Hello Glams and Geeks! For today’s post, I will be talking
all about hair color- from dying, to glossing, to maintaining, I will go over
some great information to help you find safer products, and alternatives to
achieve your best color yet!
Dying your hair is such a delicate matter- from searching
for the perfect shade, to finding the best hair color specialist to apply it,
or finding a brand that carries it, it’s quite a process, and one that should
be handled with care. Your color represents you, as it reflects your
personality, as well as pulls together your entire look and identity. Color is
quite a powerful thing when it comes to your hair, and if not considered
properly, you may have a beauty crisis on your hands. We are all familiar with the
pricey visit to the salon to revamp our look, or the more affordable option of
going out to buy a box of hair dye in hopes your hair will appear just like the
color on the front. But why not consider other alternatives? Options that may
be healthier to your well-being and your pockets? I’d like to introduce you to
3 color-friendly options, ranging from permanent, to semi-permanent, to
temporary. These may just change the way you view and choose to dye your hair!
The first option I want to talk about is one that can be
purchased online as it is a professional-quality product. It’s a new brand
called INOA by L’Oreal. What it is, is a new formula, free of Ammonia (which
causes that super harsh scent and feel in your hair), and is a cream-based dye
to prevent any irritation to your scalp. The formula is designed to give hair
intense shine and softness, unlike most hair dyes that tend to give hair a dry,
coarse feel after applications. The brand promises 6 weeks of luxurious,
hydrated hair, as well as a gorgeous vibrant color, even after several washes.
The dye is said to “Respect the essential amino acids and lipid balance of
natural hair”. They offer a wide range of gorgeous colors to choose from and
they also feature products to help maintain your color with such as Protective
Shampoo and Conditioner and a Protective Hair Masque. All of this information
can be found online on their website, Inoa-Us.com and can be purchased online
at Drugstore.com for $17 or on Amazon.com for varying prices. Before
purchasing, I recommend researching your color online, as well as ensuring you
purchase the right mix to go with your color. Information regarding what to mix
can be found on their website.
The second option is one that I find best for people who are
conscious of what they use on their bodies, and wish to use the most natural
and organic option available to achieve the best color results. Henna hair dye
comes in various forms, such as a powder or a pressed brick that can be
dissolved and melted with water, and it colors your hair, delivering a healthy
tint that gives hair a brilliant shine. Now, with this option, there are some
pros and cons. The pros are that you won’t be inhaling and applying harmful
chemicals and fumes to your body. Instead, this alternative will be free of harsh
scents, as the dye comes from a plant called Lawsonia inermis, so you will
smell more of a fresh, leafy aroma. Another awesome pro is that henna will not
leave your hair feeling coarse or dry like hair dye does. It will actually
soften your hair and give it shine, while it gives you color. Now, for the
cons. This alternative can get very messy, so be sure to use gloves when you
apply this, wear old clothes to prevent good ones from being damaged, and lay
out a towel beneath you in case it drips onto your floor. A second con, is that
like normal hair dye, henna may stain your skin, so consider using baby oil or
Vaseline around your hairline to prevent color from staining. Another con,
henna is a semi-permanent option for dying hair as it lasts just a few washes
before you may need to redo the process. Lastly, this dye is only available in
very limited colors, such as black, red, medium to deep blonde, and deep brown,
so if you do not achieve the color you desired, you cannot go over it with
permanent hair dye, as the mixture of the henna with the permanent dye will
create a streaky mess of color, as the henna will prevent the permanent color
from taking. So, I encourage you to do your research prior to choosing this
option to guarantee you will know what to expect. The brand that I love due to
its fresh, handmade products is Lush. They offer all four shades I mentioned
before, and each Henna brick retails for $26 and lasts for quite some time. You
can purchase this product online at LushUsa.com or at your local Lush retailer.
Also, for more information on this alternative, I have provided a link to a
page that gives very thorough information on henna:
My last, and personal favorite option for coloring your hair,
is color glazing. Color glazing is a great option for those of you who have
your natural hair color, and wish to make it shine and pop! It can also be a
great option for anyone looking to balance and tone their hair color or
highlights. What a glaze does is, it coats the hair shafts with subtle color,
giving your hair a freshly-dyed look, and adding immense amounts of shine in
the process. It is temporary, as it lasts only a few washes, and must be redone
every so often to maintain color and shine. This is great also for anyone who
is between hair colorings, and just wants to boost their color prior to an
event or just to hold you over in the meantime. The brand that I prefer most
for this option is John Frieda’s Color Glaze. It retails for about $10 and is
available in drugstores or wherever John Frieda is carried. There are 4 color
options to choose from: Blonde, Red, Brunette, or Clear Glaze. I use the
Brunette glaze on my hair every other week, and while the directions recommend
to apply in the shower, you can also apply to dry hair as you would a regular
hair dye. I apply from root to tip, put on a shower cap, and let the glaze work
its magic for 20 minutes, followed by shampoo and condition as normal. I then
use the glaze as intended to maintain my shine, applying it while in the shower
every 2 to 3 days, leaving it for about 3 to 5 minutes, then rinsing. This is
great to have on hand, as you can always use a little boost for your color and
shine.
Now that we’ve seen these alternatives (Ammonia-Free hair
dye, Henna Dye, and Color Glazing), let’s talk about how you can maintain your
colored tresses.
In my first post, I talked about shampooing and
conditioning, and I’m about to touch on that subject again, only for a brief
period to share with you some great tips to maintaining color while you wash. A
shampoo and conditioner I recommend for Blondes, Brunettes, and Redheads is
John Frieda’s line made just for these three color options. Each one contains a
tinted shampoo according to which color option you need, depositing a bit of
color with each wash, and ensuring your color doesn’t fade. Also, for any
brassy-toned colors, make sure to use a purple-based shampoo to control the
amount of brass in your color. The purple tends to neutralize the tone, evening
out your color, and making it look more subtle and natural. For this, I will
once again recommend John Frieda as this brand really is great for
colored-haired beauties, use the Sheer Blonde Tone Restoring Shampoo and
Conditioner.
Now, for a completely natural alternative to enhancing your
hair color, I give you 3 DIY Color Intensifying Masks!
For Brunettes:
How It Works: Cocoa powder’s brown color will work to deepen
and intensify your brown hair, giving you a fresh, rich color. The honey will
moisturize your hair, softening it and adding shine. The yogurt and apple cider
vinegars both contain acids. The acids will work to help the cocoa transfer its
pigment to your hair, giving you a gorgeous, radiant brown color to your hair!
What you’ll need: ½ cup Cocoa Powder, ½ cup Plain Yogurt, 1
teaspoon of Honey, and 1 teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar.
What to Do: Start by combining and mixing your ingredients
into a bowl. Apply this mask to freshly washed, towel-dried hair. Let this mask
saturate your hair for 5 minutes, while keeping a towel around your neck to
prevent any staining. After your time is up, rinse thoroughly and style as
usual. The color should last a few washes and can be done once a week or as
often as you see fit.
For Blondes:
How It Works: Chamomile Tea, Lemon, and Potatoes have
properties that have the potential to enhance blonde shades. Therefore, when
combined, they act as the ultimate blonde-intensifying solution. Chamomile tea
and lemon perform as whitening agents for your hair. The lemon juice helps the
potato enzymes to penetrate the hair shaft, to further enhance your color.
What You’ll Need: Juice from 1 lemon, ½ raw grated potato, ½
cup of room temperature chamomile tea, and a shower cap.
What to Do: Blend the grated potato and lemon juice until it
becomes pasty. Once you have your paste, pour in your ½ cup of room temp. Chamomile
tea and stir until the ingredients are well blended. Apply mixture to freshly
washed, towel-dried hair. Massage into roots and ends thoroughly. Apply a
shower cap and heat your hair with a dryer on a warm setting for 3 to 5
minutes. Rinse thoroughly and style as usual. The color should last a few
washes and can be done once a week or as often as you see fit.
For Red Heads:
How It Works: Carrots and Cranberries contain red juices
that boost the natural red tones in your hair. The lactic acid in the yogurt
helps the red antioxidants penetrate the hair shaft and saturate hair with the
fresh, red color. The honey acts as a moisturizer, and softens your strands.
What You’ll Need: 3 medium sized raw carrots, ½ cup of
cranberries (if you wish to have copper undertones), 3 tablespoons of yogurt, 2
tablespoons of honey, and a blender.
What to Do: Add all 3 bananas to a blender and mix until a
paste is made. Add in your cranberries to this mix, and continue to blend. Now,
toss in your yogurt and honey, and blend, once again. Once you have your paste
ready, apply to freshly washed and towel-dried hair. Massage into scalp and
ends to spread mask throughout your hair. Keep it on for 3 to 5 minutes. Rinse
thoroughly and style as usual. The color should last a few washes and can be
done once a week or as often as you see fit.
That concludes my hair color post and I hope you’ve all
enjoyed! Feel free to leave feedback or ask any questions you may have. Stay
tuned for tomorrows post on Styling Tools and Products: Looking Gorgeous
without Getting Fried!
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