Do you want to know which hair colour is better? Check out this Loreal vs. Garnier comparison to find out which one suits you best!
I am a rookie at dyeing hair and everything about hair color seemed like Greek and Latin to me! While some of you might be wondering why I just didn’t visit the salon and get my hair coloured professionally, well, I always believe there has to be a first time to try everything and this was going to be my first try at dyeing my hair at home!
I knew I wanted a L’Oreal Paris hair dye (because of all the hype about the brand), in the shade red/burgundy and confidently looked up the L’Oreal Paris website to order my hair color and that’s when my confidence went south. There were so many shades of “red”! So which one did I have to pick?
Well, after a good hour of looking up the different shades of colours, I decided to buy the one that I needed and tried it out.
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Subsequently, over the course of the year when my hair colour began to fade, I also bought another shade of red from the brand Garnier (since I had got better at picking out a shade) and tried that out as well. So which one did I like better?
Well, if you are a rookie or just looking out for a review, check out my detailed comparative review below!
Loreal vs. Garnier
Who is L’Oreal Paris?
I had heard a lot about the brand L’Oreal and about how amazing they are at hair colors and that’s one of the reasons I had absolutely no doubt that my very first hair dye try at home would be using a hair dye from this brand.
L’Oreal is a French brand that was founded in 1909 and has been a huge part of the consumer goods industry ever since then.
They are now known to be the largest cosmetic company in the world and have been developing products in all aspects of cosmetics and beauty from hair care products, to skin care products, including other personal care products like perfumes etc.
At L’Oreal, they are known to have strong ethics and also have a proactive board of leaders that guide the company and ensure that they run under high ethical standards, while also ensuring environmental sustainability.
Who is Garnier?
L’Oreal, at present, owns 36 brands and Garnier is one of them! Garnier is also owned by this French cosmetic giant, L’Oreal, its parent company.
Garnier too is known to produce cosmetics, skincare and hair care products just like its parent company.
Garnier started manufacturing their very first home dye, permanent hair color back in 1960 and have been developing colors in different shades ever since then.
At Garnier, they make their products by blending many naturally derived ingredients and developing formulas that people will love.
They also believe in being a positive change in society and they want to create sustainable beauty that is accessible to people all over the globe.
At a Glance: L’Oreal Paris Blood Moon vs. Garnier Olia Dark Intense Auburn Hair Colors
| L’Oreal Paris Hair Color | Garnier Olia Hair Color | |
| Color | Blood Moon | Dark Intense Auburn |
| Shade | M62 | 4.60 |
| Contains Ammonia | No | No |
| Price | $10.99 | $10.99 |
L’Oreal Paris Blood Moon Hair Color Review
The shade and colour:
I really didn’t know much about hair shades, but I did know that I wanted the colour red (or anything that looked like red), more like a burgundy shade.
So I did a little research and found a shade numbered M62, labeled “Blood Moon” (the name of the shade), that I thought would suit me the best. So this is the one I tried.
The product and its ingredients:
I bought the ‘Midnight Bold Multi-Faceted Permanent Hair Color’, of the L’Oreal Paris Feria collection, which is suited for those with any hair type and works well on hair colors in shades of brown.
This dye does not contain bleach, nor does it contain ammonia (which is something I really liked) and can dye the hair in just 1 session, up to 4 tones.
What’s in the box?
Here are the items that I got in the box:
· Vibrant colour gel
· Aromatic shimmer serum
· Power shimmer conditioner
How it worked on my hair:
Well, the product was easy to use and it came with its own set of instructions in the box that were easy to follow.
It worked well on my hair in terms of its gentleness. I didn’t feel any harshness on my scalp.
But let’s get down to the important part here – my hair is a semi-dark shade of brown and the colour of my hair looked nowhere close to the colour I expected (as shown on the product label). Well, while it didn’t turn out horrible, it didn’t look as vibrant as it should have.
So maybe this colour isn’t the best for those with darker hair shades is what I assume.
In terms of its smell, I’d definitely say that the smell was quite distinct and lasted even until my second hair wash.
The colour began fading within a month of its usage, so that was quite disappointing.
The pricing:
I bought this product at the official L’Oreal Paris website, for $10.99. Well, since I didn’t know much about hair dyes, I thought that it was pretty reasonably priced for this one-pack product. I also got a hair serum and conditioner along with the hair dye.
Pros:
· This hair color contains no ammonia or bleach.
· Works well on all types of hair.
· Doesn’t cause any irritation on the scalp.
· It was easy to use this product and it came with its own set of instructions that were easy to follow.
Cons:
· The colour didn’t turn out as displayed on the product label.
· The smell was quite distinct and lasted even after my second hair wash.
· This hair color faded sooner than expected, within a month.
· The colour of this dye on darker hair shades doesn’t turn out vibrant.
Garnier Olia Dark Intense Auburn Hair Color Review
The shade and colour:
I chose the colour ‘Dark Intense Auburn’, with the shade numbered 4.60. It is supposed to work on dark hair shades by giving the hair a dark burgundy shade, making brown hair look more vibrant.
The product and its ingredients:
This hair dye belongs to the Olia collection of Garnier hair colors and it is known to use a 60% oil blend in this hair dye, with absolutely no ammonia.
The oil blend is known to help propel the dye deep into the hair shaft to be able to give a longer-lasting result.
What’s in the box?
Here are the items that I got in the box:
· Developer
· Colorant
· After color conditioner
How it worked on my hair:
I used this hair colour on my semi-dark hair color, which had been dyed a burgundy shade in the past (as you read above), but there was no trace of any of that colour when I used this hair dye as my hair has grown out by the time I used this dye.
The product came with its own set of instructions that were easy to follow.
Well, regarding my dyed hair color, it wasn’t the exact color as displayed in the product label, but it was somewhere close, so that was a relief!
I just wish that it would have been a little darker and more vibrant. That I felt was lacking.
Also, I found that the colour kept bleeding even after 3 to 4 hair washes, which kind of made the hair colour fade within just a month.
This dye did not contain any ammonia, so it felt gentle on my hair and scalp and did not cause any sort of scalp skin irritation.
Another thing I noticed is that it does dry the hair out to a certain extent. So you’ll require a powerful conditioner to use once you have dyed your hair with this product.
The pricing:
I bought this hair color off of Amazon and I paid $10.99 for a pack of 2. So as compared to the L’Oreal Paris Blood Moon Hair Color, which I got just 1 kit for this price, I found that it was relatively reasonably priced.
Pros:
· It incorporates natural oils in the ingredient composition.
· Can be used on any type of hair.
· Comes with its own set of instructions that are easy to follow.
· Does not feel harsh on the scalp and hair.
· Did not cause any scalp skin irritation.
Cons:
· The colour wasn’t the same shade as displayed on the product label.
· The hair colour lacked vibrancy.
· The colour would bleed even after 3 to 4 washes.
· Slightly dries the hair out.
Feature-Wise Rating – Loreal Excellence Vs Garnier Olia
| L’Oreal Excellence Paris Blood Moon Hair Color | Garnier Olia Dark Intense Auburn Hair Color | |
| Shade | 3.8/5 | 3.9/5 |
| Effectiveness on my hair | 3.8/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Price | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 |
Do L’Oreal and Garnier hair colors have the same formula and ingredients?
When it comes to coloring your hair, choosing the right product is essential. When compared, L’Oreal and Garnier have their own unique hair color formulas and ingredients.
The first key difference between L’Oreal and Garnier’s hair color formulas is that L’Oreal is ammonia-free. This means that it is less damaging on the hair and scalp, providing a slightly gentler technique of changing the color of your hair.
On the other hand, Garnier typically includes ammonia as part of its basic formula. The addition of ammonia helps to lighten and open up the hair cuticles, allowing for better absorption of pigment and color.
Another major factor that affects the difference between L’Oreal and Garnier hair colors is the inclusion of sulfates. L’Oreal does not include any sulfates, which offers a gentler cleaning for your hair post-treatment.
Garnier on the other hand, includes sulfates which can be excessively drying for certain hair types, leading to further damage over time from regular use.
Finally, when it comes to the amount of hair color they contain, L’Oreal and Garnier offer different formulas.
L’Oreal’s hair color contains more concentrated pigments, allowing you to achieve a deeper and darker result than with Garnier’s formulated hair color.
On the other hand, Garnier’s formula offers a more subtle and gradual change in hair color, allowing for a longer-lasting result for those who prefer a less drastic change.
Although the overall formulas and ingredients of both L’Oreal and Garnier hair colors differ, they both achieve the end goal of safely and effectively changing your hair color.
Whether you prefer a more dramatic color change or something gradual and subtle, understanding the differences between the two will help you make an informed decision on the right product for you.
Summary: My choice?
Well, overall, I wasn’t too content with either of these hair colors. Maybe my expectations were a little too high, but I wouldn’t want to choose either of these shades again.
But if I had to choose one of these brands again, to buy a different shade of hair colour, then I would probably choose L’Oreal, because they have dyes that do not contain bleach or ammonia and the dye too didn’t dry my hair out.
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