Our semi-permanent hair dye line combines salon-grade pigments with a nontoxic, conditioning formula that deposits ultra vibrant color. Semi-permanent hair dyes do not damage the hair, in fact they’re super conditioning! GDY’s formula combines a high-quality cream base, like a hair mask with essential oil benefits. The color is deposited on top of the hair shaft and acts like a stain that will fade out over time each time you wash your hair. Color can last anywhere from 4-6 weeks. We recommend using color protecting hair care like our GDY Color Kind Line to keep color vibrant longer.
What does it smell like?
Fragranced with Bergamot essential oil, our semi-permanent dye has a light citrus scent that is mood lifting.
Our semi-permanent dyes will show the truest color on pre-lightened hair, levels 8-10. We recommend using our Lightening Kit to get the perfect base shade for your color.
What to know?
Semi-perm is a thick, conditioning formula, no need to mix with a conditioner.
Color payoff will vary based how much hair is lightened as well as on the porosity of the hair and underlying hair chemistry. We recommend a hair strand test to determine color payoff.
Safe on:
All hair textures, pre lightened, chemically treated, keratin treated, and color treated hair.
Celia_Kidrauhl –
I bought this one because I went to retail and Riot was out of stock and I needed it soon and usually shipping to Mexico takes a month and a half (because of our national mail, it arrives to the country in 3 days and then my country takes a month to get it to me) and decided to go with red. Oh Lord it was an awesome color. It stays on my head longer than permanent and it helps my hair to look healthy. It is so bold and love it so much
Jackie from GDY –
Hi There,
So glad to hear you are loving your red hair! We packed our dyes with pigment so you can have that long lasting color. Thanks for your review.
XX Jackie from GDY
Liz (verified owner) –
I’m a naturally dark brunette that’s pined over the idea of the perfect red hair for years – and I’ve certainly tried my fair share (from professionally done to home-touchups). Rock Lobster has given me the cherry bomb vibes of my dreams and I’m endlessly impressed and stoked for GDY!
Jackie from GDY –
Hi Liz,
Oh this is so exciting to hear! I am so glad you loved Rock Lobster and were able to get the red hair of your dreams. We would love to see it! Make sure you tag us in any posts. Thanks for the review.
XX Jackie from GDY
emilymccarty20 –
I mixed Rock Lobster and Ex-Girl to create a less intense red and I LOVED it! I love the smell and how conditioning the dye is, it also doesn’t stain! I would highly recommend this dye to everyone 🙂
Jackie from GDY –
Hi There!
Thanks for the review. What a fun mix! I am so glad you loved the smell and conditioning qualities of the dye.
XX Jackie from GDY
kylie (verified owner) –
LOVE IT!! I’ll forever reach for this when I’m wanting red hair. It’s that perfect fire truck, bright, candy apple, Hayley red. I love experimenting with it to change the undertone. I added some ex girlfriend pink to it to make it more cherry red, and as it faded, the pink showed more and more. It’s currently bubble gum pink right now, when it started out as neon fire truck red. It doesn’t seem to have the staying power as some of the other shades I’ve used such as blue ruin, but that’s okay with me because red can be a pain to get out! So I was actually relieved!
Jackie from GDY –
Hi Kylie,
Thanks for your review. Happy you are enjoying our red. Red pigments are know to wash out faster, which is why you may experience that fade sooner than you would with our blue ruin.
XX Jackie from GDY
rhouse00 (verified owner) –
I have previously purchased GDY products in the colors Kowabunga and Narwhal and absolutely loved the product. I ordered Rock Lobster for the rich, firetruck red color that I didn’t necessarily see in the other dye brands I’ve used. However, I am a bit disappointed with this color. I have only washed my hair once (using cool water as well as GDY’s shampoo and conditioner) after dying it (having followed the directions to a T, on bleached hair, rinsing with cool water, etc.) and it is already very faded in the back. Personally, I do experience a lot of fading in the back when I dye my hair, but never this quickly. It is already a peachy, pale red in the back that looks a little muddy. On some of the hair between the front and back, the hair looks orangey more than it looks red. My hair feels good, the product itself treated my hair very well and I like GDY products, but I’m just disappointed with this color in particular.
Becca from GDY –
Hi there! We are so sorry you didn’t love your experience using GDY. Red pigment is the quickest color to rinse out because of the science behind that specific pigment. If your hair in the back is extremely porous, it will tend to wash out faster in that area than the rest of your hair. Feel free to reach out to [email protected] with any questions!
xx Becca from GDY
shepherddanielle17 (verified owner) –
Hello friends! I recently purchased Rock Lobster and Riot (didn’t use Riot yet) and would like to start out with that this product is probably the best hair dye I’ve ever used. I originally ordered two of Rock Lobster (my hair is really long, almost down to my butt, and I suck with measurements, heehee!) and I ended up using only one bottle, so you do get a pretty decent size for what you pay for! I love the packaging that the dye came in, I was able to squeeze it and get out every last bit of product and it was super easy to use. And the dye smells GOOD. Not like other products where they smell kinda iffy and weird, this dye had a very pleasant aroma to it. My hair was a faded blue before, and Rock Lobster covered it pretty well. This is the red dye I’ve been looking for for years. Other products I’ve tried in the past made my kind of a pinkish red, whereas this product made my hair a very bright and bold shade of red. Like fire truck red. I’m super happy with the results. Another thing I would like to mention is that yes, when you’re washing your hair, it does bleed A LOT. BUT you can help manage that if you wash your hair with cold water (or as cold as you can stand) and mix a little of the product with your conditioner. I washed my hair the other day (I try to only wash it once or twice a week to keep it vibrant) and the color stayed pretty well by doing these tricks! If you’re hesitant on trying this product because of others not having a good experience, you kinda just have to go for it. Hair products can be tricky sometimes, everybody has a different hair type so not everybody is gonna get the same results. With that said I absolutely love this product and would definitely recommend it! So do so happy with the results!! And I can’t wait to use Riot next 🙂
Jackie from GDY –
Hello!
Thank you for such a glowing review on Rock Lobster! I can’t wait for you to try Riot. Make sure you take some great photos and send them our way VIA socials. You might end up on our feeds!
XX Jackie from GDY
rebeccaclifford98 –
I was skeptical at first because very dye I’ve used has always bled out in a few washes. This stuff really sticks to your hair! It does bleed in the shower but not as much as other leading brands! It’s been 3 weeks and it still looks like I’ve just colored it! You also get sooo much product for the price. I can’t wait to try another color!
Jackie from GDY –
Hi Rebecca!
Thanks for you review on Rock Lobster. Glad to hear you are loving the color. We pack our colors with pigment which is why you may experience some bleeding. I am so excited for you to try other colors, i’m sure your hair looks bomb!
XX Jackie from GDY
maggie.smith93 –
ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE! This is my second go around with this product. The first go around was good but washed out very quickly as wasn’t as vibrant as I wanted. But this time I took the time to rid the tips and tricks and I must say YES! It worked so perfectly I got the color and vibrancy that I love! Thank you sooo much for this amazing product! So proud of you and what you shared with us!
Lokamedina –
Wish I could write a good review but honestly the red wasn’t as vibrant as it was shown in the pictures.Rock lobster was more orangey than red and the color barely picked up on my hair. Definitely not worth it especially with the price. I’ve tried better red for $10 and less.
Becca from GDY –
Thank you for your review! We’re sorry you weren’t happy with your color. Our dyes are heavily pigmented and typically supply a long lasting color! Our dyes are infused with hair healthy ingredients and essential oils which can be a bit more costly but they do save the integrity of your hair. We would love to talk more about your experience if you would like to email us at [email protected]!
xx Becca from Good Dye Young
Che –
love love LOVE! I’ve always wanted to dye my but going to get it done at a salon can be sooo expensive and I don’t fully trust box colors at Say a corner store for the fear of it killing my hair and the color just not coming out right. This product is affordable! This product is easy! And this product did not ruin my hair at all! My hair feels completely the same and I forget my hair is colored until I pass by a mirror. I would definitely recommend this product if you are looking to have fun with your hair.
Hope –
Amazing!!! Hayley Williams has always been a huge inspiration of mine, and I’ve wanted to due my hair red ever since Paramore’s album Riot! But have been too scared. GDY helped me achieve my dream hair color with Rock Lobster. The coverage in this product is amazing – it covered a very faded, pale blue that was in my hair with ease. I love that this product is so pigmented, and how it conditions my hair while depositing color. BEST HAUI DYE!!
Amanda –
I really wanted to love this and expected to. The smell is amazing, it doesn’t damage hair, and it goes on easily enough but even after following all directions completely, the color did not stay after the cold rinse. It sat for over an hour in my hair and almost completely washed out.
Becca Sievers –
Hey Amanda! I’m sorry that you did not get the results you wanted using Rock Lobster. We suggest pre-lightening hair to ensure the most vibrant results. I would love to talk more about your experience if you can send me an email at [email protected]!
xx Becca from Good Dye Young
Jadejade203 –
While I was at the store, I noticed that this “red” wasn’t really red and it was more of a pink color. But I bought it anyway because that’s the color I wanted, red. When I got home and I mixed the bottle up and it looked a little more red but I was still skeptical. So I start to apply it to the hair and I noticed that it’s chalky. So I finished the whole head, and was confused because there wasn’t directions in the Box, so I had to come to the website, and to see what to do next. But before I got to look at the website, I noticed that the dye was all over my bathroom. It took me half an hour to clean it all up, and while I was doing that I was scared that everything it touched was stained forever. This is semi-permanent hair dye, I expected to come off my walls,floors, shoes and my clothing. It attached more to actual objects than my hair. I was afraid it was going to stain my house. So after I read that to rinse it off with cold water that’s what I did and then I tried to brush it out. It was torture, and i was afraid it was going to damage my hair. I only rinsed my hair out I didn’t scrub it so while I was brushing my hair I found it very chalky still and had to go back and rinse it again, but this time I scrubbed. So after the second time around rinsing it out I tried brushing my hair and it was still chalky. So after two very frustrating hours I decided to just wash it out, and waste my $20. This is my first time using this product and I absolutely hate it. I shouldn’t have to go to a website to find out directions and precautionary things. Never using this product again.
Becca Sievers –
Thank you for your review. By the description of your post, it seems you may have purchased our Poser Paste hair makeup and not the semi-permanent dye. Our semi-permanent dyes are super conditioning and would not leave that chalky feeling in your hair. Poser Paste on the other hand is a wax based product that can leave the hair with some texture. I would love talk more and see whats going on! Please email me at [email protected] so we can chat more!
xx Becca from GDY
madisonbuxton13 (verified owner) –
I bought Rock Lobster semi-permanent dye to use on my little sister (she’s 12 and it was her first time dyeing her hair!) It shipped quickly and we were able to use it the weekend after we ordered it. It was easy to apply to her hair, which is naturally brown, and smelled AMAZING. Once the dye was rinsed, the color came out the perfect auburn color that she was hoping for! It looks amazing, especially when the sun catches the red tints. We both have also used poser paste in Ex-Girl and Narwhal and used it on my little brother this weekend and he loved that he could have fun colors in his hair without the commitment to dye. I am planning on using GDY semi-permanent dye in Ex-Girl with the Fader at the end of this month for my new summer color! My entire family absolutely loves GDY and will 10/10 be using both the dye and poser paste in the future! 🙂
Hallie from GDY –
Hi!
We are so excited that y’all chose GDY for your sister’s first hair dyeing experience! We love using our darker shades such as Rock Lobster, Blue Ruin, and PPL Eater on light brown hair to achieve muted shades of our vibrant colors. Thank you for letting GDY join the fam!
xx Hallie from GDY
Robin (verified owner) –
I had processed brown hair prior to using this dye, hoping to achieve a deep blood red color. And it worked! The color adhered surprisingly well, and isn’t fading as much as I had expected considering it bleeds so much when wet. The color doesn’t transfer when the hair is dry either,which pleasantly surprised me. I would dock half a star if I could, and that’s only because it didn’t stick to my virgin roots too well, but I have yet to use a semi-perm that does.
Hallie from GDY –
Hey Robin!
We’re so happy you were able to use Rock Lobster over unbleached hair to get your desired hair color! Thank you so much for using GDY!
xx Hallie from GDY
Cascorrigan –
If you have chronic headaches or migraines I cannot recommend the Good Dye Young brand of hair dye enough! I just used it for the first time and I was pleasantly surprised- I have tried TONS of hair dye brands over the past 5 years and most of them have really heavy, thick smells that always trigger my migraines. Even if it’s a pleasant smell initially, it always seems to stick around for days in my hair, pillow or towels until I can’t smell anything else. Not the case for Good Dye Young! The red dye I used had a light scent almost like eucalyptus that smelled more like a high end shampoo. If you don’t constantly suffer from headache it may seem like a really small thing to get excited about, but it really makes all the difference. (Also the color is really bright, and it comes in a 5oz bottle which I love because I have thick hair and usually have to buy 2 bottles of any other brand like ion, manic panic, or arctic fox which usually come in 4 oz bottles). My only caution is that the scent is bergamot essential oil based so you don’t want to use this day in and day out if you have cats, as this essential oil can be toxic for them especially if they are around it all the time. I think if you’re like me and you are only dyeing once every few months your furry friends should be fine, but it’s still something to be aware of. I *think* bergamot essential oil is ok around dogs, but I’m no vet, so if that’s a concern you should probably check with one.
Hallie from GDY –
Hello!
Thank you so much for your kind words! Our semi-permanent dyes are formulated with Bergamot essential oil (which helps alleviate symptoms of depression and stress) and Sunflower extract (which helps to condition and strengthen hair). We’re so happy that the scent of our dyes doesn’t trigger your headaches! Our color-kind Wash and Rinse have similar scents as well. If you’re able, we’d love for you to try them out and let us know what you think!
Thank you for supporting GDY!
xx dye happy,
Hallie from GDY
Moko2494 (verified owner) –
I love having dark red hair, and I have been dying my hair myself for about seven years. I used to stick to ION from Sally’s, but have tried Arctic Fox, and Manic Panic. The problem with all of those dyes is they never got the color exactly how I wanted it and they left my hair feeling dry and unhealthy, they also faded super fast! I went looking for a healthier for hair dye. I tried Lime Crime and Punky Color because the reviews were good, but they never colored my hair, they only tinted it. I was about to give up and go back to my natural color when I found GDY. I loved that the colors were mixable, good for your hair, and cruelty free. Even though the price point is higher than I like, the results are worth it which is why I keep coming back! The color lasts longer, and I have the ability to RL with black and create the perfect shade of dark red! I recommend this brand to all of my friends who dye their hair.
Hallie from GDY –
Hello!
Thank you so much for getting GDY from Sally Beauty! We’re super stoked to be in stores and we’re so happy you love your hair! Be sure to tag us in your photos on social media so we can see your lovely hair!
xx dye happy,
Hallie from GDY
sandistar –
Ive had this color in my hair for 6 weeks now and its not even close to fading even with regular (every other day sometimes everyday) washes. Absolutely Brilliant!
Hallie from GDY –
Hey!
Yay! We are so happy your dye has lasted so long. Thank you so much for using and supporting GDY!
xx dye happy,
Hallie from GDY
nmurphymcbride33 (verified owner) –
I want to start by saying that I have been an avid (and I mean AVID) GDY fan since the day it started. Bought every color, tested them all out, and on top of that, I’ve been dying my hair for over 10 years – meaning, I’ve used a LOT of bad hair dyes. I’ve told every single person that’s ever complimented my hair that it’s GDY, I rep the brand in clothes, literally everything. But I genuinely have never been so disappointed in the dye as I am now.
I generally won’t write reviews, but for the price of dye, I think it’s necessary to have an honest opinion about this!
I recently bought 5 tubes of dye: 2 SMS, 2 RL, and 1 Riot. I have what I call “fire hair” where I use all 3 and have intense fire-colored hair. In the time this year where I was extremely broke but still needed dye, I would run to my local Sally’s and pick up Arctic Fox because of the price point and the locality. I hated using a different brand, but you gotta do what’cha gotta do when you’re broke with bright hair. I had a great experience using AF, and the yellow was definitely comparable to SMS (or at least the old formula). When I finally cracked open my brand new purchase of GDY, I was GLOWING with excitement. I was finally able to dive right back into this brand that I LOVED. I wasted no time, I did my roots (bleached) Rock Lobster, the middle sections Riot, and the very tips of my hair Steal My Sunshine. Exactly the way I’ve been doing my hair for a few months. It’s been rad! I jump in the shower, as cold as possible (which, might I add, sucks bad in the winter), color-safe shampoo and conditioner. But when I get out of the shower, NONE of the color stuck. Nothing. 5 hours of sitting around and my hair is the exact same blondish-orange fade from before. I almost cried with disappointment. My favorite hair dye company couldn’t let me down, it must’ve been me, right? But I did all of the steps: dry hair, super faded from previous dye job (seriously, AF’s yellow would’ve been bold and bright on this faded hair), no product, let it sit for half my day, and showered exactly like the pros. I’m genuinely heartbroken that the formula may have changed, and that the price is so high for hair dye that no longer works for me at all. Unfortunately, I’ll probably be going back to Arctic Fox, but with an extremely heavy heart. Truly, feels like my heart just BROKE all over me. Great company, but I feel cheated from the old experience of Good Dye Young.
Hallie from GDY –
Hello,
We are so, so sorry you’ve had this experience with GDY. With your help, we’d really like to get to the bottom of this issue. Please email [email protected] so we can work to remedy this situation together.
xx dye happy,
Hallie from GDY
ashleyybabyyxx –
ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED with this color!! My hair already had a professional bright red on it so my hairdresser (who is a GDY fan) suggested I use this in between seeing her to keep the color vibrant. I mix a little color in with my shampoo and conditioner (both GDY) and it has made my red look brand new!
Hallie from GDY –
Hey Ashley!
We’re so happy you love Rock Lobster! This fire like red is sure to please for those who like their hair to have a little spice. Thank you so much for supporting GDY!
xx dye happy,
Hallie from GDY