I'm just not a fan of having my hair done in a salon as I'm just too impatient. I don't like scheduling an appointment and waiting for it, I hate how long the process takes - too much sitting around, too much required idle chit-chat (I'm an introvert at heart), too much of a disturbance to my day. For me, I'd much rather get up, apply a box color, let it sit 20 min, then take my shower and get ready as usual. 40ish minutes vs 2 hours at a salon (if you're lucky, otherwise longer) plus the drive to the salon, finding parking,etc. etc.

Anyways, regarding this color - I really, really like this color & I've yet to find one that covers the gray as well and that holds a nice, pretty dark redhead color. As I age my hair has really darkened as well as gone significantly gray and it's a color combo I do not like. I can't do the lighter red colors w/o having to touch up constantly since my roots are so dark and peppered with gray. However this color is great, doesn't Ilook fake red and where I do get bits of gray that begin to show again (gray notoriously loses added color) it comes in really lightly and blends nicely. My now darker roots don't immediately clash so I can go longer w/o re-doing the color.

I will say that if I do a drenching of my whole head/hair I need two boxes, but anyone with a good amount of hair will have this with any box color. However, for root touch ups I can usually use just one box because the color holds up so well and doesn't need a full head application each time. This is pretty subjective, though, and if you're new to box color be sure and get two boxes each time so that if you need it, it's there.

I am not a chemist but have my suspicions this is not an original product. I have been using this very same L'Oreal for several years. Usually lasts in my hair for 5-6 weeks depending on how many times I need to shampoo. I apply routinely right after my 5 or so week haircut. Yes, I am a man and hair is hair. Plus Just for Men Sucks. I have used 2 different treatments and have not even been to my barber yet. Hides the white for maybe 2 weeks. The worst part is my scalp reacts with a rash. Never experienced this before and as I said several years of use. Went and bought the same at the local WM and am right back to normal. I'll throw the last one out. I'll buy at the local WM from now on. Buyer Beware!

I have been using this for decades and it always workings out well. Covers most gray except maybe by my temples. I really love the color. I have a lot of red undertones from my redheaded grandmother, and this gives me just enough oomph without looking brassy or coppery. Never thought of myself as a brunette before (more mousy, mousy blonde), but this turned out to be just the ticket. It's not as dark as the picture....and not hard looking at all.

Better,truer blonde than other box bleaches I've tried - but leave it on for 45 minutes. Otherwise you will not see results - or it will have an orange tint. My hair was light brown/dirty dark blonde and I've attached a pic of the outcome using Lightest Ash Blonde.(9.5A)

This is a review for the L'Oreal Paris Hair Color Preference Cools Dye: 5C. I was so excited when I saw that a hair color company finally made a line of cool brunettes to minimize brass. I always vacillate between really wanting red hair and wanting zero red at all in my hair. The problem with a lot of brown hair colors are that they aren't cool enough to get rid of the brassy tones from one of my last red-brown experiments, so I was stoked when I saw this new line. I chose 5C because I thought it would be darker than it is - however, unlike most dyes, this one was the exact color on the box and I should have gone darker.

My hair is a little past my bra strap, so I bought two boxes and there was just barely enough, which was a little surprising, because I typically have a lot left over when I use two boxes of dye - so keep that in mind depending on your hair length. I left the dye on 5 minutes longer than recommended due to how vivid the red still was at my roots. The biggest issue for me was how drippy the gel was. It went everywhere and it made the dye more difficult to apply, since I use a bowl and brush for application. At least the dye did not stain my skin as badly as other hair dyes tend to do. I generally lose a lot of hair when I dye, but not a lot came out this time, which was great - but whenever my hair is wet now, it feels like lead. The good thing is that my hair feels light and fluffy when dry, as well as very soft and very shiny!

My hair looks exactly like the color on the box, except for in certain areas where the previous red had REALLY clung. It actually makes my hair quite interesting in the light, as bits of cherry randomly pop through the silvery brown areas. In lower light, it's an incredibly rich, beautiful brown.

I'm not going to lie, I still prefer L'Oreal Feria. I think it's more multidimensional, less drippy, and has much more shine. 4 stars because I like it, and I think I will go for L'Oreal Cools 4C the next time to get that silvery dark look that I was going for, BUT there was not a lot of dye even using two boxes, it was very drippy, it didn't fully cover the red-brown that I had, and WOW, did it have an overpowering chemical smell that made me see spots at times.

Pros:
+Exact color on the box for me, coming from 5 weeks old L'Oreal Feria 41, Crushed Garnet
+Beautiful silvery highlights
+Incredibly soft
+Dye washed out quickly
+Didn't stain my skin as much as other dyes
+Lots of shine
+Little hair loss after dying (usually there is a lot of hair fall-out when I dye)

Cons
-VERY drippy
-Couldn't fully power through the former red
-When washing out, and now when it is wet, my hair feels a solid lead block, which is a bizarre sensation
-Strong chemical smell

(First two photos: Before, L'Oreal Feria 41 Crushed Garnet, next three: After, L'Oreal Superior Preference 5C, last: Super Preference 4C after "fading" in May. Not sure why the photos are uploading sideways.)

EDIT 05/07/16
I wanted to check back in with my thoughts on longevity and whether or not this turned brassy. I ended up purchasing the 4C to fully cover up the Crushed Garnet and applied it about four weeks after the 5C. Some great things out of that - 4C did NOT give my hair the lead block feeling that I had from the 5C, which was a bit odd, but for which I was grateful.

I am very surprised and happy to say that my hair has not turned brassy at all, and my hair is still incredibly shiny. I have not dyed it since or touched it up; the silvery highlights are still here and my hair is thick, healthy, and glossy. While the hair dye is incredibly noxious to apply in terms of strong chemical smell, the results have beyond impressed me and I still can't quite believe that there has been NO BRASS that has come through. My hair is a gorgeous, dark, silvery ash brown and I have to say kudos, L'Oreal; this one really hit the nail on the head.