Clairol Natural Instincts Semi-Permanent Hair Dye for Men, M17 Brown Black Hair Color, Pack of 3

I love this stuff. It does wash out in about four weeks, but it looks so much more natural than just for men.

I've been using this Clairol Natural Instincts M9/Light Brown product (Clairol Natural Instincts Semi-Permanent Hair Color Kit For Men, 3 Pack, M9 Light Brown Color, Ammonia Free, Long Lasting for 28 Shampoos), it's very easy to use, and I love the included conditioner, which leaves my dry/frizzie hair very soft (I wish they sold this conditioner as a separate product). This Clairol product didn't leave that dull "shoe-polish" look like Just for Men products did, and Just for Men products do not include any conditioner either.As I got older, my hair started to lighten up quite a bit (from jet black, to a dark medium brown color), and it's about 50% gray now, with a large patch of white/silver gray right up front, which has been impossible to color. When I leave the the Clairol product (or even Just for Men) in my hair the recommended time, it only covers about 40%-50% or so of my gray patch, and most of the color seems to just wash right out, leaving my gray patch a very brassy/reddish color (100% gray "coverage"? yes; but 100% gray "colorage"? absolutely not!).So, I experimented with leaving the color in longer and longer (over several months), just to see if it would ever color my gray patch, and here is what I found (yay!)... In order to get my hard to color gray hair fully colored (or more accurately, about 90%-95% colored, which I really liked, cuz it left just a tiny bit of "highlights"), I mixed the coloring solutions into the mixing bottle and let that sit for 5-10 minutes before using it. Then, I set my timer for 45 minutes, and started with my gray patch, working the product through all of my hair (and less than 45-50 minutes on my hair, and most of the color just washes right out, and I get that strong brassy/reddish look). Then, after my timer goes off, I just wash the coloring out of my hair as completely as possible, and use the included Clairol conditioner.A TIP FROM AN OLD FRIEND: I also was told NOT to wash my hair with shampoo for the first three days. So, I just rinse my hair really well when I shower, and then use what's left of the included Clairol conditioner (for the first two to three days ONLY). After that, I use a high quality "mild" shampoo and contioner designed for color treated hair when I shampoo/condition every day (I prefer the Paul Mitchell brand, with the Orange caps -- Paul Mitchell Color Protect Daily Shampoo, 10.14 Ounce). If my hair is a little dry/frizzy, I just use a very tiny dab of Aussie 3-minute miracle leave-in conditioner (3 Minute Miracle Color Conditioning Treatment for Colored Hair 8 fl oz) while my hair is still "slightly" damp (I pat-dry my hair, not rub with the towel--rubbing makes my hair even frizzier).SPECIAL NOTE: Leaving this product in your hair for more than 30 minutes will turn it about 2-3 shades darker than you might want it (for me, it comes out VERY dark brown or almost black at first -- however, most of the brassy/reddish is covered, which is more important to me). It did lighten up after a few days to a dark-medium brown (closer to a medium-roast coffee bean color). My hair is mostly gray now, but it still grows "extremely" fast, so I "have to" cut and color every 2-3 weeks (max) to keep it looking neat, which means, it wouldn't be more than a few weeks that I would have to live with any color I don't like (you have to decide what's right for you).I hope this helps someone avoid years of frustration trying to get that stubborn gray colored. Good Luck!

This is probably the best men's hair coloring out there. I have used "Just For Men" for quite some time, and with that product after a couple of weeks the color is almost gone. Also, the color can become "brassy" where it is covering the grey, and look unnatural.This product lasts longer than the competitor, and does not suffer from the brassy look that can occur. However, its primary flaw is that is has a very limited set of color choices.My hair is light brown. The lightest color available in Men's Clairol Natural Instincts is Light Brown. Sounds like a perfect match, right? Nope. I followed the instructions to the letter, and when I was done my hair ... previously light brown ... was now dark brown. I found myself washing it several times in a row to remove some of the color and to make it truly similar to my natural hair color.I later called the Customer Support telephone number to talk about what had happened, and to see if they had any recommendation about how to avoid a similar problem in the future. I was thinking that perhaps I could leave the color on my head for a shorter time, or perhaps mix in less of the colorant to achieve a lighter color. Clairol recommended against both of those options. Instead, they recommended that I go with a lighter color: Dark Blond.The problem? They discontinued Dark Blond and it is not available. That said, they had an easy solution: There is a women's version of the Clairol Natural Instincts product line, and it is absolutely the exact same product as the men's product line. The only differences is that the women's line comes in more colors, and comes with a bigger bottle of conditioner (for the same price). The other difference is that the women's Clairol line is readily available in stores, whereas the men's line seems to be only available online.So, as recommended, I purchased the Dark Blonde women's Natural Instincts product, applied it to my light brown hair, and had a perfect match to my natural hair color. It seems like an odd solution, but hey, it worked, so I have no complaints.

I have tried several different products, and have had the best results with Clairol Natural Instincts for Men. The color looks the most natural. Women's Clairol products don't look right: it's hard to describe, but they "glow" too much, instead of looking more matte. The applicator is easy to use. It is also the most economical since I find I can get two applications out of one package by only mixing half the two separate liquids. Or half a teaspoon each to touch up the hairline between full applications (I just mix it in very small glass bowl and apply with gloves on, or a Q-tip). I use two empty identical narrow prescription pill containers to measure the liquid amounts more accurately. The narrower they are of course the easier it is to see any height difference and then adjust to get equal amounts.I tried the Just For Men product and didn't like it for several reasons: the applicator "handle" is the floppy tube the color comes in; the comb style applicator (teeth with holes in between) doesn't easily get the product down to the scalp, so I ended up using gloved fingers and a regular comb; and the promise that it won't get beyond it's intended darkness level no matter how long you leave it in seems bogus to me, since it looked unnaturally dark, even though it is supposed to be lighter (Dark Brown) than the Clairol (Brown-Black). Also the Just for Men product is premixed, so once opened to the air it can only be used one time for a single application. No touchups or second applications possible.