12 Drugstore Hair Dyes to Try at Home If You Love DIY Beauty

Best Overall: Clairol Natural Instincts

4.9

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Coloring your hair at home can be intimidating, especially if you're worried about damaging your hair. But with Clairol Natural Instincts, you can put all of your boxed dye fears at ease. The conditioning formula is ammonia-free and boasts a blend of coconut oil, aloe, and vitamins. The result is hair that looks radiant with enhanced color and shine. As for timing, 10 minutes is all it takes for it to work its magic, leaving you with color that will last for 28 washes, covering grays and roots. That's way less time than it would take in the salon chair, so really, it's a no-brainer.

Active Ingredients: Coconut, aloe vera | Type: Semi-permanent | Shades: Sahara light blonde, spiced cider light warm brown, cinnaberry medium auburn, and more | Size: 1 application | Application Type: Liquid | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Brunette: John Frieda Precision Foam Colour

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This kit makes ​at-home coloring a cinch, and the unique foam formula simplifies precision color application so you can deposit color exactly where you want it. The even saturation includes 100 percent gray coverage and leaves you with vibrant color. 

Type: Permanent | Shades: Dark cool espresso brown, medium natural blonde, dark red brown, and more | Size: 1 application | Application Type: Foam | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Blonde: Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme

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This little box does it all: You can cover grays, lighten dark roots, or get a new hue altogether. The permanent formula goes easy on your hair and nourishes with grape seed, shea butter​, and avocado oil. This conditioning action helps hair hold onto the color from root to tip, extending the life of the shade, leaving you with a rich, bold color.

Active Ingredients: Grape seed and avocado oils | Type: Permanent | Shades: Mahogany brown 415, true red 66, dark beige brown 72, and more | Size: 1 application | Application Type: Liquid | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Black: Clairol Nice ‘n Easy

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When you have dark raven hair, covering grays can be challenging. Luckily, this formula is up to the task. Boasting 100 percent gray coverage, it makes it look natural with a range of luminous tones and highlights. Even though it’s heavy-duty, you don’t have to worry about that chemical smell—this one has a fresh, floral fragrance instead. It conditions along the way, leaving hair shinier and softer than when you started. Plus, the non-drip formula won’t make a mess of your entire bathroom.

Active Ingredients: ME+ molecule | Type: Permanent | Shades: Ultra light cool summer blonde, medium copper blonde, medium cool brown, and more | Size: 1 application | Application Type: Liquid | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Red: Revlon Colorsilk Beautiful Color Permanent Hair Color

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Red hair dye tends to fade fast, so you’ll want a formula with major staying power, and this one does the trick. Thanks to Revlon 3D Color Gel Technology, the permanent dye delivers a natural look from root to tip with a boost from the multi-tonal color that gives dimension. The combination of silk proteins conditions to leave hair shiny and soft. Plus, the dye is infused with UV defense to protect color from the sun and extend its vibrancy.

Active Ingredients: Revlon 3D Color Gel Technology, silk amino acids, keratine amino acids | Type: Permanent | Shades: Dark brown, soft black, dark ash blonde, and more | Size: 1 application | Application Type: Liquid | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No

Best for Root Touch-Ups: Clairol Nice 'n Easy Root Touch-Up

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Whether you always opt for at-home color or prefer to see a professional for root touch-ups, this kit will stretch your hue between colorings. The permanent color seamlessly blends into your shade to deliver 100 percent gray coverage. The precision brush makes it a cinch to apply and speeds up the process. It only takes 10 minutes to color roots and grays, but the hue lasts up to three weeks.

Type: Permanent | Shades: Extra light blonde, light auburn/reddish brown, blue black, and more | Size: 1 application | Application Type: Liquid | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Permanent: Garnier Olia Oil Permanent Hair Color

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This formula is not only ammonia-free, but it's also is made of 60 percent moisturizing oils. The result? An intensely nourishing formula that not only colors beautifully and evenly (including covering grays completely), but also leaves hair super hydrated and shiny, a surefire way to make your hue look even better, no matter which color you choose.

Active Ingredients: Sunflower, meadowfoam, passion flower, camellia, and other flower oils | Type: Permanent | Shades: Light neutral brown, dark rose quartz, lightest silver blonde, and more | Size: 1 application | Application Type: Liquid | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Semi-Permanent: Schwarzkopf Color Boost Vibrancy Booster

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No matter whether you’re a DIY newbie or want to give your color a little extra TLC but not necessarily change it, semi-permanent formula is the way to go. This is one of our favorites, largely for how easy it is to use—and how customizable it is. How it works: Simply add in anywhere between one to five drops, depending on how intense of an effect you want, into your standard conditioner, and leave it on for five minutes. The effect is increased vibrancy and enhanced tone—a great option to use in between full-on colorings or just on its own—and the results last up to 20 washes.

Type: Semi-permanent | Shades: Red, golden, dark cool, brown, cool blonde, icy | Size: Multiple applications | Application Type: Liquid | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Temporary: Mysteek Naturals Color Pop

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This color wax is excellent for those that want to experiment with new colors without the commitment. It's chemical-free and comes out in one wash, so you can play with bright and bold colors to see which one is right for you. Users say that the pigments are vibrant enough to bring color to even the darkest hair.

Type: Wash-out | Shades: Royal purple, bougie blue, fyah red, glowing green, and more | Size: Multiple applications | Application Type: Wax | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Best for Highlights: L'Oréal Paris Colorista Bleach Highlights

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First, a big caveat: Highlighting your own hair is definitely trickier than applying a single process and really is a technique best left up to the pros. That being said, if you feel extremely confident in your DIY abilities, this is the product to use. It comes with a unique, three-pronged brush/comb hybrid that lets you comb the lightening formula through hair for the most natural effect possible. And it is meant to be used with the brand’s semi-permanent vibrant color line, which you can then apply after the fact if you want to rock a bold rainbow hue.

Type: Semi-permanent | Shades: Highlights, all-over, ombre bleach | Size: 1 application | Application Type: Liquid | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Gloss: Kristin Ess Signature Hair Gloss

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True story: Glosses are one of the pros’ top secrets to scoring beautifully shiny, healthy color. Think of it almost as a top coat for nail polish, a must to ensure the end result is as pretty as possible. This ammonia- and silicone-free formula does exactly that, helping to keep color shiny and vibrant while also helping to neutralize unwanted tones (think brassy ones on brown hair or yellowish ones on platinum hair) but without necessarily changing your color; results last three to four weeks.

Type: Semi-permanent | Shades: Copper penny, platinum, ruby, chocolate cosmo, and more | Size: 1 application | Application Type: Liquid | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No