Welcome...This site is intended as a guideline for those who wish to obtain vibrant, gorgeous color.
The Fringe Fetish Manifesto:
Although I originally created this site as an effort to lend advice to goths/deathrockers/punks/rivetheads, etc. who wanted non-conventional hair color, this site can also be an excellent resource for those who want any shade of hair color. Because I personally like hair colors that are outside of the traditional hair color spectrum, most of my writings on this site will be in regards to such colors and how to obtain them.
I am not a licensed beautician. My mother is however, and runs her own salon, so at a very young age, I was exposed to the world of hair beautification. So over the years, I've picked up a lot of tricks and tips and learned to cut, color, and perm hair from my mum and even worked as an assistant to her for a while. Luckily, I've always been able to get the best products and have access to beauty supply stores that are closed to the public, so it's pretty spiffy. I've also been doing things with my hair like coloring, bleaching, cutting, perming, etc. on both myself and others for about 10 years and counting.
Basically, this site is intended as a personal introspection of hair dyeing, though it is NOT meant to be taken as advice given from a licensed professional. I am merely offering my own experiences with certain hair products. I suppose about now would be a good time to point you towards the site disclaimer.
Do you have a hair coloring/styling/bleaching tip you'd like to contribute? Would you like to comment on a product that is reviewed here, or submit a new product for review? Do you have a pic of your oh-so-gorgeous new hair color that you'd like to see added to the Gallery? Then go to this form, fill it out, and I'll add your info on this site our in our Feedback Forum. Basic Tutorials: The products reviewed on this page are: 4.0: Hair Color...A guide to the various brands of hair color, with reviews. 5.0: Application Tips 6.0: Maintenance Tips 7.0: Places to buy good hair products 8.0: GALLERY of Hair Pics 1.0: BLEACHING When bleaching, start on dry, clean (but not freshly washed), hair. After applying the bleach, I usually cover my head with a cap or plastic bag. Keeping your head covered will seal in the heat from your head, which makes the bleach process faster. If all you're seeking to do is bleach your hair, you can now add a toner of your choice, which "tones" out the brassiness of bleached hair, or you can not use a toner and proceed to the conditioning stage.
Conditioner is a MUST when you bleach your hair, because it'll feel like straw. I like Joico's K Pak, which is a deep conditioner. I condition my hair right after bleaching. I usually slather on Joico's K-Pak, cover my head with a hot towel, and let it soak in for a couple hours. Then I rinse VERY thoroughly, because you want to make sure all product is out of your head before applying dye, otherwise it may affect how well the dye takes. I then wait atleast 24 hours before applying hair dye. 2.0: COLORING Temporary is one type that will not be covered on this site. It's basically those colors that are intended to last for one use, like the colored sprays, or colored pomades, or ones that wash out within a couple washes on purpose. Temporary dyes are usually used for occasions when you want a different color for a day or so, like Halloween, etc.
Permanent color is intended to be, well, permanent. It has more pigment and lightening agent, peroxide and/or ammonia to attach the color to hair so that it will stay. Permanent hair color does, however, fade on occasion, and should be conditioned just like any other chemically processed hair.
Semi-permanent hair colors are intended to last for up to a few months, although most will fade after 4-8 weeks, depending on the brand. Semi-permanent hair color is the focus of this coloring section, as most of the beautiful, unusual colors are in semi-permanent form. There are two levels of semi-permanent color: "drugstore" brands (as I call them) and "professional" brands.
Drugstore brands are usually vegetable dyes and have NO lightening agents, peroxide, or ammonia. With these colors you will need to bleach before coloring or the color will not take. Examples of this kind of color are Manic Panic, Fudge, and Special Effects. When using these colors, I get the best results with color when I color over hair that has been bleached to platinum blonde. Also, after I've got my hair bleached, I usually wait a day to apply color to it. I shampoo thoroughly to get out all the gunk left from the bleach, because the residue will prohibit color from attaching to the hair. I've also found that color stays better when applied to dry hair. These colors will fade out in anywhere from 2-8 weeks, depending on a variety of factors like how porous your hair is, length of processing time, etc. They WILL fade out. ALL of them. Live with it and do a touch-up.
Professional brands of semi-permanent color, such as Framesi and Redken, contain a small amount of lightening agents, peroxides, and ammonias which means you don't need to bleach quite as much or at all. In a sense, they bleach and dye your hair all at once. Bear in mind, however, that although professional brands will lift your hair a little, they will not work if you are seeking dramatic results. (Such as if you want to go from black to platinum blonde). In such cases, you will still need to do some pre-color bleaching. Professional brands can also eventually fade out, though they usually last anywhere between 6-12 weeks before needing a touch-up. It varies with the brand.
Back to Top 3.0: PRODUCT REVIEWS: BLEACH 3.1: REDKEN...Blonde Dimensions is one of Redken's bleaches, and is specifically buffered to be safe for on-scalp as well as off scalp-use. If you've ever bleached your hair, you know that putting bleach directly on your scalp can cause a lot of burning pain as well as yucky peeling of the scalp. Redken's alkali-buffered formula provides a bit of a shield for your scalp, while still giving excellent results. To use it, mix equal parts of the powder bleach (Blonde Dimensions) with Redken's Pro-Oxide Emulsified Developer. I use 40 vol. Blonde Dimensions is my favorite bleach! It works quickly and delivers superb results. I LOVE Redken's Blonde Dimensions!! It is a fabulous bleach and I'll use nothing else as far as bleach from now on. This bleach can ONLY be found in profession beauty supply stores, the majority of which sell only to licensed beauticians. Try and ask your stylist to get a hold of some Blonde Dimensions if you can. 3.2: CLAIROL...Born Blonde is an okay bleach, although it took a while longer than I'm used to (about 40 mins) and smelled nauseating. As for the actual color result, it was pretty decent. Not as pale as I've had, but still pale enough to be platinum. There were a couple spots that didn't get past a golden blonde stage though. Oh, and the stuff burns something fierce. It was by far the most painful bleaching I've had, which is saying a lot right there. The mixing instructions call for 1-3 packets of Lightening Activators, 2 oz. of Born Blonde Lightener, and 4 oz. of developer. The instructions say to use 20 vol., but that's for sissies. =) So I used 40 vol. Now, the other icky thing about the stuff is that it bears an uncanny resemblance to lard. After mixing, it's yellow and...lardy. Just thought that info might be of service.... 3.3: EFFASOL by LOREAL
1.0: Bleaching...Basic instruction and tips on bleaching.
2.0: Coloring...A tutorial on color, including the different types of dye, and tips.
3.0: Bleach...A guide to the many bleaches on the market, with reviews and reccommendations.
3.1: Redken's Blonde Dimensions
3.2: Clairol's Born Blonde
3.3: Effasol by Loreal
3.4: Jerome Russell
3.5: Manic Panic
4.1: Clairol's Products-Nice n' Easy, Hydrience, etc.
4.2: Directions by La Riche
4.3: Framesi
4.4: Fudge
4.5: Manic Panic
4.6: Prisms by Matrix
4.7: Punky Color
4.8: Special Effects
4.9: Stargazer
4.10: Loreal Products-Feria, Recital les Noirs Richesse, etc.
4.11: Laboratoires Garnier-Movida, Natea, etc.
4.12: Redken-Shades EQ
If you're even *thinking* about coloring your hair a vibrant, unusual color (purple, red, blue, whatever), chances are you will have to bleach it. While this may not be true for those with naturally pale blonde hair, everyone else will HAVE to bleach. Even those with light hair can benefit from bleaching, as it makes hair more porous, thus allowing more color to penetrate the hair shaft. Bleaching WILL damage your hair. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Bleach is comprised of peroxides, ammonias, and lightening agents that work by stripping the hair follicle, thereby damaging it. There are many different factors that contribute to the amount of damage your hair will undergo; firstly, the strength of bleach you use, otherwise known as the volume. 10 is lowest in strength, then 20, 30, and 40 is generally thought to be the strongest level for normal processing. However, there are stronger levels...I have a friend hair stylist that once used 120 vol.!! (Though I myself have never actually seen anything higher than 40). I personally use 40 volume because it takes less time and I have naturally black hair (black, not dark brown). For medium brown to blonde hair, 30 or possibly 20 should deliver nice results.
**TIP from laci: If you have sensitive skin be careful with bleach. Do not apply on freshly washed hair. You will receive chemical burns which can be quite nasty.
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First off, let's review the different types of hair color. There's temporary, permanent, and semi-permanent.
A good bleach is vital for gorgeous hair. My hair is naturally black, and therefore requires a really good bleach to get it platinum blonde. After numerous years of searching and testing, I have found my ideal bleach. (Redken's Blonde Dimensions) But in the course of those many years, I've tried a bunch, some of which turn out pretty well, some of which do not. Below are some products that I've tried...
Redken also has another hair lightener that comes in a white tub with pink lettering (Shades I think it's called). The exact name of it escapes me, but I would reccommend against using it if you have hair darker than a light brown. I've used it and it doesn't work well on dark hair.
3.4: JEROME RUSSELL
...A neato cheapo bleach that comes in a kit with a tint brush, and gloves. I used this for about 1 1/2 years. The reason for this is because it really worked well at getting my black roots a very white-blonde within a short time frame of about 25-35 mins. The only thing about it is that there aren't a lot of conditioners in it, because it's not a very elite bleach. So it can overprocess your hair faster than most brands, which means you should not use it to excess.3.5: MANIC PANIC'S Flash Lightening...This is a new product in the Manic Panic line, and it's only available in 30 vol. The packaging is really adorable, it's in a black box, with gloves, brush, cap, and a little tub for mixing! As far as that goes, Manic Panic gets the first place award...The bleach itself is pretty decent as well. The 30 vol. left me something to be desired as far as level of lift/time, but I used it on a friend with medium brown hair and it produced wonderfully pale results. On my own head, it ended up a slightly darker golden blonde than I was used to, and it took about 30 mins. So this would be a good, inexpensive bleach for those with lighter hair, i.e. not black or dark brown. Both Jerome Russell and Manic Panic products are sold to the public, as opposed to brands like Redken or Framesi, so they are easy for the average home-colorist to obtain.
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4.0: PRODUCT REVIEWS: HAIR COLOR In regards to semi-permanent hair colors, they're basically all similar in one crucial way: they fade. Some fade out gracefully, without turning greenish or orange, etc., but others are a bitch to look at. I am SO tired of people bitching about how Manic Panic, Directions, Punky Colors, etc. "fade". DUH! They are supposed to fade, it's not bloody permanent color, people. When it starts to fade, either re-color or get it out. Laziness makes the soul weak and Beauty requires hard work and dedication. So the two do not go well together. I suppose I'm lucky because I can get a good month out of most hair colors without much fade...But even then I usually add in some color after a few weeks. In order to assist in finding good/bad hair coloring products, however, I've compiled a listing of some products that I have used in hopes that you'll benefit in some way. 4.1: CLAIROL Products...They make some decent colors, although it's limited to rather unremarkable shades of red, burgundy, and at times, a bordeaux. Nothing special here. For outlandish color, don't even bother looking at drugstore brands. For those of you with cozy office jobs that want to keep them, however (shame on you yuppie-corporate-slave-goths!), Clairol can provide some not-so-outrageous color that won't stray too far from "normal." Basically all their products are made with some form of conditioning treatment, mineral/herbal oils, etc., so they are easy on the hair. The Hydrience line is decent, and the color lasts for maybe 24 washes. The Natural Instincts line has a nice shade of burgundy called Black Currant or something like that. It is very bordeaux-y in the light, although in the dark it looks brown/black. The Nice n' Easy line has a nice blue-black that is permanent and gives that Morticia Addams look. It reeks though. Also, I've used the Ultress Ultimate Blonder stuff to lighten my hair, and it worked alright. It makes a decent substitute for bleach till you can get the real stuff. 4.2: DIRECTIONS by La Riche...This is a semi-permanent vegetable color that is basically the European formula of Manic Panic, whom it is distributed by. I've used Violet, Poppy Red, PillarBox Red(discontinued), Ebony, Atlantic Blue, and Plum. I had the Violet in my hair most often; it is my second favorite shade of purple. It fades at a slightly quicker pace than most. I can get maybe 3 good weeks of color before I start seeing strips of white and blonde. The Plum and Poppy Red are the same as the Manic Panic equivalents with the same name. The Violet is the same shade as Manic Panic's Lilac. Overall, I like and use Directions depending on my current shade du jour. I'd reccommend it if you haven't got a whole lot of cash. Oh, and by the way, when using Directions, you get the best results by applying over VERY light colored hair. Platinum blonde is ideal. The color will not show up on dark hair, it'll just slide right off. 4.3: FRAMESI...A fabulous, wonderful, divine brand!! They are a professional Italian brand and have the price tag to prove it. Framesi is sold directly to salons and it is also carried by some beauty supply stores. The thing is, they're in the more professional beauty supplies, so you won't find Framesi in Sally Beauty or some such. The stores that carry it require you to have a valid beauty license, so pucker up to a stylist! They have different shades of each color group, ranging from your basic black, burgandy, red, blonde, etc. to some funky shades like blue, yellow, magenta, etc.
Recently, Framesi has come out with a new line, called FramColor 2001. They have fantastic colors! I picked up the True Red and Violet shades. Framesi products are meant to be mixed with developer. This activates the chemicals in the product, and lifts and deposits hair color. Depending on your hair color, you can use from 15 vol. to 25 vol. However, the color/developer won't bleach your hair a whole lot, so if you have dark hair, like myself, you will need to bleach before you apply color. The nice thing about Framesi is that you don't have to bleach to the extent that you would for Manic Panic/Directions/Fudge, etc. Generally speaking, to get good results with Framesi, you should start with dark or golden blonde, depending on how bright you want the color, and then work the color/developer over that. (This is for the bright, unnatural shades like purple or bright red that I favor, btw). Again, you don't have to bleach before coloring with Framesi, but it helps to get a very bright color. Framesi also stays for a long time, as far as semi-permanent dyes are concerned. You can probably get about 3 months with Framesi.
Framesi's colors are for mixing, so you can basically get any shade you want. Your stylist should be able to work this out with you. My favorite was a special color made for me. It was a burgundy mixed with grape-y purple and was so gorgeous! They have permanent and semi-permanent as well, although I've mainly stuck to the semi-permanent. The color lasts from a 1-3 months, fading out gradually. It helps to sit under a head dryer in the salon to seal in the color. I highly reccommend Framesi! NOTE: (4/8/99) I've just used the FramColor 2001 in True Red on my hair. It came out gorgeous! The nice thing about Framesi is that you don't have to bleach the hell out of your hair like you do with vegatable dyes. Because Framesi uses a stronger semi-permanent formula that is activated with the developer, it lifts pigment while depositing it. So, as opposed to needing platinum blonde hair when using Manic Panic or Punky Colors or Fudge, with Framesi, I just lightened my hair to dark blonde and still got vibrant, bright color. I did, however, end up putting a mix of Manic Panic's Flaming and Special FX's Blood Red over the Framesi, to give an extra ruby glint. Next I'm going to be doing FramColor 2001's Violet. 4.4: FUDGE...The newest in a line of semi-permanent color. Their colors are *really* similar to Manic Panic's. I mean, the resemblance is nearly identical. The Hot Chili equals Manic Panic's Vampire Red, the purple shade(dunno the name) resembles MP's Lilac and Ultra Violet, and so on. Nothing too special here. As far as quality, they give a nice shine to the hair and are not too harsh. Overall, I like Fudge well enough. The colors are also great for mixing and fade out gradually over a period of 2-6 weeks. The really shitty thing about Fudge is that it comes in these tiny little 2 oz. tubes. Hell, I couldn't cover a quarter of my head with 2 oz.! So you might need to pick up a few tubes. 4.5: MANIC PANIC...As yes, the trailblazer for semi-permanent, pretty colors. They have every shade of the rainbow and then some. Now, the biggest complaint is that Manic Panic washes out too quickly. Well...Having had plenty of experience with Manic Panic among other products from Framesi to Special Effects, all I can say is that the color WILL wash out. That's a given. We've been through this. But the thing is, you really need to bleach to the lightest blonde you can possibly manage in order for this stuff to work right. When I use Manic Panic, it lasts about 3 weeks before I need a touch-up. Give or take a week. As far as their cream formula, I've used Lilac(which is one of my favorite shades of purple), Ebony, Deadly Nightshade, Ultra Violet, Purple Haze, Plum, Rubine, Poppy Red, and PillarBox Red. The reds tend to fade pinkish, except for Poppy, which fades more orangey. The Ultra Violet fades to blueish lavender. The Purple Haze is a pretty unique color, as its got a fuschia-magenta tint to the purple. Deadly Nightshade is a rad shade of bordeaux that is vibrant red in light. As far as their gel formula, I used the Vampire Red for about a year, which I loved! It was bright as hell on my bleached hair and faded to fuschia at times and flame orange at others. Don't ask how that happened. I've also used the gel Ultra Violet, Purple Haze, AfterMidnight, Deadly Nightshade, and Flaming. The colors are basically the same either formula you chose. And I actually haven't got a preference as far as formula types. The gel does go on nicely though. And some colors are made only in gel or cream formula, like the Vampire Red, which is a gel only. Overall, I really dig Manic Panic, primarily for the great colors. The veggie formula also leaves hair in decent condition. Well, in my opinion. It works well on some and horribly on others, I've noticed. It's also easy to get and fairly cheap. (About $10 a pop) 4.6: PRISMS by Matrix...An awesome line of hair color!!! Prisms is made by Matrix, a professional brand that can only be bought from beauty supply stores. They have a nice selection of colors, all of which are lovely, particularly the Wine, Blue, and Violet. I've used Blue and Violet for years. The Blue was the most vibrant, brightest shade of blue I've ever seen and faded to a nice pale blue. The Violet started out as a gorgeous shade of grape, and faded to blue! They have a somewhat pleasant smell to them, much more so than most products. They stay in remarkably well, for upwards of a month at times before needing a touchup. They are great for mixing, and I absolutely adore Prisms! The dyes also have a nice conditioning aspect to them, leaving the hair nice and soft. NOTE: I've heard that the Prisms line has been doscontinued by Matrix. If this is so, I am truly saddened by the loss of a fantastic line of hair color. Now I'll have to find another line to use, dangit! I'm not sure if this is true yet, however. I've asked my mother to check out this story next time she hits her supplier, so until then, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
4.7: PUNKY COLOR...This line is made by Jerome Russell, and is pretty much another knockoff of Manic Panic. Same colors, and pretty much same quality and staying power. I tend not to use Punky Colors all that often though, mainly because I have to go out of my way to get it and it's not really any different from Fudge or Manic Panic. So if you can't find anything else, Punky Colors is a good choice. 4.8: SPECIAL EFFECTS...A semi-permanent hair color closely resembling Punky Color, Manic Panic, and Fudge. I've only used the Blood Red, which gave a really nice result...The shade was almost identical to Manic Panic's Vampire Red, though a bit darker. It faded out after a few weeks and also looked nice when mixed with the Vampire Red. 4.9: STARGAZER...This brand can be referred to as the UK version of Manic Panic. I've only seen it sold in England, though it may be sold in Scotland as well, and UK shops that do mail order carry it, like The Black Rose. I've just used Stargazer in Eggplant, (this is 12/9/99) which is a deep ruby red color. It came out a lovely vibrant shade. As far as constistency, the product is a bit more thick and creamy than Manic Panic, Punky Color, etc., and it tends to dry out a bit quicker. It also requires a thorough combing through as you apply the color, to get the hair completely saturated, as it's less liquidy than most products. Overall, it's a nice product. 4.10: LOREAL...Of Loreal's hair color products, the FERIA line has the widest range of colors, some normal, but many unusual colors as well. It's a permanent hair color, and is "multi-faceted" (giving shine and double glints of color) according to Loreal. The overall reaction to Feria has been mixed, with some raving about the line and others cursing it. Hey, everybody is different! The Starry Night (blue black) shade is popular as are the red and purpley shades (names escape me at the moment). I'd be interested in hearing your reviews of Feria. Another Loreal product is their RECITAL les NOIRS RICHESSE line, which is basically three shades of black: Rich Blue Black, Rich Purple Black, and Rich Red Black. Now, I only recently discovered this line and was so overwhelmed with excitement I nearly squealed with joy right in Boots. This was around 2/2/2000 and in the UK. I don't actually know if Loreal sells this line in the US; I've never seen it, but that doesn't mean they don't have it. Anyway, after such initial excitement over this discovery, I was dismayed at the result I got with the Rich Purple Black shade. I do have good reason to believe, however, that the poor results were at least half the result of my hair itself. About half my head was virgin hair; my natural black shade. The other half was deep reddish purple. On the virgin part of my hair, the color did pretty much nothing, except add faint (we're talking *really* faint here) highlights. On the part of my hair that was a bit overprocessed to a reddish purple, the product actually brought it to a light coppery brown. UGH! Brown I say. I was so pissed at first, but then the realization hit that because I used a permanent hair product on over-processed and therefore already very porous hair, the lifting/deposit action of the product was slightly askew, i.e. lifting more than it should have and not depositing enough. (This was pretty much confirmed, as I later on used a semi-permanent, non-lifting color that took really well). SO. Word to the wise: If your hair is overprocessed already, permanent hair color possibly should be turned down in favor of a semi-permanent hair color, with less ammonia/peroxide. Still, I felt let down, as this is actually the first time in about 10 years that I've had a significant portion of my head a black shade. (I was devasted to lose my bright purple hair, but after 10 years, hair needs a rest). Anyway, I'm still itching to try the Rich Blue Black shade, and will eventually, though reviews are welcome from people who have tried Loreal's les Noirs Richesse line. 4.11: LABORATOIRES GARNIER...I recently found this brand in the UK. Among their products is the Movida line and the Natea line. Movida is an ammonia free semi-permanent hair color that is supposed to last for around 6 weeks. It comes in some lovely colors, though none veer too far from convention. They make a Blue Black, Plum, and Auburn. I recently (2/3/2000) used Movida in Blue Black and it turned out fabulous! The situation was like this: After years of coloring my hair (about 10), it was completely fried and overprocessed, so I decided to color it black and give it a rest for a while. I applied Movida in Blue Black to my reddish purple, overprocessed, highly porous and damaged hair, hoping it wouldn't simply wash out or turn some nasty brown color. The color turned out a very dark, sleek black. Unfortunately, it's not as blue as I would have liked, but there are glints of blue noticeable. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it so far, although fading might occur later on. NOTE: The color faded after about a week or two. *sigh*
The other line by Laboratoires Garnier is called Natea. It's a permanent hair color that comes in some lovely colors, including Bilberry (deep blue black) as well as some nice red/eggplant shades. I've just used the Bilberry shade (2/3/2000) and I'm pretty happy with the results. It's a very dark black with a good sheen of blue glints. 4.12: REDKEN...I've been using Redken's Shades EQ semi-permanent hair color in Onyx since 4/2000. Since I decided to color most of my hair back to black, I've been searching for the perfect blue black color. I know my hair can't handle a lot of bleaching and coloring, so I can no longer have vibrant purple hair as I'm accustomed to, so with the exception of a small section of hair around my face, my hair is black. Since it has to be black, I wanted something that had a definitive blue tint to it, and after trying quite a few brands, I've found the perfect blue black hair color. Redken's Shades EQ in Onyx is GORGEOUS! I reccommend it to all the gothies out there who crave that perfect blue black shade. It is a salon brand, so it's only available at professional beauty supply stores or through your stylist, but it is SO worth it. The color is vibrant and long-lasting, too! I only have to do touch-ups every 6-8 weeks at the moment. They also have a wide variety of shades. I've just seen the SHades EQ color chart and does it have some great colors! There are your basic blondes, browns, reds, etc...And then there are bright flame reds, blues, purples, etc. I aslo found that there is actually a shade of black called Blue Black. I've been using Onyx, which has a lot of blue in it as it is, but next I'm going to try the blue black and see how that turns out. Shades EQ also has purple and blue shades that can be used on dark hair to add a tint to the hair. My mum uses this line in her salon and she always gets great results with it. I LOVE this product. 5.0: APPLICATION TIPS 6.0: MAINTENENCE 7.0: PLACES TO BUY HAIR PRODUCTS Disclaimer: This site is the brianchild of valkyrie. Therefore, the views, opinions, and advice expressed here are not meant to be taken as information channelled from the gods. If you color your hair with directions from this website and it turns some odd shade or spontaneously combusts, the proprietors of this site will not be held responsible. Just a legal note.
There is a dizzying array of hair colors out there, so which one do you pick to get your hair that oh-so-lucious shade of purple or red, or whatever it may be that strikes your fancy? Well, begin with a strand test if you're really worried that you won't like the color. As a matter of fact, when trying to fix a bad color job or when trying a new color, PLEASE do a strand test. Afterall, a strand of hair is easier to strip out than a whole head of unwanted hair color. Common sense will tell you this. If you email me and ask me for advice on how to fix a bad color job or how I think a color will turn out, I'm going to tell you to do a strand test, so DO IT.
NOTE: Recently, it's come to my attention that Clairol's Products have been seriously fucking up some people. I've got three friends that have all had allergic reaction to Clairol's hair color products, including the Hydrience and Nice n' Easy dyes. One had a bad chemical burn, the other had an allergic reaction that resulted in looking like a chipmunk and a wave of sickness much like the flu. So, I'd highly reccommend either avoiding Clairol or doing the strand test. I know a lot of people don't, especially if they've colored their hair before. Do the damn test!!! Just a suggestion. =)
(2/12/00) Alright so I cracked and tried Feria. I was desperate. I was actually searching for a semi-permanent color to use on my over-processed hair, but I couldn't find any, so I just went for Feria because I wanted to try it out, and because I wanted to beat rush hour on the tube. Recently I decided to color my over-processed purple/red hair black and give it a rest. Well, the first thing I tried, a permanent color also by Loreal, didn't do shit. It turned my hair brown. So, needless to say, I was afraid Feria might do the same. Well, Feria Starry Night took really well on my hair at first and turned it a *lovely* midnight black with loads of blue tint! I'm talking blue. However, it faded *really* quickly. Too quickly. It was a bit of a disappointment, because the color was faboo-licious! It was a beautiful blue black. Too bad about the fade, though.
Alana Hawk comments: "I just used Feria's Midnight Ruby, which they describe as a very dark
brown/auburn. Well, I'm pleased to say that on my hair (a mostly dyed conventional red with very few dark brown roots) it turned out a lovely black
with red highlights, the perverbial black cherry color. I also have two streaks in the front of my hair that I initially bleached to an apricot colour and then
coloured them over with Special Effects Nuclear Red, they are gorgeous!!!! The streaks are stoplight red, very intense, they coordinate very well with the rest of my hair."
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*If you're using any type of semi-permanent color, chances are you'll have to leave it in for a while. Most packages say 15-20 mins. HAH! Yeh right. Even for Clairol or Loreal, you want to shoot for atleast 45 mins. For Manic Panic, Directions, Punky Color, Special Effects, Fudge, etc., I leave the product in for about 8 hours. If you can, leave it in overnight. Basically, the longer the better. Keep it moist though, either by massaging in a bit more color periodically, or by spritzing your hair with some water and rubbing it in to reactivate the product.
*For bleaching and dyeing, I start off with dry, clean hair that has been combed through. Make sure there aren't any products in your hair, like hairspray, or even shampoo. The best way to assure this is to use a clarifying shampoo, also called stripping shampoos. Their purpose is to get out gunky build-up. Do not clarify immediately before bleaching/dyeing. Give it a one day interval.
*When applying hair color, I recommend using one of the wider tint brushes. Some of them, like the ones you get in kits, are very small (1-1/2 inches wide), but there are the 2-2 1/2 inch ones as well. They work better, as you can work with a wider strand of hair at a time, which is great if you have long hair, as I do.
*Gloves are an absolute must when coloring and bleaching hair. They're also handy for when you're rinsing out the color. Latex or vinyl ones both work fine.
*Also, use the tint brush like you're brushing your hair when applying the color! I know it sounds obvious, but many people don't work the color through the hair thoroughly enough, resulting in choppy color. To get an even color, use the brush to dab color onto the hair, beginning at the roots, then brush the dye through the hair, working the bristles between the strands of hair, while moving towards the hair ends.
*Petroleum jelly around the hairline and on ears does wonders to prevent skin from being colored. Also, should you get color on your skin anyway, there is this stuff called Super Smak that is sold at beauty supply stores. It's made by Framesi and will get ANY hair color off your skin.
*Another great dye remover is this stuff called Clean Touch. It's made by Revlon and you can get it at Beauty Supply stores. It comes in a little squeeze bottle and it's *almost* as good as Super Smak. The thing is, it's a lot cheaper than Super Smak (about $3), so if you don't want to shell out the cash for Framesi, then get this stuff. It works really well at getting color off skin. For those of you who are on a budget, try using astringent to take color off skin. I've found this works really well, and pretty much any cheapo drugstore brand will work fine.
*I cover my head with a shower cap after bleaching and coloring to seal in heat. Also, a few minutes of heat from a hair dryer will help heat up the color and speed processing.
*For getting out those pesky stains in sinks, bathtubs, linoleum, etc., I swear by Lysol Plus Bleach All Purpose Cleaner! My bathtub and sink are a spotless white thanks to this cleaner. For those in the UK, Jif Active Bleach spray gets out all those hair color stains with ease.
*Tip from Alana Hawk: "Try using one of those antibacterial hand sanitizer
gels to get off stains from Special Effects or Manic Panic type dyes, etc.
It worked wonders on my hands which got a bit red when I rinsed out my streaks."
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After you've got your gorgeous new hair color, you want to keep it in, right? So for the longest lasting color, obviously, don't overwash your hair. Now, while most people find that washing every other day is a good schedule, for those of you compulsives (like myself) who can't stand NOT washing your hair, you can do it each day, but invest in a shampoo with very little detergent, one that is "light." Conditioner is a MUST as well...Joico's K-Pak is a godsend, as is Lanza's Rebalance. Aveda also makes a nice conditioner. When selecting a good conditioner, it's best to not skimp on quality and just go for the very best, even though that may cost a pretty penny.
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*Beauty Supply stores...Hands down the best place to get hair color, bleach, skin cleaners, tint brushes, caps, hair clips, and conditioner. The thing is, most places will require you to have a beauty license before selling to you. This kinda puts you out of luck unless you happen to have a friend or relative with a license. However, if you go to a stylist, you can always request that they pick up something for you. Also, more and more places have been popping up that sell to the public. Sally Beauty Supply does, and I believe it's a nationwide chain, although I'm not sure. Basically any metropolitan city will have a few public beauty supply stores, just look in the phone book.
*Salons...If you can't find any beauty supplies that cater to the public, then hit a salon. You'll be paying more however, as salons markup the products they sell.
*Drugstores...If you're looking for Loreal, Clairol, Revlon, etc., hit the drugstore. The bigger chains have aisles of hair color and shampoos, conditioners, etc. Longs Drugs especially is good for hair products, atleast on the West Coast. Rite Aid, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart are also good places to try. The good thing about drugstores is that you can pick up some color and maybe some hair clips or a shower cap or smock while you're there. I think Longs even has Punky Color.
*Chain Stores...Hot Topic(ick!) has Directions in many colors, as well as a few select shade of Special Effects. They also have Jerome Russell Bleach Kits in 30 and 40 vol. Spencer's has Manic Panic I know, although I'm not sure what else.
*Amphigory...This online business has lovely shades of Special Effects hair color, as well as lots to choose from by way of cosmetics, gothy accessories, and occult supplies!
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