How to Get Rich Auburn Hair from a Box Dye

Dana Rowe, advertising account manager, 31

The Trick
Transform overprocessed blonde into rich auburn.

The Tools
Clairol Nice 'n Easy in Natural Light Auburn ($8; drugstores); Clairol Natural Instincts in Medium Golden Brown ($9; drugstores)

The Method
For Dana Rowe, Wellman recommends a two-step process: First, deepen the pale blonde into an orange-gold with a permanent dye in a coppery shade; then use a demipermanent dye in a golden brown to refine the color. Bleached blonde hair is extremely porous and more absorbent than less-processed hair. "If Dana put a dark dye on her blonde hair, it would turn a muddy color," Wellman says.

Mix the copper permanent color in a bowl. On delicate bleached hair, replace half the peroxide developer included in the box with distilled water (tap water can contain minerals that compromise the dye). With a two-inch brush, distribute the dye from midlength to ends (avoiding the unbleached roots).

After about ten minutes, paint the same color on your roots and work it in with your fingers. Wait five minutes, then rinse and towel-dry. (Your hair will be slightly orange at this point—don't panic!)

Using the bottle that comes in the box, squeeze the golden brown demipermanent dye onto towel-dried hair, massaging it in from roots to midlength, avoiding the ends. Wait five minutes, then use your fingers to work the color through to the ends of the hair. Wait another five minutes and rinse.

The Maintenance
In three weeks, Dana can apply another layer of the same demipermanent color to refresh the golden tones in her hair. In six weeks, her natural brown roots will be growing in and she can use a permanent dye to bring them to an auburn color. That shade should be a bit darker than the one she used initially on her bleached hair; Clairol Nice 'n Easy in Natural Medium Auburn ($8; drugstores) would be a good choice. Dana should do the root touch-up with a toothbrush so the dye is applied only to her regrowth, not to previously dyed hair.

Next: Essential tools for dying hair at home