The makers of products that act against the ageing process are really cashing in on vanity, and my contribution to their coffers isn't an exceptional thing, though when you add up the amount of women that feel the need to colour their hair, and the amount that each one of us spends in an effort to hold off the signs of old age, it is a big deal. Many are inflating the price of their products, and advertising is rife, competition being complicated and difficult for the likes of me, their average consumer.

For the last 25 years, I have tried many makes of hair dye, and dying my hair every six weeks or so means that I spend a fortune and it really isn't a case of choosing one that we like and sticking to it, since the range of products available is for ever changing, and we all want to try something new and exciting. On the supermarket shelves, there are literally hundreds to choose from, and what stood out about this product against the others was that the price seemed reasonable, it didn't seem to making false claims about mysterious ingredients that no one has ever heard of, but more than that, the swatches of coloured hair available for each make showed me that the L'Oreal range were actually more natural than the competition, who in the fight for the beauty market have come up with colours that nature never intended.

I am having my hair streaked next week, with all different shades of auburn, but in order to have the main colour put on my hair at the hairdresser, I would have to pay an additional 30 Pounds, for something I can buy from the supermarket for 4 Pounds. Now that doesn't make sense. Having had a professional colour at the hairdressers, I know they don't last any longer than the ones that I use myself, and I don't have unlimited funds to throw away on products.

One of the things that amazed me with this product was that they have introduced a Serum for before you add the dye. Looks like it's a last minute thought, because the instruction sheet for dyeing your hair doesn't actually tell you how to use it ! It is supposed to protect my hair, though from what ? I ended up throwing this bit in the bin because it seemed to serve no purpose. When you put products such as dyes on your hair, it really is up to you to make sure that you adequately condition the hair, don't dry it out too much with blow drying, etc., and I don't need to be told to use something the makers can't even be bothered to explain.

The gloves with this dye are impressive. They come in a little Kinder Egg style bubble, and are of extremely good quality. A word of advice here is that you should never try and apply rubber gloves to wet fingers, because that really does prove difficult. These gloves are good quality, and seem to be lined with a talcum powder that makes them glide onto the hands very easily.

The dye is applied to dry hair, after mixing the main ingredients together, and being sure they have been well shaken up. It's easy. It's effective, though goodness me, one day a manufacturer will make a product that doesn't stink. This one does, though that's not unusual and most hair dyeing products do.

The instructions are a bit muddling here. They say that if you are applying for the first time, then you should leave the dye for 30 minutes, though if just doing roots, only ten minutes is needed. Since I have no idea which product I used last time, I really did want my hair to have the same colour all over, and plumbed for the 30 minute option. It's essential to use an old towel as this product stains, and to ensure that clothing doesn't come into contact with the dye during the waiting period.

The conditioner that comes with the dye is superb, though what the makers didn't take into consideration is that people with long hair will need more than the small bottle supplied with the product. It's positively mean. I have long hair, and struggled to make it cover the whole hair, and concentrated on the parts of my hair which needed more conditioning. This shouldn't have been the case. If the dye is suitable for longer hair, then they really should supply enough conditioner to condition the whole head of hair.

What I think

The product is easy to use. It stinks, though having to dye your hair in order not to look like a grey haired granny stinks as well. Some people look wonderful with grey hair. I don't and if the price I have to pay is a little discomfort in the way of smell, then I can live with it.

The colour is very uniform, and is true to the colour stated in the shop, although of course this will differ slightly depending upon the colour of your hair to start off with. It shines. The conditioner did its' thing, though other dyes give a more generous portion of conditioner.

In this price range, this is one of the best colourwise. The area I feel it needs improvement is in the explanation of how and why to use the Serum, and here it falls flat on its face with inadequate instructions.

Colour 10/10
Ease of use 10/10
Coverage of grey areas 10/10 and it lasts a good six weeks.
Price comparison 8/10 There are cheaper products, although most on the shelf were more expensive and trendy. This really is middle of the road for price.

A convincing product and one that I shall probably use again. Now all I need is the young skin to go with it !