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

“The colour matching service was spot on, colour is great and price was also very reasonable. Unfortunately the dye still made my head very itchy :(”

Helpful Report

Hi Kelly, Thanks for getting in touch, and I'm glad you like the product. Even though we have removed common allergens such as ammonia and PPD, it seems that you may be allergic to one of our ingredients. All our ingredients can be found here: https://theshade.com.au/ingredients/ I suggest that you consult with your GP. Wishing you well!

“Spoke to a stylist about my hair and what I wanted. I had lighter ends and darker roots and wanted to achieve a more consistent result with my colour. She sent through advice about what colour to use and images of the colour blend on other people and it looked and sounded like exactly what I wanted and needed. The result after using the colour was not great. The ends didn't take much colour at all, and the colour in general was very washed out and almost brown, nothing like copper blonde at all. Although I won't be using this brand of colour again, the other products I purchased (the repair kit) do seem pretty good.”

Helpful Report

Hi Vix, Sorry you weren't happy with your colour result. Colour results are impacted by the existing colours in your hair prior to applying our colour. Prior to applying our colour, you advised us that you had 3 different colours in your hair; one colour at your roots, one colour in your mid-sections and a different colour in your ends. It is significantly more difficult to manage colour outcomes when there is more than one colour in the hair, as each different colour will respond differently to colour, and selecting one colour which is compatible to fill in missing pigments and to assist in uniting colour and tone to achieve a more consistent colour is more challenging. You essentially needed to fill missing pigments from your hair initially with one colour application, to achieve a consistent base colour, which won't necessarily be your preferred, finished colour result. When you have a single base colour, it is then easier to change tones/colours to achieve a better colour outcome. I hope this helps!

“Waste of money - what a great way to rip people off 👍 and pocket the profit Go to your local pharmacy buy 5vol developer bottle and the shade you want instead... you'll get multiple applications not just one for the same price. Product was much darker than it appears on website and dried my hair out horribly. All marketing for profit - not a good product Save your money to spend elsewhere”

Helpful Report

Dear Sharon, I'm sorry you didn't get the result you were looking for. We emphasize on our Toner page of the importance of selecting a toner colour which is one level lighter than your current hair colour level. It's a pity you didn't consult with one of our colourists prior to your toner purchase as they would have recommended a toner which would have worked with your hair colour level, as clearly the toner you purchased was not the right colour level for you. We would be happy to send you a lighter toner with our compliments. Please contact one of our colourists here who can assist you: https://theshade.com.au/colourist/ I hope this helps! Marco

“Was not effective on whites even with the 27 vol developer.”

Helpful Report

Hi Sahana, Thanks for following up and I hope you are well. Sorry to hear that you didn't get the grey coverage you were after. It is quite rare for the 27 vol developer to not cover greys properly, as it is specifically formulated to cover resistant greys. I would encourage you to try again and next time to add some heat to your roots for a minute or two with your hairdryer, 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 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 am happy to arrange to send you another colour kit at no cost for you to try the above approach. Are you happy with the overall colour? Please confirm if you were happy with the colour result in your lengths, and then I will arrange to ship out a free colour kit so that you can try adding some heat to get better grey coverage result. I hope that helps and please let me know if I can help with any other colouring questions or concerns - I am always happy to help! Marco

“The quality is lovely the fact it hasn't any harsh chemicals but the colours are not described correctly. The Ash Browns throw a lot of red under artificial lighting it's actually in the colour itself. Corresponding with them I've been incorrectly guided twice and was told to purchase a colour which ended up several shades too dark and no way near my natural hair colour but I had to bear the costs, I'm not sure if they actually read through or rush through their correspondence.”

Helpful Report

Hi Nadia, I'm sorry you weren't happy with your colour. Please note that we can only recommend colours based on the information that you provide to us. You advised our colourist that you want to purchase a dark brown colour without warm tones so we recommended Toscano 4.1 Dark Ash Brown. The ash neutralizes warm tones. You instead used Siena 5 Brown which brought out natural warm tones in your hair. We then sent you 2 complimentary tubes of Trento 5.1 Ash Brown, which is what we would have recommended if you wanted to lighten from level 4 to level 5. Ash browns contain zero warm tones. Once again, we can only recommend colours based on the information you provide us. You advised us that you natural hair colour is dark brown, so we recommended a dark brown to you. Wishing you the best! Marco

“Nice kit! Colour didn’t deposit well and also didn’t last long at all, the 27vol barely covered greys and was more of a toner”

Helpful Report

We're a bit confused Nicole as we notice that you have purchased 3 colour kits over the past few months with 27 vol. There is quite a bit of difference between a 27 vol developer and a 5 vol developer used for toners. It may be best to check directly with our colourists to see if you were using the product correctly. Our colourist are available 7 days a week and can be contacted here: https://theshade.com.au/colourist/ The questions you answer here will be sent to one of our colourists who will then have all the information to offer you personalised advice. There is also an opportunity to upload a photo(s) and ask specific questions. I hope this helps! Marco

“Was very easy to apply. Loved using the salon application kit. However my colour has been disappointing. After only one wash my greys are quite visible and previous colour already coming through. Definitely not what you expect for a permanent colour. I left it in for the required time, so not sure what happened?? Was really hoping this was the easy solution to easy at him colouring.”

Helpful Report

Hi Kirsty! So sorry to hear that you didn't get complete grey coverage. We notice that you used our 20 vol developer with your colour. We have recently added a new 27 vol developer which is specifically formulated to cover stubborn greys. It has a bit more lifting power and can lift the cuticle on greys to achieve permanent colour coverage. Greys often have textural changes along with the loss of pigmentation, and they are be a bit thicker, coarser and more wiry, which is due to changes in the texture. Their outer cuticle layer is more tightly packed and this can make it difficult for the colour to penetrate the hair. The 27 vol can lift the tougher cuticle on greys, allowing the colour to deposit within the hair. We are happy to send you a free replacement colour pack with the 27 vol if you are happy to try that - please just confirm if you are happy with the colour you tried otherwise or if you would like any changes to that and we can arrange that. Thank you very much! Camilla Colourist The Shade

“For reference, I ordered 6.1 which is in line with my natural hair colour but I would actually give it 1 star because it did a terrible job at covering my greys. Even after leaving on for extra time as per the instructions. And yes I know they do a grey softener but that’s an extra expense and step that I don’t need to do with another PPD and ammonia free dye I used. So going back to that one. Was really excited to try this after reading the reviews but really disappointed.”

Helpful Report

Hi Courtney, Sorry you weren't happy with your grey coverage. As you may know, the outer layer of greys are often coarser and their outer cuticle layer is more tightly packed, which makes it harder for greys to absorb the colour. Poor absorption leads to poor colour results. Pre-softening softens and lifts the cuticles before colouring and is an effective approach to stubborn, colour-resistant greys. We are also adding a 27 vol developer in about a week which is specifically developed to cover colour-resistant greys, and that would give you excellent colour coverage over resistant greys without requiring another step, product or process. That will be available next week, and we will let everyone know when that is available. Camilla The Shade

“Didn’t cover my grey’s even after 45 minutes”

Helpful Report

Hi Tsewang, Thanks for your feedback. Some greys are colour resistant. In terms of colouring stubborn greys, as you may know, grey hair often has a different texture, because along with the loss of pigment there are also changes to the outer cuticle layer of greys which can make them resistant to colouring. You can prepare your greys before colouring by pre-softening, which, as the name suggests, helps soften those tougher greys before colouring. It is a simple salon trick which is very effective. Please see the following blog: https://theshade.com.au/blogs/pre-softening-to-colour-very-resistant-greys/ You can also add some heat to your roots during the pre-softening period for a minute or two with your hairdryer, which will help soften and lift the cuticle on your greys, which helps the colour enter to be deposited within the hair. Pop a shower cap on while the colour is processing too, which will retain heat and boost colour absorption. I hope this helps! The Shade team

“Followed the instructions, used the developer, etc. but the colour didn't cover the re-growth. However, the shampoo and conditioner were nice”

Helpful Report

Hi Elena, Sorry you didn't get the grey coverage you were after. Some greys can be quite colour resistant, as along with pigment changes, the texture of the hair changes and the outer layer becomes more tightly packed and layered which can make it difficult for the colour to absorb and to deposit permanent colour within the hair. I would encourage you to try again and next time to add some heat to your roots during the pre-softening for a minute or two with your hairdryer, which will help soften and lift the cuticle on your greys, which also helps the colour enter and be deposited within the hair. Pop a shower cap on your head during the pre-softening 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 hope this helps! The Shade team

“I received the bleach and a colour. Last night I bleached my hair to get rid of the current colour, followed instructions, left it for the required time, and then washed it off. The bleach hardly got rid of any of the colour, so it is likely a waste of time even putting in the new lighter colour. I will attempt this tomorrow - after the required 48 hours, and see how I get on.”

Helpful Report

Hi Kylie, Our colourist sent you a detailed email on May 1st in which she mentioned" "Please bear in mind that sometimes people need to repeat the bleach wash process to lift out all the darker pigments in their hair before they can recolour with a lighter colour". Please don't hesitate to contact one of our colourists again at colourist@theshade.com.au if you need any additional assistance. Best Regards, The Shade team

“Unfortunately my hair didn’t turn out the blonde I wanted , It was very brassy and yellow not like the platinum that was described .”

Helpful Report

Hi Jodi, Sorry you weren't happy with your colour result. You advised that your natural colour is lightest blonde. You coloured with a colour which is lightest blonde with cool tones so we certainly would have expected a balanced colour result. Please contact our colourist here if you would like further assistance: colourist@theshade.com.au The Shade team

“I dyed my hair (that already had dark blonde coloured highlights in it) “golden brown” but my hair has come out a deep dark red colour. Much much redder than I was expecting. I’m not sure if the issue was the existing blonde highlights. Looking forward to it growing out.”

Helpful Report

“I was so disappointed. The colour was very uneven and some parts of my grey didn't even get covered. Will never buy again.”

Helpful Report

Hi Tracy, So sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your colour result. We are happy to provide a free Colour Kit with another colour and provide advice for an alternative application approach, as we would love to help you find a colour result you are happy with. Please contact one of our colourists here who would be happy to assist: https://theshade.com.au/colourist/ I hope this helps! The Shade team

“Had a consult and requested a color for my grey hair. Told that my hair tends to go orange and is difficult to cover. The recommended color, turned orange and grey not covered. Very disappointed.”

Helpful Report

Hi Claudia, Sorry you weren't happy with your colour result. It can be particularly hard to manage the tone if your hair throws a lot of warmth and you want to lighten, as lightening always reveals natural warmth. Reddish/brassy colour pigments are naturally present in the hair and they are the last pigments to be lifted out of the hair during any lightening, because they have the largest colour molecules. The best approach to correct visible brassiness is to add some depth and cool tones. Adding a bit of depth means that the colour does not have to lift so much and that it is more likely to achieve an accurate, 'true' colour result. Cool tones will counter-act and neutralise unwanted warmth. We recommended a cool based colour which is only one level lighter than your previous colour. Lightening by one level while adding cool tones works successfully for the vast majority of people, but unfortunately that didn't work for you. The best approach to balance your tone is to add a little bit of depth together with cool tones to mute the unwanted warmth. Our colourist can recommend a single or blended colour option for you which will add either one level of depth or add half a level of depth and which has cool secondary tones if you wish. Regarding your stubborn greys, our colourist recommended pre-softening as that helps colour absorption and grey coverage over resistant greys, and that would certainly be helpful for you, but unfortunately you didn't try that. Please reply to a previous email from our colourist, and we'll be able to assist you further. I hope this helps! The Shade

“Hi, i am still waiting for my hair colour after ordering it 3 weeks ago”

Helpful Report

“I was looking for a professional DIY solution to dye my roots get during the lockdown and came across The Shade. Based on the positive reviews and feedback I decided to try it. I provided photos and the colours of my salon colours and received advice. Unfortunately I am not happy with the result (it's way too dark).”

Helpful Report

Hi Athena, Sorry you weren't happy with your colour result! We are happy to provide a lighter colour and advice on how to achieve a lighter colour level. Please contact one of our colourists here: https://theshade.com.au/colourist/ I hope this helps! The Shade team

“Great, clear instructions and useful tools. Unfortunately golden brown was instead some step back to my 90s teenage years of too dark mahogany but with the added cruel twist of bright red greys. Truly awful.”

Helpful Report

Dear Sally, I can see that you with Modena. Modena has prominent warm tones (as clearly listed in the description). All colours with warm tones have some red blended within the secondary tones. This can present differently on different hair - some people have hair which has a lot of natural warmth, in which case they will get a more visible reddish result from colouring with a warm based colour. Overall, if you really don't want to see any red in your hair the best approach is to avoid warm colours. Colours with a neutral tone are the best colours to cover greys because they don't have any prominent secondary tones which can appear lighter and brighter over greys. We don't recommend colouring to cover greys with a colour with prominent warm tones, or if you do want to see warm tones in your hair then we would suggest that you blend the colour with a neutral colour which will anchor the colour and avoid the lighter, brighter colour result over greys. If you need some assistance, please don't hesitate to contact one of your colourists here: https://theshade.com.au/colourist/ I hope this helps! The Shade team

“Loved the colour and all the equipment. Looked great for the first week then completely washed out :(”

Helpful Report

Hi Lisa, Sorry to hear that your colour faded so quickly. Colour fade is typically due to porosity, and hair which is porous leaks colour. Please contact our colourists who can provide tips and techniques which help reduce porosity and which support colour retention on hair with high porosity. They can be contacted here: https://theshade.com.au/colourist/ I hope this helps! The Shade team

“I was really excited to use the product. I was impressed with the service and thought it would be perfect. Unfortunately it did not cover my greys. I found the softening(which was actually just a developer on its own) very laborious, took way too long and made it difficult to apply the colour after. Overal , the time was very long and I really was disappointed when it did not cover my greys. A lot of effort for no return.”

Helpful Report


Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Postal Service
Average Delivery Time	Within 5 Days
On-time Delivery	Greater than 89%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	99%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	4.4 out of 5

The Shade Reviews