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My Subscription Addiction

My Secret to Toning Down Brassiness with At-Home Color

Geraldine Orentas
ByGeraldine OrentasSep 8, 2022In Partnership With Madison Reed

In my mind, nothing is more infuriating than spending tons of money on professional hair coloring just to struggle with brassiness weeks after. I’m not the most dedicated at keeping up with my hair color but I try my best. But wouldn’t it be much better if there was an easier way to deal with this at home?

After trying out countless drugstore hair coloring treatments, I realized it was time to make a change. So, I gave Madison Reed Hair Color a try.

Choosing the Right Color

If you’ve spent 30+ minutes staring at a shelf of hair color treatments, you’re not alone. I never know what color to use, and since I often switch brands, I don’t always know which shade of brunette is best.

I’ve ended up with orange hair more than once for not choosing the right chocolate shade!

Madison Reed takes care of that so you can color at home with total confidence. Does it get better than that? You first want to take a quick quiz online to help you find the perfect shade.  If you'd like, you can even have a free video color consultation with a licensed colorist to answer any questions from start to finish. You can also get a free color consultation in person at one of their Madison Reed Hair Color Bars located nationwide. There, you can get your hair colored for you by a licensed colorist if you want, or just take your hair color home to do it yourself.

Down to the Process

Now the good part, coloring at home: Since I’m no expert, I like to use what comes in the box. In this case, it means you get:

  • Radiant hair color
  • Applicator bottle
  • Barrier cream
  • Gloves
  • Shower cap
  • Cleansing wipes

I also ordered Color Reviving Gloss. People who color their hair at home don't always know this, but when you get your hair colored in a salon, they usually apply permanent color to your roots and a semi-permanent color to your mid-lengths and ends. This is where Color Reviving Gloss comes in.

Two things were really different for me this time: the barrier cream and cleansing wipes.

For years I’ve ended up with dark spots on my neck, arms, and forehead. But Madison Reed’s barrier cream ensured that I didn’t get color on my skin. The cleansing wipe cleaned up any excess. It’s the simplest thing, but it makes a huge difference in making the whole application process easier.

Instructions are very clear, with options to use either the application bottle or a brush. I also enjoy the fact that they include the shower cap, so I could continue with my day at home while I waited for my hair color to be ready.

Here’s Where Madison Reed Won My Heart

The best part of using Madison Reed was that it didn’t cause any damage to my mid-lengths and ends! This was possible because of their amazing two-step process.

The entire process took just over an hour. I first used their Radiant Hair Color treatment on my roots. I then applied the Color Reviving Gloss (using their Espresso tone) to my mid-lengths and ends. The Color Reviving Gloss is great if you want a multidimensional look. Besides being part of the treatment, it’s also a 35-minute hair gloss to refresh your color, correct tone, add shine, and reduce brassiness.

The (Natural) Results Are In

I turned 30 this year and have a few grays. I waited 45 minutes before rinsing the color off. (Pro tip: use the gloves provided to avoid stained hands!)

I was astonished by how accurate the color matching was and that my grays were gone. Check out my before and after photos – because my biggest concern is brassiness, I wasn’t going for a major color transformation.

Before

After

But if you didn’t read this, there’s no way you could tell I'd colored my hair. The brassiness is gone and my ends don’t look orange every time the sun hits them. This looks like my natural hair color and provides excellent gray coverage.

I love how Madison Reed’s two-step process gave me glossy, less-damaged, no-brass hair from the roots to the ends. Honestly, I never realized at-home coloring could be so easy. I love that I can take a quiz or talk to a licensed colorist before getting my color delivered straight to my house. It’s a convenient way to get salon-quality results without spending a fortune. I can see why busy people love having gorgeous hair color delivered right to their door, on their schedule.

They actually offer a couple other items I plan to incorporate into my routine this week:

  • Color Therapy hair mask. They recommend using the therapy mask 2-3 times per week in place of conditioner—the more often you use it, the more color is deposited. Win-win all around!
  • Root Perfection™ Root Touch Up Kit. I love that the Root Perfection is full of great ingredients like keratin, argan oil, and ginseng root extract AND offers me 100% gray coverage in just ten minutes.

Madison Reed products save me time and money – and they’re simple to use. At last, I can extend the life of my color, tackle brassiness before it starts showing, and refresh and enhance color all while deep conditioning.