My Hair, Dyed!

Let me just say that I roll on puns, hence the title. I think this one that I came up with is kinda witty while it fittingly corresponds to the content of this post. If you didn't find it funny, oh well. I won't judge you so long as you won't judge me either. Going back to the topic, my hair is at the brink of filing a case at the nearest hair rescue facility due to the neglect of its owner's duty. You see, I had my hair dyed to a chestnut brown hue last year. Yes, last year and it hasn't been chemically/professionally touched since then. I'm counting the number of months that have elapsed as I imagine the repulsive two toned layer of hair color that is a far cry from giving ombre any justice. The upper layer of my hair appears to be jet black (my original hair color), while the bottom half had become a dull chestnut earth color. It doesn't help that my hair is in drought punctuating its disgusting appearance. Point is, my hair is just screaming for some much needed TLC. Awww.. poor hair so wawa!

My hair situation, ooh should I even start talking about it? I'm not self-deprecating here but the words stale, in disarray borderline destitute would best describe it. I used to hear my hair cry at night but it couldn't produce tears anymore due to immense dehydration so I decided to give it its much needed slack.

I was supposed to go to a salon to have my hair professionally treated by a hair technician but my frugal alter ego ruled over (read: upcoming vacation) that's why I decided to head out to the nearest drugstore that is Watson's. Since it will be my first time to dye my hair on my own, I did some research via the internet first to learn some tips and tricks that would enable me to hit success however, every review or demonstration appeared to favor the type of product and procedure that was used. I jotted down the different ways of conducting a DIY hair dye treatment and listed each of their pros and cons. I deliberated and arrived with a decision to go for bubble hair dye as my go to product for the sake of convenience. Besides, it's just imperative that I forego the other methods as i'm a rookie at this stuff.

When I perused the shelves of hair coloring products at Watson's, I couldn't help but get overwhelmed! Every stack was teeming with various brands and colors that I couldn't decide which one to pick. Haaay choices, choices. Although I had been patient in checking out the contents and instructions of every box, I was oblivious to what ingredients actually work. Thank goodness that I got the help of a very supportive and knowledgeable SA to ease my trouble. She must have spotted me in my baffled glory so I confessed about my hair predicament. She concurred with my choice of hair coloring agent which is the bubble type.  She told me that based on her own experience, she would recommend that I stick with ammonia-free hair products as the said chemical is harsh for the hair. It's responsible for a product's pungent odor, hair breakage and stiffness. So off the stacks we went reviewing every brand's formulation making sure that it's doesn't contain any strain of ammonia and it didn't take long until we found one. Ammonia-free - check! Bubble type - check! Golden Blonde color - check! Affordable - check! On sale - check, check, check! Yes, we got the one much thanks to the SA's expertise!

Richenna Bubble Color in Golden Blonde

Richenna is a Korean beauty brand that specializes on hair products. They produce a wide range of hair treatments that perfectly suit the customer's needs such as shampoos, conditioners, hair dyes, hair spray, hair cologne (yes, there's such a thing), hair serums, you name it! It being a Korean brand alleviates my worry of having a negative turnaround as Koreans have already established a high-caliber reputation in the platform of all things beauty. In the grand scheme of things, Korean cosmetics and skin care are usually very mild and gentle as they cater to sensitive and allergy-prone consumers due to their climate and skin makeup. The product that I picked up is aptly named as Bubble Color Fun and Easy Hair Coloring in BUBBLE TYPE. The name itself was quite a mouthful, whew! It is a hair colorant in bubble form that should yield favorable results as the application process should be very fun and easy. Well i'll see this for myself. It also claims to a) be a permanent hair color in bubble type, b) have a high concentration of lavender, sage extract and amino acid (these ingredients minimize hair damage and locks in hair moisture), c) no Ammonia, no PPD (pleasant smell), and d) work in covering grey hair (which I don't have). These claims alone sound really convincing to me let alone the price.. Oh have I told you about the price? It was originally pegged at Php349 a pop but since I got it on sale, it was discounted to Php309. Such a steal!

Golden Blonde shade

Box details: Instructions and Ingredients

Box details: Facts and Color Results

Box details: Warning and Instructions

Doesn't the packaging look so cute? I'm a sucker for products with really nice packaging and this certainly is right up my alley. I don't mind that it features an animated character in showcasing the desired hair color at all. There's a hint of the color swatch and description at the front anyway. The box itself is functional too in a sense that the back has a perforated grid that can be torn open. Once opened, the mixing bottle should be placed into it to avoid product spillage during application. Brilliant idea, right? I like that the people behind this product thought about their clumsy consumers.

Box contents

Instructions leaflet,  colorant, developer, mixing bottle, conditioner, cape and gloves

I read the manual carefully to make sure that I got everything covered. All the details were written in English which makes for easy interpretation despite some forgivable grammar lapses. It also has illustrations of actual usage so that no one would mess-up the process. Again, thanks to the creators of this product, they really did think about their dumb consumers.

It seems that Richenna is big on precautionary measures as they stressed the importance of conducting a patch test prior to application. Huge sections in the first and second page of the leaflet were dedicated just for this. My skin and scalp aren't really sensitive to non-poisonous material that's why I opted to skip this part. If you are, please make sure that this is taken care of. It's better to be safe than sorry, my dear. They also pointed some dos and don'ts before, during, and after application to achieve optimal efficacy of the product. Now that's a major thumbs up in my books!

Here are the steps of application, or at least how I did it:

Step 1: Place the mixing bottle into the opening at the back of the box and remove the cap.

Step 2: Prepare mixture by pouring the colorant (1) and developer (2) into the bottle. Replace the cap and twist it until it is tightly sealed. Mix the solution by gently inverting the bottle approximately 5-6 times. Do not shake.

Step 3: Place the box and mixing bottle on top of a flat surface. Wear the disposable cape and hand gloves that are included in the package. Once ready, gently press the pump and dispense the foam onto a gloved hand then work up a lather into your hair strands (hair should be dry). Massage the foam into hair using your fingertips and apply generous amounts from roots to tips while it foams up like shampoo as this makes for even application. Wipe off any strays that touch the ears, forehead and nape right away.

Step 4: After hair is completely covered with foam, take a shower cap or plastic bag and wrap it around your head. Leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes. 

Step 5: Rinse hair thoroughly with shampoo and conditioner then let the hair air dry.

And voila! Below are my before and after photos:

Not too shabby, right? At least my hair is much more vibrant now than before. When my hair had dried after rinsing the color off, the visibility of the new hair color was little to zero. For such an odd reason, the color intensified 72 hours and 3 showers after application which made me happier at the same time perplexed. How come? What's the reason behind this delayed gratification? I guess time allowed for the chemicals to set in my hair, oxidize and work their magic. I got disappointed at first for the lack of result but thank heavens the chemicals rose from their grave. I just woke up realizing that i've become a blondie. The good kind of blondie hehe! The color yielded even coverage across all the strands. It's easy to spot streaks of color from the black ones but mine has none of that. They're one and the same in terms of hue. I really am pleased and do love the turnout. So truthfully, my hair color today is no longer the same as the one captured on the after photo, only better. I would definitely purchase this product again for subsequent use. 

So that was my journey in the realm of Project Hair Dye. For your reference, I listed down my WANTS and WOES regarding the product.

WANTS

1. Application was a breeze! I did not make any mess at all. There was no splatter much thanks to the foolproof box and bottle dispenser. Not idiot repellent, perfect for DIY.

2. The product did not smear my clothes and the bathroom tiles while and after rinsing.

3. Great color pay-off, bubble type hair dye yields an evenly colored hair

4. Bang for the buck, reasonable cost-to-benefit ratio

5. Accessibility, available at all leading department stores and at all Watson's drugstores.

6. Ammonia-free hence the more subtle pungent scent

7. Instructions found in the leaflet are thorough and easy to follow.

8. Because it's ammonia-free, it's safe to dye hair again after 2 weeks.

WOES

1. I experienced slight discomfort during the 20-minute wait. I had to resist every possible urge to scratch my head to address the itch.

2. The conditioner that was enclosed in the package was of subpar quality. I had to use another brand of conditioner to keep my hair soft.

3. My hair still feels really stiff without the use of conditioner but this should wear out eventually.

3. It takes 3 days for the color to fully appear.

Have you tried the same product? What are your thoughts about it? If not, what's your go to DYI hair dye brand?

Stay Happy,

Khaye :)