Need a (safe & easy) hair color boost?

By Elle

I’ve often read that one should aspire to a lighter, warmer hair color as one ages, and since I suppose I know a wee bit about aging these days (after all, I’ve been helping to care for my mom), I think that advice is right on target.

Aw, who am I kidding. I can’t blame my mom for everything. Truth is, I’m getting older every dang day. And I’ve noticed that when I don’t color my hair, it looks dull and lifeless, and I look at least six months older than I am. At least.  But I really don’t dig using chemicals on my person, so when I do color my hair, I use semi-permanent products that wash out within a month. Downsides: 1) I forget to do it, and 2) I feel annoyed about committing 25 minutes to coloring my hair. I don’t have that kind of time these days. Srsly. And you probably don’t either.

So, after complaining about my predicament recently to my stylist, whom I totally adore and trust, she recommended Watercolors by Tressa.  Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Tressa was kind enough to send us several of their products to try. Try I did, and here’s what I thought.

First, I should say that Watercolors are designed to be used on color-treated hair to refresh color in between salon visits, though in my experience they totally work on hair that isn’t colored treated.

Because it’s a shampoo, you simply wash your hair with it, lathering for about two minutes to allow the pigments to work their super color magic. Because my hair is a medium brown and I love red hair, I embraced Wet Brick. After using it for a few days, I noticed a difference.

In the photo below, you can see my natural hair color. OK, but not great.

I much prefer a little help from Watercolors:

What I love about Watercolors:

• My hair is noticeably lighter and brighter
• Watercolors adds highlights, which gives your hair dimension instead of a flat mono-color
• Unlike using semi-permanent colors, Watercolors doesn’t leave color behind on your towel (though the colors do come out in the wash)
• It comes in 14 shades (from violet to black coffee) to suit every hair color, along with a clear shade to extend color without adding additional tone
• It’s economical because it’s both shampoo and color
• It’s free of sulfates, parabens and salts, and doesn’t contain alcohol, ammonia, peroxide or synthetic dyes
• Watercolors is cruelty-free!

What I don’t love about Watercolors:

• Uh, really nothing

I use Watercolors about five days a week, switching to an anti-dandruff shampoo for the other two days because, ugh, dandruff, which I suppose, if I didn’t treat, could make my hair look lighter, but probably not brighter. I’m going to try Liquid Copper next — can’t wait!

I give Watercolors two thumbs up. If you’re looking for an easy, safe and economical way to lighten and brighten your hair — and your outlook — ask your stylist or order it from Amazon. I’m totally crushing on it and feeling younger every day. Yeah!

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