How to get the perfect DIY copper hair color at home + my copper hair color formula

The ultimate guide to getting the perfect DIY copper hair color at home + my highly requested copper hair color formula.

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Disclaimer: I am not a professional hairstylist. I am just someone who loves DIY beauty, has access to the internet & and has an Amazon Prime account.

Why I decided to color my hair copper at home

At first, I was super nervous about coloring my hair by myself. But now I’m so glad I took the time to learn how to color my hair copper at home!

Before my first DIY copper hair color in January 2023, I had only ever gotten my hair professionally colored.

Since copper hair is a high-maintenance color that you will need to keep up with every 6-8 weeks, it made more sense for my schedule & budget to DIY my copper hair color at home.

Beforehand, I did a lot of research & found some really great products & resources from professional hairstylists online. I’ll be sure to link everything I can to help with your own personal research.

This is what has worked for me to achieve my dream copper hair color at home! After several attempts, I finally achieved the perfect copper color I wanted.

I can’t guarantee your color will turn out exactly like mine. We are all starting from a different place color-wise and with hair history.

Luckily copper is a hard color to mess up even if its not the exact shade you want. I feel confident and beautiful every time I dye my hair with copper tones.

My hairstylist friend told me it’s a pretty hard color to mess up so it’s a good one to DIY at home! Go into it with a learning mindset and enjoy the process!

Supplies

I use the Igora Royal hair color line because it’s a permanent professional hair color & I can get it on Amazon. I’ve never had a problem with the quality of getting it off of Amazon.

The Colors I have in my tool kit:

• Igora Royal 7-57 Medium Blonde Gold Copper
• Igora Royal 7-77 Medium Blonde Copper
• Igora Royal 8-77 Light Blonde Copper
• Igora Royal 9-7 Extra Light Copper Blonde
• Igora Royal 0-77 Copper Concentrate
• Igora Royal 7-00 Medium Blonde Natural

I like to have a variety of colors to switch up and experiment.

I also purchased a hair coloring supplies kit, a cape & a scale to measure everything out.

Lastly, you will need a high-quality color-safe shampoo & conditioner to make sure the color lasts and leaves your hair feeling healthy. You do not want all your hard work to go straight down the drain.

Everything is also listed in my Amazon storefront, which I update regularly.

How to color your hair at home

Make sure you have all your supplies, enough color & all the tools you need before getting started.

There’s nothing worse than running out of color and not having enough hair dye to get the color you want.

Luckily, copper hair color isn’t going to fry off your hair like bleach. If you leave it on too long, it will eventually stop developing. It still helps to have all the tools laid out to work quickly for an even color.

I color my own hair by myself. If you have someone to help with the back, that can be super helpful!

If not, you can watch some videos on YouTube on techniques for applying color by yourself at home.

How to color the back of your hair at home

How to create a custom copper hair color formula for your hair goals

I knew that getting the copper I wanted was going to be a learning experience & personal experiment.

The first time, I colored my hair following Annabell Hoopers’ copper red hair video, and it was a good place to start, although it wasn’t my dream copper color.

I learned how to determine what level my hair was and what level I wanted it to be.

In creating my dream copper color I learned how different volume developers can add a different amount of lift to natural uncolored hair.

But color cannot lighten already colored hair. If you’re starting from a dark hair color and want to lighten it to a light copper it may be best to see a professional to lift your hair using bleach to the right level.

It took about 6 months before, through trial and error, I came across a formula I love!

This video was super helpful in helping me create more of the color I was going for: Igora Copper Colors. If you do not speak Spanish, you can turn on English subtitles, and she will show you how each of the colors can turn out!

My DIY Copper Hair Color Formula

This is the color I applied in June 2023, which I shared on social media and received numerous requests to reveal the formula.

Here is the EXACT copper hair formula I used:

Root Formula:

• 7-00: 5g
• 7-77: 5g
• 8-77: 13g
• 9-7: 2g
• 7-57: 3g
• 30 Vol Developer

Ends Formula:

• 8-77: 20g
• 7-77: 5g
• 9-7: 10g
• 30 Vol Developer

Reminder I am not a professional but this is what worked for me! If you try this color let me know how it goes and tag me @tatumkendall on Instagram!!