At home hair dye review: John Frieda Precision Foam Colour in 4N Brilliant Brunette
I’ve been dying my hair for a very long time, with my first attempt being a dark brown base and dodgy yellow-blonde fringe combo. Although this was a massive mistake that 13-year-old me loved and 21-year-old me regrets, I’ve managed to have some pretty cool colours over the years.
I’ve tried every hair dye under the sun (well, almost), apart from John Frieda’s Precision foam colour. Being a student, the £9.99 price tag always seemed a little bit steep compared to other brands, so when I saw it half-price in Superdrug, it seemed like fate. I chose the colour 4N Brilliant Brunette, which is described as a ‘dark natural brown’.
My hair was a medium brown but it had a lot of light areas that I disliked due to the sun and previous bleaching for a while back (see picture below, although it does look darker here). I haven't dyed my hair in a while, despite loving it dark, so this was much needed and I had high hopes for the product due to the price tag.
First off, I was super impressed by the size of the after-care conditioner, which is always needed after dying your hair. Usually, these are in small metal tubes, which makes it hard to squeeze out all of the product, so it was nice to have something that looked like a miniature version of a real product. It smells good too, which is always a bonus! The price was reflected in the kit, with the gloves and bottles being great quality.
I was surprised that there was enough in just one bottle to cover my entire head. While my hair is neither thick nor fine, it is pretty long, so only using one was a risk. The smell was typical of hair dye, but wasn’t particularly unpleasant either. Those who hate a slightly chemically smell may want to crack open a window, but it didn’t last when the colour was washed out – the conditioner may have helped that, as it did smell quite nice!
I left the colour on for 25 minutes, as it recommends 20 to 30 minutes depending on if you have grey hairs. Whilst I don’t, I wanted to leave it that extra five minutes as it didn’t froth up on my hair as much as the instructions said it would. Obviously, this worried me, but no amount of massaging would make it look as frothy as the instruction manual. However, this didn't seem to have any effect on my hair, so I don't think it matters.
When I washed it off, I was surprised at how soft my hair felt, even before I’d put the conditioner on it when it was soaking wet! I put a good amount of the conditioner on it regardless and left it to air dry overnight.
When I woke up, I was so happy with the colour. It really is the perfect dark brown, and it didn’t go black like so many other dyes have. Whilst I did notice some dye seems to have been left in my hair, I can’t be sure if that’s due to my shoddy washing-out-dye skills or a problem with the brand itself. The only other minor problem I had was it was all a bit confusing at first as I’ve never used a foam dye, but that’s easily solved by a proper read of the instruction manual.
Overall, I’m super happy with the results. In fact, I’d happily pay full price for this product again. Whilst I can’t comment on how long the dye lasts, I actually have a lot of confidence that this will look great for a while. I'm in love with the shade and it really hasn't damaged my hair at all. I'd recommend this to everyone, especially those who want a natural looking brown that looks shiny and salon-quality. It was super easy to put on after a quick study of the instructional guide, but if your new to home dying, maybe ask a friend to give you a hand, as the foam is a new experience.