This Strawberry blonde hair color formula combines two shades of boxed hair color, so hopefully it will be an easy formula to replicate and also to find in stores! Boxed hair color gets a bad reputation, but the formulas have come so far and you can not beat the ease of having everything pre-measured!
In this post, I mentioned that I get my favorite at-home color for strawberry blonde hair by combining two shades of L’oreal Excellence, “Reddish Blonde” & “Red Penny”. I got a lot of questions about it, so I wanted to share step-by-step how I color my hair at home and how I’ve updated the formula now that Red Penny has been discontinued. I actually prefer the new results!
Two Important Things Before Coloring
1 | My hair is really grey, 95% at this point. My base color before going grey was a level 6 or 7. Your natural hair color will always affect the outcome of your dye. It’s best to try to stick within two shade of your natural color level. If you want to check your hair color level, read this linked post that goes into way more detail.
2 | The first 1-2 days/washes your hair will be slightly more red than strawberry blonde, but red will fade a bit, so by the end of week one you should have the perfect strawberry blonde.
I’ve found that if I use only 8RG on it’s own, I have the “perfect” shade of strawberry blonde right after coloring, however, the reddish tones fade too quickly for my liking within the first week. My preference is to have it slightly more red for the first couple of days, then, the rest of the month have that “perfect” strawberry blonde shade.
What You’ll Need for DIY Strawberry Blonde Color
I have very long hair now, so I used four boxes of color total. You can always scale this formula to your own hair length and thickness. I’ve done the math for you below, so you don’t have to 😉
L’Oréal Excellence Combinations By Ounce
Each box comes with:
On the side of your large capacity applicator bottle will be ounces listed vertically up the side of the bottle.
Add you color first, so you can get the exact ounce mix correct. Then, pour your developer into the larger applicator bottle until you get to the “total mix” ounce amount.
shorter length hair mix:
total mix for short hair = 5.63 oz
medium length hair mix:
total mix for medium hair = 11.25 oz
long length or thicker hair mix:
total mix for long hair = 16.88 oz
I used the longer hair formula and mixed three complete boxes 8RB and one complete box of 6R.
Because it’s a lot of ounces of color, I poured everything into that larger mixing bottle, shook it up, then divided back into the applicator bottles that come in the L’Oreal Excellence boxes. I really like the brush tip that comes in the Excellence box now, it made it easier to get the body and length of my hair colored evenly.
I like to have an extra set of my color formula on hand, just in case I need more. I rarely end up needing to mix more formula, but this way I have a back up just in case. And then, I’m already stocked up for the next time I color. I’d rather be prepared, instead of having sections that didn’t get color!
Step 1 | Open your bathroom doors and windows. Bonus points if you have a fan to keep the air circulating.
TIP | Check the back of the tubes just to make sure you have the right shades! They should have a 6R and 8RB printed on the back.
Step 2 | Add all you color tubes into the mixing bottle. If you are doing a custom color mix like me, it’s easier to see the ounces of color when you add them first.
Step 3 | Pour the developer from all your boxes into the large mixing bottle. Again, scale this amount if you are using less color than me.
Step 4 | Cover the tip with your gloved finger and shake for a solid sixty seconds. It’s really important that the two shades mix evenly, so you get even (not splotchy) hair color.
Step 5 | Now I divide the half the color back into the smaller L’Oreal applicator bottle and add the brush tip. Set this bottle aside for the length of your hair.
Step 6 | Using the applicator bottle with the slanted tip, I part my hair and start coloring the roots around my face, top of my head and back, and then the sides.
TIP | To make sure my hair gets fully saturated at the back, I part my hair and apply color all the way from the base of my hair to the top, then push into my roots with my fingers or a coloring brush.
Step 7 | According to L’Oreal’s instructions inside the box, I let the color sit on my roots for 20 minutes. Then, I add the rest of the dye to the middle and ends of my hair, using that formula in the bottle with the brush tip that I set aside and leave that on for an additional 10 minutes. Set the timer on your phone , I like to ask Siri to “set my alarm for 20 minutes from now” so I don’t have to do the Time Math.
I typically would leave color on a bit longer with other brands I use, but I wanted to follow the L’Oreal instructions perfectly. I got 100% grey coverage with 30 minutes total application time and no brassiness, so I’d stick with this 30 minutes total time schedule when I do the L’Oreal formula again.
Step 8 | Shower time! Run the water at medium heat through your hair and massage the color from scalp to ends to rinse it out of your hair. Once the water runs clear, shampoo (L’Oreal just added a shampoo to the Excellence box, nice touch) and then condition with the deep conditioner that comes in the Excellence box.
Like I said above, the color will be very vibrant for the first couple of days, but after a few washes it’s the perfect shade of strawberry blonde for me.
Here is my hair after one wash and blow out. I’ll add more pics throughout the month!
More photos to come!
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Thank you for reading and being a part of the blog! – Molly
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This is SO cute! I'm so proud of you!!!
xoxo C
http://www.FromCtoC.com
I love your hair color. What was your natural hair colore before. I have a med brown and am wondering if mixing those two boxes would lift it?
Thanks
Bell
My hair was light brown with red tones before, but I started going grey at 20 years old, so now it's mostly grey! It's worth trying these shades, it might not be a super bright strawberry blonde, but will lighten your hair and definitely give it red tones. If you want to try it, sometimes I snip a tiny piece of hair from the middle of the back of my head (just a 1/4 of an inch -teeny tiny, you can have a friend help) then tape that down to a plastic bag (so your counter doesn't get ruined), and apply the dye to the piece of hair to see how the color turns out before you do your whole head. I know it seems scary at first to snip a little hair, but if you do tiny enough you can't tell at all. Then you can see the results you'll get before you do your whole head. I hope this helps! Let me know what you decide or tag me on Instagram so I can see a before/after! My Instagram is: girlgetglamorous
I'm more than a little late this post-but as a born redhead now almost 50 I've found one additional trick to lasting color-about 8 weeks w no fading at all- I do a clear coat glossing treatment. I use the ion clear brand w the same brand of developer 1:1 and 30 mins later I rise and then do a deep condition. Hair looks model in the magazines under bright lights shine perfect. And it lasts. A very long time.
a wonderful blog. Thanks for this.
Would you ever do strawberry blonde ombré? Id love to se that done well.
Hi I am totally new to dying my hair, can you tell me what the exact name of the ION Clear brand is? and if there is color which color red? When do you do this part of process, after you dye it with the Loreal? Do you need to wait? Sorry if they seem like obvious questions, but I really would like to find a way to make it last a long time as I swim in pool and I am concerned it will not last as long.
I'm also curious about the clear coat process. Do you do it the same week after you color?
I cannot find red penny anywhere :-( ice been to 4 drug stores
I could only find it online. Here is the link: http://rstyle.me/n/byzpwibb7df
Also, check out the Wella Formulas I posted also, they are easier to find in stores. :)
Thanks girly for all your help!
I'm gonna try it ;)
Thanks for the tips! I have been trying to find the right balance between copper and blonde. Mine is sitting at a bit more saturated copper than yours. I'm going to let it fade out and then perk it back up using your blend.
I'm glad they helped! I tried some new shades as well (all in the name of blogging-lol!) and mine is a bit too red right now. Will have to go back to my blend too.
Molly, I tried L'Oreal 8RB and I love it. The color works perfectly on my pixie cut! In the summer I will combine both colors. Many thanks for the suggestions.
I'm so happy it worked for you! I think L'Oreal's color line is incredible, so glad you like it too!!
Hi,I was so inspired by your hair that I am now sitting waiting for it to process. I didn't use what you have but I think it will be close. I used myhd 8.44 intense copper blonde 2/3 plus 7.46 copper red with 20 developer, cause I have a lot of grey too. Hope it works.
So exciting! Glad I could inspire you. How did it come out??
LOVE this color!! I'm a blondie blonde and have ginger daughters....would love to match them. Do you think I would be ok doing this on my own??
I think so! If you are a super light blonde you might not even need to add the Red Penny. I'd try the Reddish Blonde first on it's own and then if it's not strawberry-red enough for you, then next time you color do the Red Penny and Reddish Blonde combo. Let me know if you try it. Also, I am praying that I have kids with red hair, I think it's the absolute cutest, lucky you!!
I have rro7 red copper on my medium brown hair and I love it but iam due for hair color m roots on top is showing I use loreal will the mixture red penny and reddish blonde look good get back to me as soon as you can thanks
I think you could do this, but the Red Penny and Reddish Blonde will be lighter than what you have you your hair, so your roots will come out a bit lighter than the rest of your hair the first time you do it. The second time and on it will probably be more blended looking. I hope this helps!
Molly have you tried the Revlon Strawberry Blonde if so what do you think? Do you know if there are any good semi permanent SR colors that you would recommend? They keep discontinuing SR colors too that's a shame. I loved natural instincts Desert Sunrise cannot get it anymore.
I wanted more strawberry blonde which was my natural color years ago got any suggestions...love your s just want lighter not so red
For more of a blonde-than-red strawberry blonde, I would try the Reddish Blonde shade on its own. The color is really beautiful!