Preference by L’Oreal: Hair Color That is Worth it

Nobody really wants to pay a lot of money for hair color. As soon as that first gray hair appears, the realization that you are going to be dying your hair every six weeks, until you are six feet under, can be daunting. But if you are concerned enough about those telltale gray hairs to dye your hair, you’ll want to get Preference by L’Oreal.

A quick scan of the dye section at your local grocery or drugstore will tell you that it is probably among the more expensive options. However, L’Oreal has made great strides in its ability to keep hair looking the originally dyed color. Not only do their hair dyes last longer – often as long as 8 weeks – they do so under some rather extreme circumstances. This means that you can dye your hair and probably won’t have to worry about the effects of swimming pools, sunshine, and other factors that can wash out or grossly discolor cheaper dyes.

But as with most things, the final proof is in the fine print. Pick up a leading competitive brand of hair dye, and you will often read admonitions that it is not intended for gray or nearly-gray coverage. In other words, the hair dye is for those who are doing so strictly on a whim, not out of necessity. (Go figure!) L’Oreal’s Preference line, however, is specially formulated to cover predominantly gray hair, and as a result, the color is richer from the beginning – and stays that way.

There are some caveats when using the product, however. First, you will definitely pay more. (Yes, yes, their commercials do tell you, “You’re worth it.” What a great justification for the higher price!) But considering the product’s ability to withstand the onslaught of sun and fun activities without turning your head green, the comparison needs to be made more between L’Oreal and a salon dye job, as opposed to comparing it solely with other over-the-counter hair dyes (none of which really do the same job).

The other caveat is that L’Oreal doesn’t like to rest on its laurels. This is normally a good thing; however, it also means they are constantly tweaking the product’s packaging and dye names and numbers. Visit your favorite drugstore 8 weeks later, in need of that favorite red you used the last time, and you are likely to have to hunt for it – if you can find the same name and/or number at all. Compounding this issue is the fact that, with shelf space at a premium, stores don’t seem to carry a consistent mix of hair dyes – so your favorite grocery store may no longer stock the chestnut brown you fell in love with two months ago.

So go ahead, dig into your pocket and pay the additional dollar or two for Preference by L’Oreal. But if you find a shade you’re crazy about, seriously consider stocking up while you see that it’s available. By the time your dye job fades, that particular shade might have faded from the shelves.