Pearl Blond Perfection: Garnier Color Sensation 7.12 Review

Hello there!

I have to say, I'm really craving a change this spring. And what better way to satisfy that craving than with a fresh new hair color? Today, I'm excited to share my thoughts on a budget-friendly hair dye and walk you through my process for a safe and easy at-home hair coloring experience.

Let's get straight to the point!

Garnier Color Sensation 7.12 Pearl Blond

Garnier Color Sensation 7.12 жемчужно-пепельный блондI have to admit, I've always been a big fan of the Garnier brand. For me, it represents youth, carefree spirit, and a sense of lightness.

As a matter of fact, all my college friends used to swear by Garnier products! I've even written about it before!

Where to buy: You can find it in almost every supermarket – I picked mine up at Ozon.

Price: At the time of purchase, it was 256 rubles.

Product type: Long-lasting hair dye

Volume: 110 ml

Key ingredients: Contains ammonia

Country of origin: Russia

About the product

The iconic Garnier packaging. I bought two of them, and they're perfect for the length of my hair.

Garnier Long-Lasting Cream Hair Color & Highlights "Color Sensation, Luxury of Color" with Pearl and Rose Essence.

PackagingFrom the manufacturer: A cream hair color with intense pigments, rose essence, and pearl for an extra-long-lasting, luxurious hair color and a mirror-like shine.

The standard kit has everything you need for a DIY hair coloring experience. It comes with instructions, the dye, a developer, a post-color treatment, and gloves.

For its super budget-friendly price, it's really great.Just a heads up – this dye does contain ammonia. (I'll share my tips on minimizing its impact on your hair later in this review.)

I'd love to share my hair before and after photos, but for now, let's talk about my starting point and why I chose this particular shade, 7.12 Pearl Blond.

Hair Before

It's been over three months since my last hair dye job. My roots have grown out significantly, and I've got some noticeable graying. The previous color has faded, and you can see the difference between the bleached parts and the rest of my hair.

{"html": " Before the dye job I don't wash my hair for 4-5 days before dyeing. It looks a bit tired, but the quality is still great, and it's super soft.

Since I hadn't dyed my hair in ages, I decided to go for a shade that's a tone darker than usual to get a more intense color.

I've always stuck to the 8 palette, but this time I went for a shade from the 7 range.

My hair looks pretty great with loose waves, which is probably why I was so hesitant to dye it in the first place.

Let's get this beauty party started!

Applying the dye

I love at-home dyeing because it saves me so much time! It's awesome that I can quickly apply the dye and get on with my day without wasting time at the salon.

After my not-so-great Airtouch experience, I'm not exactly itching to go back to the salon for dyeing.

It's all so much simpler at home – just mix the dye with the developer.

The packaging doesn't specify the percentage of developer.

I asked the manufacturer, and they told me that the 7.12 shade has 6% developer.

❗️Since my hair was previously bleached, I used 1.5% developer from Kapous on the longer parts of my hair. I used 60ml of dye per tube in the same ratio.

This is the optimal percentage for a gentler, more nourishing tone.

"} I used the developer's own bleach on the roots and the grown-out part of my hair without bleaching – you can see the transition clearly on the collage. I've got a tried-and-tested 'battle buddy' – a tint brush with a sharp tip. It's super handy for doing test swatches and applying the mixture to my hair. Dyeing your hair at home I applied the first portion to the roots and the grown-out part, and the second portion with a 1.5% oxidizer to the previously bleached fabric.

I left the dye on my hair for around 40 minutes. I increased the time to let my hair soak up the pigment more deeply. Halfway through, I thought I was going to end up with a brunette, not a blonde at all!Thanks to its high pigment content, it provides precise color matching and 100% grey coverage, with the results lasting up to 10 weeks.

Oh my god!

After rinsing, my hair was incredibly dark, almost with a black undertone – I hadn't planned on going that dark! I applied the balm, two packets right away.

By the way, the balm smells amazing, like rose products from Crimea.

The creamy after-care treatment with its gentle, melting texture perfectly completes the dyeing process: it moisturizes, adds silkiness, and enhances shine.

The final result

The color turned out to be a bit darker than I expected. I have no idea why they call it 'pearl-brown blonde' – to me, it's at least a dark brown!

Before and After ColoringI'm really happy with how the transition from roots to length turned out. Plus, the color completely covered up my grays!

Before and After ColoringThe color turned out to be really regal and even. The tone is without any reddish or auburn undertones, and it's pretty cool and smoky brown.

7.12 GarnierIt looks super natural and doesn't have any weird undertones.

This shade, 7.12, falls under the 'Pearlescent Blonde' category. By the way, when I'm outside, the color looks way lighter, like a dark blonde with a hint of ash. But when I'm inside, it looks way darker. The hair mask has a nice scent, but as for the nourishing part, it's a total fail. I'd recommend doing a hair mask after coloring right away. I just air-dried my hair, but even while I was rinsing out the mask, I knew it wasn't going to moisturize my hair like usual.

The Result of Coloring with 7.12 Garnier Color SensationMy hair after air-drying. I didn't even bother styling it, just left it as is. 7.12 Garnier Color Sensation✔️I'm pretty close to getting the shade I wanted! I was hoping my hair would be darker and more pigmented.

Before and After It'll probably take longer to wash out in the shower, but I hope it'll wash out nicely)

Click to enlargeConsidering the budget price, the result is decent.But there's a major issue that makes me take off a star: the dye dries out my hair!This is a bummer.

My hair needs a lot of TLC after coloring. It's super dry and rough to the touch, lacking that usual softness.Even with replacing the developer with 1.5% for a length color, it's still pretty bad. If I had used the original 6%, it would've been a total disaster for my hair. As it is, I'm growing out my hair, and now the quality is just not great, so I'll have to trim a decent amount off.

➕Budget-friendly➕ Good color match

➕ Easy to use, doesn't run, no harsh smell

➕ Even color, great gray coverage 💯

➕ Nice, natural-looking tone

➖ Dries out my hair➖ Lacks shine

Verdict

This is a decent option for at-home coloring. It's quick and budget-friendly, and you can get a nice update without breaking the bank. Maybe if your hair hasn't been bleached with powder before, like mine, the dye won't dry it out as much.

Garnier Color Sensation 7.12 champagne blondeI liked the 7.12 shade, it looks natural, but I won't be repeating this process. My hair looks nice, but it's dry and needs intense care. From me, 4 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️My go-to Garnier dye is still the Color naturals Garnier 8.1 Sandy Beach and 8 Wheat. The shades always impress, and my hair is soft and shiny after coloring.

✔️Addendum:

After using this hair balm after washing my hair, it's soft and silky again.

Later, I'll update my review on color retention.

✔️Update:

It's been 1.5 months since I colored my hair, and the color on my roots has lightened up a bit, but it's still holding up surprisingly well.

Stay beautiful and have a great day 🤍

More about coloring and care:

My gorgeous light-brown ash 8.1 from Loreal Creme

Airtouch. From brunette to blonde.

I successfully toned my hair after airtouch.

Toning mask for blonde hair, recommended by my colorist.

My go-to hair mask from grandma Agafia, one of my favorites.