Is Affinage Hair Colour Any Good? A Salon's Honest Review

If you've been looking into professional hair colour and Affinage keeps coming up, you're probably wondering whether it's actually worth it. We've been using Affinage colour in our salon for years — it's been our go-to for client colour work for over 10 years!  We stock almost every single Affinage product in the salon and have used almost every single Affinage product in those 10 years, So I would say that we have a pretty good professional working opinion of Affinage hair products. 

Short version: yes, it's good. Really good, actually. But like anything in hair colour, it depends on which range you're using and what you're trying to achieve. So let's go through it properly.

What is Affinage hair colour?

Affinage Salon Professional is a UK-based professional hair colour brand. They make a full range of permanent, semi-permanent and tone-on-tone colours, plus treatments, styling products and colour accessories. Their colour ranges are sold to salons and trained professionals, though you can buy many of them online.

The brand is probably best known for the Infiniti permanent colour range, but they also make Puretone (their ammonia-free tone-on-tone range), the Kitoko botanical colour range, and the Gloss Shotz colour shots for refreshing and toning.

The Affinage Infiniti range — what we think

Infiniti is what we use in the salon for most of our permanent colour work. It's a low-ammonia permanent colour with what Affinage call DATEM Plus technology, which basically allows the colour to penetrate more deeply into the hair shaft while using a lower volume developer than most comparable brands.

In practice what that means is: you get great lift, excellent grey coverage, and the hair comes out in noticeably better condition than with higher-ammonia alternatives. The shade range is extensive and the reds and coppers in particular are some of the most vibrant we've worked with. The colour also holds well between appointments — we rarely get clients coming back complaining about rapid fade.

One thing worth knowing: Infiniti mixes at 1:1.5 (colour to developer), which is slightly different from most brands. It's not a problem at all once you're used to it, but worth flagging if you're switching from another brand.

Affinage Puretone — the ammonia-free option

Puretone is a dual-action tone-on-tone colour that works either as a permanent (applied to dry hair) or a tone-on-tone result (applied to damp hair). It's ammonia-free, vegan friendly, and one of the gentler options we've come across for clients with sensitive scalps.

We use Puretone for root smudging, toning and anyone who reacts to traditional ammonia-based colour. The results are softer and more natural-looking than Infiniti, which is exactly what it's designed for. It's not the right choice if you need serious lift — but for refreshing colour, covering greys gently, or adding gloss, it's excellent.

Is Affinage colour vegan?

Yes — both Infiniti and Puretone are vegan friendly, which is one of the reasons we chose to work with the brand. More than 90% of the ingredients in the Infiniti range are naturally derived. For clients who are conscious about what goes on their hair and scalp, this matters.

How does Affinage compare to other professional colour brands?

The brands people most often compare Affinage to are Wella, Schwarzkopf and L'Oreal Professionnel. Here's our honest take:

• Vs Wella Koleston: Comparable results on grey coverage and longevity. Affinage tends to be gentler on the scalp due to lower ammonia. Wella has a broader distribution so easier to find in salons, but Affinage holds its own on quality.
• Vs Schwarzkopf Igora: Igora is a powerhouse for precision colour and has an enormous shade range. Affinage is more accessible price-wise and the vegan credentials give it an edge for clients who care about ingredients.
• Vs L'Oreal Professionnel: L'Oreal's Majirel is very widely used. Affinage Infiniti lifts better with lower developer volumes, which we think is a meaningful difference for hair condition.

None of those brands are bad — they're all professional quality. But Affinage sits confidently alongside them, and for a low-ammonia, vegan-friendly option, it's hard to beat at this price point.

Can you use Affinage colour at home?

Affinage is a professional colour brand, which means it's designed to be used by trained hairdressers. You can buy it online, and plenty of people do use it at home — but we'd always recommend having colour applied by a professional, particularly for first-time colour, significant colour changes, or if you've never done a patch test with the brand before.

If you do use it at home, please do a patch test 48 hours before applying. This applies to all professional colour brands, not just Affinage.

Where to buy Affinage hair colour

We stock the full Affinage range online, including Infiniti, Puretone, Kitoko and all the accessories and developers you need to go with them. Everything ships from our UK store with free delivery on qualifying orders.

Browse our full Affinage collection here.

Our verdict

Affinage is a genuinely excellent professional colour brand that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. The low-ammonia formula, the vegan credentials, the colour range and the results we see in the salon every week all back it up. If you're a hairdresser looking to switch colour brands, or a client asking what we use — this is it, and we'd recommend it confidently.

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Frequently asked questions about Affinage hair colour

Is Affinage a good hair colour brand?

Yes. Affinage is a professional UK hair colour brand used in salons across the country. The Infiniti permanent range is particularly well regarded for its low-ammonia formula, vegan-friendly ingredients and strong grey coverage. We use it in our own salon at Revive Hair Artists.

Is Affinage hair colour vegan?

Yes — both the Affinage Infiniti and Puretone ranges are vegan friendly. More than 90% of the ingredients in Infiniti are naturally derived, making it one of the more conscientious choices in professional permanent hair colour.

What developer do I use with Affinage Infiniti?

Affinage Infiniti is mixed at a 1:1.5 ratio with Affinage Creme Developer. For standard permanent colour and grey coverage on the same depth, use 10vol (3%). For 1-2 levels of lift use 20vol (6%). For 2-3 levels of lift use 30vol (9%). For the high lift series use 40vol (12%).

What is the difference between Affinage Infiniti and Puretone?

Infiniti is a permanent colour with lifting action — it opens the cuticle and deposits colour deep into the hair shaft. Puretone is an ammonia-free dual-action colour that works as a permanent on dry hair or a tone-on-tone on damp hair. Puretone is gentler but won't lift — it's best for toning, root smudging, refreshing colour, or clients with sensitive scalps.

How long does Affinage colour last?

Affinage Infiniti permanent colour typically lasts 6-8 weeks before needing a root touch-up. Colour longevity depends on hair type, how often you wash your hair, and whether you use colour-safe products between appointments. Using a sulphate-free shampoo like the Affinage Mode ColourCare Shampoo will help extend the life of the colour.

Is Affinage colour suitable for use at home?

Affinage is a professional colour brand designed for use by trained hairdressers. While you can buy it online, we recommend having colour applied by a professional — particularly for first-time colour, significant changes, or if you have any sensitivities. A patch test 48 hours before application is always required.

Is Affinage shampoo good?

Yes, Affinage have an incredible selection of vegan friendly shampoo that cover almost everything you could possible want, Though out of all of their shampoo, we personally love their shampoo for coloured hair. 

Is ASP Affinage? 

Yes, ASP Stands for Affinage Salon Professional. While they still hold onto the Affinage name, They do now just go by ASP and have recently gone through the process of rebranding their packaging to reflect this.