Top 5 Best Black Hair Dye That Actually Works

Black hair is striking. It has a seductive and mysterious nature to it. One may have an impression of sophistication in the person sporting the color. So we totally understand what it means for you to acquire that raven-haired beauty.

When it comes to coveting that perfect black hair, people result in one of three ways. There are those that seek the professional help of a colorist — often the salon-quality but the pricey one — and those that take the DIY route — the inexpensive one yet touted to give inferior results. And then there are those who manage to get professional results without splurging too much Benjamins. If you want to fall into the latter, and we know you do, ahead are your best options for superior at-home black hair coloring.

Best Black Hair Dye

1. Revlon Colorsilk Permanent Haircolor 10 Black

The most popular in-demand black hair dye

If you like to achieve those highly-coveted silky black hair but don’t know where to start due to the overwhelming array of hair products in the market, you are better off with Revlon. The brand already gains a reputation in offering salon-quality hair dye results at home. This particular black hair dye of theirs skips the use of ammonia and is, therefore, gentler on hair. It belongs to Revlon’s collection of Colorsilk hair dye series which is infused with hair fortifying and shine-boosting silk proteins.

The ammonia-free dye is also patented with Revlon’s 3D technology. This gives the hair that long-lasting multidimensional look from root to tip. Worried about your hair color under the sun? You’ll appreciate that the formula additionally contains sun filters to add a layer of defense against UV rays, preserving your color for you to enjoy it longer. Besides the developer, the box also contains a conditioner you can include in your post-color-care regimen to maintain your color-treated hair.

2. L’Oreal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Midnight Blue

Gives your black hairstyle the most stunning light-reflecting blue tone

If your hair dye is manufactured by a top-notch brand like L’Oreal Paris, best believe you’re giving your hair away to a superior hair color hair treatment. Their black shade of Midnight Blue is a mix of sultry dark blue and black hues for anyone who wants to wear the blue-black hair without losing touch of dimension. The deep blue hue hair will evident itself under high lights while an aura of sheen emanates under low lights.

This hair dye is in the semi-permanent formula. If you are not yet familiar with this type of hair dye, it means the color is not formulated to permanently bind in the hair. It will fade gradually after 7 to 15 washes which is great if you are for one who is fond of experimenting with hair colors and in the most guilt-free way–  it is made without the hair damaging ammonia and peroxide. The box comes equipped with basic hair coloring necessities including gloves and the brush applicator.

3. Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme Intense Blue Black 22

Best  great value black hair dye kit

In a price that won’t dent your beauty budget, you can totally nail the on-trend blue-black hair color with this hair dye from Garnier. Intense Blue Black 22 is a shade that has a deep black hue with bluish color that shines through with high lights. This hair dye is part of Garnier’s Nourishing Color Creme collection that is formulated with avocado, olive, and shea to nourish your hair so that the color will penetrate and hold longer. The intense blue-black shade is also ideal in keeping your greys and regrowths under wraps.

The hair dye is sold in a kit that comes with a creme developer and gloves. It is also the only hair dye with pre-packaged grapeseed fruit oil ampule you can mix into the formula to color your hair while boosting nourishment and sheen. Also included in the box is a conditioner you can use after rinsing to keep up with your hair’s moisturizing needs. With all these extra inclusions at a very affordable price, we can’t see why this product not worth giving the whirl.

4. L’Oreal Paris Excellence Creme Black 1 Hair Color

Leaves hair a conditioned vibrant locks

This yet another good product from leading brand L’Oreal Paris which focuses on the provision of smooth black glossy finish that will make you feel like you just came out of shampoo commercial, no-frills. This comes as no surprise considering it is made with hair nourishing ceramide, keratin, and collagen, patented in the brand’s triple protection color. It fortifies your hair to endure wear and tear over time while giving it a noticeable shine.

The black is in the shade of rich radiant natural black color that you can sport for quite a while since the formula is made to be long-lasting. It’s great in permanently hiding hard-to-color regrowths and greys. Included in the box are the coloring cream, developer, coloring comb with a bonus of pre-color cream to free hair of build-up, and any discoloration for that optimal color deposit and retention.

5. L’oreal Paris Superior Preference Hair Color Ultimate Black

Takes your hair to the darkest black

We know we can’t get enough of L’oreal Paris, but can you really blame us? The brand is a juggernaut in terms of convenient professional hair coloring, it already became a household name. If you want to achieve the blackest of the black, L’oreal Paris Ultimate Black is yours to like. Whether it’s greys, brassy tones or stubborn regrowths, there’s nothing the Ultimate Black cannot camouflage. Even better, it promises to deliver a fade-resistant hair color of 8 weeks.

As something that is part of the Superior Preference range, expect the rich deep black color to have a shininess and luminance. Paired with the color gel is the optimizing color creme to boost the vibrancy. Just like other L’oreal Paris hair products, the gel dye formula also comes with a conditioner that is full-packed with nourishing oils, vitamin and UV filter.

Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Black Hair Dye

Choosing a hair dye is not only about picking out which brand is the best. When trying to decide what kind of black dye best suits you and your hair, you need to take into account the several factors that can have an impact on the results. Below we are sharing everything you need to know before purchasing a dye. This is your ultimate guide in choosing a black dye.

Your hair type and condition

The porosity of your hair exerts influence on how well will the color hold up. The black pigment won’t grab well on a hair type that is damaged or overly processed with chemicals. Additionally, it may reveal green tints due to the porosity and lack of nutrients on the hair.

Adding a pigment filler (also known as protein filler or color filler)  in dyes is ideal for hard-to-color hairs including one that is bleached. Its job is to restore the color pigment in your hair that gets taken out during chemical treatments. It also corrects over porous hair to create a good canvas for hair coloring. If your hair is extremely damaged, you will need to condition your hair beforehand until it is healthy enough for the color to stick fully.

Your hair’s density and elasticity are other factors that can have an impact on the outcome of the color application. Those who have thicker and wavier hair will have more noticeable blacker hair than those who have thinner and straighter hair.

Your Hair’s Pre-existing Color

Unless you have naturally soft black hair you wanted to recolor with darker black, applying a black dye is not as simple as layering another color. Different base colors react to a black dye.  For instance, if your starting color is a  very light shade such as a pale blonde, your hair needs to be prime first with missing underlying pigment which is usually a splash of gold or copper. Directly dying your hair will result in the color becoming greenish as the hair does not have enough color to support the black dye.

For those whose hair tends to turn brassy or orangy, a hair dye with an ashy or violet is a good base to ward off undesirable warm tones and maintain the color of your hair. Meanwhile, if you are working with a brunette base such as a brown, red or auburn, you don’t need to go for heavy coverage as your hair is only a few shades lighter than the intended color.  A low-ammonia black dye will suffice to achieve black coverage for those who have darker bases.

How long you want your hair color to last

Depending on its formulation, a black dye may have a long-lasting fixture or will fade after a few shampoos. Hair dyes, in general, come in different types namely permanent, semi-permanent, demi-permanent and temporary. As you may have already guessed in their names, each differs in their ability to last.

Permanent Black Dye

Through the process of oxidation, permanent black dye strips hair of the color before injecting the black pigment. As such, you won’t notice signs of fading for quite a while and not until the root regrowth. They are best with grey full coverage. Permanent dyes are touted to be hair damaging, however, because they normally rely on strong chemicals, usually of peroxide and ammonia, so be wary of overuse.

Semi-Permanent Black Dye

This type of dye skips the use of ammonia and will directly coat the outer hair shaft with the black pigment. Semi-permanent dyes usually last 6 weeks but will fade more progressively with shampooing and exposure to air. They are often used for root touch-ups and growing out permanent hair color with the additional benefit of leaving your hair a sheen.  It will not fully cover greys, however, but will rather soften the appearance to blend it with the rest of the hair.

Demi-Permanent Black Dye

A demi-permanent dye is a bridge between permanent and semi-permanent. It will obviously need more re-application than permanent dye but will last 12 to 24 washes more than semi-permanent. Like the permanent hair dye, usage includes mixing with a developer for the formula to penetrate in the hair shaft better. This kind of dye is great for enhancing natural black color, blending gray and for corrective work.

Temporary Black Dye

If going brunette is something that you cannot fully commit, a temporary dye offers a washable dye. This means that your hair will eventually return to its original color after you wash your hair, a reason this type of dye is also known as wash-out hair color. The temporary black dye allows you to test the waters and also experiment with different black hair looks. It also provides instant gray coverage in between hair colorings.

Note: If you decided to remove your permanent hair dye please read this article.

The shades of black you are after versus your skin tone

Little you may know but there’s more to a black dye than just being ‘black’. A black dye is actually a mixture of multiple undertones that you can customize or readily available on the shelf, depending on the look you are going for. Another thing to consider is your skin tone. While black suits any skin color, there’s a specific shade that best flatters a fair, medium and dark tone.  Below are some of the popular black shades you can go after and the skin tone that best complement it.

Soft Black

Complements warm and dark skin tones

If you are after a natural look, going soft black is one of your best bets.  It’s an almost black shade sitting in the middle of the brown and black spectrum.

Natural Black

Complements any skin tones

Also called an off-black color, this shade is the closest to a natural black hair color you can go. This is actually great if you don’t want others to know that you are wearing an artificial hair color.

Jet Black

Complements any skin tones

Jet Black is the most intense black color having no undertones or hues on it. The color resembles the color of a dark jet stone, hence the name. Having a jet black hair makes a good striking beauty statement.

Blue Black

Complements  fair and cool skin tones

This shade is a black dye with a blue tint. The black is not too dark and will have a blue hue on it. Different brands may have different variations of this and will offer varying intensities of blue, from the deepest darkest possible blue-black to black color with a reflective blue tone

Auburn Black

Complements medium to dark skin tones

This version of black leans toward a soft black with reflective warm red tones in the hue of auburn. It’s a shade that screams elegance and sophistication and looks flattering on most skin tones especially dark to neutral skin tones.

Metallic Black

Complements fair to medium skin tones

Looking for a  head-turning radiance? Metallic black is a shimmering dazzling tone, almost dimensional and has cool icy reflects. This intensely cool hue is currently an on-trend look sported by most social media icons.

Amethyst Black

Complements fair to cool skin tones

Black combined with the deep violet is what defined this hair color. Hair looks black but upon closer inspection, the violet reflections are there. It’s a good way to bring a solid black hair color up another pristine level.

Brown Black

Complements any skin tone

You may have seen one wearing this color which makes you question if it Is it black or brown. It’s hard to tell from afar. A brown-black, as its name would imply, is the intersection of black and dark brown. It’s another natural-looking look you can go if you are gearing towards a warm shade.

Our Top Pick

Revlon Colorsilk Permanent Haircolor 10 Black is the best bargain hair dye that everyone keeps on recommending, mainly because it does what it says which is to color hair black. And it does not mess around when it comes to hair coloring, whether it’s pesky greys and regrowths or difficult-to-color hair, this Revlon hair dye got you covered. What even makes it more special is its ability to bring your black hair up a notch by giving it dimension. Because who wants a monotonous solid color, right?

Of course, no one needs to give away that their hair is artificially colored. Also patented in the formula are polymers, silk protein, and special blended coloring ingredients to give you the most natural-looking hair color with an added shine, from root to tip. Just when you think, it could not get any better, it is even enriched with UV filters to protect hair from damaging sun rays. It does all of this without the help of ammonia.

Lastly, it comes with a color-care conditioner to nourish your hair whilst sealing in the vibrancy. Now, who needs an expensive salon treatment when you can covet Revlon Colorsilk Permanent Haircolor 10 Black for low-cost, professional hair coloring at home.