If you want to make your highlights or hair colour last longer, this root touch-up kit is a favourite of our beauty expert
As someone who’s been getting highlights since, well, forever, I know all too well the betrayal that happens around the five-week mark after a salon visit. One minute I’m basking in the glow of fresh blonde highlights, the next I’m frantically side-parting my way around a fast-spreading patch of dark regrowth. The contrast between my natural light brown roots and my creamy, expensive blonde is not subtle – and unless I want to live in my colourist’s chair (tempting, but expensive), I need something to tide me over.
Enter: the root touch-up product that’s saved me a small fortune in salon bills, and has made it so that my hair doesn’t look greasy and grown-out for most of the year. Let me introduce you to the magic of Color Wow Root Cover Up.
The handy kit, £29, is basically an eyeshadow palette for your hair – but in the best possible way. It comes with a little double-ended brush, and the powder itself is velvety, blendable and clings to roots like it was born there (or cleverly deposited by a hair pro). There’s no chalky finish, no fall-out and absolutely zero stickiness – just natural-looking coverage that melts into your hair colour. I use the shade Platinum but there are several other shade options for redheads and brunettes.
As someone who highlights their hair to go from dark blonde (read: mousey) to a much brighter, multi-dimensional shade, this product has been a lifesaver. I use it to soften the line where my roots come through, and it makes everything look fresh, soft and intentional, not grown-out.
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Color Wow Root Cover Up p
- Blends perfectly with highlighted hair – not flat or one-dimensional
- Water-resistant
- Doesn’t transfer onto your pillow or clothes
- Comes in a wide range of shades to suit different tones of blonde
- Compact and travel-friendly
Cons:
- Takes a fair amount of product and building it up to cover really dark roots
- If you run your fingers through your hair, it can cause the product to fade a little
- Can run out fairly quickly if you’re using it regularly
- Brush could be a bit bigger for quicker coverage
What shoppers are saying
Color Wow Root Cover Up
Provides instant root coverage and natural-looking colour results, blending seamlessly with your hair
If I wasn’t already sold (spoiler: I am), Amazon reviewers are raving about Color Wow too. With thousands of five-star reviews (nearly 12,000, to be exact), it’s clearly doing the job for a lot of root-conscious people out there.
One reviewer writes: “I’ve been using this product for years – it’s the only one that actually makes my roots disappear without making my hair feel dirty.” Another says: “It makes my highlights look freshly done every time. Honestly can’t live without it between appointments.”
People also love how it doesn’t irritate the scalp or leave behind any weird texture. And multiple reviewers point out that it’s “brilliant” for disguising those tricky greys that sneak in at the temples and parting. Another pens: “This is an old favourite for me. I gave it five stars some years ago and it’s still my go to for a quick touch up. I am getting on now and do dye my hair regularly. I used to use this product to touch up roots if I noticed re growth before leaving the house. Very quick fix.”
A third offers a slight criticism, saying: “Does not stay more than one day. It leaves stains on scalp rather than on hair.”
If you can’t get your hands on Color Wow (it does have a bit of a cult following, so shades go out of stock), a great alternative is the Josh Wood Root Smudger, available on Boots. It’s a creamy wand that gives more of a gloss finish, and while it’s not quite as precise for highlight blending, it’s brilliant for softening root lines and refreshing colour in a pinch.
