In an ideal world I would a) make it to the salon for roots touch-ups every four weeks, b) go gray naturally and embrace my inner Eileen Fisher or c) own a better selection of hats. But in reality, time and budget dictate that I only color my roots every seven to eight weeks, meaning I am left with a gray skunk stripe straight down my part from weeks five onward.
My little secret, which I’ve used since I started going gray in my early 30s, is root touch up hair color, which I spray on to get me through that final rough patch. I currently use TRESemmé Root Touch Up Temporary Color, but I’ve also used L’Oréal Paris Root Cover Up, which is very similar.
Both spray directly on your hair from about an inch away, depositing a thin film of color wherever you aim it—no need to massage it in or brush out the excess. The coverage is consistent (a single pass usually does the trick) and looks natural, though if you’re deciding between two shades, I would recommend the darker one, which will blend more easily with your existing color and natural roots.
