I am a hair coloring fanatic. Whichever way to do it, I’ve done it: box-dye, at the salon, and even with henna. But, the one thing I won’t do is bleach my hair. If you have dark, thick, curly, or naturally-too-dry hair like me, you understand my fear of bleach. That said, most fun hair coloring kits are designed to be used on top of already-bleached hair. When applied to dark hair, bright or pastel tones simply don't show up, which means dark-haired folk can't play with the unicorn hair trend without bleaching strands first.
When I first heard of Overtone hair coloring system, I was skeptical. It claims to use color depositing conditioners to dye brown hair bold colors like purple, red, and rose gold. I loved that the products are vegan and cruelty-free, but the idea of a neon hair color system designed specifically for brown hair seemed like a too-good-to-be-true prospect. Would this bright color appear on my dark strands? Yeah right.
Once I actually tried it, all of my concerns disappeared: Overtone totally impressed this hair dyeing whiz.
Does Overtone hair color work on dark hair?
I used the Purple for Brown Hair system on my super dark hair. The system includes a deep hair treatment designed to color your hair, and two color depositing conditioners, which subtly add color to your hair after each wash to avoid fading.
This stuff is seriously pigmented, so make sure to have a hair coloring brush, disposable gloves, Vaseline, a T-shirt you won’t miss if ruined, and maybe some newspaper to protect your bathroom: Use the Vaseline around your hairline and your ears to avoid staining your skin; I have skipped this step before, but I always regret it.
After I'd let the color sit for 15 minutes and a long rinse in the shower (you want the water to run clear, so expect a longer-than-normal shower), I could see that, even with wet hair, my strands had a noticeably purple hue all over. The color got even brighter and more vibrant after blow drying (the heat helps lock the color in).
How does Overtone hair color work?
Usually when I dye my hair, I begin to feel a bit of a burning, stinging, chemical sensation on my scalp, which is when I immediately hop in the shower. But with Overtone, that never happened, probably because the dye is formulated without peroxide and ammonia that's found in many box dyes.
Birnur Aral, Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Health, Beauty, and Environmental Sciences Lab, notes that "chemicals such as ammonia and peroxide can lead to chemical hair damage and alter the texture and look of hair. Temporary color depositing products such as Overtone does not employ such chemicals and are less damaging by nature." That means the products are actually less damaging than traditional dyes, without being less effective.
Unlike traditional conditioners for colored hair, these products actually add color when you use them, not just help preserve the shade. Anyone who dyes their hair knows that more washing usually means faster color fade (even if you're using color-safe shampoo and conditioner). Overtone conditioners erase that problem, since color is deposited during the washing process: "hot water allows the pigment in our conditioners to absorb into your strands," according to the site. That means you don't have to rinse with cold water, or live on dry shampoo to extend your color's life.
Plus, using Overtone actually means you're able to dye your hair less often, since you're replenishing pigment with each condition. Many reviewers also love using Overtone conditioners for helping maintain permanent hair color for fewer pricey salon trips (yes, the brand offers natural colors if you are just looking to preserve color).
Is Overtone hair color worth it?
If you want the ultimate fantasy color (i.e. neon pink, pastel lilac, and vibrant green) you have to either have very light hair or bleach it. There’s no way around that. But, if you’re looking for bold color in a more subdued way on brown hair, Overtone is ideal. Plus, both the daily and coloring conditioners made my hair super soft to the touch and didn’t stain my shower.
Whether you are a hair dyeing pro or a total newbie, Overtone products are easy to use and left my hair with excellent color that lasted over a month before needing a touch up. With consistent use of the conditioners, my hair stayed a more muted shade of purple for even longer. The one downside is that the hair color bleeds a lot when you first dye your hair, so be careful to rinse for a long time (and don't be surprised if you stain your towels).
If you want to remove Overtone hair color from your hair, just stop using the products. It will fade with time, but there is no immediate fix, as with any hair dye. Like any semi-permanent hair color, it will fade with regular washing, but as far as staying power, the site's before and afters are pretty convincing.
Shop More Overtone Haircare
Overtone Pastel Green Complete System
Overtone Rich Black Bundle
Overtone Original Rose Gold Complete System
Emma Seymour (she/her) is a senior product analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she has led testing for luggage, pillows, towels, tampons and more since 2018. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor of science in fiber science and apparel design and a minor in gerontology, completing research in the Body Scanner Lab on optimizing activewear for athletic performance.
