Davina is telling the truth! (Garnier Nutrisse)

Member Name: shrimpy_80

Product:	Garnier Nutrisse
Date:	14/01/09 (229 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent coverage and tone

Disadvantages: A little tricky to apply and wash out

Having just re-coloured my hair with this, I thought I would strike while the reviewing iron is hot!

There is a good range of colours available and, judging from the three I have tried (all brown shades) the colour on the box is a reasonably good indication of the end result. One of the reasons I originally chose this product is that it can be used for fairly dramatic colour changes; I was blond and went to dark brown. There is a guide colour on the side of the box which shows which colour hair that particular shade is suitable for and what the end result will be. In my case, I found this a reasonably reliable guide. This is a permanent colour and so will need to be either grown out or re-dyed.

If you have used home dye kits before then you will know what to expect. There is a bottle of colour and a tube of developing cream, and you have to add the latter to the former and shake well. Even if you haven't come across this before, it is extremely simple and easy to do, and the instructions are clear, so much so that they need no further explanation here. As with anything of this nature it is important to follow the instructions closely, which includes wearing the gloves provided.

The gloves are very large in my opinion and so should fit anyone. I did think they might be awkward to keep on due to their size but have found them comfortable enough to use. You definitely need to wear these and also make sure you wipe any dye off your forehead, ears etc before you leave the colour to develop, otherwise it will stain your skin and need a lot of scrubbing to remove - I speak from experience having dyed my forehead brown 3 days into my new job! If you wipe any excess off as soon as you have finished dyeing it is easy to remove, I usually use a make up wipe which does the job fine.

In terms of the actual application, this is not the easiest product I have ever applied. I think this is due to its non-drip formula which makes the colour thick and difficult to 'rub-in' as you can with some other types. The colour will literally stay where you put it. I usually use the nozzle to part my hair, apply the colour, then re-part it about half a centimetre to the left, apply colour etc until my hair is covered. My hair was shoulder length (just) when I first used this product and I would say that if your hair is any longer than this, it might be an idea to buy 2 packs, as the bottle doesn't seem to go a very long way. I was worried I wouldn't have enough myself but I had just the right amount.

The colour doesn't smell pleasant and has quite a strong ammonia scent which catches in your throat, however I think to some extent this is inevitable with permanent colours. Once the colour is developing the smell is less noticeable. The advantage of the non-drip formula is that as you might expect, it doesn't drip, meaning that while the colour is developing you can pile your hair on top of your hair and it will stay there - as long as you don't attempt anything too athletic of course.

When it comes to washing the colour out again, the thickness of product did make my hair feel matted and made it difficult to rinse out. In fact waiting for the water to run clear seems to take a very long time indeed! However the dye comes with a post-colouring moisturiser which more than makes up for this. You get a very generous amount and it has a fabulous apricot scent, it also does its job and detangles your hair nicely.

Now, I have complained about a lot of this product's features but the reason I continue to use it is simple, the coverage is excellent. The colour is rich and even with no patchiness and for that reason I would definitely recommend it. It is worth a little extra time and effort in applying and rinsing if you know that the end result will be good. I have also found that it lasts well and by the time it does start to fade a little, my roots need retouching anyway. Overall for all of its faults, this is the one colour I have found that I know I can rely on and so I will continue to use it.

Summary: The end result is worth a little extra time and effort