I’m sharing #MyOliaStory as part of a Garnier® sponsored series for Socialstars™. All opinions and hair color are my own (well... the hair color is Garnier®.)

Looking to lighten, brighten or darken your natural hair color without the eye-burning smell of the chemicals involved? That's a common theme among at-home hair coloring kits that we all cringe about - literally. That toxic smell while coloring your hair. I haven't colored my hair in about 2 years due to pregnancies and I've been tired of looking at the strands of gray and dullness of my hair. (Sometimes I wear the tired mom look like a pro.)

With an 8 month old as my sidekick these days, getting out to the salon isn't easy. Using an DIY hair color is a good option, but my #1 MUST - I did not want that ammonia smell for Ethan and myself to take in. Enter Garnier Olia®. Olia has 60% oils, no ammonia, and natural flower oils, and there is ZERO eye-stinging smell - I mean there is literally none.

My goal was to cover the gray and brighten up my dark brown hair with the intention of eventually lightening it for Summer. Instead of simply trying to make a decision in the aisle of the drugstore, I chose to check out their website first to browse the different colors. In the brown hair section, I quickly identified my hair color as Olia 4.0 Dark Brown.  

Knowing that I'm going to begin the lightening process soon, I decided that it was better to still stay in the brown range so that lifting the color would be an easier process if I did it slowly (vs immediately going with a blonde color and possible coming out orange - yikes.) I chose Olia 6.0 Light Brown.

On the box, dark brown hair won't lighten much using light brown, but it will help to brighten the color with a healthy shine. Plus it helps make it easier when I'm ready to go a little lighter (my goal is to eventually have a golden brown hair color, somewhere in the Lightest Golden Brown - Dark Blonde range. (I haven't decided.)

The kit comes with developer, colorant, after color conditioner, applicator and gloves. It's super easy to use, did not drip at all, and despite my semi-long hair, only took one bottle to completely saturate it. My hair is actually pretty thin, there is just a lot of it giving the illusion that I have thick hair.

Once this ammonia-free hair color was on my head, it was only a 30 minute wait time until I needed to rinse, apply the after color conditioner for 2 minutes and then rinse again. Let me tell you that it was easier than I thought it would be with Ethan watching in his high chair with absolutely no bad smell to bother him (or me.)

The result? 100% gray coverage with shiny hair that looked healthy. I love it!