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Twice British Colourist of The Year and stylist-to-the-stars, Anita Cox-McMillan reveals her top ten tips for home hair colouring:

1. Choose The Right Colour: “For those wanting a colour change, I recommend choosing a colour that sits well with your skin tone. My general rule of thumb is natural blondes should try caramels, rich-gold or soft chestnut. Brunettes’ best suit berry reds and violet tones. Red heads should opt for gold and copper shades.”
2. Always Do A Skin Test: “It is so important to conduct a skin sensitivity test 48 hours before you colour your hair, even if you have used colouring products before. If you experience any sort of reaction, do not use the product. If you have decided to go for a new colour shade then you should always do a strand test so there are no surprises when the colour is washed off! This is particularly important if another colour has previously been used. And of course always follow the instructions.”
3. Prepare Your Hair: “To obtain optimum results wash your hair the day before you plan on colouring. Wash with a deep cleansing shampoo (this removes excess styling products and oils, which can sometimes create a barrier for the dye).  Hair should be dry when applying colour, otherwise the colour will be diluted. Before applying the colour brush your hair thoroughly.  This will allow the separation of sections to flow easily during application.”
4. Moisturise: “Apply moisturiser or Vaseline around your hairline before application to prevent staining on your skin.”
5. Have An Old Towel Handy: “I would recommend having a black towel handy as it will hide any stains.
6. Apply Yourself: “When applying colour start at the back of the neck to avoid colour running forward on to your face. To apply, take a straight line from the front to the back of your head and another line from ear to ear through the crown, separating your hair into four sections.  Begin at the back with the left section of hair and take small slices from the section.  When you take the next section ensure that it is fine enough for some of the applied colour to be seen, this enables complete and even coverage.”
7. Say Goodbye To Grey: “To ensure full coverage of grey hairs make sure you apply the colour to these areas of hair first. Grey hair is much more resilient than natural hair colour so it can take longer to penetrate.”
8. Watch The Clock: “Colour should be left to work for the maximum amount of time – but no longer. I always recommend having a small alarm clock on hand”
9. Massage: “When washing colour off, massage the hair at the roots whilst the colour is still on (before applying any hair mask) this will aid colour removal and will reduce staining around the hairline.
10. And Relax!: “Colouring your hair should be fun and providing you’ve followed the instructions and conducted a skin test it’s completely safe. To create the ultimate salon experience, light your favourite scented candle to create a haven of calm.”