Thursday 12 September 2013

Hair colouring disaster!

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted! Without a decent camera, I've been reluctant to post with just iPhone quality photos but we finally got our DSLR fixed so whilst I'm at home I can use it! Yay!

Anyway... my hair is naturally quite a dull mousey brown so when I was finally allowed to dye my hair I leaped at the chance and since then I've dyed it quite a few times but only semi-permanently.  However I accidentally once dyed it permanently thinking it was semi-permanent and it kind of went down hill from there on out.  My roots became much more visible as I didn't dye it regularly (just when I was bored) and I kept meaning to go to the hair salon and see if the dye could all be stripped out but I just never got around to it.  So I was very intrigued to then find you can get DIY kits, so as soon as I was out, I bought the Colour B4 Hair Colour Remover Extra Strength for £8 in Tesco.  I was so excited to finally restore my hair back to it's former glory and my friend Jess came over to help me document the process so here it is alongside my thoughts...


So this is a picture of my hair before starting anything.  Yes it was definitely in need of a good wash and yes I am wearing a bin bag! Bin bags are actually a great protector of clothing when it comes to dying hair and saves you ruining even those old clothes you no longer love. The picture makes my hair appear orange toned but it was more maroon toned than orange.

Firstly I got all the products out of the box and they are conveniently clearly labelled by letter as to avoid confusion which not all dyes are so good at doing.  You get a pair of plastic gloves, the activator, the remover and the after treatment buffer (shampoo).  I was disappointed that there was no specialist conditioning treatment with this as my hair felt considerably dry after the process.


The first step I took was to put the gloves on which is essential before opening any of the products to avoid any staining or damage to nails/hands considering they will be doing all the work!


Next I read the instructions very carefully. If you're using any colour related hair products and don't understand something, make sure you find out by asking someone who is familiar with the process or Google it.

Before you do anything else, the instructions advise that you do a strand test to ensure the product does what you want it to and that you're not allergic to it.  I, very naughtily, didn't do this as I am far too impatient but you'll see why I wish I had later on...


When ready to begin, I mixed the activator and remover into container B ensuring I had gotten all the stuff out of product A. Now if you are thinking of using this product I have to warn you that it smells so awful with the scent lingering around for a further day after application.  It is therefore so vital that you ensure the room you are doing this in is well ventilated and if strong chemical scents affect you, do not use it.

After coming to terms with the smell, I ensured the lid was secured tightly and shook it vigorously for around 30 seconds/until it was all mixed together.

This step is optional but as my hair is quite thick I choose to do this.  I separated my hair into layers to ensure I got all of my hair evenly and then I secured the top layers in place with styling clips.


Then I removed the top lid and watched out for any product wanting to escape out the top due to the chemical reaction that just took place!




Once the lid is off I started applying the product to the roots and worked my way to the tips.  I had to be really careful though because it is very runny and will drip easily unlike hair dye that I find tends to stick to the hair a bit more.


After fully coating the bottom layer, I massaged it all in and asked my friend to check everything was coated in the product.  It's always better to either get someone to do this for you or if you're a control freak (like me!) do it with someone as they can see all your hair much better than you can and this will avoid you missing parts or the end result being uneven which no one has time for!


I repeated the application process to the top layers of my hair and then began to comb through my hair.  The box recommends using a wide toothed comb like the one I used but due to it becoming so tangled with working the product in and the product itself, this was not the best idea. I ended up ripping through my hair and my scalp certainly hurt from all the pulling so a tip would be to use a specialised detangling comb or brush like one from the Tangle Teezers range which you can buy from Boots from £10.99 by clicking here.


The box advises that the product works best in a warm room and even better with cling film as it retains the product and heat. So that is exactly what I did and left it for the whole recommended 60 mins.



After the hour was up, I jumped in the shower (not literally!) and removed all the cling film.  I proceeded to rinse the product for 5-10 mins as directed which in my opinion was a bit excessive but I did it anyway. Then it says to lather up and apply the after treatment buffer and use like shampoo.  I left it for a minute to absorb before rinsing for another 5-10 mins. After all that rinsing, it said to do it again which seemed even more excessive in time and the amount of tangles building up in my hair. Then I used my conditioner (Tigi Bed Head Styleshots Epic Volume Conditioner 750ml which you can buy from Amazon for £14.32 by clicking here) as my hair felt way too dry to just blow dry after buffering.


Shortly after getting out the shower, I proceeded to dry my hair using my GHD Air (review here) and regrettably my hair was not it's natural mousey brown but BRIGHT ORANGE! I think it goes without saying that this product did not work for me and probably did more harm than good.

So after a mini break down, I swiftly hopped in the car and was on my way to Tesco in no time at all to rectify the disaster that had occurred because I definitely did not suit orange hair (I say orange and not ginger because ginger hair is nice and this shade I had been left with was definitely not nice!).  I have previously used dyes from L'Oréal's Casting Crème Gloss range, Clairol's Nice 'n Easy range (including the foam one) and some others I don't recall the brand names of.  I had heard many good things about the Garnier Olia range including the fact it has no ammonia and is made up of many natural oils rather than purely artificial chemicals.  I bought shade 6.0 Light Brown as it was a pretty close match to my natural colour (just more glossy).  It was £6.99 which is slightly on the pricier side of dyes (talking a couple of pounds more) but is currently on offer in Tesco for 2 for £10.00 so if you're dying your hair with a friend, a nice way to get £2 off each!


In the box you get the developer cream, colourant cream, after colour care (conditioner), the bottle and a pair of black gloves (much nicer than the ones in Colour B4).  The box also doubles up as a bottle stand which you can see below.

Before beginning, as this time it's dye, I ensured nothing around me could be damaged by the colourant and wore old clothing.  This time I actually forgot to do this but is a great tip from my friend Louise... she told me that if you get some Vaseline (which you can pick up for around 99p in various stores) and apply it over your eyebrows, ears and hair line, it will prevent the dye from settling there and dyeing your skin/eyebrows!


After putting the gloves on, I tore along the perforated edge on the side of the box (harder than it looks) and positioned the bottle in it.


I then squeezed all of developer and colourant cream into the bottle whilst also ensuring all the cream had come out.


Next I secured the black lid without removing the cap and shook the bottle until all the cream had mixed to the correct consistency and was all one colour.  Immediately after shaking, I snapped off the black cap to avoid the bottle exploding under the pressure of the chemical reaction.


I then went on to apply the dye all over just like I had applied the Colour B4 treatment and left it for 30 mins.  Application was so easy with the bottle and was nice to hold too.  Surprisingly the scent was not at all strong and was actually slightly floral which is always a bonus!  After the development time had passed, I rinsed my hair until the water ran clear and used the after care treatment to enhance the colour.

Due to how dry my hair was now feeling (no surprise), I made sure to protect my hair from the heat using my GHD Heat Protect Spray which you can buy from Feel Unique for £9.95 by clicking here. I was actually given this at the GHD stand at my university's 'Freshers' Fair' last September because the stylist loved that I had the hairdryer and stylers!

I also added some of Tigi Bed Head Small Talk which you can get for £13.75 from Feel Unique by clicking here. I am planning to write a full review on this as it is too amazing to sum up in just one sentence so for now I'll just say it does everything you could ever want a serum to do!

Then I proceeded to blow dry my hair again with my GHD Air and straightened it after with my GHD Stylers.

I am so happy with the colour it turned out to be. It's not exactly like my natural colour but it's not far off. I really recommend the Olia range and is by far my favourite hair dye product that I have used to date. My hair feels silky, looks glossy and is evenly coloured. Hopefully this is the last time I'll have to meddle with the colour of my hair as I don't think roots will become so visible as it is a close colour match but we will have to see.

I hope you enjoyed this incredibly long post and that it helps you in some way. I'd be very interested to hear if any of you have had any hair colouring mishaps and what caused it... might make me feel a bit better! I'd also love to hear if Colour B4 has ever worked for you because there are so many good reviews on the Boots website that I feel silly that my hair went orange!

See you in the next post!

L x

38 comments:

  1. Hey there!
    Great post, I've used ColourB4 in the past and I thought I'd just shed some light on why your hair did what it did :)
    When you dye your hair permanently, no matter what shade (even black) the dye has peroxide in it, which helps the colour to 'stick'. Peroxide strips your natural colour out of your hair, and the dye goes into your hair. ColourB4 removes the dye molecules, but it unable to reverse the effects of the low levels of peroxide used in the past, resulting in a warm-toned result. (When dark hair is lightened, it reveals red tones)
    I wouldn't use ColourB4 to achieve a particular colour, but I do find it very useful to remove the build up of dye in hair.
    I usually do what you did, and dye my hair soon after, although I usually go for an ash based colour to counteract the warm tones.
    Your hair ended up looking really really lovely!
    I'm now tempted to dye my hair again, I've been growing it out for a couple of months, but the roots are getting pretty long!
    Thank you for a lovely post, and have a great day :)
    amyalaska | Beauty & Lifestyle blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Amy,

      Thanks for your interesting comments!

      I read in the instructions how it worked and I have never lightened my hair with dye before, only darker browns so I dismissed the whole "may result in coppery tones" bit. Perhaps should have paid more attention!

      It makes total sense what you are saying and I never knew that you get red tones due to dark becoming light so I guess that applies when dying and stripping?

      I wanted to get an ash-y colour but limited selection at gone 10pm meant it was bright orange or a warm brown so I settled on warm brown! Better than nothing I guess but great future tip!

      What brands of dye do you usually use?

      Oooh, if you do dye yours I'd love to read about it on your blog! What colour are you thinking?

      L x
      ♥lucylovehart - ♥life♥beauty♥thoughts

      Delete
    2. That's okay! :) I've dyed my hair so much, and must have googled every possible question relating to hair dye disasters!! ;)
      And well, your hair looks great anyway, so I wouldn't worry about the colour! ;) Maybe you could try one of those blue/violet pigment shampoos? They're designed for blonde hair, and they get rid of brassy tones, but from my experience they work on darker hair as well :) This one is only £3.09, and is the one I use! I just thought it might be useful to save you from the temptations of more dye in the future! ;)

      I don't usually stick to one brand of dye.. I've been SO many colours, I usually just opt for the one that looks the nicest on the packet! (Bad, I know!!) I've used the Olia one like you did, and I did like that one :) I stuck with the John Freida Foam one for a very long time, but got really bad colour build up on the ends because I didn't trim my hair enough.

      Honestly though, the worst thing that ever happened to my hair? I dyed it blonde at home, and I had work the next day. I'd gotten it to a quite nice dark orangey colour a few days before, (from really dark brown, with ColourB4) bleached it.. and ended up BRIGHT yellow! I really wish I'd kept the pictures of it, because it was absolutely hilarious! I wore a hat to work the next day, with all my hair tucked in.. that's how bad it was! Anyway, after all that, I actually got to a really nice blonde colour.

      And what a great idea! I'll definitely think about doing that, it'd probably be nice to document it! Well at the moment I have light mousey brown roots, fading into a blonde, then a really light blonde on the ends! Ideally I want to be mousey brown all over, but there isn't much in the way of box dyes for that colour :/ I'll have to see!

      Thank you for this lovely little conversation!! :)
      amyalaska | Beauty & Lifestyle blog
      xx

      Delete
    3. Haha, maybe I should've googled more like I even advised in the post!

      I never thought about using a shampoo to correct the brassy tones. I will definitely be trying that out and I'll let you know how that goes, if you'd like!

      Oh my god, bright yellow? I would have loved to have seen that! All that matters is that it was fixed!

      I find I always look at all the colour choices of box dyes and think there are so many choices but there actually really isn't that many, just slight variations of rich glossy browns and blondes!

      Our conversation has been fun! Keep in touch!

      L x
      ♥lucylovehart - ♥life♥beauty♥thoughts

      Delete
    4. Oh bless you, haha!
      It has indeed, I look forward to seeing more from your blog, and I hope all goes well! :)
      amyalaska | Beauty & Lifestyle blog
      xx

      Delete
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  2. Just came across your blog! It's so nice! :)
    Great blogpost, even if you did have a breakdown, your hair looks lovely!

    amylaurenxo.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Amy!

      Thanks for your comments! So sweet!

      I don't know what I would have done if it had come out terrible the second time!

      I'll be sure to go and check your blog out!

      L x
      ♥lucylovehart - ♥life♥beauty♥thoughts

      Delete
  3. I've dyed my hair twice and was not happy with either one. I had to chop off my hair the last time I did it because it was so dry that I would yank our so much hair when brushing no matter how many products I used. Your hair ended up pretty in the end. :)

    I hope you'll have a chance and stop by my blog. All about Beauty. Life. and DIY. If you ever have an OTD, LOTD, hair or nail tutorial, or a fun fashion DIY, I'd love for you to share it at "That's my Style" Link party TODAY (EVERY WEEKEND!). Don't have anything to share? Stop by anyway for beauty tutorial and fun DIY projects. Hope to see you there. :)

    Karla @ www.MySerendipitousLife.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Karla!

      Omg! How awful! What dye did you use?

      My hair is quite dry now but already feels better after a hair mask and ensuring I used heat defence spray!

      I'll check it out later!

      L x
      ♥lucylovehart - ♥life♥beauty♥thoughts

      Delete
  4. love your new haircolour! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. So glad I have read your post as I was going to use ColourB4 to get back to my original colour but definitley not going to now i've read this.
    Love your new hair colour by the way!

    elinorelizabeth.blogspot.co.uk xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Elinor!

      It may work on some people's hair... I read many positive reviews on the Boots website before purchasing it myself. If you are still interested in stripping your hair, I'd recommend either getting it done in a salon on ensuring you swatch test a piece of your hair before doing the whole thing!

      I'm glad you like my new colour! At least it wasn't all bad!

      L x
      ♥lucylovehart - ♥life♥beauty♥thoughts

      Delete
  6. glad it worked out for you! your new color looks great :)

    check out my blog?
    doitfortheirony.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hiya!

      So am I! And thank you!!

      I will head over and check it out now!

      L x
      ♥lucylovehart - ♥life♥beauty♥thoughts

      Delete
  7. Lucy! I finally got around to doing my hair, and I blogged about it like you suggested! I'll leave a quick link below! xx
    amyalaska | Beauty & Lifestyle blog

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the final results, i've never dyed my hair but I keep saying posts about it everywhere and it's really tempting me aha xx

    adaliascloset.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Adalias!

      First of all, what a pretty name!

      I recommend experimenting with colouring your hair at home but my biggest advice would be to never stray away from using semi-permanent dyes like Casting Creme Gloss. The colour then will gradually fade back to your natural colour should you not like it and you can dye it again and again! It is really damaging to keep doing what I do. Also very irritating when you just wanna stop and go back to normal.

      If you dye it, be sure to let me know so I can go and check it out!

      L x
      ♥lucylovehart - ♥life♥beauty♥thoughts

      Delete
  9. I truly love your hair. It is a beautiful colour and it looks lovely and thick. I can't do anything with my hair exccept tie it up because it is so thin.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Imogen!

      That is so nice of you! Thanks!

      Have you tried using thickening products? I have a spray from Bumble & Bumble that I'm waiting to try and planning to review. I've heard you can get powders and things to thicken and volumise thinner hair styles. Have you tried any before?

      L x
      ♥lucylovehart - ♥life♥beauty♥thoughts

      Delete
  10. I love the colour of your hair, very nice. I tried Okia but I wasn't impressed, it left big patches where it didnt take... not a good look

    Please come check out my latest post if you have time :)

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