Madison Reed Review From a Customer Going Gray

I decided to write a Madison Reed Review post after I’ve been using the product for over four years.

I’m going to tell you a little about me and my personal experience using this product.

I’ll tell you what I love about Madison Reed from solely my point of view. Plus address some other reviews that I’ve read online.

I don’t know Madison Reed personally (is she even a real person?) and nobody asked me to write this – I just wanted to.

Let’s Talk About Me

I started going noticeably gray about five years ago. I’m in my mid forties and I have pretty thick hair.

My hair has always been healthy although I don’t treat it as well as I should.

I’m not a hair stylist nor do I have any experience at all doing anyone else’s hair.

I’ve dyed my kids’ heads a few times and I think I did pretty well. What I’m trying to say is: I’m no expert.

I also don’t like spending money on things I think are unnecessary. Hiding my grays is an unnecessary expense so I definitely want to keep it cheap.

I’ve been to the salon a few times to get my hair colored.

I’ve also used a variety of box dyes to color my hair.

So basically, I’m your average mom going gray that wants to not go gray yet. I always pick a color that is slightly darker than my natural color, which is dark brown.

I don’t like spending $100+ for professional salon hair color. My hair is cut approximately once a year.

I consider myself low maintenance. 😀 Now that you have my back story…

Why I Chose Madison Reed

I had used a few $10ish home dying kits from my local Target.

I had also paid a pretty penny for my local salon to cover my grays.

Spending hundreds of dollars just to cover the gray isn’t something I was interested in doing on an on-going basis.

I don’t even remember where I saw Madison Reed – Facebook probably heard me say I have gray and showed me an ad.

Whatever the reason, I needed to try a new box of hair color that would cover my gray for a while and save me some cash.

I love that Madison Reed is sold at Amazon, Ulta, and Target.

What Is Special about Madison Reed

When you open the package, it feels fancy. It’s not like other hair dye boxes.

Yes, you’re paying a premium. Probably 2 – 3 times what average at-home hair color kits cost. But as soon as you slide open the box, you know that you’re getting something special.

What’s Included:

• Instructions
• Barrier Cream
• Cleansing Wipe
• Radiant Cream Color
• Conditioning Color Activator
• Protective Cap
• Gloves (my last two boxes came with two pairs of gloves! Score!)
• Color Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner

It’s been at least four years since I’ve purchased any other brand of at-home hair color. However, at the time, no other kit I had ever tried at home came with so many items in one box.

The only item I do not use is the barrier cream. I find that the cleansing wipe does the trick if I get the color anywhere it shouldn’t have landed.

The protective cap is top notch and has always held my medium to long hair.

Color Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner

So I use very specific shampoo and conditioner every day. I’m obsessed with my brand.

I hate traveling without it. I never run out. That’s how obsessed I am.

That being said, I remember being a bit hesitant that Madison Reed wanted me to use their shampoo and conditioner after I colored my hair.

I couldn’t imagine cheating on my brand of shampoo and conditioner.

Besides, it would never be as good.

Fast forward after years of dying my hair with Madison Reed – I don’t mind at all when I have to use the shampoo and conditioner after dying my hair. I don’t hate it!

I actually feel like it’s a must-use after I’ve completed the dye job. My hair feels soft and silky afterwards and I don’t even mind that I showered without using my favorite shampoo and conditioner.

It’s become a habit to use the Madison Reed products after the dye is complete. What I thought was going to completely annoy me didn’t (and doesn’t) at all.

Kudos to Madison Reed for making a “required” shampoo and conditioner step that I do not hate.

Love? Not quite. I don’t love it. Again, I am a total shampoo and conditioner snob and definitely would not drop my regular brand to switch to this permanently.

Did It Cover My Grays

Quick answer: 95% of the time.

It does cover my grays. Every now and then, I’ll get a few strands that frame my face that didn’t color, but that is rare.

I will say that it’s been three weeks since my current dye job and quite few grays have popped back up.

A couple of years ago, I decided to get my hair dyed at a local salon instead of using my regular box of Madison Reed.

Mistake.

I truly felt like my grays came back quicker than they normally do. Full disclosure: I definitely could have psyched myself into believing that they came back quicker. But it truly felt like it.

What I do know for sure: What I can do at home with a $30ish box of Madison Reed is at least just as good as a $150ish salon visit.

I truly believe doing it at home is a better fit for me and my hair. I have zero plans of visiting the salon for a color anytime soon.

What I Don’t Like

I don’t think there’s enough color.

My hair is a few inches past my shoulders, but I’ve had it much longer at times. Currently, I use the entire bottle.

When I had super long hair, I felt like I needed way more color. Even now, I squeeze every ounce out of that bottle.

If you have super long hair, I do not believe you could get by with only one box of Madison Reed.

I would really have to consider using this hair color if I had to pay $60 to have two boxes. I think the $30 for one box is already on the high end of what I’m willing to spend.

There’s a way around this with spending less, but you have to go through the Madison Reed Website.

At the time of online purchase, I was offered the following: Long hair or thick hair? Get an extra tube in each box (+$18.00).

This is a way better option than buying another box if you have long hair and need an extra tube.

Other Online Reviews

I’ve read some other Madison Reed hair color reviews that say it’s use caused hair loss.

This was not the case for me.

I leave the dye on for the maximum amount of time and I have not seen any change in my hair (other than the color of my hair, obviously).

If you are concerned about hair loss, or just want to be well informed, I would do some research as there is a number of other Madison Reed hair color reviews that do claim this.

Some reviews also claim that the color did not completely cover their grays. I did touch a bit on this previously.

Sometimes I do find a few strands that did not get any color. We all have different hair types and I imagine that some hold color better than others.

I’ve also read reviews that say that the Madison Reed kit has a strong odor. I honestly do not think it’s bad, but again, everyone has different tolerance levels.

Madison Reed Website

Gosh, they’ve got customer service down for a hair color company.

The fact that they have a 100% money back guarantee is amazing.

You’ll want to visit the Madison Reed site before you decide to pick a color. Free video consultation? Totally available.

On the main Madison Reed page, you’ll see a “Find your perfect shade” link where you can take a hair color quiz.

Looking for $15 off?

Click my link here and receive $15 off the first time you try Madison Reed. I’ll get $15 my next purchase too – win/win!

Plus, once you have an account, you can share your own link with your friends/family and continue receiving $15 off.

Hair Color Bar

While you’re on the Madison Reed Website, let me share a bit of info on the hair color bar.

In the menu bar, you can click on ‘Book Services’ and you’ll find three options:

• Book Now
• Hair Color Services
• What is a hair color bar?
• Hair color bar memberships

Unfortunately, there is not a hair color bar in my area or even close enough for me to drive to. 🙁

I do find it interesting how cheap the services are for the membership option. If you’ve tried this out and want to share your thoughts, drop me an email or comment below!

Online Membership

Also in the menu on the Madison Reed website, you’ll find a link to a page on their online membership option.

There are two choices.

First up is the free one, the Limitless Premier which includes the following:

• 15% off every color kit on auto-delivery
• Earn $5 in rewards for every $200 spent
• Welcome Gift + Birthday Gift

Second up is the Limitless Plus membership which costs $49 per year. This includes the following:

• 15% off every color kit
• Earn $10 in rewards for every $150 spent
• Birthday gift
• Free shipping on every order
• 10% off all products and services
• One free roots service a year at a Hair Color Bar (up to $80 value) or one free full-size product

I chose the free option, although I may one day pull the trigger on the $49 annual membership plan. If I do, I’ll write a review on that. However, at this time I’m just not willing add an annual subscription. I have a horrible history of not canceling those once I stop using them and then my credit card gets charged forever.

UPDATE 6 months later: I paid and wrote a whole review article on the Limitless plus membership.

Now I did decide to go with auto-delivery for my permanent hair color (Barletta brown 4.5NNN, dark brown for resistant grays) at checkout and this image is the reason why:

$34.00 is more than I currently pay at my local Target.

Plus, I don’t want to pay for shipping and with a one time order – I’ll have to pay.

The only thing I’m not happy about is every 8 weeks being the maximum frequency you can choose. I don’t think I color my hair that often, but if I start stockpiling color, I can always pause or cancel the auto-delivery for a while.

My welcome gift includes:

• 3-Pack Hair Treatments

Overall Madison Reed Hair Color Review

It’s my go-to hair color. I’ve tried different products and none of them compare.

I’ve tried the hair salon and it doesn’t compare.

Yes, it’s nice to be pampered every now and then. But I’ll stick with facials.

It’s worth mentioning that I do also own the Madison Reed root touch up powder. This stuff has lasted me so long…I don’t even remember when I originally purchased it. It’s been at least a year and there’s more than half left.

I use the root touch-up powder when I have a few strands around my face that didn’t color correctly.

I also use it when I don’t feel like coloring my hair again yet and the gray roots are getting a little excessive…

Back to the hair color…

Honestly, I can remember being sold the first time I used Madison Reed years ago. It’s worked for me time and time again and I don’t plan on switching anytime soon.

I would say that I’m 95% satisfied with the end result. The 5% could be fulfilled if I could get 100% of my stubborn grays covered 100% of the time.

It’s the best option for hair color at home that I’ve found.

Interested in more random reviews? Check out the full list of reviews I’ve done here!