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/ November 1, 2016

How To Get Your Best At Home Hair Color | My Strawberry Blonde Formula + Grey Coverage Tips

I’ve been getting a ton of questions on my current formula and tricks to covering greys.  This has been my most requested post topic lately and I’m really happy to be able to share the info!

I filmed a whole tutorial and had this gorgeous red lipstick on in it and was all ready to rock n’ roll with that tutorial …. except, when I went to go edit it, the entire end of the video was cut off.  Frustrating, but what are you going to do?

So before filming it again, I touched up my color and added my color to the bottle in a different order than how I had been.  And my color came out the BEST, in my personal opinion, that it’s ever come out. I’m so glad that other video didn’t turn out right because this new one has all the info and tips for getting this exact shade.

I also included a ton of info, for all hair shades, that are my best tips for at-home color.  I’ve been dyeing my hair now for 16 years, crazy!

The video is pretty detailed.  I really hope it’s helpful.

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Summary | Watch the video above now and bookmark this page for the next time you color.

Tips for Great Color

1 | Best Bottle in the Biz

I’ve tried so many bottles when it’s come to color. Within one use I knew: the plastic was too hard to be able to squeeze it enough to get the color out, the nozzle was too small, or the bottle wasn’t big enough to hold all the formula.

This bottle is the best.  Nothing but net, baby!  (aka, it’s a slam dunk, haha!)

2 | Order Matters

Maaaaaan, oh man.  I wish I had figured this out way sooner, but that’s the process of trial-and-error.  Putting the red dye in first has controlled the outcome so much better!

3 | Best Brush in the Biz

A pattern has emerged.  I truly thought all color accessories were created equal when I first started coloring my hair.  Oh how wrong I was.  This brush parts my hair in the cleanest lines, which makes sure the color is evenly placed and I don’t miss any spots.  The brush helps push the color into the roots, which helps cover any greys and helps the color come out richer.

Grey Coverage:

1 | Use a Gel formula.  They cover greys much better than liquids!

2 | Dip a q-tip into your developer and brush a small amount over resistant greys.  Leave this on for an extra minute or two, before you add the dye to your roots.  It will help those greys fade/blend more naturally.

Strawberry Blonde Formula:

My exact formula and order goes like this:

1 | Apply coconut oil to 2-3 inches on ends of hair

2 | Put on plastic gloves (if you leave the excess coconut oil on your hands, it becomes a mini deep conditioning treatment for your cuticles)

3 | Add 4-5 drops of 7G, Sunlit Blonde to applicator bottle.

4 | Fill to the 1.5 ounce line (exactly) with 8RG, Titian Red Blonde.

5 | Add 2 ounces of 8G, Golden Blonde to the bottle.

6 | Add 7 ounces of developer, Level 20, to the bottle.  Wella Color Charm is a 2:1 formula, so you add twice as much developer as you did dye.

You will have 3.5 ounces of color and 7 ounces of developer in the applicator bottle, for 10.5 ounces total.

Shake it up until the formula is totally mixed.  This part is really important.  You don’t want any pockets of unmixed color to get onto you hair, so really shake the bottle up.

7| Apply to roots for 30 minutes and then the ends for 4-5 minutes.

Make sure to watch the video for the last point and explanation of “A.B.T.”

These are the size of the drops I use for the 7G shade:

drop size drop size

Shop the Formula:

I get everything from Sally’s Beauty.   I generally buy 2-3 boxes of each shade, just in case I need extra.  Then I have it ready for next time.  I’ve used dye from an open tube for up to 4-6 weeks.  As I don’t use the full tube of each shade, I always store the tube for the next color, for up to 6 weeks, then after that I toss it out.

Shop the Formula

8 G Light Golden Blonde

8 RG Titian Red Blonde

7 G Sunlit Blonde

level 20 developer

mixing bottle I like this one because it has the ounces listed on the side, just wish it were bigger!

coloring brush

coconut oil

plastic gloves

These are my affiliate links.  I do make a small commission when you use them to order, at no additional cost to you.  I really appreciate when you use them when you purchase or repurchase as they help support the blog and allow me to create new posts for you!

Shop the Post |

 

Inspo Pics (Pin for later!)

strawberry blonde hair braided
Added a few pieces of my girlgetglamorousHAIR extensions to make the braid extra long and thick!

strawberrry blonde hair at home diy inspo formula girl get glamorous hair

strawberrry blonde hair at home diy inspo formula girl get glamorous hair

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More Strawberry Blonde Hair Formula Posts:

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Thank you so much for watching + being a part of the blog!  I really hope this is helpful and answers a ton of questions on at home color and the strawberry blonde formula I’ve been using.

Social Links: YouTube | Instagram | Instagram {hair extensions} | Facebook | Pinterest

xoxo

beauty blog blogger los angeles best of reviews tutorials hair makeup

XO,

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  1. Thank you so much for the tutorial! I have been using and tweaking for last two years. My hair is naturally a dark auburn, heading towards brown.
    I find I don’t need to mix as much color as you recommend. I do have shoulder blade length hair. Here is the formula I have been using.
    8 drops of 7G
    22 drops 5RG
    20 drops of 8RG
    20 drops of 8G
    Then 2x 20 developer.

    Hope this helps!
    Wendy

    • Wendy,

      This is fabulous, thank you for sharing! I love that you tweaked your formula to perfection. This will so helpful for people with shoulder length hair who might not need to mix up as much formula as I do when my hair is longer.

      – Molly

  2. You are very talented, and everyone would love your hair. Thank you for doing these posts. I have a question, I have premature WHITE hair from 18 years old, and am tired of coloring it blonde. I am not sure how to start. There is no pigment in my hair, so I can’t follow the grey info. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I was a medium blonde before I went white. Please help.

  3. I use this formula religiously… Thank you for sharing. However, I can never get it right when I’m just mixing enough to touch up my roots. Any advice?

  4. This is good to know. I recently bleached my hair for 45 minutes to 1 hour and then used purple shampoo then the honey beige blonde toner and it came out like a strawberry blonde so I decided I really liked it but I am going to write down your formula too just in case as it looks really pretty. I had thought about using t10 wella pale blonde to put in highlights but haven’t done that yet. Thank you for your strawberry blonde adventures and info! I loved it!

  5. Hi Molly I love your colour my natural colour is dark auburn but for many years I’ve been blond really fed up with it now so I’m going to do your strawberry blonde with the wella col charm I’m medium blonde with grey roots would you put it on roots first or just try it all over

  6. THIS WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!!!! Gorgeous color using the exact formula on the first try. THANK YOU!

  7. Hey Molly. I just redid my hair with your above formula and I keep forgetting to ask you this question. When adding the red color, it says fill to the 1.5 ounce line in the bottle, does that mean you are not using all of the gel color and having some left over right?? I think I’ve been adding the whole tube. I’m not sure if I have been doing this right or wrong the whole time. Thanks!!

    • Hi Sarah!

      I fill to the 1.5 ounce line, so I only use about 3/4 of the tube, the rest I throw out. Everybody can use a custom amount though to get the shade you want! I just prefer mine slightly less red, so I only use 1.5 ounces of 8RG.

      I hope this helps!
      – Molly

  8. I’ve been doing a deep dive on this site the last three days and yesterday I tried your formula on my mop. My story: I’m 57 and have been dying my hair for over 20 years. I’m naturally a dishwater blonde, but with a lot of red in it. To begin with, I used Garnier Belle Color in Light Auburn, which came up a very natural dark strawberry blonde on me. Of course, they discontinued that line and shade ages ago and since then I’ve been using one box color or another with mixed results. For most of my adult life I’ve worn my hair very short, so this didn’t matter so much. If I picked a shade or brand I didn’t like, I’d just use something different next time and even the worst disaster would end up on the salon floor in a few weeks anyway. Then, three years ago, I decided to grow out my hair. It’s now almost waist length and the mix of box colors I’ve used while growing it out has really taken a toll. It’s been looking muddy, dull and dark. So yesterday I bought a couple boxes of Color Oops to strip the old dead color off and, this morning, redyed with the magic formula. It looks great! It’s a bit darker on me, but it reminds me a lot of my beloved Belle Color Light Auburn. Even my husband noticed (“Hey, isn’t that the same stuff you used to use?”). Thanks so much for your blog!

    • Hi Tammy!

      I’m so happy to hear that you’ve found a color you love!! Thank you for taking the time to let me know and glad you’ve enjoyed the blog.

      xo – Molly

  9. I’m in love with your color! I’m on the light brown end of the spectrum. I’m trying to figure it a combo for the 8 RG that I can mix with a slighter deeper shade of blonde than you are using. Any suggestions? Thank you!

  10. Just tried this and I live the result ! Do you have the formula for making a smaller batch for root touch ups?

    • Hi Shawna,

      I usually do my whole head, because by the time I re-color, the body of my hair has faded and needs refreshing. But you could definitely cut this formula in half and just do a root touch up if you wanted!

      xo – Molly

  11. Oh also, are there any color depositing shampoos that you recommend to keep color fresh between touch ups? I tried Joico Color infuse Copper shampoo and conditioner last week and it gave me too much of a faded pink red tone. I also bought Davines copper shampoo and conditioner this weekend and strand tested a little bit on my hair this afternoon and it is very bright copper. Way better than the Joico, but maybe too orangey copper.

  12. Hi Molly,

    I LOVE your color. It is just gorgeous. I am trying to find my perfect strawberry blonde shade, coming from all over highlighted blonde. My natural base is probably a level 6 light light ashy brown. So I had it colored about two weeks ago and it’s faded super fast as you can imagine, especially the ends. I’m guessing because my hair was all blonde , the new color just doesn’t want to hold there. That being said, do you think I should skip the coconut oil step so my ends can soak up as much color as possible? Or stick with it?

  13. Hi! Thank you so much for this formula! It’s been perfection (and a financial windfall). Yay! Quick question-have you ever tried a 9rg / 9g combination? Or 8rg / 9g? If not, what do you think? Thank you again!

  14. Thanks for your formula!
    My hair was (colored) med-dark auburn. I wanted it more strawberry blonde like yours & used 8G/light golden blonde-2 oz, 7WR/tan blonde-2 oz, mixed with 30 volume developer. I did the hair shaft to ends for 20 minutes & roots for last 10-15. It came out great however, I would like it a bit lighter. I also have a bit of grey which it didn’t cover to well. What would you suggest to use to lighten it ? Should I try a 9G or 9NG with 30 volume developer? Thanks so much !

  15. Hi Molly,

    Thank you so much for posting your formula! It’s so kind of you and I’m truly grateful. I’m going to try it soon and I’ll let you and the community know how it goes.

    I was just wondering what v10 developer you would suggest for a refresh? I just don’t want to damage my hair with the v20 all the time, because it’s already pretty fried. Also wondering if you always put color throughout your hair vs. just a root touch up?

    Any recommendation on a hair product to help restore condition hair would also be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks so much for your time and help!
    Kim

    • I use a level 20 each time, level 10 for me just washed out too quickly. I put the color on my roots for 25 minutes, then pull through for the last 15 minutes.

  16. For those of you with light neutral or golden blonde hair (like the 8g or 9g color swatch) this is what I use to achieve the same strawberry blonde (after lots of trial and error, oh and I have a ton of hair, so I mix up a lot).

    7G – 10 drops
    8RG – up to the 1oz line, so just under an ounce
    8G – 3oz, or a tube and a half

    I add a bit more of the 7G because my hair fades out super quickly. This allows it to be redder for longer, and adds a nice depth instead of it being too peachy.

    God’s speed my strawberry sisters!

  17. I love your color! Strawberry blonde is such a tricky color. I have naturally medium brown hair and I’m wondering if this would work for me or if I would need a 30 or 40 developer. What do you think? What color is your hair naturally?

  18. I tried this formula and really liked it, but would like to go more auburn. Do you have a suggested formula for a lighter auburn? I’m scared to jump in and start mixing colors when I’m not experienced enough. Thanks for the post!

    • Hey Emily, I don’t use any blonde to tone down the red, I just use 100% of the 8RG Tahitian Red. No color mixing needed. It comes out a really pretty natural strawberry blonde auburn for me.

  19. Hi, I love this color! I wanted to know if it will turn out if I used it on my medium brown hair?
    Thank you,
    Maria

  20. Ahhhh! I finally got it right!! I’ve tried your formula before and it came out way too red, then way too peachy pink but this time I followed this order exactly and my 5 inch gone out roots came out the most perfect strawberry blonde! The rest of my hair was a slight pink color and I could see the band of color, yuck, so I mixed up another batch in your exact order but used 7 drops of 7g this time instead of 4 drops to try and get the bottom half to match the roots and it worked perfectly! Thank you so much! I’m so freaking happy to have FINALLY found a shade of red that looks good on me!

  21. Help, how can I cover my strawberry roots without using hair dye? I am going through fertility treatments and we have to avoid chemicals. Right now I use 100% of the 8RG Tahitian Red but the finished product looks very much like Molly’s hair. Bright strawberry red/blonde, my natural color is dark blonde. I tried the Madison Reed Auburn root touch up powder but it was too dark. Wondering if there is an eyeshadow out there that would work?

  22. Hi Molly – I wanted to share my experience. I dyed my hair last night following your directions above. I forgot to take a “before” picture. Shame on me! My roots had grown out about 5″ and my natural hair is a dirty blonde with a few greys around my temple and side part. The rest of my hair was previously dyed a strawberry blonde/copper which i had gotten dyed at a salon back in March.

    So to start: I applied some developer on those greys a few minutes before applying the dye. I then started to apply dye around my face and side part. Then I applied dye to the rest of my head until saturated. I waited 30 minutes then rinsed out, shampooed and conditioned.

    Final result: Lighter roots around scalp and a slighter darker ends, think ombre-ish. Which I totally don’t mind! The ends turned out darker where my previously dye hair was but at least it’s all somewhat the same color.

    I did take some “after” pics if you’re interested to see.

    I’m going to wait and see how my hair turns out after a few washes to decide if I’ll tweak the formula any for next time.

    Thank you for posting your journey and your directions. They helped immensely.

    Rose

  23. I tried this color combo lastnight and love it! Strawberry Blonde is my natural hair color and I’ve been wanting to go back to it! I had the ombré wth blonde! This color matches my roots perfectly! Thank you so much for sharing! They told sell my color in a box!

  24. Help! I used 8rg + 8g because 7g was sold out. And as (I now see) you mentioned in some other posts, this can result in peachy hair! It didn’t help that there was a very little bit of blue staining.

    My hair was ombred, so it’s this perfect ginger on the top, and this sort of rose gold color on the bottom.. I wish it looked great, but It looks really weird.

    Would you add a color similar to 7g over top of the peachy bits?

    Any help would be super appreciated!

    • I would actually love to see how your hair turned out! Do you have a pic? Also, what color was your hair before coloring it? Thanks!

  25. Hi Molly –
    I LOVE your hair & blog. I so greatly appreciate you and everything you have shared with us!
    I believe in another one of your articles, I saw that an opened tube of Wella Gel only lasts a month long. So, I guess my question is to just confirm that… How will the opened tube last before it expires and I shouldn’t use it on my hair anymore? I color every 3 weeks, and do the 5-6 drops you prescribe above. Sounds like you have to purchase a new tube every other time you color for just the couple drops?
    Thanks so much! 🙂
    Samantha

  26. Molly, thanks so much for posting this!! I absolutely LOVE this color and I have been using the old formula you posted a while back. I can’t wait to try the new one. I used to use the dreaded box dye before I found your videos and I could never get the red color I wanted…it was always too dark or too red! I even tried going to many different salons and it always came out completely different from what I wanted. Now I get the strawberry blonde shade I have always wanted! I also appreciate the detailed steps and instructions! I need them! It’s good to know I can save the unused tubes of color. I didn’t know if you could save them, so I have been throwing them out. Thanks! 🙂

    • For virgin hair, you can apply the formula all at once, all over your hair, not just to the roots first. Then leave on for 30 minutes or 40 minutes if you have grey hair.

      xo Molly

    • Thank you, Cath! I appreciate that! I still don’t feel like it’s perfect, but I do plan on trying little tweaks every time until I can get it perfect.

      xo Molly

  27. Your hair color is just gorgeous. I have light brown but highlighted hair (and some greys) and I keep thinking about trying this combo but am unsure if it would work on my hair. Thanks so much for sharing your formula!

    • Hi Corinne!

      I think it would, I would just transition it, using the steps in this post first, to make sure the blonde highlights don’t turn pink.

      Let me know if you try it!
      xo Molly