Do you ever feel like you’re in a hair slump? You’ve woken up to the same hair color and style for ages, so much so that you’ve forgotten what anything else feels like. Then one day you realize: I really need to change things up. Like, now. If you’re like me and feel a little nervous fully committing to a permanent hair color transformation, Overtone is a good option! Overtone isn’t like other traditional hair dyes. It’s a semi-permanent color depositing conditioner that is gentle on the hair and goes on well over a variety of hair colors. My goal was to intensify the coppery red that I already had in my auburn hair, so I chose the Orange for Brown Hair Coloring Conditioner. (I got the set that included the Daily Conditioner too!) Guys, this stuff was perfect for the job! Here’s how I used it to get that perfect level up of red in my hair. (Plus, stay tuned for some fun before + after shots!)
Coloring Conditioner Application
This was the hardest part, and I feel it could be challenging if you have especially long hair. Mine is currently just above my shoulders, and the thickness is fine to medium. I didn’t have much hair to cover, so that made it easier. The Coloring Conditioner doesn’t seem especially thick in the jar, but it somehow becomes thicker once in your hair. The thick, almost pasty texture of it made it challenging to pull my fingers through my hair to get it completely distributed. My locks became so stiff I could mold them to stick straight out from my head! (Which actually turned out to be helpful when trying to prevent it from getting on my shoulders, ha!)
I tried my best to keep it off of my face and scalp. Thankfully, even in small places that ended up with a little, I was able to wipe it off without it staining my skin terribly. My scalp was a tiny bit orange in a couple of spots underneath my hair, but it was quickly gone after my next washing.
Washing it out wasn’t too hard! I tried my best to be thorough, as I’d seen some people online mention that not rinsing it out completely could cause spotting or staining on fabrics. I wanted to avoid getting it on my nice pillowcase! Because of the richer texture, it did take longer to completely rinse out.
After my second test of the Coloring Conditioner, I realized that I had likely used more than I actually need the first time. Using a smaller amount of product made it much easier to distribute in my hair. It rinsed out much faster too! Less is more with these conditioners, it seems.
Before & After of the Coloring Conditioner
The before shot is me fresh out of the hair salon, right after getting my hair chopped off! It felt amazing to have all of that scraggly length gone. You can see the slight copper color that it already had. I was ready to give it a little oomph!
The result of the Coloring Conditioner was slightly more red than I expected, but still clearly orange! I was incredibly happy with how it turned out. It lost the initial redness after my first wash, and the final color was the perfect orange/copper that I had wanted.
Using the Daily Conditioner
I love the little boost of color that I get from the Daily Conditioner; it’s the perfect shade!
On my first attempt, I applied it before my shower when my hair was dry. According to the directions, the color is more intense when the product is used on dry hair. The texture of this conditioner is more easily spreadable than the Coloring Conditioner, and I had an easier time applying it. Rinsing it out was a faster process too! I think I went somewhat overboard with how much product I used though, whoops! Now I know I can simply use the same amount of conditioner I’d normally use on my hair, perhaps just a little more. I found that slightly over a quarter size worked nicely.
The second time I applied it, I decided to try it on wet hair. This was by far the easiest way to apply it, but I did it in the shower without a mirror. To my horror, once I got out I found that I had gotten dye on the upper part of my forehead. Yikes! I was able to mostly eliminate the orange with some gentle washcloth scrubbing, but a small hint still remained. I certainly learned my lesson about applying without a mirror!
Using the Daily Conditioner on dry hair did end up giving me better results as Overtone had described. I most likely will continue to use it that way rather than guessing what I’m doing in the shower with wet hair.
Are They Long-Lasting?
For me, the answer to this is no, not really. The obvious results of the Coloring Conditioner lasted a couple of weeks, and the color from the Daily Conditioner lasted around three days. Maybe if my hair was lighter the effect of the conditioners would be more obvious for a longer period, but that’s just guesswork on my part. And really, the whole purpose of the Daily Conditioner is to be able to top off the Coloring Conditioner, which you can keep doing as long as you like.
I don’t mind the lack of color longevity, however. Give the fact that I’m a non-committal type of person, I’m ok with the color eventually fading. It leaves room for me to experiment with other colors in the future!
Overtone does have brighter, more pigmented formulas (like their Extreme Orange, for example) that I assume are likely much more obvious and longer-lasting.
Speaking of being long-lasting, be careful about getting Overtone on surfaces! It will stain badly! After trial and error, I found that using Magic Erasers was the easiest way for me to remove stains from the conditioners.
Final Thoughts
I loved my first experience using Overtone! There wasn’t a steep learning curve, and the application process is very forgiving. The color was the perfect subtle copper sheen that I wanted for my auburn hair.
Their products are fairly affordable, with the Coloring Conditioner and Daily Conditioner costing $32 and $18 respectively. You can save by getting them in a set for $47.
I’d definitely buy more colors from them in the future! It was satisfying to be able to escape my hair slump and try something different for a change. If you’re looking to do the same, then go for it! There’s no time like the present 🙂
