How many ways have I colored my hair? Many many many. Too many. From failed experiments with kite paper, to rampant abuse of Sun In, to regular appointments with my crazy childhood hairdresser to get semi-permanent streaks in every color from blonde to blue. I have yet to try henna, but advice from a professional colorist has kept me away from that most ancient of dyes.

So what's a bella to do, when the desire for color calls? Hit the drugstore for an at-home color kit.

I've tried some of the kits specifically targeted to African Americans -- Dark & Lovely dye works just fine -- but I wanted something different. More subtle. So I turned to Jason Backe, master colorist at the Ted Gibson salon. Jason's a sweetheart to bloggers and is very accessible on Twitter, so he was quick to respond to my questions. His advice? Get thee to the nearest drugstore and pick up a kit of Clairol Perfect 10.

Normally I feel a bit edgy about using at-home hair color, period. What if I somehow ruin my hair? Well thanks to Jason's guidance via his Daily Makeover blog and his YouTube channel, I felt more secure. And thanks to my friend in beauty blogging - Shannon from A Girl's Gotta Spa! -- I knew the exact pros and cons of Clairol Perfect 10.

My color of choice was medium auburn -- I wanted something red, glossy, and perfect for fall.

Following the step by step instructions was SUPER easy. After parting my hair into four sections, I initially hesitated in using the comb-through applicator... but it really helped apply the color on my mass of kinky coils. That particular applicator tip helped the product apply in larger quantities, so it was a snap to "paint" the exterior of my hair, then to part some more and apply color to the interior. Soon my whole head was saturated with some really strong-smelling hair color. P.U! I forgot how strong the stink of chemicals can be, and so close to my eyes... dios mio. But 10 minutes later and it was over. Time to rinse!

I absolutely LOVE the Colorseal conditioner that comes with the dye kit, and I'm totally getting more from the drugstore, now that I know it's sold separately! That conditioner is divine. Smells like fruity heaven, and made my hair so supremely shiny, soft, and combable. Love!

At the end of my Perfect 10 dye job, I admit - I was a teeny tiny bit disappointed. My hair's dark, so the color turned out really subtle. A little too subtle. So next time I'm going to go for a lighter shade, for more color impact. And I'm going to have some changes to get used to -- the dye did slightly loosen my curl pattern, so now my hair flops into a center part rather than having the upward mobility I was so used to. But all in all, Perfect 10 did deliver. My hair looks glossy, in the sun the color is rich and stunning. Yay! My hair looks very cute, very fall, and this was all done for very cheap!

Thanks to Jason for his hair color advice! Do you do hair color at home? What's your brand of choice?