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Monday, November 06, 2006
Better Styling Through Chemistry

Some of you may remember that, a few weeks ago, my hair suddenly changed from blonde-ish to fire-engine red. Since then, of course, it's faded to medium auburn with chunks of blonde peeking through. Even though I had it professionally, "permanently" done. Red fades. So does brown.

But I liked the part where it was halfway between solid brown and fire engine. So I bought a box of semi-permanent color called Rosewood, aka dark auburn, meaning to refresh as necessary every month or so. I decided last night was as good a time as any to apply. Right before I had to return to work this morning - the perfect time, no? (Eerie foreshadowing, ooh.)

Well, my hair didn't come out the color on the box. Not at all. It came out more like this color, instead. And I didn't see it until this morning, because I'd done the color job late last night, then went to bed with wet hair and a towel on my pillow. (I know. Wrong choices all around.)

I woke my boyfriend this morning with loud whispers. "Baby! Baby, my hair is almost black! Look at me - should I call in sick?"

He squinted at my head for a second, then groaned, "No, baby. Don't call in sick for that."

So, instead, I washed my hair a few times with the not-color-safe shampoo. (It looked like a quart of blackberry juice going down the drain.) Then I conditioned and dried, and came to work. I only look slightly like a vampire now. I mean, actually, I like this color. But I hate to keep coming to work with different hair colors every other week, like some kind of unprofessional something-or-other. You know? I remember there was a girl at UT, in one of my French classes, who did that all the time. I wanted her to stop when her hair was the color of a Mr. Pibb can. She didn't. She didn't stop until her head turned green. I thought she'd taught me a lesson. Apparently, I was wrong.

I think next month I'll try Cinnaberry, though. That should do the trick. Assuming that one comes out right, I promise I won't change color after that for quite a while.

(Unless I change my mind.)

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1:03 PM #

Comments:

 You know, I've had this exact same problem so many times. I get the box with the pretty girl who has pretty, shiny hair in the exact color I want. And I use it according to the instructions. And lo! the blackberry burst upon my head like so much fake blood at a goth party!

They tell me it's because your hair becomes more porous if you color it habitually, and that it takes in more color than it would if it were virgin hair, so you should leave the color on less time (and also buy a lighter color, as you have surmised). But it's still very hard to find the right color when you can't go by what's on the box.

It probably doesn't help that I buy the cheap $3 Balsam color at the dollar store.


# posted by Blogger pie : 2:38 PM  

 Beware the cinaberry. It took too strongly to my leftover highlights, and i ended up with some nasty orange streaks on top of the already glorious roots. A pride-swallowing call to my hairdresser later, I was washing my hair with Dawn dish soap to open the cuticle and strip the color back out. Not fun.


# posted by Blogger Karen : 2:56 PM  

 LOL..I've had the same problem. You fuind the perfect yummy red and get it right..then they quit making that shade/product. I also know that if you wash or condition red tinted hair within the first 48 hours of applying the color it will fade faster. To preserve the color I use Biolage color care shampoo and conditioner, frequently on sale at Ulta or jc Pennys

Happy tinting .

Still toiling in 2 A


# posted by Blogger Boschka : 3:17 PM  

 sigh Red, the loveliest color, is a bitch, just like the reputation. I was Cinnaberry as a child. Now, at 40, if left alone is a faded, blah, strawberry-blonde. Which makes me look faded and blah, coincidentally.

I had the near-black experience myself. It was frightening to see it against my pale, freckled skin. Now I know I'll never do Goth well.

I was hoping that it was just me with my fussy red hair, now I know I'll be searching. But, if you want a recommendation that has worked, even over my other coloring, Loreal Couleur Experte, 6.6, aka Cherry Cordial is pretty nice. Not too dark, but really red and I expect it would be nice on a brunette.


# posted by Blogger Nilliem : 2:57 PM  

 i have red hair, and for some reason (i felt it was justified at the time), i dyed it black. and it was temporary dye, but it never came out. i went home one day with an entire bottle of shampoo, convinced that washing my hair for an hour would do the trick. i came out of the shower and still had black hair.
so, i let it grow out two inches and then had all the black cut off, so i had short red hair.

everyone wants what they don't have. tell you what, though - i'm never dyeing my hair a darker color again. unless i like have to go into the witness protection program or something.


# posted by Blogger curvature : 3:05 PM  

 i've had really good luck with all the feria reds. they last an amazingly long time.

p.s. i've been lurking for awhile. i like your words.


# posted by Blogger Jennifer : 6:39 PM  

 Rosewood was my color of choice for quite a while. It does fade quite nicely (down from glowing purple vampire) in a few days.


# posted by Blogger Stephanie : 8:11 AM  

 Just don't think it is actually semi-permanent unless you follow the instructions EXACTLY and have more than 28 (I think that's what it is) shampoos between colorings. Otherwise you are putting color on top of color and it becomes permanent.

I decided I wanted to go back to my grey hair and thought I would just stop coloring and be grey again in 28 washings....but no go. Pissed me off!

I had to have numerous foil treatments etc in order to manage the change to grey, and I probably still have 2 months to go until I am back to "natural."


# posted by Blogger Nancy & Paul : 11:08 AM  

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