Changing your hair color is one of the best way to get a makeover. Whether you opt for highlights or lowlights or just an all over color, a good hair color can enhance your features. Most first timers are a little nervous about coloring their hair at home, but if you choose the right color and the right coloring techniques, there is no reason that your hair coloring job will not look as good as a professionally done one. Most of us have heard so many disaster stories of at home coloring jobs that have gone awry, that we are afraid to experiment with it. However, if you follow some tips and tricks for coloring hair for the first time, you can get great results. The first thing to remember while coloring your hair is to choose the right color. Choose a hair color that best suits your skin tone and eye color. Do not veer too much away from your natural hair color or your hair color will end up looking brassy and unnatural. Keep in mind that the purpose of a hair color is to enhance and bring out your natural beauty and not make you look fake and unnatural. First Time Hair Coloring Tips For first timers, here are some tips and tricks that you should follow for hair coloring job that gives you the most intense color and shine.

• Choose a hair color that is two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color. Drastic color changes does not work for at home coloring job and is best left to professionals.
• Research extensively about the kind of color you would like to have by going through magazines. Don't choose a hair color because you like the way it looks on a celebrity or model. Consider your skin tone, eye color and lifestyle before you select a hair color.
• Opt for semi-permanent hair color if you are an amateur in doing a hair coloring job at home. Semi-permanent hair color fades over time and you do not need to live (for a long time) with the color if you are not happy with it.
• Once you are done choosing a hair color, blow dry your hair if you have wavy or curly hair before applying the color. This will ensure that the hair color is evenly distributed which will give you the best results.
• One of the most important tips for coloring hair is to do a patch test. The directions for doing a patch test is usually given on the hair color pack. Follow the directions precisely. Go ahead with the coloring job only if you have no allergic reaction after doing the patch test like inflammation, redness or itchiness.
• Hair color seldom looks the same on your hair as it does on the pack. So the best way to get a preview of the color on your hair is to apply the color on a 1 inch section of hair starting from the nape of your neck. Trying the hair color on a hidden section of hair will ensure that you can change the color if you don't like how it looks.
• Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly on your hairline so that the hair color does not run out and stain your skin.
• Don't apply hair color on just washed hair. Hair color should always be applied on slightly dirty or unwashed hair as the natural oils from your scalp will protect your hair.
• If you have thick and long hair, then it is advisable that you divide your hair into six to eight sections and then apply color, so that it is evenly distributed.

One of the most important home hair coloring tips is that you should adhere to the time scale for a hair coloring job that is given on the package of the hair color. If you leave the hair color on your strands for too long, your hair ends can end up with a darker shade then your roots. This is because the hair end are more porous than the roots and absorbs more color. Follow these hair coloring tips for coloring your hair and you will have a mane of beautifully dyed hair that looks gorgeous and stunning.