Revlon Permanent Hair Color, Permanent Hair Dye, Colorsilk with 100% Gray Coverage, Ammonia-Free, Keratin and Amino Acids, 48 Burgandy, 4.4 Oz (Pack of 3)

After trying ZILLIONS of red hair dyes from just about every brand imaginable (from the cheapest to the spendiest) this is my go-to for color that really POPS without looking incredibly "metallic" or otherwise far afield from anything nature could possibly produce. (At least not on medium-to-dark hair. If you applied it to lighter hair, it would look utterly artificial - which is great, if that's what you're going for.)I always let this product process a looooong time. (As much as an hour following complete application.) Because naturally darker hair requires significant lift (chemical lightening of your natural hair color) to create a more porous and "grabby" surface on which to deposit the chemical color (in this case, bright auburn), you want to ensure the mixture doesn't fully oxidize (develop/process) PRIOR to application. (The reason for this is that most of the chemical "lift" or "pull" comes early in the oxidation process.) In other words, if you mixed your color with the developer and then let it sit in the bottle for 20 minutes before application, you'd get much less lift, which also means you'll get a dramatically more subdued deposit - not nearly as vibrant a result.The tricky part is that the mixture oxidizes very quickly. So, unless you have fairly short hair (which I obviously do not), by the time you get past treating your roots, the product is mostly oxidized. (Again, this means less lift and therefore less availability to deposit.) To prevent this, I mix only half of the product at a time (using a separate application bottle). I use the first half of the bottle to treat my entire hairline (front to back) followed by the crown, temples (these are most visible areas for root-show), and then the remainder of my head. (At this point, I'm ONLY aiming for my roots - the healthiest and therefore most deposit-resistant portion of your hair.)Only after I've completely covered my roots do I mix the remaining half of the product for the rest of my hair. I use a small portion to re-treat the most deposit-resistant portions of my hair (the front of my hairline and temples where I have some graying areas) working downward from the roots to cover as much of my hair as possible. As I near the end of the product, I add a teaspoon or so of water to thin it out and get the last of it out of the bottle. (Since your ends are always more damaged than your roots, the mixture doesn't have to be as concentrated to do its job, so it's perfectly okay to dilute it with a little water.)Because this particular color is VERY vibrant (unnaturally so - they don't call it "bright auburn" for nothin') I use dish-washing soap (horror, I know, lol) to shampoo it out of my hair. (I shampoo it 3x in a row, followed by my regular conditioner, resulting in the color you see in the photo for this review.)Like all reds, this red will not remain rich or vibrant with repeated washings. (Red hair dyes have smaller color molecules than blonde or brunette shades, making it harder for the hair to hold on to the chemically deposited color, which means much faster fading.) Comparing the staying power of blondes and especially brunette shades to red ones is an apples-to-oranges affair, so given this is a very "true" red, it performs as expected for its category and class. (This is about the cheapest hair color you can buy.) This said, it has less lift than most other boxed brands (which also means it's less harsh and less damaging), but this can be overcome with the approach I've described above. (Double applications of non-fully-oxidized product to lift-and-deposit-resistant areas.)As you can see, with strategic application and extended processing times, this product delivers gorgeous shine and excellent gray coverage. (Keep in mind that you're looking at hair that is super, super healthy to begin with since I shampoo only 2-3x per month, RARELY blowdry or use hot-tools, or even apply any styling products.) If you begin with damaged or otherwise non-lustrous hair, you won't get the same level of shine - this isn't a miracle product, after all - but I bet you could still get really beautiful results!

I've been coloring my hair at home for over 25 years. I mainly buy hair dye based on the color, brand is secondary because sometimes it's difficult to find the perfect shade, but other things are important too like smell, feel of hair, coverage, damage, and fading. But the shade is where I start. My original color back in the day was light brown but I colored it dark auburn for over a decade. I paid $13.99 for a box which is very reasonable. A few months ago, I made the transition back to light brown and started leaving out some of my white hair to slowly incorporate for a more natural look. The white coming into the dark auburn color was harsh and jarring to lookil at and I had to do my roots every 4 weeks. My hair is now 85% white and no one my age realistically doesn't have some gray/white shining through and it's not normal to have one solid hair color at 60. I tried a few other brands but didn't get the shade I had in mind, it didn't cover the white hair regrowth I didn't want showing, or it left my hair feeling extremely dry, damaged, and brittle. This Revlon Colorsilk (shade 51) hair dye was so inexpensive I was afraid to try it, but it's fabulous! I haven't found a downside at all. It comes with gloves and deep conditioner like more expensive brands. The conditioner comes in a flat pack instead of a tube, so what? It covers all the white hair I don't want showing, the shade is perfect and consistent each time, and my hair isn't left feeling dry, damaged, stripped, and like straw. I color every 6-7 weeks now and the color never fades. My hair feels soft and it has a pleasant smell. It's such a soft, pretty color that has dimension not a solid monochrome color. Revlon Colorsilk is normally $5 in the store (which is amazing in itself), however, I found it from this seller in a 3 pack for $11.37 plus a 15% discount when I subscribed, and it came out to $3.22 per box! This is ridiculously cheap and I'm thrilled. Great product, amazing price. Arrived overnight and well packaged. Definitely where I'll purchase it from now on. If they have the shade you want, Revlon Colorsilk is a great, affordable brand. Why pay more if you don't have to? Honest review, not paid or comped.*This pic was taken 5 weeks after coloring. Due to lighting, it appears as if there's a reddish/pinkish cast to the right of the pic that is not really there.At Home Coloring Tip:If you have dry ends and your ends tend to get too dark or sooty looking after coloring, try liberally applying hair conditioner to the ends and up two inches. Let it absorb for 5 minutes before coloring. This helps prevent too much product being absorbed for a more even application and extra conditioning. Works every time! Also, you can apply conditioner just under your hairline to prevent the dye from staining your skin. Wipes right off.

I am HIGHLY impressed with this hair dye. It is the best one I’ve tried. First of all it does not smell at all!!!! All other dyes that I’ve tried smell so bad even others that claim to be ammonia free. This one truly does not smell. Second, it’s the best gray coverage I’ve tried as well. I will say my grays came out lighter than the rest of my hair so it kind of looks like I have highlights but it looks great. Lastly, my hair is very dark brown so to find a dye that truly comes out the color on the box is rare. This one did it! It’s a truly beautiful color. I’m very impressed all around. Highly recommended..

The media could not be loaded.  I love how this product doesn't stain my skin. Easy to wipe away any drops.

Mon cheveux naturels sont d’un brun et il a bien pali et j’aime le resultat. Un minimum de cuivré. Facile a utiliser. Mes cheveux gris me donne des meches blondis sans cuivré et ca fait naturel et joli. Je recommande si les cheveux pas trop bruns foncés sinon ca sera plus roux cuivre que blonds.

This product worked well.

Producto suave y eficaz.

My hair looks great and it’s very gentle, no ammonia