Okay, I guess on a day to day basis I don’t really fall under the alt girl category. Sure I might dye my hair pink (or green) from time to time and wear numerous geeky outfits (Spider-Man t-shirts are perfectly acceptable work attire) but I wouldn’t say I’m one of those girls you look at and instantly go, oh yeah she’s into some cool stuff.

Or maybe I am. I don’t know.

I thought I’d share a little blogpost today about my experience with semi permanent dyes and some tips on how best to go about dying your own hair…

When I decide I’ve been a boring blonde for long enough I use La Riche Directions hair dye in Carnation pink and apply it all over on my natural colour.

Dying using semi permanent colour is always going to be tricky on natural coloured hair. Sometimes it comes out pretty bold, other times it’s a bit patchy.

I think for it to work properly I need to properly bleach my hair all over and brush the colour through layer by layer.

Unlike bleached hair, uncoloured heads will be a mix of shades, which will never result in that all over, base colour result. I don’t want to bleach my hair though so I guess I will just have to put up with the patchy result.

To apply the colour I basically scoop the dye out of the tub using my hands and rub onto separate strands of hair, then brush through with a comb all while trying to avoid dripping it all over the floor and up the walls. It’s also a good idea to do these things too:

• Cut up bin liners and cover the floor, toilet, sink, windowsill basically anywhere you could possibly flick hair dye to save yourself staining anything
• Use gloves, just basic supermarket rubber gloves work fine
• Invest in a comb, large hair grip and a tinting brush
• Section your hair and cover with dye piece by piece, if you are doing your whole head start from the top not underneath – if you run a little low on hair dye it won’t be so noticeable
• Oh and buy extra hair dye – another tub should do the trick and can even be mixed with your conditioner when you wash it again to keep the colour looking fresh
• For La Riche Directions it recommends leaving the dye on for 15 minutes, I always leave it on for around 40 because I mix it with conditioner to make it go further
• Put a shower cap on your head once it’s covered to speed up reaction
• Leave yourself enough time depending on your hair length (my long hair takes around 45 minutes to cover all over)
• Wear an old t shirt that you don’t mind staining
• Pop an old pillow case on your pillow and use for a couple of days after freshly dying
• eBay sellers have some great deals on sealed tubs of dye – if the tub is open when it arrives send it back!

And you’re done!

I hope this helps if you’re thinking of giving it a go – semi permanent dyes wash out within two weeks so are great for the summer, if you’re having some time off work or school.

Let me know how you get on!

Jade