We put speedy hair care solutions to the test to see if you really can spray away your roots
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WITH a month to go until hairdressers reopen, our roots can’t hold on much longer.
More than a million women splash out at least £100 every month and a half to get their colour done, a survey by hair-care brand Living Proof found last year.
But with salons closed since March, dark roots, grey hairs and wayward highlights mean we are counting down the days until we can sit back in that chair.
But before you reach for that DIY dye kit, there is another quick-fix option that could be the perfect cover-up.
Tanith Carey asks six women to try different shades of touch-up products to see if they can get to the root of their lockdown hair problem.
Here they give their views and rate each out of ten.
Ash blonde
MERLE Crichton, 27, a financial writer from Aylesbury, Bucks, tried Phil Smith Root Touch-Up concealer spray for light blonde hair.
How to apply: A handbag-size aerosol you spray on to dry hair from 10cm away.
Her verdict: “The last time I had my brown hair highlighted was in February.
Now my roots are so obvious I feel like a skunk!
“This is the longest I’ve gone without a touch-up since I was 16 and I absolutely hate it.
“Using this reminded me of spray-painting my hair pink for a festival as a teenager.
“The bottle was compact enough so I could aim it towards my head without it going everywhere.
“I got a good coverage in hardly any time.
“It quickly covered my roots on top and there was probably enough left in the bottle for one more round.
“The only thing is that as well as changing the colour, it also altered the texture of my hair quite drastically and made it feel sticky and matted.
“It got a bit better when I ran my fingers through it afterwards.
“I’d recommend it if you wanted a quick fix before the hairdressers open.
“The cherry on top would be if it didn’t make your hair sticky.”
Rating: 7.5
- Phil Smith Root Touch-Up concealer spray, £6, from philsmithhair.com - buy now
Auburn
ANNETTE Kellow, 35, a web editor from Notting Hill in West London, tried out TouchBack PRO Root Touch-Up Marker Applicator, Light Auburn.
How to apply: Like a felt tip, which you use on dry roots.
Her verdict: “My natural hair is mousy brown, and I feel very uncomfortable with so much regrowth showing – in my mind, it makes me look messy and unkempt.
“The pen was easy to hold and use because of the shape, and not gloopy at all.
“Plus it was a great match for my hair colour.
“The more you press down, the more comes out, so you have to be careful that it does not go on your scalp.
“Handily, there’s a comb included to help lift the hair up and keep the dye away from your skin as you colour.
“Unfortunately, as my roots are fairly dark, it didn’t take that well.
"But I do think it would work better if you had lighter coloured or grey hair.”
Rating: 4
- TouchBack PRO Root Touch-Up Marker Applicator, £21.95, from Amazon - buy now
Dark blonde
MARIA Eleftheriou, 43, a full-time mum-of-three from Barnet, North London, tried out Phil Smith Root Touch-up, Dark Blonde.
How to apply: A handbag-size aerosol you spray onto dry hair from about 10cm away.
Her verdict: “I usually have my hair done every six to eight weeks, so by this stage the regrowth is really showing and I can’t wait a second longer.
“The spray was really easy to apply.
“It wasn’t wet or chalky and when a bit went on my forehead, I could easily wipe it off with a tissue without any staining.
“The colour is a tiny bit darker than that of my highlights and therefore it makes my roots look dark.
“But it definitely covered the grey.
“Looking in the mirror afterwards, I was impressed.
“It also stayed in really well between washes.”
Rating: 8
- Phil Smith Root Touch-up, £6, from philsmithhair.com - buy now
Brown
RACHEL Smith, 43, a mother of two from Preston, tried the Cover Your Gray Touch-Up Stick.
How to apply: Looks like a lipstick bullet, which you dab on dry hair.
Her verdict: “I feel old and tired-looking with my greys showing, so I had high hopes for this.
"After applying, I brushed it through my roots with a brow brush to give it an even finish.
“It looks and feels like a lipstick, so it was really easy to apply.
“It’s handy for emergency Zoom calls but, like make-up, you might want to top up if you were using it for an all-day event.
"It’s nice and compact, though, and easy enough to pop in your handbag.
“It left a shady patch on my pillow the next morning but that came out in the wash.
"It didn’t fully cover my greys but it certainly took the edge off and made them less noticeable.
“So overall, I’d recommend it.”
Rating: 8
- Cover Your Gray Touch-Up Stick, £5.50, from Amazon - buy now
Black
MUM-of-two Nicola Maasdam, 50, from Grimsby, is a jewellery designer and the founder of beadelightful.co.uk. She tried the Bumble & Bumble BB Colour Stick, Black (£23, escentual.com).
How to apply: A big chunky pencil for colouring in dry hair.
Her verdict: “I found this easy to use on my inch of grey regrowth but it was really like using a wax crayon on my head and it took a few strokes to cover it all.
“However, the fact I had to use so much meant I didn’t like the heavy, oily feel of it on my hair.
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“On the plus side, it’s long-lasting.
“It didn’t brush out and was still in my hair after two washes.
“In fact, it was really difficult to wash out!
“I think it would be perfect for someone with just a few greys coming through at the temples, where a quick stroke of the pencil would do the job.”
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Rating: 6
- Bumble & Bumble BB Colour Stick, £23, from escentual.com - buy now
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