My colour went too far to the dark side

You can strip away a lot of the hue with two products from your kitchen: shampoo with a 10 cent-size amount of dishwashing liquid to lighten the colour, then follow up with olive oil to condition and counteract the strong detergents that make it so effective. You'll be left with a much lighter shade.

This colour is hideous!

If there's nothing redeemable about your new shade, you may actually need that beanie after all. But a hair-colour remover (like My Hairdresser Hair Colour Remover, $19.90) can rescue you from dyer's remorse. And seek professional help before colouring your hair again.

My blonde turned more green than gold

Counteract frog-tint with a can of tomato juice (it's not just tops for Bloody Marys). "Soak your strands and let them sit for 30 minutes, then rinse out thoroughly," says Garnier Nutrisse colour expert Chuck Hezekiah. The acidity and colour of tomatoes neutralises your hair's Shrek-like colour.

I wanted to warm my colour. I got brassy orange!

Not feeling the warmth in your new 'do? "Re-dye your hair with a peroxide-free colour [use a demi- or semi-permanent] that's close to the shade you were going for," says TRESemmé colourist Nathaniel Hawkins. "Only this time, try one with cool or ashy undertones to counteract the orange."