questions about hair colouring

That's a tall order! Of course, if you afford it, a good colorist is your best bet.

Otherwise (and these are from manufacturer's sites) if you are worried about your ends, L'Oreal Excellence has a special tube to be used only on ends before coloring to stop them from absorbing too much color. Of course, getting the ends trimmed off would also be of help. It is supposed to be chock full of conditioners and moisturizers.

Feria and Herbal Essences advertise great shine and multi-level colors, but there have been very mixed consumer reviews on these products, including fast loss of color, weird colors, and drying of hair. There is supposed to be a great conditioner packed in with Feria, but it has to be weighed with the many complaints about dryness.

Nice & Easy has revamped their look and claims to produce shiny, highlighted hair. However, this brand has also been accused by many users of REALLY drying out hair.

This is just an example of how difficult it is to find a color that will produce the end result we are looking for. Back to square one, a colorist, or buying a brand and strand testing it to see what happens.

Good luck. The hair color companies have literally been falling over each other trying to entice the consumer to buy their particular brand. The end result: a lot more confusion! Kudos to Redken, which has consistently refused to add to the confusion in the consumer market, although their products are great.

I'm sure others here can also provide some insight/experience with their endeavors. Hate to say it, but having a good wig around just in case gives some confidence that any real disaster can be covered until professional help is found.