Our shade 8/33 honey blonde colour is perfect if you're looking for natural blonde tones. This shade is suitable for light to mid blonde, strawberry blonde or grey hair.
Like all our Water Colour Gel hair dye shades, Toffee is free from PPD, ammonia and other harsh chemicals such as bleaching agents. If you're a blonde looking to keep greys at bay, this makes it perfect for long term use.
With no harsh chemicals, it can't darken your hair - however, if you're a light, mid or strawberry blonde wanting to go darker, this will work perfectly for you.
Water Colour Gel arrives as a vial of powder - simply add water, mix and stand to produce a thick, easy to apply honey blonde hair dye gel.
You'll get a free tint brush with your first order, making it easy to get an even application of your honey blonde Toffee hair colour.
Our best cover yet
Our deepest, most vibrant hair colour shades yet - with better grey coverage than ever, even on resistant grey hair. Combine shades or adjust your processing time to fine-tune the result.
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Hair colour in record time
Semi-permanent hair colour from just 20 minutes, or allow 30 minutes for quasi-permanent colour lasting 18+ washes. If you have resistant grey, allowing up to 50 minutes will give the best result.
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Gentle formula
Free from PPD, ammonia, alcohol, resorcinol, perfume and bleaching agents - all the same gentle promises, now with better colour and coverage.
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Mess free application
Simply mix with water to form a thick, easy-to-apply gel - no drips, no separate developer bottle, just your bowl and brush.
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Planet conscious
Our powder-only vials ship without water, cutting over 100g of weight and packaging per colour. No mixer bottle needed, and hats/gloves are optional at checkout.
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See the difference right away, with the deepest and most vibrant natural hair colour shades in our range.
With better grey hair coverage than our original Water Colour hair dye, we're confident Water Colour Gel will tackle even resistant grey hair, allowing you to continue to choose a gentle approach even as grey hair increases.
As with our original Water Colour hair dye, you can combine hair colour shades to create your own custom hair colours, as well as adjusting processing times to adapt the grey coverage / permanency.
Water Colour Gel needs just 20 or 30 minutes processing time, giving you great hair colouring results quicker than ever.
Which time to choose? It depends on the permanency you'd like.
Choose 30 minutes for quasi-permanent hair colour, which will last up to 18+ washes with up to 100% grey coverage. If you have stubborn greys, this time can be extended up to 40 minutes.
Demi-permanent hair colour can be achieved from just 20 minutes, and will last up to 12 washes. This will give a more subtle grey coverage, useful for blending rather than hiding greys.
Gentle Hair Dye isn't just our name - it's our mission. You can rest assured that just like our original Water Colour hair dye, Water Colour Gel is:
Not only that, but it gives you even better hair colour and grey coverage in half the time. What's not to like?
Water Colour Gel hair dye is easy to mix and apply, using any non-metallic bowl - it's a simple 4-step process:
By shipping our hair dyes without water, we're not only saving over 100g in weight per colour, we're also able to use super small bottles that fit in small packages. All of this gives a lower carbon footprint and uses less plastic and other packaging material.
Water Colour Gel does not require any special mixing equipment - any non-metallic bowl is fine - but if you prefer applying from a bottle, you can purchase one of our reusable mixer bottles.
When it comes to hats and gloves, we include single use ones free of charge. If you don't need them, you can tick a box after check out and we'll leave them out of your order.





What a wonderful product! I stopped dying my hair 10 years ago and have had naturally grey/white hair since...
Geraldine S




I just had to write a review to say how impressed I am with the water gel, I've just tried a new shade and it...
Catherine B




Love, love, love the Gentle Hair Dye products! They are exactly what they say on the tin! I\u2019ve used them...
Bev D




Gel works better than the original and lasts well if you leave it on long enough. I am going to try some...
Deni C




I previously gave a one star as I struggled to get the right colour without immediate fade, then I went...
Rachel D




Brilliant customer service and always at the end of a phone to offer advice and help. The water colour gels...
Maralyn L




I used the Wheat shade. It was easy to apply. I\u2019m pleased with the overall results as I was looking for...
Gillian




It doesn\u2019t leave my hair damaged like harsh dyes but it covers my grey.
HayleyRead more of our verified reviews, collected independently by Reviews.io.
Read more on Reviews.ioSee all our reviews on Reviews.io.
Gentle Hair Dye is a small, family-run team. We know our products inside out because we've developed them over 25 years - helping you find your perfect hair colour matters to us.
These are the questions we're asked the most. If yours isn't there, just get in touch - a real person will get back to you.
The only special item you will need when using Water Colour Gel hair dye is the free reusable tint brush that you'll receive with your first order.
The hair colour gel can be mixed in any non-metallic bowl, and a measuring cup or jug is also useful to ensure the correct amount of water (90ml) is used. You'll probably be able to find these items in your kitchen, or we sell plastic and plastic-free tint bowls from £3.25.
Water Colour Gel can be used as a Demi or Quasi-Permanent hair dye. It should be applied to dry hair, with timings as follows:
Quasi-Permanent
When applied for just 30 minutes, you'll enjoy hair colour lasting up to 18+ washes and providing up to 100% grey coverage.
Demi-Permanent
When applied for only 20 minutes, your hair colour will last up to 12 washes and provide subtle grey coverage.
The above is a guide only – the results may be affected by the condition of your hair
Water Colour Gel hair dye should be applied to dry hair following our simple 4 step application process.
Step 1 – Mix
Step 2 – Apply
Step 3 – Wait
Step 4 – Rinse
Full Head Application
Use for first-time hair colouring, or when there’s no marked difference between roots and ends.
Regrowth Application
Use to cover root regrowth when the rest of your hair is already coloured.
Water Colour Gel produces rich natural hair colours in record time - twice as fast as Water Colour hair dye! Choose the permanency of your hair colour by adjusting the timing:
20 minutes – Demi-Permanent
For hair colour that lasts up to 12 washes, and provides subtle grey coverage.
30 minutes – Quasi-permanent
For hair colour that lasts up to 18+ washes, giving up to 100% grey coverage.
Many of you asked this - and the answer is yes!
If you prefer the familiar bottle method for applying your hair dye, we now offer bottles with a new 90ml fill line to make mixing even easier.
Here's how to use it:
Our mixer bottles are re-usable and can be purchased from our website for just £2.
Yes! Want your favourite Water Colour Gel hair dye shade to be just a little more golden? Or perhaps, add a hint of red or a dash of copper? Our article in the Infohub takes you step by step through the process of mixing different hair colour shades to create a hair colour that is unique to you.
Water Colour Gel does not contain any harsh bleaching agents - therefore, it can only darken or tone your hair. This is perfect for regular grey coverage, or for darkening your existing hair colour.
If you have more than a smattering of greys, there is one easy trick you could try for a beautiful natural highlights effect. Simply choose a Water Colour Gel shade lighter than your natural colour.
We cannot give you an exact answer as this will always depend on how long or thick your hair is.
If your hair is of average thickness and about shoulder length, you will usually need 1 vial of Water Colour Gel. For longer or thicker hair you may need 2 or even 3 vials.
If you are applying to your roots only, you may even get 2 applications from the same vial of hair colour gel. You will need to split the powder carefully and reduce the water volume. Ensure any powder you are not using right away remains totally dry and is tightly re-sealed in the vial.
Water Colour Gel is an ammonia and PPD free hair dye that uses a water-based formula that preserves your hair's natural structure. It does not contain harsh chemicals such as PPD, ammonia, alcohol, peroxide, resorcinol or bleaching agents.
The following ingredients are found in all shades of Water Colour Gel hair colour:
Sodium Sulfate
Sodium Percarbonate
Xanthan Gum
Methyl Ethyl Cellulose
Silicia Dioxide
Sodium Laurol Sarcosinate
Mineral Oil
Sodium Metasilicate
Depending on the hair colour shade you choose, your hair dye will also contain a combination of the following:
P-Toluenediamine Sulfate
P-Aminophenol
M-Aminophenol Sulfate
1,5-Dihydroxynaphthlene
P-Amino-O- Cresol
4-Amino-M- Cresol
2-Amino-6- Chloro-Nitrophenol
1-Hydroxyethyl 4.5- Diamino
Pyrazole Sulfate
HC Yellow 2
Water Colour Gel is a PPD free hair dye. Many people who react to standard PPD hair dyes find this hair dye colour much easier to tolerate.
However: If you have a confirmed allergy to PPD (p-phenylenediamine), it’s important to be cautious with any hair colour, even our PPD free hair dyes, because:
Whether you have allergies or not, you should always patch test all hair dyes before every use - even if you’ve used the product successfully in the past. If you get any itching, redness, stinging, swelling or irritation during the patch test, do not use the product. If you’ve had a severe reaction before (e.g. facial/eye swelling, blistering, widespread rash), we recommend speaking with a GP/dermatologist and asking about patch testing to confirm which ingredients you react to.
Even if you have used Water Colour Gel hair dye before, and although it is an ammonia and PPD free hair dye, it is essential to patch test before every hair dye gel application.
Patch testing with Water Colour Gel is a simple 3-step process:
1. Mix Test Solution
Take a small pinch of Water Colour Gel powder and mix it with a drop of warm water. Be careful to reseal the cap securely on the remaining dye to keep it dry.
2. Apply Test
Clean a small area inside your elbow and apply the solution with a cotton bud. Allow it to dry and leave on for a minimum of 48 hours.
3. Monitor for Reactions
If irritation, redness, itching, swelling, or burning occurs, wash off immediately and do not use the product. If symptoms persist seek medical advice.
Your order of hair colour gel will include:
Your first order will also include a free reusable tint brush!
We pride ourselves on offering eco-friendly options. If you do not need the hat and gloves, you can opt to remove them from your order after checkout.
When stored correctly, Water Colour Gel powder can be stored for many years. However, it is best to use within two years of purchase if you can to minimise the chance of it spoiling.
It is important to store your Water Colour hair colour gel somewhere dry, and ideally also cool and dark like a drawer or cupboard (do not store in the bathroom). Check the lids are on tight as this will help to prevent moisture getting in.
Toffee is an 8/33 honey blonde hair colour shade. We offer a Wheat blonde colour which is also a mid-blonde shade, or you can go lighter (towards our golden pale blonde Golden Barley shade) or darker (Rye is our dark blonde base shade).
Remember: our gentle formulas don't contain bleaching agents, so it is only possible to darken your hair or cover grey.