DIY dye job trade secrets
While the rest of the female populace groan at the very thought of letting love rat Ashley back over the threshold, Cheryl’s new dirty blonde ‘do seems to have firmly turned her head and the romance is apparently back on.
She’s not the only celebrity throwing hair-based caution to the wind. Katy Perry’s dealing with persistent tabloid rumours of a marriage in crisis by literally going back to her roots. The raven-haired singer is a natural blonde but it takes time to lighten hair so many shades and she’s having to transition through an awkward half-tone stage before she can take her platinum gong.
Where celebrities lead, we follow. Sales of at-home dye rocketed following Cheryl’s transformation and once the news leaked that the product used was L’Oréal Paris Casting Crème Gloss in 8304, we rushed out to bag a box to ape her look.
Clearly, it’s a little easier for brand ambassador Cheryl to use DIY dye when she’s got the might of L’Oréal Paris behind her to lend a helping hand should she get a crick in her neck from bending over the bath. So how do mere mortals tangle with hair colour and live to tell the tale?
Preparation and technique are key. “I think even regular users have a tendency to slip into bad habits with their application,” says Joanne Kelly, Clairol colour ambassador in Ireland, who adds, “so there are a few simple guidelines you should always adhere to.”
The brand’s new Nice ‘n Easy Colour Blend Foam is a next generation colourant which delivers a great result and does away with a lot of the hassle we’re all used to with drippy, messy liquid dyes of old. To start with, “do the strand test each time you colour to determine optimal timing and colour results,” insists Joanne. But why? “Perms, relaxers, previous colour and the sun can affect your results and timing,” she says. Aha.
Getting the shade right is another point of contention. How did Cheryl manage it? She had help in the form of styling and colour experts Lisa Laudat and Amie Wilson. Was it a tricky transformation? “No, not at all,” reveals Amie Wilson. “the secret when you have a dark base like Cheryl is to chose honey and sand colours that suit the skin tone and bring out the eyes.”
Joanne Kelly advises that you look at the shade on the model on the box as a guide and not a promise. “Your starting colour and the colour you are using will both determine the end colour result,” she says, adding, “don’t try to go more than two shades lighter or darker at home.”
Don’t scrimp on product either. If hair is short, you’ll get away with one box, though if it’s longer than shoulder length, invest in a couple of packs. Apply product to small areas of hair at a time, advises Joanne. “Always remember, the smaller the section the better coverage you will get,” she instructs.
But the biggest bugbear for most women is the mess dye can make and that pesky transfer onto skin. What to do? The solution probably already lies in your bathroom cabinet. “Vaseline is a great barrier cream,” reveals Joanne, but she’s got another, cheaper trick up her sleeve. “You can also take a bar of soap, dampen slightly and using the wrong end of a makeup brush, scrape off small amounts of soap and smear all around your hairline. This will wash off with the colour easily.” Clever.
There’s one more trick to ensure you get most out of your box of dye. “Five minutes before it’s time to wash off the colour spend a few minutes emulsifying the product.
Do this by adding a little water and massage the colour into the hair ensuring complete coverage,” instructs Joanne. Finally, always use the colour-seal glossing treatments or conditioners that come with the colourant as they’re designed to finish the process to perfection and lock in the colour and shine.
Don’t be square: these three high-tech home colourants tick all the boxes
With 18 shades available, this was the first foam hair colourant on the Irish market. Mix and shake to activate the foam, which is designed to be non-drip so there’s less mess. And the result? 100% coverage of greys is promised with a multi-tonal, dimensional colour finish.
A whopping 35 shades are on offer here, meaning there really is one for everyone in the audience. Ammonia-free, it can lighten hair by one tone, will cover up to 70% of greys and lasts for 28 shampoos. A good bet if you want to brighten hair as you colour.
Using a clever three-step process, you start with a pre-treatment to prime damaged or processed hair by regularising porosity, helping to ensure even coverage. Following application, a special post-colouring treatment locks in vibrancy for between four and six weeks without fading. In 23 shades, it’s permanent.
If you have no greys, leave the hairline until last; the hair here is finer and likely to process more quickly.
But if you are greying around the hairline, then apply the colour here first so that it has the best chance of taking properly.
Avon www.avon.ie; Clairol at pharamacies and supermarkets; L’Oréal Paris at pharmacies and supermarkets
Check out Kirstie’s blog at beaut.ie/blog
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
