How to colour grey hair with Indigo Shadow

How to colour grey hair with Indigo Shadow

1st Aug 2017

If your natural hair colour is black and you would like to cover your greys with the same colour then this article will help you. Here we take a look at the 2 step process needed to get full grey coverage with Indigo Shadow

* this process should also be followed if you are moving from a light tone ( such as blonde) to Indigo Shadow


If you would like to colour your silver strands with our Indigo Shadow to get a dark raven black tone you will need to first colour your greys with a base colour of red.

Why you ask? Red creates a good solid base for the indigo to lay on and prevents your hair from taking on too much of the Indigo blue tone. If you do not use the red base you will not get full colour or full coverage and may be left with a slight blue tone on your hair strands.


What you will need :

1x Indigo Shadow

1x Copper Shadow or Red Shadow

1x Conditioner

Shower cap, tinting brush, comb


How long will it take?

15 mins for mixing, approximately 4 hours for application & colour processing



FIRST STEP - creating the red base

We recommend you use either the Copper Shadow or Red Shadow from our organic hair colour range.


  1. Mix the red colour as per instructions and apply to your hair. You only need to wait 10 mins for colour activation so, you mix and use the colour straight away.
  2. Apply the colour to your full length of hair or roots only (if you don't need full length coverage). Focus on areas where grey is present. You can watch our application tutorial here:  https://www.desertshadow.com.au/complete-organic-hair-beauty-blog/how-to-apply-your-hair-colour-at-home/
  3. After application, cover your hair with a shower cap and leave to process for 1 to 2 hours.
  4. Rinse using conditioner only, and towel dry your hair ready for your Indigo Shadow application. Your can read our article about washing out your hair colour here: https://www.desertshadow.com.au/complete-organic-hair-beauty-blog/washing-your-hair-colour-out/

NOTE: Your grey hair will be a vibrant copper red colour. Don't worry because this will be covered up when you apply your Indigo Shadow.

TIP: did you mix too much of your red colour and have left overs? You can pop it in the freezer. It will last for a month or two in there and will only take 30mins to defrost.


You are now ready to apply the Indigo Shadow.
You can choose to do this straight away or you can do it within the next 24 to 48 hours



SECOND STEP - creating your final colour
Once you have applied your red base colour. You can now apply your Indigo Shadow to create your final colour. Please ensure you do this within the first 48 hours of applying your red base colour.

  1. Mix the Indigo colour as per instructions. ( eg full length or regrowth only). You only need to wait 15 mins for activation so, you mix and use this colour straight away.
  2. Apply the colour to your full length of hair or roots only (if you don't need full length coverage). Be sure to cover all sections where you applied the red base. You can watch our application tutorial here: https://www.desertshadow.com.au/complete-organic-hair-beauty-blog/how-to-apply-your-hair-colour-at-home/
  3. After application, cover your hair with a shower cap and leave to process for 1 to 2 hours.
  4. Rinse using conditioner only, dry and style as usual. Your can read our article about washing out your hair colour here: https://www.desertshadow.com.au/complete-organic-hair-beauty-blog/washing-your-hair-colour-out/

TIP: did you mix too much and now you still have leftovers? Unfortunately the Indigo Shadow can not be saved once mixed. So best to try and estimate how much you will need. The first time using it you can mix the whole pack and by seeing whats left over you will know roughly how much you will need for next time. you could also mix half and then if you need more mix more as you go along - I just find it easier not to have to stop and mix halfway through application.

After 72 hours the final colour result will be seen. Please allow time for the colour to settle as the process keeps working even after the paste is washed out of the hair.



** read and follow instructions provided in your hair colour product.