ion Brilliant Grey 5NAV Dark Graphite Demi Permanent Crème Hair Color, Fade Resistant & PPD Free 2.05 Oz

I keep my hair long (35"+), and thus have to be very gentle with it. I used boxed permanent before switching to Ion Demi about 3 years ago, and in the last year my hair has mostly returned to its virgin state of health (natural curling at the ends, bounce, you know what it is) and I couldn't be happier with this dye. Keeping an air of natural, casual beauty is very important to me, so this is great as you can literally color or touch-up whenever you want without worrying about damage. It's ridiculously easy to whip some up and slap it on your roots before a shower (remember to forgo the conditioner and styling products for at least 24 hours prior), and wake up looking flawless, every single day. I mix Dark Natural Brown and Blue Black 1:1 to get a super deep but not artificial looking black. That's another thing I love about this - you can mix and match to make your ideal color. While it's best to test your concoction on a piece of hair first, it's not the end of the world if you dump it on your entire head - because it'll wash out in a month. I wash my hair once a week, so it lasts at least 3 months - sans root touch ups. But when making the switch from drugstore box dye to a more DIY, it's important to gain at least a small understanding of the chemical reaction you're creating. The most important thing being not accidentally turning demi permanent into permanent with too high volume developer. I see Amazon is recommending 20 volume developer with this and that is NOT what should be used with demi. That's because demi pretty much just sticks to the surface of your hair, and so it's formulated with a lot of pigment to create the same rich color as permanent would. Permanent is meant to be inserted into your strands (much like a tattoo) without losing much pigment. And what makes the difference between semi, demi, or permanent is the volume of your developer. The higher the volume, the more the "scales" on your strands are lifted, the more pigment deposited into the strand. So once you go above 10 with a demi, you've turned it into permanent - a much darker than desired permanent. AND you're stuck with it. 5 to 10 volume, or a demi developer, is what should be used with this dye. Once you get your colors and your ratios right (there are directions in the box for help on how to do this), there won't be much reason to ever go back. Happy Slaying, Sisters

I have all grey hair and this is better than permanent color for my hair. The 7n Demi is a little darker than the 7n permanent, but it’s a lot more natural looking, so I don’t mind. My hair is shiny and the roots are less noticeable when my hair grows. I prefer using the 10 developer because it's quicker and not as strong as the 30 which was needed for the permanent dye. I don’t shampoo every day and have long hair and am in my 60s. You have to use less dye so one box works for 2 applications - I use a ratio of 2:1 developer:dye and only leave in 30 min. I saw the recommendation for this product on TikTok by a hairdresser who has a huge following so I decided to give it a try. Very happy.

Very happy with this…the color is intense, so next time I’ll do 5N plus some 4n, you can mix them easily for a custom result. The 4n is a little too dark for my taste, but looks natural. I was very pleased with the texture of my hair afterwards too. I’m one of those people who tried embracing their gray for over two years, and I was totally gray, but it just didn’t feel like me whenever I looked in the mirror… I tried a new hairstyle, conditioning, nothing worked. I simply looked much older than I felt & who wants that? So I love Ion…it’s the best I have ever used. I use it with 10 Developer, so it isn’t too harsh on my hair. Store boxed dyes just made my hair more coarse and brittle, not this! I follow it with the after-color Ion conditioner which is amazing!! My hair is thick & curly & coarse…which is very tough to control and soften…but Ion does all of it plus gives me great shine! No regrets…buying their shampoo today also.

I have colored my hair twice with this product line and been pleased with the longevity of it. It lasted about 6-7 weeks before I needed to color again. True to it's marketing, my hair is shiny, soft, and healthy looking. I do use the shampoo and conditioner made by the same company, which probably contributes to my satisfaction with the products. My hair is 15-20% grey and the color covers it well. When I mixed 2 oz. of color with 2 oz. of 10 developer and left it on for the recommended 40 min. for grey coverage, the color came out a shade or two darker than it should have been (including my grey). The second time I tried 2oz. of color to 4oz. of 10 developer for 20 min. and the color of my natural hair was a shade or two darker than the color I ordered, but my grey was close to the shade I ordered. Overall, I am very pleased with the longevity, shine, and undertones of this coloring system. Not as thrilled with the difficulty in getting the right shade.

I love this hair color. It is a warm Auburn color and it is very close to my original hair color. The only thing is it doesn't last long.

I have been trying to grow my grays out from dark blonde permanent dye. I’ve got about 3 inches of growth (gray and medium mousey brown is my natural,) but the dyed part was getting extremely brassy. Then my youngest sister decides to get married so I can Not be in forever pictures with my hair looking like this. I used this and even though it’s a hair darker than I expected I Love it. I think this is the closest to my 20 year old hair color and no brass from previous dyes. I researched and some said mix 1:1 some said 1:2. Apparently 1:1 is more coverage for gray and 1:2 is less. I did 1:1.5 and left on for 20-25 minutes only and it worked out perfectly. My grays are not totally covered, but well blended and look like cool blonde baby lites. A++

This color was a complete failure. I 7N medium blonde and it turned out dark blonde and patchy. I’ve colored my hair for years and never had this problem.

This has been the best hair color I've ever used. It looks very natural and multi-tonal and is very easy to use. It processes very quickly, and the suggested time to leave it on is 10-40 minutes, so I keep an eye on my hair and don't leave it on too long. I usually rinse it out after about 15 minutes or so, and it's perfect for me. (I think the reviewers who say it's too dark are leaving it on too long. Or maybe they are using the wrong developer. I use the #10 developer.) I'm very sensitive to smells and chemicals, and this hair color doesn't bother me in either of those ways at all. My hair doesn't seem in any way damaged from using it, either. Love it.