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As someone who colours their hair, I know all too well how time-consuming it can be. Don’t get me wrong, I adore going to the salon for a hair colour refresh or balayage, or just to enjoy that incredible scalp massage at the backwash. But, it would be remiss of me not acknowledge the time and financial commitment colouring your hair can have, which is why I often rely on the best colour-depositing hair masks to keep my colour looking its best in between salon visits.
Much like a semi-permanent colour or hair gloss you might get in the salon, colour-depositing hair masks are a great way to enhance or tweak your hair colour at home. Depending on your current hair colour and the hue you want to achieve, they can help to banish brassiness by toning, refreshing highlights or balayage or help you experiment with bolder shades without the riskiness of permanent hair dye. They typically wash out after a couple of weeks, gradually fading after a couple of shampoos. They’re brilliant for dipping a toe in a new hair colour trend, or simply brightening and refreshing your hair colour in between salon visits.
I know that trying a colour-depositing hair mask can be a bit daunting, so I rallied our Who What Wear UK beauty team to test some of the best on the market first-hand. Scroll on below for our honest thoughts and all-important before-and-after pics of the results.
Best Hair Colour Depositing Masks
(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
1. Wella Professionals Color Fresh Semi-Permanent Colour Mask
Wella Professionals
Color Fresh Semi-Permanent Colour Mask – Cool Espresso
Pros
- Good ranges of shades
- Leaves hair shiny and soft
Cons
- Can be messy to apply and stain clothing
Editor review: I’m naturally a dark, cool-toned brunette, but after years of permanent colour to cover my emerging greys and balayage through the lengths, my hair can take on a brassy hue with more warm undertones than I’d like if I don’t keep up with my hair colour appointments. Lately, I’ve been wanting to go back to my roots (quite literally!) and completely grow it out to my natural shade, but I dislike seeing the band of old colour as it grows out. I came across Wella’s Color Fresh Masks after speaking with a hair colourist, and it’s proved to be a great temporary at-home fix to cool down the warmth in my hair without resorting to hair dye.
The Color Fresh Masks come in 14 different shades, ranging from pearly and golden blondes to chocolatey brunettes, as well as bolder colours like pink and copper if you’re feeling adventurous. I used the deepest brown shade, Cool Espresso, which delivered a bitter chocolate hue (think Lindt 80% cocoa) all over and matched my natural hair colour well. I’d highly advise using gloves to apply the mask to avoid staining your hands and wear an old top that you don’t mind getting stained—especially when using the darker shades—because even with the best of care, it’s a messy process (same goes for your bathroom tiles—take care to wash it away to avoid staining!). After applying it, I let it sit in a shower cap for 10 minutes before rinsing it away.
I was seriously impressed. Not just with the colour difference, but how it left my hair noticeably softer and shinier. It even helped to blend in the smattering of greys at my roots. They’re not 100% covered, but it offers blended coverage I’d liken to that of a skin tint. It gradually faded over a couple of weeks (I could see it coming out of my hair after each rinse), so I’d need to use it once a month to maintain the colour. But it does completely wash out eventually, so there’s no commitment.
A word of warning: if you have blonde hair, or even highlights or balayage that are lighter than a caramel colour, I would avoid this Cool Espresso shade, as it can take on an almost green hue on very light hair. Similarly, if you have dark hair, the lighter shades won’t show up, so they’re better suited to light hair colours. I recommend taking a good browse at the shades (and the before and after photos) to see how it might work on your hair colour. But if you want to try an all-over colour without a costly visit to the salon, this is a great way to try it out first. Yes, it’s a bit messy, but it’s now become a cost-effective and low-maintenance part of my hair routine.
2. Glaze Supergloss Color Conditioning Gloss
Glaze
Supergloss Color Conditioning Gloss in Caramel Lights
Shades: 16, including three toning glosses for highlighted hair
Pros
- Great range of shades
- Leaves hair shiny
- Toning shades are ideal for highlighted hair
Cons
- Results not as long-lasting
Editor review: “I get my hair coloured a lot, and my hairdresser is always telling me to come in for a gloss treatment to keep it looking fresh,” says junior beauty editor, Grace Lindsay. “My hair is naturally very dark brown, so I get blonde balayage every six months, and after about three months, it can look a little brassy. However, to save money, I thought I’d give an at-home treatment a go and opted for the Glaze Supergloss Toning Conditioning Gloss in Caramel Lights, which is specifically designed for brunettes with highlights. This gloss treatment enriches warm caramel tones and banishes brassiness, which is exactly what my hair needed. Glaze also offers a number of other colour-depositing shades (from blonde through to copper and deep brunettes) if you want to switch up your hair colour.
You only have to leave it on for 10 minutes, and the brand advises applying it to damp hair. I used it in the shower after shampooing and thought it was super quick and easy to do. I was worried it would stain my white tiles, but it washed away instantly. After drying my hair, the first thing I noticed was how soft and glossy my hair looked (and felt). I usually only get these kinds of results when going to the salon.
In terms of colour, it worked so well at enriching the caramel tones in my hair. I wouldn’t say it makes a massive difference, but as someone who wanted to simply freshen up her look, this was a welcome result. For under £20, it definitely gives a professional treatment a run for its money.”
3. DpHue Gloss
Cons
- More expensive than other masks
- Results are subtle with lighter shades
Editor review: “I have had pretty much the same hairstyle and hair colour since I was 17. What started off as a warm ombré in 2010, over time, has developed into varying forms of blonde balayage that have crept closer to my roots as strands have turned greyer over the years. The only thing that has changed is the tone of blonde I play with,” says beauty director Shannon Lawlor. “Whilst sometimes I’ll opt for heavier highlights in a cool tone to brighten things up for summer, in the colder months, I usually go for something warmer and more golden.
Right now, my hair is in an in-between period. It’s crying out for some love, and my roots are grotesque, but the strands are also damaged and dry from overprocessing. To help stretch out the time between my colour appointments, I figured I had nothing to lose by trying a colour-depositing hair mask in an attempt to brighten up the blonde a little. I settled on the DpHue Hair Gloss in Light Blonde, as I’d heard great things about it. Behaving as a gloss, rather than a mask, the lightweight, lotion-like consistency is jam-packed with nourishing actives to boost shine and illumination. Plus, I had heard that the semi-permanent colour pigment (that promises to last for up to 10 washes) is sheer enough that it’s basically foolproof.
I used it when I was at my wits’ end with my colour, to see if it could help me fend off booking an appointment for even a couple of weeks, but my hopes weren’t high. You use it much like a conditioner. I washed my hair with a detox shampoo first to make sure no oils or butters were clinging to my hair that could prevent colour absorption, and then I brushed a few pumps of the gloss through my hair from root to tip, making sure it was fully coated and evenly distributed. I washed my hands to avoid any pigment transfer (although this shade is so light, it wouldn’t have been a problem) and waited for it to do its thing for the maximum time of 20 minutes.
The results were pretty much flawless. My hair was the softest it has ever felt and had a notable, healthy-looking shine. The colour was no doubt brighter and more luminous, too. In fact, it’s not been three weeks since I used the gloss, and I still haven’t felt the need to book in with my colourist. In terms of the colour-depositing aspect, though, I would say the results are very subtle. I have no doubt that one of the darker shades would provide exceptional results, but don’t expect a full transformation from the blonde options. The joy of this product really lies in just how healthy it has made my hair feel and look. It’s the sort of product I’ll be using regularly as part of my colour routine.”
Shop More Colour-Depositing Hair Masks:
Renowned celebrity hair colourist, Josh Wood, has his own line of at-home glossing treatments to refresh your hair colour at home.
Moroccanoil
Color Depositing Mask
Morroccanoil’s nourishing formulas leave hair ultra soft and silky while hitting refresh on your colour.
Christophe Robin
Shade Variation Mask
Christophe Robin’s brilliant masks allow you to tweak your hair colour, and has particularly good shades for blonde hair.
Schwarzkopf
Hair Gloss Shine Treatment
This one is friendly on your bank account whilst delivering a tint of colour that lasts up to six washes.
Bleach London
Super Cool Colour Semi Permanent Hair Colour
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Bleach London would only offer colourful bright shades, but it also offers some great natural-looking tones, too.
Davines
Alchemic Conditioner
Davines’ conditioner helps to refresh your current hair colour for extra vibrancy and lustre.
How We Tested
(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
I asked the Who What Wear UK team to test some of the best colour depositing hair masks on the market. We tested across both light and dark hair colours, and on colour-treated hair, evaluating how well the product worked to enhance or change our hair colour. We took notes on how well our colour lasted, as well as improvements on the quality of our hair after use.
Why Trust Us
At Who What Wear UK, we know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our editors have tested thousands of products, including some skincare, makeup, hair and nails, over the years and work closely with trusted experts—dermatologists, make-up artists and leading industry insiders—to ensure every guide is well-researched, inclusive and relevant to you.
We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they’re affordable favourites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how and what we’d truly recommend to a friend.
