1. Patch Test

Always perform a Patch Test (or Allergy Alert Test) prior to applying The Shade to your hair. Instructions are found inside your Colour Kit or here

2. Chemical treatment

We recommend waiting a minimum of 48 hours after a chemical treatment (straightening, keratin, henna or perm) before colouring your hair, or for best results wait 2 weeks.

3. Colouring previously coloured hair

Colouring over previously coloured hair can affect your colour result. It is easier to take your already coloured hair to a darker shade than to go lighter. You may need to remove darker permanent colours from your hair (using a colour remover product or at your salon, or The Shade’s Bleach Wash Kit $21.95) before you can achieve a lighter colour result.

4. Lightening your hair

Colour cannot lighten previously coloured hair. Our colour and developer will achieve 2 levels of colour change on your natural hair colour, but it cannot lighten previously coloured hair. We recommend getting advice from one of our colourists  if you are wanting to lighten your hair by two colour levels

5. Bleach Wash

We recommend purchasing our Bleach Wash Kit ($21.95) to remove previous colour before lightening your hair. Lightening your colour often reveals unwanted warmth due to the natural contributing pigment. We recommend you contact one of our colourists  if you plan to do a bleach wash. We do not recommend performing a bleach wash more than once or twice a year.

6. Colour Result

If you are unhappy with your hair colour result, please contact one of our colourists who can assist you. There are many factors which can affect the hair colour result including, but not limited to the condition of your hair, the presence of previous hair colour, and application instructions not being fully adhered to. We will offer advice, and if necessary we will send you a replacement colour kit free of charge, but we will not offer a refund.