L’Oreal Paris Couleur Experte Hair Color Kit, Toasted Coconut

The last photo is an older photo to show that my roots are darker and that I already had some previous color/ lightener towards my ends. I purchased the 7.0 dark blonde kit. My natural color so I’ve been told is a light brown level 6. I like to lighten my hair a little bit, because I like to have dimension and I am a low maintenance kinda gal. I only applied the lightener to my hair, not the color. I did a test strand first on a small section underneath the bottom back side of my head which is the darker/natural virgin part of my hair. I liked how the strand test came out, so I then applied the lightener all over my head/hair except on the roots per directions. However, I don’t think the lightener is meant to be applied everywhere. I used both of the applicators to apply it all over and then I used a soft bristle brush to brush it throughout more, but on top only if that makes sense. Left it in for about 15-20 minutes and washed it out with my regular shampoo and conditioner.

This stuff dyed my dark blond hair orange. Worst hair dye I have ever used. Incredibly expensive too.

This is a wonderful time and money saving product! I have used it for years and will hopefully use it for many more. It did take me some time to find the technique best for my needs……trial and error. I am sharing what I have learned:

1. Remember to put some sort of vasolene or Abololene-type moisturizer around ears and hairline, front, ears, nape of neck, to prevent color bleeding onto your skin. Wear an old T-shirt and remove any rug or towels etc. from the area. If you are like me you may end up with this on places other than your head!

2. Don’t try to color on hair that has heavy styling products, especially spray, as it makes it harder for the color to permeate your hair. I don’t think a little gel, or mousse will hurt, just the heavier products.

3. I like a multi-color look and will vary the colors within a shade or two every now and then……..light brown one month…….dark ash blonde next month…..whatever floats my boat. After a few applications over half a year I achieved the multi tone look and it automatically renews itself each application as the placement of streaks varies each time. I end up coloring darker some of the blonde from a previous use and then highlight some new spots too.

The fiirst time I used this I did my whole head and would repeat within 4-6 weeks. It really is not totally permanent. However, some of the color does remain but looks about half a deep as the original as the weeks go by. Now I merely apply the color to roots and temple area, where my gray is. Then I use a very wide tooth comb and coat with the solution………comb this through one area at a time, top to bottom, just once…….continuing around my head. Not all the hair is recolored. This way I am adding new, darker shades, and keeping the faded, lighter colors, along with some of my own natural growth. Again, great for the multi tonal look.

4. After rinsing you can apply highlights to wet or dry hair……I prefer dry as I literally ‘brush’ the strands like the French Bayalage method. While waiting for the lighting mixture to work the chosen strands will benefit from a redabbing of the cream or at least a little wetting to keep the mixture wet enough to work into the hairs. I find that if I paint the spots I want and then cover my head with saran wrap and a towel if you don’t want to look too weird 😉 and then wait the full desired time, the hair lightens best. They stick you under the dryer in salons……heat really helps and the saran wrap captures body heat well. Don’t try to do too many strands as it is good to have a teaspoon or two left for recoating should it be taking a bit too long to get to the color you want and you want to recoat. There is not that much mixture to begin with.

5. Professionals disagree on whether the hair should be ‘wet’ or ‘dry’ when highlighting. I prefer dry as when the hair is dry I can see better how the curls/layers/waves are falling thus aiding in the positioning of my streaks…..which as I said I actually brush on with the brush applicator included in the kits. Also, and I think this is really important for those of you with short hair, or long hair you like to wear up or frenchbraided once in a while……..When applying highlights lift up hair around your head…….here and there……and brush on a little lightener scattered all over the underneath hair. This way the streaks will appear when underhair is exposed adding dimension and natural, sun kissed look. These streaks don’t get as light as the ones around your face and that is the look stylists go for.

6. Also, I love a few very light streaks around my face and the lightener in this kit doesn’t go too light easily. So, now I pull strands I want very light forward onto my face to keep separate from the rest of the head and highlight them later with a separate kit. There are several quick lighting ones available……..inexpensive and easy to ‘paint on’……though I actually ‘coat them well’ to really get the bleach into them. I only do this to two or three strands on either side of face (near ear, mid head, temple area)……and then about three across the top…….positioning not too evenly apart so it looks more natural. I don’t care for the ‘every three hole’ in the cap look. You don’t have to leave them on your face when coated. Just push them back over the other hair. They will be stiff and won’t lean heavily on the newly colored hair and if they do touch they won’t harm anything.

These strands will lighten pretty quickly as they are not too thick. You can recoat them too as you wait if they dry out but they should get to that super light shade you want……..be patient.

When completed and all is washed out be sure to lather on the enclosed conditioner, though I often use a more heavy duty treatment…….and leave on for an hour or so. It isn’t necessary, but you’ll be amazed at how soft your newly colored/highlighted hair will be…..which isn’t always the case for these jobs.

I know this sounds like a big hairy deal. No pun intended. There are many little steps to follow, but they are all easy and the results are more than worth it. I usually do this on a saturday morning…….warn everyone that it is ‘do my hairs’ day 😉 and it takes about three hours from start to finish. A small price to pay with a little inconvenience…….but I’d rather have the $250 in my pocket and besides I get to do it my way. Hair dressers don’t ever seem to get it just the way I want.

ps One more important tip: If the color is too brassy for your taste it can be nicely subdoed with a ‘color rinse’ like FanciFul. Frivolous Fawn is great for us light brown with blonde highlights.

pps I dab my fading eyebrows with some of the base color with a Qtip…….not the lashes!! This won’t last as long as the full job but you’ll get a couple of weeks of nicely colored brows so important espcially for us ‘boomers.’

I like a multi-color look and will vary the colors within a shade or two everynow and then……..light brown one month…….dark ash next month…..whatever floats my boat. After a few applications over half a year I achieved the multi tone look and it automatically renews itself each application as the placement of streaks varies each time. I end up coloring darker some of the blonde from a previous use and then highlight some new spots too.

This stuff works pretty darn good for adding highlights – which of course, can be very hard for brunettes. I wish they had more of the highlighting product for people with longer or mega thick hair like mine, but it works great and I’ve bought it 3 or 4 times.

I really like this product have been using since the pandemic began. I only wish the cost was a bit less since I am purchasing every month so let me know if you sell a few at a better price grouped together would be ideal!

I have been using this product for years until they no longer became available in my local stores. Thank you amazon for making them available all of the time.
I can’t say enough about this product, it is so great it’s almost fool proof. Simple directions that are easy to follow, very easy to apply, no strong odors, and the results are amazing. If I had to find any fault with this product it would be not enough color options. The dark blonde is almost too light for me (personal opinion) but the light brown is too dark. But that being said there are ways to get around that. :-). I have tried many different products but after many hair coloring mistakes I will not use anything else but L’Oreal Paris Couleur Experte. If you looking for a product that will give you a natural looking hair color with added highlights this product is for you.