Garnier • Olia • Hair Color

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LyndalKB on 5/24/2013 9:17:00 PM more reviews by LyndalKB

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

I tried this product as I wanted to return to my natural dark brown colour (from a mid coppery red). I chose Dark Brown as that seemed to be the closest match and the next shade down appeared to be a bit pink. I now have BLACK hair and look like an ageing goth!. I am going to have to re-dye with another product before the end of the weekend.

The product itself was nice to use, had a nice smell, but the bottle got difficult to handle when it got wet as it is rounded and slippery

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soseono on 5/23/2013 4:40:00 PM more reviews by soseono

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

What everyone else said is true. If you want to go lighter, avoid this product!! I have black hair, and bought 4.0 to give it a dark brown tint. Well, it is still black with very very very very very slight brownish tint now. Totally not worth the time and money. It did a great job dying my toenail and bathtub, though... Even after a lot of elbow grease with Magic Eraser, I couldn't get all the stains out. And judging by the color of the stains on the white bathtub, there definitely is blueish tint in the product. The only nice thing about this product is the smell and not stinging eyes. Other than that, it's an epic fail as a hair dye. AVOID!

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ashleyford on 5/23/2013 10:08:00 AM more reviews by ashleyford

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Olia is in pretty, attractive packaging, promising you ammonia free color and healthy hair.


I didn't have the negative experience on the 1 star reviews, but it hardly changed the tones on my brown hair. I bought the light natural auburn and the photos for medium/dark brown seemed significantly lighter than the tones I got. I also had some highlights that had been dyed over and then faded again, so my hair wasn't even that dark in places. Had my hair been its natural almost black brown, I doubt it would have done anything. It didn't do much of anything at my roots.

I am probably the 50th person to say this, but I ignored the negative reviews on here because I've never had box hair dye that was REALLY awful. Normally, I believe most problems are user error.

However, this hardly did a thing on my hair, and for $9.99, the higher end of the box dyes (the highest I saw in the store being 16-ish), I would expect more vibrant results for the price I paid. It's not so bad it's extremely distressing because it's an easy fix with some quality dye, but I would NOT buy this product again for any reason.


For the record, the one I used was 6.43 Light Natural Auburn.

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BrendaP on 5/22/2013 1:35:00 PM more reviews by BrendaP

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I've been trying to find a at home color that works & doesn't damage my hair. I've tried a lot of them & so far this one is the one I'm most satisfied with. After reading the reviews on here I was hesitant but decided to go ahead & try it out for myself. It is one of the more expensive box colors at $9. I agree the smell is amazing. I hate some of the smells of others that either choke me or burn my eyes & then my hair stinks for a day or more after. Not the case with this one. Even my pillow smells amazing. I went with medium brown 5.0 & so far love the color. No reddish tones (which seems to happen with other box colors even when I got cool browns). So far grey coverage is great. Some other box colors barely cover my grey's and I end up with my grey's just looking lighter brown then the rest of my hair. It all looks well covered so far. I only did it yesterday so the next test is to see how well it lasts. I saw lots of complaints of hard to apply due to it's thickness & the bottle slipping out of their hands but I did not have issues with either. It was just as easy to apply as any others I've used & the bottle didn't slip out of my hand at all. My hair felt soft and silky afterwards. Normally after other box colors my hair feels dry & damaged afterwards & takes a few washings to get it feeling soft again. My hair is just past my shoulders on the thicker side & I was worried from the other reviews that there wouldn't be enough in one box to cover but there was plenty (I did all over coverage this time with plans to do roots only next time as long as the coverage lasts). I love there is no ammonia with great smell, great coverage, & great feeling hair.

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crubez on 5/20/2013 7:51:00 PM more reviews by crubez

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

No no no no no no. Horrible. I dye my hair all the time but this is one of the worst I've ever tried. Ever. When applying it to the hair it is very hard to spread then turns hair stiff. It was also extremely hard to rinse and I ended up not getting all of it out. THEN after drying to see the color turn out, there wasn't any. I had purchased dark brown and my light/medium brown hair had no difference. Horrible product and a waste of money.

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eewaggles on 5/19/2013 5:19:00 PM more reviews by eewaggles

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Tan   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is the WORST thing I've ever bought in my life!!!!! I have dyed my hair by myself since I was 14 and have never had an issue like this!! I used this after I saw the commercial for it and i swear it turned my platinum blonde hair BLUE/GREY!!!! This is the most expensive boxed haircolor I have ever purchased and after it tinted my hair blue I ran to the salon and spent another $360 to get it fixed. UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!

You could not pay me to recommend this product for anybody!!!!!!!

If you care at all about your hair you will stay far far away from this ridiculous product.

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sundevilblonde on 5/18/2013 3:39:00 PM more reviews by sundevilblonde

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I decided to buy this product after seeing so many commercials and I wanted to go from blonde to brown with the least amount of damage. The claim that it's oil infused is what sold me because I'm constantly doing oil hair treatments. Anyway, I usually use any FOAM dye because my hair gets covered better with foam, and I don't end up ripping out a ton of hair, but the store didn't have any foams in the color I wanted so I went with this. I didn't have any problems with the application bottle like many had, it didn't slip out of my hand at all and the gloves were a perfect fit for me. It had a great smell, was NOT overpowering like many dyes, didn't sting my nose or eyes which was a pleasant surprise. I did find that it was difficult to get the product through my hair, and I have chin length hair which is short and I still felt like I needed more product. Like another reviewer said, my hair felt during application like I was putting glue in my hair, it got extremely stiff which ripped out a lot of hair during application and rinsing. I will probably go to a different store later today and get a foam and just go back over it because I can definitely see spots that are uneven. I only did it last night so I can't say how well it stays or if it fades. The color is nice though, slightly darker than advertised and the unevenness could totally just be my fault. If you have long hair youll need two or three boxes. Honestly though, i'd just go with a foam color and skip this all together.

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krrempel on 5/18/2013 2:31:00 PM more reviews by krrempel

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I was really excited about trying this product (I must admit I was drawn in by the commercial and packaging). My hair is quite the case, it's to my rib cage and naturally blonde. I have been dying it brown forever and two summer ago I decided to dye it black.. The ends of my hair is still very dark but I have been dying the roots and middle section a dark brown to blend in.. I picked up the Dark Brown 4.0 shade because the back of the box showed it turning black to brown and blonde to brown. I thought it would be perfect, even if it could lighten up my ends a tad.. The application was fine, the bottle was fine, glove size was fine and rinsing was not a huge issue.. But my hair looks like I dyed it with the darkest brown or almost black color.. It's not black but it is very, VERY dark.. I am hoping that it fades out in a couple washes..

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kaicg on 5/16/2013 9:27:00 PM more reviews by kaicg

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

A while ago I decided to bleach out the all blue from my hair, even with a high lift product there were remaining faint blue high lights (combined with yellow roots it was a terrible situation). I decided to try Olia 8 Medium Blonde to get the last of the blue and tone down the roots (and darken the platinum in the rest of my hair). I loved that there was no harsh scent, and it was gentle on the scalp. The last of the blue was taken out and the roots were neutralized. My hair is finally all one colour. The only thing is it wasn't as dark as I had hoped, but that was more a combination of doing it so close after bleaching and not going for the darker shade. And my hair feels fine :)
The one reason I think so many people are disappointed is that this is a product that will darken, or add depth/lustre to hair, but it isn't strong enough to do a lot of lightening (especially on non-virgin hair).

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MissMippy on 5/10/2013 9:23:00 PM more reviews by MissMippy

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

comment i sent to garnier:
maybe you all should rethink the bottle design on the Olia hair color. it's cute and all, but have you ever attempted to actually use it when you're wearing gloves covered in slippery hair color? flew out of my hands 3 times and im pretty sure i ended up with more color across my bathroom and floor than on my head. :\

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*TOP REVIEWER* pulidobl on 5/9/2013 12:17:00 PM more reviews by pulidobl

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

How do you explain your blue tinted hair to people at your job when you are 56 yo? I dyed my hair with this stuff late at night and didn't have time to correct it. It was tinted in the front only, but yikes! Maybe I didn't wash it out all the way??? There are reviews that say it is hard to wash out. The next day I washed my hair with Dawn, African Black Soap, and a clarifying shampoo. It looks better, but beware of the ash blond colors. I used 9.13 or something like that. Also like other reviewers mentioned, the "mixing bowl" bottle is designed poorly. It went flying a couple times and I had to use both hands to squirt it out. They could have designed the bottle better and used less plastic by putting the developer in the same bottle instead of a separate bottle. The gloves fit fine on me - better than others in some cases. This is pricier than other at home hair colors, too. At least my hair is soft and in good condition even after all the washings.

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tlgreen on 5/7/2013 2:04:00 AM more reviews by tlgreen

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

I don't usually review products, but I created an account to do just that. I've been dying my hair in and out of salon for 6 years, and I've never had such poor results. I naturally have a very light strawberry blonde color, and I change it between shades of red and shades of blonde. I'm always more hesitant to opt for shades of blonde because it causes more damage. This product appealed to me because it was supposed to lighten without ammonia. However, this product had very little, if any, effect on my hair. Along with not changing the color at all, I'm already noticing more split ends. This color is not at all worth the hassle if you're opting for a lighter shade. It does even have the nice shine that most dyes contain.

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*TOP REVIEWER* redheadjane on 5/5/2013 12:53:00 PM more reviews by redheadjane

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Even though I am giving this a 4 it's more like a 3 1/2. I have been coloring my hair since I was 13. I'm now 41, so I'm no stranger to both box color and professional dyes. I typically go to Sally's and mix my own custom color. I picked this up because I wanted a more vibrant red but did not want ammonia in my hair color. I liked the oil infused concept so I thought I would give it a try. I used the Light Intense Auburn which is indeed a very Vibrant red. My hair was previously dyed with Preference which has always been my drugstore choice for dyes because the color on the box is typically the color I get. I was surprised by this dye. I do realize that some women don't like this dye for whatever reason. Dying hair is really all in the prep for me. Clarifying shampoo the day before to remove oil and deposits from hair care products is essential for getting dye to take well. 3-4 days before I dye my hair I do deep conditioning and a clarify. It really helps to get dye to take evenly when your hair has been previously dyed.

This dye does have moisturizing properties to it which helped improve the condition of my hair. I think that was the biggest surprise of all. Most dyes (Except Vegetable dyes) make my hair dry and brittle. The color was vibrant, very vibrant but after about 4 washings calmed down to be a very beautiful red. After I dye my hair red, I always do a rinse with vinegar. It stinks but it helps lock in the color. After the vinegar, then I use the conditioning treatment and leave that on for about 20 minutes. Very little pink in the water. But I'm used to red dyes in general and it's not unusual for red to seep from your hair for a week especially when it comes to home dyes. I've had salon color that bled out. Red hair dye, no matter how permanent it says it is on the box is going to wash out twice as fast as other colors. The Molecules in red dye are very large and therefor do not penetrate the hair shaft deeply like a dark brown or a black .When you go red, there is maintenance involved.

PROS:
The Light intense Auburn-True to the color on the box, very vibrant red. I love it but it's not a color for everyone.

Very moisturizing color formula (Ammonia free). This was one of the least damaging colors I've used.

A week later it is still Vibrant which for reds is very good.

Cons-
Packaging is cute but the Bottle shape sucks. That bulbous round bottle is a pain to use, hard to hold onto.

I have shoulder length hair and there was Barely enough of the dye to saturate my hair. I would say that you get far less in ounces after mixing than most hair color from drugstores.

Costs typically more than most dyes. I found a coupon plus it was already $3 off at CVS so I ended up paying $9.99 for it which is now average for the higher end Drugstore dyes.

Would I buy again? I'm on the fence. I love that it left my hair in good condition but as my hair gets longer I would need two of these to cover my hair and I think it's still cheaper for me to go to the beauty supply store and mix my own.

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catdeluxe on 5/5/2013 12:18:00 PM more reviews by catdeluxe

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

The only thing I liked about this product is the package. Everything else is a mess! I bought this in 1.0 black and when applying, I felt like applying dry paste - not pleasant at all! After conditioning and washing hair after I was left with dry, brittle hair even though I used masks as I regulary do. I didn't even could comb my hair!!! I pulled so much of hair out doing this. I will never ever buy this product again! I bought it just because it said there are oils in it so I assumed its great hair color for dry hair but I was so wrong! This left my hair matte, dull, dry, brittle!!!

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Akienna on 5/5/2013 11:14:00 AM more reviews by Akienna

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

This was the worst at-home hair colour I have ever used.

The packaging is beautiful, and partially what caught my eye in the first place, and it looks wonderful. Advertising on this hair colour was great. But the quality was the worst I've ever used.

I was really excited about this product, but I was severely let down.

For a box dye, the price was higher than others I have used, it was something like $13 at Wal Mart, which I thought was reasonable for what I assumed would be a good product, I was wrong.

The gloves, as others mentioned were terrible and too small. The shape of the bottle is ridiculous and kept slipping. The colour didn't hide my grays, like it advertised it would. And it washed out of my hair faster than any other box dye I've ever used.

I would not buy this, and I would not recommend it to anyone else. If I could give this a 0 I would.

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kngfrank on 5/4/2013 3:17:00 PM more reviews by kngfrank

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I bought this without researching and almost didn't use it after reading the reviews. Yes, the packaging is wasteful and the gloves are too small. The bottle slipped out of my hands multiple times but it's an oil based dye so that's not surprising. I wish the bottle had grippy things on it, I think that would solve the problem. I had plenty of dye for my hair, which is almost to my bra strap. I have jet black hair and I dye it to cover my grey. It's impossible to find black dye that doesn't look ghastly on me so I normally go a shade lighter. But this dye in Darkest Brown is a really nice match with my natural color. I can see where people say this stuff turned their hair into straw. I conditioned twice and my hair seems fine. I have yet to see how long the color lasts. If it doesn't fade in the next few weeks I may have my new HG dye.

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*TOP REVIEWER* fabmac1 on 5/4/2013 1:59:00 PM more reviews by fabmac1

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I can understand all the negative reviews on this product. I don't hate it...but I wouldn't repurchase. Here's why. I had my hair colored a while back from a salon. I spend quite a bit on it... $300. It was nice...but not worth the money. I had some copper highlights and my hair has grown out now so the roots are showing.

I decided to go back to coloring my hair at home since it's much cheaper. (for reference: I have colored my hair at home many times so i'm not a newbie) While I like how the color generally turned out (intense red auburn - I think that's the one i got)... it didn't color ALL my hair. The copper highlights I had didn't even get colored at all! I even left the dye in my hair for longer than the stated time. The overall color is very nice tho. A deep red auburn. I just wish it colored all parts of my hair. :(

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morphoeugenia on 5/2/2013 11:11:00 PM more reviews by morphoeugenia

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brown, Kinky, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

This was my second time trying to dye my dark brown African American hair a reddish color out of a box, and the second time it failed miserably. I followed all of the directions, but I didn't even get a minor effect. I was just hoping for at least a nice tint (I used Light Intense Auburn) but alas, not even that. Really disappointed as it seemed so promising. It was also a bit too pricey in the first place, especially in light of the non-result!!! I also agree that the applicator bottle is in a ridiculous impractical shape, and the extra step of putting in the developer is kind of a hassle.

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sannt on 5/2/2013 2:34:00 AM more reviews by sannt

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I really don't understand all the bad reviews for this product.
I bought this for $10.99 at the drugstore and opted for 4.0 dark brown. I usually require two boxes of hair dye anyway because my hair is at about chest length. I found that one box of hair dye was actually enough to cover my entire head, but I also used the second box to make sure the application was even.
Some people were saying that the gloves are a bit too small and I agree with that point. I have really small hands (I'm 5'3" for reference) and they fit perfectly, so I can't complain there. Surprisingly, the bottle never slipped out of my hands.
The smell was very pleasant, nothing to complain about. It smells like a florally shampoo and that smell lingers in your hair after the rinse as well.
During and post application, my hair was all tangled up and it was impossible to comb through. However, once I rinsed out the dye, applied the conditioner that came with it and dried it, my hair was incredibly shiny and soft.
Onto the color, the color was true to the box. 4.0 dark brown came out a little darker than I expected. In fact, in most lighting, my hair looks almost black. But that would be my fault on color choice since I was aiming for something a little lighter.
All in all, I totally recommend this product!

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rebecca151 on 5/1/2013 8:18:00 PM more reviews by rebecca151

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Very disappointed. Would not recommend.

I used the shade Deep Beige Blonde on my mid-brown hair. My hair is now dark ginger/auburn and incredibly dry. It is NOTHING like the colour advertised on the box. My hair has never been in such poor condition.

I'm really unimpressed, I have already made an appointment to get my split ends cut off and my hair dyed back to a normal colour.

I agree with everything that other people have been saying about the packaging. There is no need to provide an empty bottle, a giant tube of cream and another tube of colourant - it's very wasteful. Also the shape of the bottle is ridiculous. It's slippery and hard to hold.

Also, Olia is advertised as easy to apply and luxurious etc, etc. I had barely started applying it before my hair was tangled and matted. I ended up with several dreadlocks of hair until I rinsed it out.

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