve used a lot of different coloring products at various price points," reads a review. "This one does a fine job at a good price. Just follow the directions and don’t leave the product on longer than instructed, so as not to over-process your color.”

This hair color has 30K reviews on Target, but in case that doesn’t sell you, listen up: Each box contains the perfect mix of tones and highlights to make sure your dye job actually looks, you know, natural. And every step contains a conditioning ingredient, so you don’t have to worry about damaging your strands.

THE REVIEWS: “I have been using Clairol for years now—it's great permanent color that fully covers gray and white hair," reads one tester's review.

This hair dye comes in a foam formula, but don't be scared. The foam spreads easily (so you don’t have to worry about streaks) and it reaches all those annoyingly hard-to-get-to areas (aka the back of your head). Another foam bonus? It gives you complete, saturated coverage, meaning off-color patches won’t be a thing when it comes to your fresh blonde hair.

THE REVIEWS: “The foam is weird to work with for the first time, but it really gives great coverage—even on stubborn grays," writes one reviewer. "Additionally, I only had to use half for my short hair (I separated half the developer in a separate bottle before mixing)...it's a great value and a great result!"

At-home hair dyes tend to be less powerful than their pro counterparts, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. At-home dyes also aren't as customizable, which, again not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a lot of science and skill that goes into mixing hair color, and without the right expertise, things can go wrong quickly.

The bottom line: You’re not getting the same dye used in salons at your local drugstore, but that doesn't mean the end result can't be equally great.

There are tons of great hair dye products that can be used at home. Celeb colorist Amanda Lee swears by color-depositing conditioners and masks. "They're temporary—so there's less room for error—and they often contains moisturizing and nourishing ingredients that help improve hair health," says Lee.

If you want something more long-lasting, you can try demi-permanent, semi-permanent, or permanent color. Just know that most colorists will recommend ammonia-free or low ammonia formulas since they tend to be the gentlest on hair.

You also have the option to bleach your hair at home...but it's risky. Bleach can seriously damage your hair, mess up your color, or irritate your scalp if you don't follow the instructions perfectly. That being said, all of the bleach kits on this least have been vetted, and when used correctly, can give you amazing results.