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The Best Hair Color Kits and Accessories to Shop at Ulta
Traditionally speaking, there are two main reasons for why you’d want to radically transform your hairstyle: You’re either in the throes of a mental breakdown or spring is nearing, a great excuse for both your wardrobe and your mane to undergo a long-overdue upgrade. Just this Sunday, though, another marvelous rationale for a full-scale ‘do reset surfaced in the form of all the celebrities that stunned at the 98th Academy Awards red carpet: showing off shiny, healthy tresses and even debuting all-new hair colors.
Mikey Madison, for instance, went for a shade called “Sultry Brunette” with the help of colorist Jacob Schwartz. The master artist layered in cool and neutral tones for some covetable depth while focusing on the hair around her face so as to better structure it. Sarah Pidgeon, meanwhile, sported a “Bessette Blonde” hue on her head, which, according to a press release, “feature[d] a softly brightened base with creamy golden warmth, balanced by delicate neutral ribbons that keep the blonde feeling refined.”
Blonde was also the name of the game that evening for starlets like Nikki Glaser, Amelia Dimoldenberg, and Alix Earle, who embraced the color’s multitude of iterations — from strawberry to honey — while surprising fans with beauty refreshes to match their jaw-dropping gowns.
If you’re interested in going the DIY route while giving yourself an all-new look, as opposed to dropping hundreds at a salon, we have some great news. Today only, buying some of the best hair color kits online will cost you even less, what with Ulta’s generous 21 Days of Beauty event that’s unveiling never-before-seen, 50-percent-off deals on makeup, skin care, and hair care every single day.
That’s right: You can save a whopping 50 percent on hair-dyeing essentials like demi-permanent hair color formulas, root touchup kits, and everything in between. The brand at the forefront of these unprecedented steals? None other than Madison Reed, a prestige beauty label that was established in 2013 and prides itself on offering at-home, salon-quality hair solutions: completely free of bad actors like ammonia, phthalates, SLS, titanium dioxide, and beyond.
The two discounted bestsellers you need to shop right now are Madison Reed’s Root Perfection Root Touch Up Kit and the ColorWonder Demi-Permanent Hair Color. Know that their 50-percent-off markdown is here today and gone tomorrow — literally — so taking out your credit card, but not before becoming an Ulta Beauty Rewards member to score even more perks with your purchase, is a wise idea indeed (much wiser than completely derailing the direction of your hair color, but who are we to judge?).
Once you put on those gloves, mix up the special recipe in that plastic bowl, and sit yourself down in front of the mirror, you just might get hooked on the whole process of designing your dream hair on a budget. So that you’re well-stocked for the next time the urge surfaces (or the grays come in), we’ll be recommending even more top-rated hair products at Ulta below. Most of these don’t qualify for the 21 Days of Beauty sale, but they’re totally worth paying full price for.
Here’s to every day being a good hair day this spring… and to your wallet not having to take on the role of collateral damage.
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rare deal
Madison Reed Root Perfection Root Touch Up Kit
7 shades available at Ulta
If not right now, graying roots are bound to become the bane of your existence at some point in time. Known to creep up unexpectedly — and frustratingly soon after a session with the colorist — these hairs demand some personal attention from their owner… on a regular basis. That’s right: Skip the appointment next time and touch up your roots from the comforts of the bathroom with this Madison Reed kit that boils down the process to just 10 minutes. Promising 100-percent coverage for your hairline, the set comes with the actual hair color cream (offered in seven shades, from the bombshell red Pesaro to the dark-and-sexy brown Calabria), a color activator, wipes, a hair mask duo, gloves, a mixing bowl, and a brush.
You’ll feel good about this half-off gem as well, seeing as how it’s made up of hair-loving ingredients like keratin, argan oil, and ginseng root extract.
Price upon publish date of this article: $19
half off right now
Madison Reed ColorWonder Demi-Permanent Hair Color
15 shades available at Ulta
As you can see in the image above, Madison Reed has tapped the WNBA’s Paige Bueckers — among other women’s basketball stars — in an NIL partnership that focuses on empowerment while promoting its ColorWonder demi-permanent hair dye (in layman’s terms, this type of hair color lasts for about 24 washes). Whether you want to ace Bueckers’ “UConnic Blonde” shade or are going for something warm and plum-adjacent instead, Madison Reed has your back with this $17 buy. Despite it being temporary, the pigmentation here is seriously impressive; after processing the color for 20 minutes and then washing your locks fully, you’ll also notice a boost in shine, dimension, and visual richness.
We repeat: All this, for less than $20.
Price upon publish date of this article: $17
Couldn’t Catch the Deals in Time? Shop More Hair Coloring Kits & Accessories at Ulta
Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color Kit Plus
Another Madison Reed go-to, the Radiant Hair Color Kit Plus was made especially with thick and long styles in mind. Concealing even the most stubborn grays, it’s long-lasting enough to get you through all those upcoming dates and well into the peak of spring. To ensure optimal color payoff, Madison Reed also tacked on a targeted, color-protecting shampoo and conditioner to this purchase (yes, your drugstore shampoo might not cut it in this case).
Price upon publish date of this article: $53
Good Dye Young Hair Lightening Kit
Dreaming of summer and the naturally bleached appearance your hair gets when the sun starts shining for extended periods of time? Fast forward right to the good part with Good Dye Young’s Hair Lightening Kit. Claiming to lift hair four to five levels in a gentle way, the kit’s developer also ensures a uniform final look and keeps nourishment a priority with components like soy protein and coconut oil.
Price upon publish date of this article: $17
dpHue Color Dream Demi-Permanent Kit
Made for all those who are looking for an effective, affordable way to take care of their hair in between salon visits, this demi-permanent selection from the brand dpHue pays dividends in depth and is available in eight diverse hues ranging from Cool Blonde to Copper to Dark Brown. Here for a good time but not a long time, the color you’ll be getting will cling to your strands for approximately 16 washes. (Softness and deep conditioning are just some of the fringe benefits awaiting you.)
Price upon publish date of this article: $33
IGK Permanent Color Kit
Meet IGK’s professional-grade coloring kit, which uses the same exact products found at IGK brick-and-mortar locations in NYC and Miami. Working overtime to amp up vibrancy and kick breakage to the curb, the squalane- and orchid extract–infused star players here — including a pigment, developer, mask, stain-removing cleanser, and the Color Block Barrier Gel — come together to give you camera-ready ‘dos for days. Considering the hair dye here is classified as permanent, that would be many, many days of paparazzi-worthy glam.
Price upon publish date of this article: $31
Overtone Dye Day Master Kit: Bowl, Brush, Gloves & Clip
On sale right now (albeit not associated with Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty extravaganza), this Overtone Master Kit puts everything you need to start your hair coloring journey right at your fingertips. While you might not possess Chris Appleton‘s dexterity in the art of hair care quite yet, this accessory collection intends to get you one step closer to mastery, courtesy of a bowl, tint brush, four alligator clips, and a pair of reusable gloves. Note that many of the above sets already come with their own brushes, hand protection, and the like, but this quartet will give you added peace of mind that you can go from ash to platinum without having to rush to the nearest CVS in a shower cap.
Price upon publish date of this article: $22
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Meet the Author
Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on not-to-miss beauty deals, as well as hair products from popular brands worth shopping.
