'Covered all my greys' – the £5 hair dye with glossy results that 'cheats a trip to the salon'
There are two types of people when it comes to hair dye: those who swear by box dye and those who prefer the salon experience. But what if a home dye could give you salon-quality shine, depth, and grey coverage? Would you switch to the box?
Revlon’s new Colorstay Longwear Permanent Cream Colour, priced at £5.50, promises just that. We had our enthusiastic tester, and box dye aficionado, Emily, try it out. The results were so impressive that her friends and family thought she'd been to see a professional. If you’re looking to cut costs this summer, this could be your key to saving on salon visits.
The hair colour
This high-performance colour claims to transform dull, grey hair with 100% grey coverage and vibrant, multi-dimensional colour that lasts up to eight weeks. The highlight? It comes with a colour booster mask to rejuvenate your hair's vibrancy around week three or four, mimicking a salon gloss treatment in just five minutes. You also get a conditioner in the box for use after the colour, which blends hair-softening and shine-boosting macadamia oil and murumuru butter.
Emily, a natural mid-tone brunette with warm undertones, tested the 5 Medium Brown shade, but there are 15 other shades available, ranging from reds and auburns to ashy blondes.
Tester Emily says
Emily, left, before using Revlon's Colorstay, and right, immediately after using the booster mask three weeks later
As someone who has been using box dyes to cover my naturally brunette hair for years, I consider myself a bit of an expert. Not all box dyes are created equal, but Revlon’s colour kit was easy to use with clear instructions—something not all brands manage. The sleek packaging also gave it a more professional feel compared to cheaper options I've tried.
I mixed the creamy colourant into the developer bottle and applied it to my roots, then worked it through to the ends. Using the provided gloves prevented any staining mishaps, and the instructions even suggested an extra five minutes for resistant greys, which showed Revlon really understands its customers.
Though it took 30 minutes to process—longer than the usual 20-25 minutes I'm used to—I suspect this might be due to its higher quality. The extra time was worth it for the glossy, dimensional colour.
Emily, left, before using Revlon's Colorstay, and right, immediately after using the booster mask three weeks later
The final colour exceeded my expectations. It looked warm and vibrant, with beautiful coppery and chestnut tones visible in daylight. My wife complimented the rich tones immediately. What stands out about this dye is its multi-dimensional finish, unlike the flat colours of many home dyes. It completely covered my greys, especially those stubborn ones at my temples, without any patchiness.
After two weeks, the greys at my temples started to reappear, but my hair grows faster in summer, and this happens with all dyes I’ve tried. The booster mask helped soften the appearance of greys and gave my colour a fresh boost.
For the price, this dye surpasses other home kits. I’d definitely use it again—it’s a game-changer in the box dye market.
Shopping around for other home colour options? You can find plenty of top-rated kits from Amazon here, starting from £3.99.