The Student Room Group

Chocolate brown hair dye that WONT make my hair black...

Anyone? I've tried numerous times to achieve a nice chocolate brown colour but it always comes out extremely dark or even black.

At the moment my hairs it's natural colour, which I'm told by numerous people is light brown/brown/blonde/golden blonde/ginger/chestnut... it changes daily. I'd post a picture but it also changes in pictures, so no help there.

Scroll to see replies

chocolate brown is a dark brown colour, so it's going to look pretty dark!
look for the lightest chocolate colour you can find, or a warm mid brown. if you have golden tones to your hair then probably any mid-brown will give you a chocolate colour.

any pictures of the colour in mind? like on celebrities or something
Times attempted chocolate brown in the past 8 years = 4
Times hair has reached desired affect = 0
Times hair has turned black/too dark to know = 4

Advice from someone who hasn't seen their natural hair colour since they were 10 = go to a hairdressers.

Don't find out the hard way, my hair is in such a mess now I've had to let the colour grow out (not a good look) and had it all cut off.
I used to have my hair quite a dark brown, and for a while after I dyed it, it was really dark. I started using a semi permanent so after a couple of washes it was just right, but I suppose that depends on your natural hair colour..?
This may sound like an obvious suggestion, but why don't you take a picture of the colour you want to a.... hair colourist?
Ilora-Danon
This may sound like an obvious suggestion, but why don't you take a picture of the colour you want to a.... hair colourist?


Because I want a... box hair dye!
watermelon sugar
chocolate brown is a dark brown colour, so it's going to look pretty dark!
look for the lightest chocolate colour you can find, or a warm mid brown. if you have golden tones to your hair then probably any mid-brown will give you a chocolate colour.

any pictures of the colour in mind? like on celebrities or something




This colour maybe?

I might try a lighter brown dye then :smile: see what happens.
You get what you pay for. Katie Holmes-Cruise, certainly doesn't get that hair colour from a box, and I doubt you could either tb perfectly honest.

I really don't see the harm in sitting down with a hair colourist for a consultation. At least then you'd be able to discuss your options.
GrahamFromJeremyKyle
Anyone? I've tried numerous times to achieve a nice chocolate brown colour but it always comes out extremely dark or even black.


I wish. When i've used black hair dye, it won't come out dark enough, and even the permanent ones seem to wash out...
Ilora-Danon
You get what you pay for. Katie Holmes-Cruise, certainly doesn't get that hair colour from a box, and I doubt you could either tb perfectly honest.

I really don't see the harm in sitting down with a hair colourist for a consultation. At least then you'd be able to discuss your options.


For once I agree with Ilora. Unless you're going platinum or pure black, then you can't really perfectly get the colour you want. It'll always be hit and miss.
Reply 10
I find that it's 10x easier and less stress and hassle to go to a hairdresser. Ask your mates who they trust to do their hair and where they go etc. I've let my hairdresser *swoons* (lol) do weird things with my hair and it still hasn't gone green. It might be more expensive than a boxset but you end up doing boxsets way more often than you have to go to the hairdressers, and you're more likely to get what you actually want.
As much as it disgusts me to admit it... hairdressers are the way forward.
Reply 12
I have chocolate brown hair :smile: but then I went to a hairdresser to get it done because from past experiences I know the box sets don't give my hair the correct look I want.
Yeah, same problem here.

If I wasn't such a cheapskate I'd go to a hairdresser, but for the moment I find buying 'dark auburn' type dye tends to come out OK.
Reply 14
I always use semi permanent now so you don't get the horrid grow back and my hairdresser said it's less damaging to the hair. I like the loreal casting creme gloss, it makes your hair really shiny in different lights. I think they have some new coulours out now and one is called dark chocolate which looks really nice, i think i may try it!
Reply 15
I've just done mine dark brown and it's gone soo dark, argh! Even though I have dark brown hair naturally, a stupid coloured shampoo messed it up!

Anyway, my friend's a natural blonde and she used Bittersweet Chocolate by XXL Live and it's just that - chocolate brown :smile:
Reply 16
GrahamFromJeremyKyle
Anyone? I've tried numerous times to achieve a nice chocolate brown colour but it always comes out extremely dark or even black.

At the moment my hairs it's natural colour, which I'm told by numerous people is light brown/brown/blonde/golden blonde/ginger/chestnut... it changes daily. I'd post a picture but it also changes in pictures, so no help there.


Well I use Casting Creme Gloss cos I prefer using a semi-permanent and then you know you're not stuck with it if you don't like it.

I think the one I use is called Iced Chocolate or something like that, and its a really nice shiny dark brown so that might be worth a try:smile:
Reply 17
I dyed my hair (which is usually light brown with sort of blondey highlights) the other day with Casting Creme gloss. I think it was called 'Praline' and it went quite dark brown so perhaps if you go for the next lightest shade...It's semi-permanent so i guess if it goes wrong then it will wash out in a month or two.
Just to let you lot know that Casting Creme Gloss won't wash out in a month or two. I've been using this dye for a couple of years now, and it does not wash out - you will need to grow it out.
Reply 19
Casting Creme Gloss washes out of my hair...but then again so called 'permanent' colours wash out of my hair too!

The last dye I used was a permanent (I actually picked it up by mistake and didnt realise til I was applying it and smelt the ammonia:o: ) that was about a month ago. But guess what...it's washed out and my hair is back to normal.

What kind of freak am I?:s-smilie:

Quick Reply