The Shade Reviews

Name: The Shade
Address: 23 Milton Parade Malvern VIC 3144, ,, Malvern
Rating: 4.52

4.5 Rating 1,937 Reviews

87 %

of reviewers recommend The Shade

Company Reviews

Metrics

Info

4.5

Based on 1,937 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Postal Service
Average Delivery Time	Within 5 Days
On-time Delivery	Greater than 92%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	99%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Live Chat, Telephone
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	4.4 out of 5

About The Shade:

The Shade is Australia's leading home hair colour and hair care company. Our colour is Italian-made, and is free from Ammonia, PPD, Parabens, Phthalates and Gluten.

Visit Website

Email:

support@theshade.com.au

Location:

23 Milton Parade Malvern VIC 3144, ,
Malvern
3144

The Shade 5 star review on 30th April 2025

Debbie B

The Shade 5 star review on 23rd April 2025

Wiley S

The Shade 5 star review on 20th April 2025

Carmen B

The Shade 5 star review on 18th April 2025

Lynda S

540

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Filter: Rated 1 None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“Advertised as natural ingredients, sadly I was as allergic to it as I am to regular hair colour. I had very high hopes but was very disappointed. Did the patch test - after just 12 hours it started burning and itching. Gave the rest away to someone who uses regular hair dye.”

Helpful Report

“The colour was darker than expected, when a queried about the colour and going lighter I was told to restart the entire process (pigment remover and new colour) which I had already done.”

Helpful Report

Hi Nina, I'm a bit confused, as you advised our colourist that you were happy with your result, but still wanted to go lighter. You asked what colour and toner we recommend to slowly lighten. Our colourist advised that you would need to repeat the colour pigment removal process as you can't lighten without removing the darker colour pigments. She also recommended a couple of lighter colours you can use after you have removed the darker pigments which would give you a lighter colour result. We also assisted by providing you with a 50% discount on a toner to reduce brassiness. Our colourist's advice to you was professional and accurate, so we are surprised you that you gave us a 1-star review. Craig Ford CEO - The Shade

“I've been colouring my hair myself for about 20 years. I was very excited to try this but sadly it came out extremely patchy and looks really bad. The colour turned out black when it was meant to be brown and it just didn't colour some parts at all. My hair was definitely covered I didn't miss any parts. I do like the addition of the remover if it gets on your skin though.”

Helpful Report

“Delivery as fast, and the tools were great (bowl, brush, hair clips and ties), however, I ordered a light blonde toner (San Marino), followed all of the instructions correctly and it coloured my hair chocolate brown. It's taken a lot of time and money to make my hair blonde again.”

The Shade 1 star review on 25th March 2025

Helpful Report

Sorry you are not happy with your toner result. We are a bit confused as when you contacted our colourist team, you mentioned that you wanted to go back to your natural colour, and that you wanted to add depth and fill and cover your highlights. We advised how you could fill and cover your highlights with a colour blend which would take you back to your natural colour. If you had mentioned that you wanted to retain your lighter highlights, then our advice would have been completely different. Please note that we did not recommend the San Marino 8.1 toner for you. San Marino has a medium blonde base colour level with cool mushroom Ash tones. It is not a brown colour but it does have a bit of depth due to the mushroom tones. You applied that as a semi-permanent, so it will wash or fade away. San Marino is clearly described as having mushroom tones on the product page, in the photos and also in the toner page. Wishing you the best!

“Unfortunately I had a bad reaction to the hair dye when doing a patch test. I really had hoped this would work for me after reading the other reviews but sadly this dye is not for me.”

Helpful Report

“It turned my hair to orange. Not happy”

Helpful Report

Hi Jennifer, I'm sorry you didn't get the colour result you were looking for. I can see that you didn't complete our Online Colour Consultation, or contact one of our colourists for advice before purchasing. Had you contacted us, we certainly wouldn't have recommended the colour you chose. An orange/brassy result will be seen when you lighten your hair by too many levels. Please contact one of our colourist here who can assist you in correcting your colour: https://theshade.com.au/colourist/ I hope this helps!

“Thankfully I undertook a patch test prior to full head application. I have never had a reaction to a product as badly as yours. Appalling waste of money.”

Helpful Report

Hi Caroline, Sorry to hear that you have had a reaction to our products. We only hear of reactions very rarely, but it's generally because of an allergy to an ingredient in our colour. Our colour formula has eliminated some of the key ingredients which can trigger allergic reactions (such as PPD) but there are lots of other ingredients in our colour and you may be allergic of any of them. Some of our colours have slightly different ingredients than others, so we have listed the ingredients for each colour seperately, which you can find here: https://theshade.com.au/ingredients/ There is also ingredients for all our other products including the developer which you mix with the colour. So the best thing to do is take note of the ingredients of the exact colour you used and provide that information to your GP. Your doctor should be able to help with that, which will then help you avoid products with that ingredient in the future. Wishing you the best. X

“It was great for a while but then two of my orders are still in the mail, so I had to order another and I still haven’t received the other two months later and no refund. I’m not sure what’s going on so I’ve paused my membership. I can’t keep paying for things I don’t receive.”

Helpful Report

Dear Clare, So sorry that you had such a frustrating experience! Unfortunately, when orders are collected by the courier, they are literally out of our hands. Almost all packages are delivered promptly, but during peak periods such as Black Friday/Christmas, delays can occur due to the sheer volume. We note that you have ordered from us ten times this year, so we are glad that you are happy with the product overall and the delivery times for your other orders from us. Unfortunately in this instance, one of your orders was delayed and the other was misplaced by the courier. As promised, when the courier deemed one of your orders to be "lost in transit", we immediately issued a full refund. We apologize for your inconvenience, and wish you the best!

“The colour has again dyed my roots orange, I don’t think the instructions are accurate for everyone because the dye didn’t list as it should”

Helpful Report

Dear Talara, I'm sorry you didn't get the result you were looking for. Please see the following article regarding hot roots: https://theshade.com.au/how-to-avoid-hot-roots/ We have an online colour consultation and we offer personalised colourist advice which I can see that you didn't use. Our colourist team can be contacted here if you would like some advise: https://theshade.com.au/colourist/ I hope this helps!

“Followed the instructions, watched the videos and read all the reviews with hope that at home hair colouring was now more achievable than ever. Ended in tears, regret and disappointment. My own fault for ever thinking I could do what a trained hairdresser can do. Waste of money and time and sanity! Ended up with bright orange and yellow hair, now my beautiful blonde locks are brunette after an emergency and embarrassing trip to a hairdresser to fix. Never again. Just go to the hairdresser.”

Helpful Report

“Disappointed. The colour that I ordered and was advised by the hairdresser didn't turn out what I expected. So dissatisfied and upset.”

Helpful Report

Hi Amanda, Sorry you weren't happy with your colour. You coloured with a darkest brown + dark brown combination. If you saw a black colour result from that colour blends, that indicates that your hair over-absorbed the colour, leading to a darker colour result. That indicates that your hair may be porous as porous hair can over-absorb colour. Hair can have increased porosity if it has previously been lightened (particularly repeated lightening processes), if it is damaged, or some natural hair textures such as curly or very fine hair can naturally be more porous. Going forward, if your hair is dry or damaged, then it is best to try to boost and improve the condition of your hair to reduce porosity, and also to bear in mind that you are likely to have darker colour results so to adjust your colour selection to bear that in mind. We can advise how to soften your colour and a colourist will be in touch to provide further advice. I can see that you contacted our colourist team for advise yesterday afternoon (Sunday). Maybe it's best to wait for the colourist's assistance before leaving us a 1-star review. Wishing you well! Craig Ford CEO The Shade

“I gave them feedback on how poorly the product worked for me and no one ever got back to me. I don't believe in outing people through reviews but I feel like in this instance they've had lots of time to respond.”

Helpful Report

Hi Leonie, Thanks for getting in touch. We received an email from you on August 6th, and we replied to you on the same day with the following: Hi Leonie, Thanks for getting in touch. I'm sorry you didn't get the grey coverage you were looking for. Seems you have very colour-resistant greys. If you wanted to boost grey coverage, then I would suggest that you add some heat to your roots for 2-5 minutes with your hairdryer while the colour is processing, which will help soften and lift the cuticle on your greys, which helps the colour enter to be deposited within the hair too. Pop a shower cap on your head after you have added some heat during the colouring process too, as this will help retain heat and soften and lift the cuticles of the hair which will then allow the colour pigments to enter to be permanently deposited within the hair. The above approach has been effective on even the most stubborn greys, and I am confident that it will work for you as well. I would be happy to send you a free Colour Kit so you can try this technique. Please advise if you would like me to process an order. Best Regards, Could you recheck your emails from August 6th? Best Regards, Marco

“I ordered a blonde colour to enhance my already blonde hair. They very clearly sent me the wrong one or the colour is faulty as my previously golden hair is now very much brown. Not happy at all.”

Helpful Report

Hi Savannah, I'm sorry you weren't happy with the semi-permanent colour you applied. As you didn't complete our online colour consultation or contact one of our colourists, we have no knowledge of your hair history, or condition so I can't make any comment. Darker results are often seen when the hair is porous. Please contact one of our colourists here who would be happy to assist you: https://theshade.com.au/colourist/ I hope this helps!

“Worst experience ever - don’t do it!! Had a consult first and was recommended two colours that would suit me based on my natural colour. They colorist advised a bleach wash first to get some warmth out and apply the toner after. The bleach wash was incredibly aggressive and my hair turned yellow/orange. I followed the instructions to the letter. The toner afterwards did not help much. I ended up paying $400 at a hairdresser to get it fixed. I’m sure this service works great for darker colours or a root fix up but not for blonde. If in doubt - DONT DO IT!”

Helpful Report

Hi Lotte, Sorry that you weren't happy with your colour result. You already had colour in your hair and you wanted to go two levels lighter, and given that colour cannot lighten colour, the only way to lighten coloured hair is with a lightening process. We did advise that the bleaching process does reveal natural warmth, which is a natural effect of lightening (as all hair has warmth within it which is revealed during lightening). Some people need to extend the bleach time or repeat the process to remove all the warmth in their hair (which we mentioned in the advice we provided). We also advised that the lightening process will dry your hair a bit and that it is very important to do deep conditioning treatments before and after any lightening process, so it would have been helpful if you had done some treatments as they would have restored moisture and condition to your hair. I hope this helps!

“Colour does not last .Found ingredients not so toxic free and natural .There are ingredients which are harmfull for your skin and nervous system Ethanolamine ,Sodium Laureth Sulfate .”

Helpful Report

Hi Danielle, I'm surprised by your comments as you have purchased 6 Colour Kits from us. The colour fade that you mentioned isn't usual but can be seen when the colour hasn't been fully absorbed, which can lead it to fade faster. This can happen if the hair is porous and doesn't fully absorb colour or it cannot retain colour so well and it leaks colour. Some hair is naturally more porous than others. Textures such as very fine or thin hair or curly hair can resist retaining colour due to higher natural porosity. Hair which is damaged or over-processed will also not retain colour well. Here is some more information about colour fade and porosity: https://theshade.com.au/blogs/ten-tips-to-reduce-porosity-in-your-colour/ You can also boost and improve colour absorption and retention by changing developer. Some grey hair or porous hair doesn't absorb or hold colour as well, and changing to a 27 vol developer from the 20 vol you have been using will boost colour absorption and results. Hair colour does contain chemicals, but we have removed the most harmful chemical and irritants including ammonia, PPD, phthalates, parabens, titanium dioxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and gluten from our formulation. Our colourists are available 7 days a week, and I would recommend you contact them for assistance with your porosity issue. They can be contacted here: https://theshade.com.au/colourist/ I hope this helps! Craig Ford CEO - The Shade

“I have emailed you three times asking you to cancel the re order function,butcyou have never replied. I will have to contact Dept Fair Trade to resolve this problem.”

Helpful Report

Hi Frances, We received an email from you on December 4th and 7th and replied to both emails within a few hours. Please check you inbox and other email folders. This is the email we sent to you on both occasions: Thanks for your email and your order. As you selected the "one time purchase" option rather than the "membership" option, there are no recurring orders. You will need to re-order the next time you want to order. I hope this help!

“I don't know how I ended up going on auto order but it happened. I tried to undo it, but then got another colour! The wrong colour! Now I have 2 wrong colours still in the box unopened but cannot return them! Not happy with how easy it is to go on auto delivery and how hard it is to get out of it.”

Helpful Report

Hi Janette, Thanks for getting in touch. When you place an order, you are given the option of either a one-time purchase, or a membership with auto-ship. You selected the membership option. You can cancel, pause or modify your membership from your online account at anytime. I can see that you've cancelled your membership, so you won't receive anything further. I hope this helps!

“At the time of consultation I was very clear with hair consultant Camilla that I do not want brassy tones in my hair. She recommended Trento 5.0. This made my hair orange and brassy. The product also failed to cover my greys (both times). Also dried out my hair. I guess you get what you pay for.”

Helpful Report

Hi Karli, We understand that you didn't want brassy tones in your hair, so therefore our colourist recommended Trento 5.1 Ash Brown. Trento has zero warm tones. The Ash tones in Trento neutralises warmth, but unfortunately some hair naturally throws a lot of warmth. The brassy result you experienced was not caused by the colour (there are zero warm tones in Trento) but due to the fact that your hair throws a lot of warmth. Our colourist bent over backwards to assist you (over 28 emails sent to you). She even sent you a free Colour Kit to assist you, but you continually accused our colourist of giving you the wrong advice. Our advice was 100% correct. Wishing you the best! Marco

“I did 2 bleach baths then used light ash blonde on advice from The Shade colourist and my hair turned out orange/gold. Sent 2 emails with photos asking what’s the best thing to do now going forward and never got a reply. I had to actually go into Hairhouse to actually get expert advice”

Helpful Report

Dear Mandy, The most recent email we received from you was literally just pics, without one written word. Our colourists are very busy, and if we receive an email like yours with no text whatsoever, just some photos, they are unable to reply. If you would like a written response from our colourists, then you would need to facilitate communication by including written communication, not just pics. Regards, Marco The Shade

“Really wanted to love The Shade but unfortunately that’s not the case. I used the medium blonde on my already bright blonde hair and it became an almost green muddy colour. It was all ashy and when it was meant to be a neutral tone with both warm and cool tones. I’ve since dyed over it as it was just horrible.”

Helpful Report

Hi Alix, Sorry to hear you weren't happy with your colour. I think you would be happier with your colour result if you had either used our online colour consultation quiz, or if you had consulted with our colourist before ordering a colour, and unfortunately you didn't utilize either of those free services. We provide colourist support 7 days a week, and we highly recommend that you do consult with a colourist, or complete the online colour consultation prior to ordering a colour. Wishing you the best. Marco

The Shade is rated 4.5 based on 1,937 reviews