Clairol Perfect 10 Hair Color Not Good for Gray Coverage

Clairol Perfect 10 claims to give high-gloss color with "100%" gray coverage. Part of that claim is true, but unfortunately not the other part. Following is a product review based on my experience with Clairol Perfect 10 hair color.

Reasons for Choosing Clairol Perfect 10 Hair Color. I purchased this hair coloring for about $10 from my local WalMart. I generally use L'Oreal Feria (see my review here), but Clairol Perfect 10 had the exact shade of brown available that I wanted to use. I needed to darken my hair for a black-and-white photo shoot but wanted a shade of brown I could live with for several months as I only color my hair three to four times a year. I chose shade 5A: Medium Ash Brown.

In addition to the lovely brown shade shown on the box, the fact that this product worked in less than half the time of traditional hair coloring made it appealing. The claims of "high gloss" made me believe it could be less damaging to my thin, fine hair than some of the other brands. Of course "100% long-lasting gray coverage" was nearly as important to me as the shade of brown available.

Product Use and Application. The hair coloring is packaged the same as most others. You should always perform the recommended allergy test about 24 hours before coloring your hair. You mix the coloring in with the developer. Included with this product was the traditional hair color applicator tip as well as an alternate comb tip. The included gloves were thicker than cheaper brands.

I chose the traditional applicator tip as I have been home coloring my hair since I was 17 years old. I was curious though and tried the comb tip after my hair was thoroughly saturated with color. I made a mess as the excess coloring slid off my hair and all over the floor. Clean up was easier than with other cheaper coloring I have tried.

The Hair Coloring and Conditioner. The coloring was not as strongly scented as many brands I've tried but after a while I did notice the typical ammonia scent. The product was the same consistency as most brands I've tried and easy to apply for full coverage. My hair is shoulder length and I used the entire bottle of mixed coloring.

The product rinsed out very easily. The conditioner was thick and rich but easy to use. My hair felt soft and silky after rinsing. I allowed my hair to air-dry so I could evaluate the condition of my hair for damage after using the product.

The Results. While wet, the color looked quite dark but I thought it would look lighter when dry. It did not. My results are about two shades darker than pictured on the box. I am disappointed about that. The gray looked a golden-red color which I didn't mind as it brought some dimension to the color and prevented it from having a "flat" colored look.

The coloring is very high gloss. This is one thing I really do like about this product. I don't know if it is the coloring itself or the conditioner but my hair looks shiny and healthy even with my curls and waves.

The Problem. The one problem I have with Clairol Perfect 10 hair color is that it does not have the "long-lasting" gray coverage it claims. After the first washing, several of my grays are now visibly...well...gray. The hair color did not take as it claimed it would.

Hopefully it is just the few grays that will be visible. However, I fear that each time I wash my hair, more and more grays will become apparent. As my hair is easily damaged, I have to live with this for a couple months before coloring my hair again. I am not happy about this.

Clairol Perfect 10 Hair Color. Overall, this is a good product for quick hair coloring. If I were to try it again, I would choose a light golden brown to achieve the look I want. I would also try to leave the product on for an extra five minutes to see if it took to the gray better. I give Clairol Perfect 10 hair color a rating of 3.5 on a 5.0 scale. I subtracted a half point for inaccurate color and an entire point for lack of gray coverage.

SOURCES:

Personal Experience

Clairol Perfect 10 Product Packaging

Jolynne M Hudnell; L'Oreal Feria Hair Color Product Review; Yahoo! Contributor Network