Tori loves trying out new makeup looks and sharing her expertise and tutorials with others.

The Correct Order to Use Skincare Products

I have tried all kinds of skincare products and regimens, especially during the time in my 20s when I worked part-time at a big makeup store. Most skincare regimens seem to follow a similar path of application. No matter what products you decide to use, there’s a simple list of five steps you can follow for your skincare routine.

How to Wash Your Face the Right Way

1. Makeup Remover (optional): If you are a person who wears makeup, apply makeup remover to a cotton pad and gently wipe away your makeup. No scrubbing.
2. Cleanser: Apply to your face with water. Rinse off and gently pat your face dry. Some cleansers should be applied when your face is dry, so be sure to read the directions.
3. Toner: Apply toner to a cotton pad and pat on your skin. Let dry completely before using treatments.
4. Treatments and Serums (optional): If you are a person who uses acne or anti-aging serums, creams, etc., apply them now. Let them fully absorb and dry before moving on to the next step.
5. Moisturizer and Sunscreen: Gently massage these into your face. Don’t skip the sunscreen, especially if you will be outside.

Step 1: Makeup Remover

If you are a person who wears makeup, you should always begin cleansing your face by using a makeup remover. Makeup remover should be used before the cleanser. While cleansers can be acceptable for removing some foundations and blush, they require too much scrubbing to effectively remove makeup around the eyes and lips. The best makeup remover is going to be one that can remove all of your makeup, and also not be super harsh and drying. (Source)

Over the last several years, micellar water has taken the makeup removal market by storm. It is preferred by skincare enthusiasts and dermatologists alike. My personal favorite micellar water makeup remover is Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1. Micellar water is a mixture of purified water and mild surfactants. When you combine these ingredients, they create round micelles, which make it easier to remove makeup and excess oils from your face.

How Micellar Water Works

In a nutshell, oil and water don’t like each other. Surfactants like both oil and water because they have a water-loving head (blue in the illustration) and an oil loving tail (the zigzags). When surfactants touch water, the heads point out towards the water, and the tails group inwards away from the water. They are easily rearrangeable when they touch different things.

When you pour micellar water onto something like a cotton pad, the water loving heads attach to the cotton because it absorbs the water and the tails point outwards, looking for an oil to attach to. When you wipe your makeup off, the tails grab on to the stuff on your face and takes it along for the ride, making for a significantly gentler face washing experience. (Source)

Step 2: Cleanser

Cleanser is a big part of washing your face. People think that makeup remover can function as a cleanser, but that’s not always the case. Not every cleanser is made the same, and most cleansers do not contain ingredients powerful enough to remove waterproof makeup. So, it’s best to have a makeup remover and a separate cleanser.

A cleanser’s main purpose is to wash away dirt and debris. Throughout the day, your face collects dead skin cells, dirt, pollutants, and debris. Your face has glands under the skin that produce an oil called sebum, which uses hair follicles to travel outwards to the skin to create a barrier that prevents all that stuff from getting in and causing infections or acne. But, if all the pollutants collecting on top of the sebum don’t get washed away, it can build up and cause hair follicles to get clogged, which can cause acne and other issues. (Source)

At the same time, washing your face too much or using a method that is too harsh can wash away too much sebum and cause dirt and debris to get in. This can cause dryness, itchiness, infection, and other problems. Stay away from harsh scrubbing brushes and washcloths. I usually just use my fingertips (after washing my hands with hand soap, of course, to prevent introducing additional bacteria).

Additionally, try to stay away from cleansers that contain sulfates if possible. Your skin is naturally acidic (sitting at about a 5.5 on the pH scale), and sulfates cause many cleansers to skew alkaline (higher pH), which can break down the protective barrier of sebum. Using plain old soap, which has a pH of 9 or 10, will break down that layer especially badly. You’ll know if the cleanser was too harsh if your face starts to feel dry, tight, and itchy after cleansing. (Source)

My Favorite Cleansers

With that being said, I have used Murad Clarifying Cleanser in the past and really love it for when I have acne breakouts because it contains salicylic acid, which helps dissolve acne-causing dirt and debris. I feel that it is too acidic for normal daily use, so I only use it regularly when I’m having a breakout. For regular days, I use Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Daily Facial Cleanser, which is known to be pH balanced in addition to being fragrance free and sulfate free.

Step 3: Toner

Toner is a great step for preparing your skin to absorb any treatments you need to apply. Toner removes any remaining traces of makeup and debris not caught by your cleanser and tightens up pores to make them less visible throughout the day. A long time ago, toners contained alcohol, which dried out your face, and left people feeling itchy and tight. Today, toners have been refined to actually be helpful instead of harmful. (Source)

Toners are usually thin liquids and look like water. Toners are formulated in a variety of ways to address different skin problems. In all of my research, it seems like the most common toner on the market for all skin types would be a witch hazel-based toner that contains skin soothers such as cucumber, rose oil, or aloe vera. Witch hazel is a plant that has been used for thousands of years because of its medicinal properties.

When witch hazel is used as a facial toner, it reduces the size of pores, removes any remaining debris from the face, and can provide additional moisturizing properties when combined with other ingredients. My hands-down favorite toner of all time is Thayer’s Alcohol-Free Cucumber Witch Hazel Facial Toner with Aloe Vera Formula. The cucumber and aloe vera are skin soothers for sensitive or dry skin. This toner also contains glycerin which is a popular vegetable-based moisturizing compound. However, as with everything in the world, don’t overuse it. Even with all the great skin-soothing ingredients, witch hazel is still an astringent, and using too much of it can cause excess drying—applying once or twice per day is plenty.

How to Apply Toner

Toners are best applied using a patting method with a cotton pad after removing makeup and washing your face. Run far, far away from toners that contain any trace of alcohol. Make sure to allow the toner to dry completely before applying your treatments and moisturizers.

Step 4: Treatments and Serums

Once your toner has dried completely, it’s time for treatments. Treatments like anti-aging serums, topical acne medications, eye creams, etc., provide a variety of benefits and target your specific skin concerns. This step is totally optional.

Serums are highly concentrated with antioxidants and vitamins formulated for different skin types depending on their ingredients. Serums are supposed to go on before moisturizing because the super-concentrated ingredients get sealed in by the moisturizer, which gives the skin a better chance of absorbing it. (Source)

Many people swear by serums made with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid because both contain anti-aging properties that make skin appear brighter. My mother loves Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Boosting Serum which contains fruit stem cells and vitamin C to combat fine lines and wrinkles and provide extra moisture absorption.

When my acne was at its worst in my early 20's, I turned to Murad’s Clarifying Acne treatment to help control breakouts because it contains a high concentration of salicylic acid that penetrates the skin to help address the root cause of breakouts. If you’re currently using a prescription treatment for any skincare issues such as rosacea, this is a good time to apply them.

Step 5: Moisturizers and Sunscreens

The final step in your skincare routine is going to be your moisturizers and sunscreens. I group these together because you can get a moisturizer that also functions as a sunscreen, or you can apply two separate products.

Moisturizers come in all different types, and it can be tricky to know what is going to be best for you, but in general, it acts as a healthy barrier on top of your skin that seals in your toner and treatments, keeps the bad stuff out of your pores, and keeps your skin hydrated. (Source)

Your skin is going to fall into general categories based on several factors, including genetics, diet, and exercise level. Here’s the kind of moisturizer you should try based on your skin type.

• Dry or Mature Skin: Dry skin will sometimes appear red and flaky. Use an oil-based moisturizer. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream is a good one to try. It has nearly a perfect 5-star rating from literally thousands of reviews on Amazon, Sephora, and their website.
• Oily or Combination Skin: If your skin starts looking shiny and needs to be blotted throughout the day, don’t skip moisturizer! You still need it. Try a water-based, oil-free moisturizer. My favorite daily go-to is Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.

How to Choose the Best Sunscreen

When talking about sunscreen, most experts agree that you should wear SPF every single day. Even on overcast days, 80% of the harmful rays from the sun still make it through the clouds, and your skin is going to absorb those rays and cause damage.

Being a scuba instructor myself, I also harp on choosing sunscreen that is reef safe. There are several factors that contribute to the death of ocean ecosystems. 14,000 tons of sunscreen ends up in the ocean every year (Source). Many sunscreens contain harmful ingredients that exacerbate the issues the ocean is experiencing (such as increased water temperature and ocean acidification). As a result, many popular tourist destinations in locations such as Hawaii, Bonaire, and Palau have banned the use of non-reef-safe sunscreens (Source).

My Favorite Reef-Safe Sunscreen

Even if you aren’t planning on being in the ocean any time soon, it’s still a great idea to choose a reef-safe sunscreen so that it doesn’t rinse down the sink and enter another waterway near you. My hands-down favorite reef-safe sunscreen is Stream2Sea Tinted 30 SPF Sunscreen. A little goes a long way since this is a mineral-based sunscreen. You only need a drop or two (warmed up by rubbing on the back of your hand first) to cover your entire face.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Tori loves trying out new makeup looks and sharing her expertise and tutorials with others.

Pairing Colored Mascara With Your Eye Color

I enjoy experimenting with different makeup looks. For that reason, I jumped on the opportunity to test out different kinds of mascara and research different looks to apply in real life as opposed to the runway. To start, I want to say that you should wear whatever color mascara you like the best because there are no set rules for fashion and makeup. But, if you’re curious about how different colored mascaras pair with your eye color based on color theory, or you're looking for different ways to execute a colored mascara look in your daily makeup routine, look no further!

The Theory Behind Colored Mascaras

To figure out the best colors for your makeup, including colored mascaras, it helps to understand the science behind those decisions. This is called color theory. I could go down an entire rabbit hole on color theory because I use it all the time for dying my hair. But for now, I’ll simplify it as much as possible!

There are three basic categories of color theory that can help make decisions when it comes to colors: color harmony, the color wheel, and color context. (Source)

Color Wheels

There are many different versions of the color wheel, but in general, it is a wheel of the rainbow that arranges colors in a natural order. This is where you’ve probably heard the terms primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary colors. Check out the wheel above for an example.

Color Harmony

Color Harmony means that colors are arranged in a way that is pleasing to the eye. There are many different types of color harmony that you may have heard of, such as monochromatic (shades of the same color), analogous (colors that are next to each other on the color wheel), complementary (colors that are directly across each other on the color wheel), or triadic (colors on the wheel that create a triangle).

When considering color harmony, professionals also consider color temperature (warm vs. cool tones), shades (adding black), tints (adding white), and tones (adding gray). (Source)

Color Context

Color context is very complex, but in a nutshell, it is how colors react when used with other colors. It can change your perspective and opinions about certain colors when they are paired with other colors, as in the example above.

All of these are taken into consideration by many industries. In particular, the cosmetics industry uses them to make recommendations to customers and develop new products. And that is where colored mascaras, as they relate to eye color, enter the room.

How to Incorporate Colored Mascara Into Your Makeup Look

Colored mascara can be a little intimidating! But in general, here are some tips to make it stand out.

Is Colored Mascara Tacky?

Personally, I don’t think any makeup look is off-limits or tacky. There are makeup looks I wouldn’t try for myself, of course, just like anything. But if you like the style and it makes you happy, do it! There is nothing wrong with experimenting to find your perfect makeup style, and you can incorporate colored mascara if you decide that you like it!

Use a Good Lash Primer

Many colored mascaras on the market today tend to dry much darker than the color you see in the bottle or on the packaging. For this reason, I absolutely recommend investing in a white lash primer, which helps the color stand out brighter. My favorite is Tarte’s Opening Act Lash Primer, but L’Oreal’s Voluminous Lash Primer is a great inexpensive alternative.

Monochromatic Makeup Colors

One of my favorite ways to wear colored mascara is with a monochromatic color scheme. Your eyeliner and eyeshadow should be of a similar color family, like the photos I’ve shared above. Not only does this makeup look accentuate your eye color, but it is a cohesive look altogether.

For this monochromatic red/burgundy look I used:

• Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette
• Tarte Opening Act Lash Primer
• L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara in Burgundy

Complementary Makeup Colors

Another way to wear colored mascara is with a complementary makeup scheme. Complementary colors are across from each other on the color wheel. Great pairings of complementary colors are:

• Yellow and Purple
• Orange and Blue
• Red and Green

Complementary colors are also a great tool to determine your best makeup shades for your eye color too! This could mean your favorite shade of red or purple makeup for green eyes, pink or orange makeup for blue eyes, green or blue makeup for brown eyes, and more.

For this complementary makeup look, I used:

• Urban Decay Naked Honey Palette
• Tarte Opening Act Lash Primer
• L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara in Deep Purple

How to Make Colored Mascara with Eyeshadow

There aren’t a whole lot of options on the market for vibrant colored mascaras, so the best way to get a vibrant mascara is by making your own. I know that seems intimidating, but it’s actually really easy with the help of just three supplies:

• White Mascara Primer: I used Tarte Opening Act Lash Primer.
• Clean Spoolie or Foam Eyeshadow Applicator: I like to wash off and reuse the wands from old mascaras. I often find these applicators are better than the generic spoolie packs you can find in many makeup stores.
• Powdered Eyeshadow: Any color you choose. I used Savage from the Urban Decay Wired Palette.

How to Create Custom Vibrant Mascara:

1. Apply the primer to your eyelashes. Don’t let the primer dry!
2. Using a clean spoolie or foam eyeshadow applicator, create a little bit of loose powder in the eyeshadow pan and pick up some of the color with the spoolie.
3. Quickly apply the color to your lashes using the spoolie until the white is completely covered.

Tips and Tricks:

• You can mix the eyeshadow and the primer separately on a clean surface, such as a piece of paper, and then apply it to your lashes with a clean spoolie. If you know you’re going to be using that color often, you can even put eyeshadow powder on the brush and mix it into the mascara container until you have the desired pigment level, and then you don’t have to mix it each time!
• It’s important to note that if you do try making your own colored mascara using eyeshadow, it works best with matte colors. I tried a few different types of eyeshadow, and I found that anything with a sparkle had a tendency to look patchy when I stepped back from the mirror, even though it wasn’t.
• Using eyeshadow can definitely create a lot of powder fallout on your face. While applying the powder, it's a good idea to hold a small piece of paper, tissue, or a makeup wipe underneath your eye to prevent it from falling onto your cheeks. When applying to the top, hold the tissue behind your lashes so that the color doesn’t smear on your eyelid while applying.
• Be careful if you do this when wearing contacts! You may want to take them out and put them back in afterward so that you don’t get eyeshadow on your contacts.

How to Wear Colored Mascara Based on the Color of Your Eyes

Based on color research and current trends, these are the best colors of mascara for your eye color! When you choose your mascara based on the color of your eyes, try using the analogous, complementary, or vibrant eyeshadow looks mentioned above to complete your colored mascara look!

Colored Mascara for Brown and Dark Brown Eyes

Based on complementary colors, violet or green mascaras are excellent colors for brown eyes. They will definitely make your makeup stand out in a crowd. For the more adventurous mascara-wearers, try a bright red.

Colored Mascara for Blue Eyes

If you have blue eyes, try burgundy or violet mascara. These colors mimic nature (think red corals in the blue ocean) which means your eyes will be the highlight of your look. If you’re looking for something more vibrant and unique, try pink!

Colored Mascara for Green Eyes

Green eyes will look stunning with burgundy or purple mascara! Burgundy and other red tones are complementary to green on the color wheel, and purple is a triad color. You won’t go wrong with either of these gorgeous shades. If you want something super vibrant, go for cobalt blue.

Colored Mascara for Hazel Eyes

Hazel eyes are a combination of brown and green—so that means that any colors that are great for brown or green eyes will be great for hazel eyes. My favorite shades for hazel are burgundy or dark green. If you want to wear a more energetic shade, I’d recommend a bright green.

Brands of Colored Mascara and Where to Buy Them

There are lots of brands that are currently selling different kinds of colored mascara, depending on what you are looking for!

L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Original Washable Bold Eye Mascara

One of the most popular, inexpensive, and accessible lines that I have found online is L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Original Washable Bold Eye Mascara. L’Oreal is sold in many stores, but to have the easiest access to all of their colors, I recommend ordering on Amazon.

The line comes in five great subtle colors: cobalt blue, deep violet, deep burgundy, deep green, and black. The great thing about this brand is that they also know it shows up best with a primer, so they’ve got you covered with a white primer in the same lineup.

I bought two of their colors to try: Deep Violet and Deep Burgundy. I liked the violet, but I have to say the burgundy was my absolute favorite of the two. Tiktok appears to agree with that assessment—L’Oreal’s burgundy mascara went viral on the makeup side of the platform, and it sold out in many places during that time.

ColourPop BFF Mascara

Another great option is Colourpop BFF Mascaras, which come in bright candy-colored shades like magenta, true red, and purple prose. Colourpop is another inexpensive brand available at stores such as Ulta, but I can never seem to find it in stock because it’s so popular. Because of this, I recommend ordering directly from their website to make sure you get the color you want. I love both the pink and red colored mascaras from this lineup as they are fun, vibrant, and unique!

Tori enjoys experimenting with hair cuts and colors and sharing her knowledge.

A Long Bob Is a Timeless Hairstyle

Even though the Gen Z’ers like to dunk on Millennials for side parts and skinny jeans, the long bob haircut has stood the test of time. Anyone and everyone looks great with this cut whether it’s chin-length, medium-length, or shoulder-length. The long bob cut is easy to change to fit any style.

I’ve been changing my hair up since high school with interesting cuts and colors. When I get the urge to cut it, a long bob is one of my favorite choices.

Long Bobs in the Early 1900s

In 1909, the original short bob was born. The hairstyle was popularized by the first “celebrity hairdresser” known as Monsieur Antoine, who had a shop in Paris and said his inspiration was Joan of Arc. (Source, Source)

In the 1920s, many women favored this haircut in defiance of social standards of the time, which dictated that long hair was feminine and short hair was not. World War I had just ended, and most women's general sentiment was “Let’s live for now!” instead of continuing to follow social norms. This led to both shorter hemlines and shorter haircuts, which were not acceptable in society for many years.

Preachers demonized the haircut in their sermons, and in an effort to convince women to not cut their hair, conservative pundits spread rumors that a bob cut could lead to baldness and the growing of mustaches. In America during the mid-1920s, female teachers, secretaries, and department store workers were fired for going to work with bobbed hair. (Source)

Styles of the 1920s

The 1920s were a time of experimentation with the bob, and it could be worn in many ways. The traditional original bob, sometimes called the “Buster Brown,” was characterized by blunt cut fringe bangs and hair chopped just below the ears.

The “Charleston Bob” was a softer version of this haircut, characterized by soft waves and a side part. Women often took the Charleston bob and added finger waves too, which were a version of soft flat waves made with a wet comb.

For women who wanted the style but didn’t want to cut their hair, it became popular to create two braids, wind them up and pin them just under the ears to create the illusion of short hair, often called the “Earphone Style.”

Bobs of the 1940s Through the 1980s

Long bobs, or lobs, became popular during the 1940s and ‘50s when it became fashionable to keep hair longer again. Women of this era often styled a lob with victory rolls or soft curls.

In the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, lobs managed to stay in style with a few different additions. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, adding fringe and loose curls was most popular, while extra volume was the big addition of the ‘80s.

Resurgence of the Long Bob

The long bob made another appearance in 1995 with the debut of the tv show Friends. Jennifer Anniston’s haircut, which many refer to as the “Rachel” cut, took hold. Inspired by shag cuts of the ’60s and '70s and paired with highlights, it became a highly requested cut at salons in the ’90s.

The "Rachel" cut was designed by Chris McMillan of Estilo Salon in Los Angeles, who originally came up with the cut as a way to help Anniston grow out her bangs (source). Many women, including Anniston herself, said that the style was very hard to keep up and required a certain kind of styling to have the volume people wanted. It was nearly impossible for Anniston to get it looking just right without McMillan's help fixing it for her on set. Even with its upkeep issues, the style broke hair barriers in that it really has not gone out of style, and people are still asking for it over 25 years later.

A Long Bob Looks Great With Any Face Shape

Lobs look great with every face shape. They are also versatile in that you can part your hair in the middle or on the side, and it will still look great. If you’re still trying to decide between a long bob and other haircut types, it can sometimes help to know your face shape.

How to Determine Your Face Shape

You can determine your face shape by taking measurements of your face using a measuring tape. You’ll need to write down four measurements:

1. Face Length: Start at the center of your hairline and measure down to the tip of your chin.
2. Forehead: Start at the peak of one eyebrow arch, and measure to the other eyebrow arch.
3. Jaw: Start from the widest part of your jaw and measure across to the other side. Usually, the widest part of your jaw is about an inch below your ear, where you can feel the bone start to curve in to become your chin.
4. Cheeks: Start from the sharp bump of your cheekbone just underneath the outside of your eye and measure to the same spot on the other side.

Once you have written these measurements, you can determine which of the following face shapes fits you best.

• Round: Your face length and cheeks have a similar measurement that is larger than the forehead and jaw measurements. Additionally, you’ll notice your jawline is softer.
• Square: All four measurements come out to be about the same, and you’ll notice a sharper jawline.
• Oval: The face length measurement is longer than any other measurement, and everything else is similar in length.
• Triangle: The forehead is the largest measurement, followed by cheekbones and then jawline. The face length can be anything here.
• Heart: The forehead is wider than the jaw. Your hairline may form in a widow’s peak in the middle, and the line of your jaw is a little softer.

Are There Different Types of Long Bobs?

The short answer is YES! You can pair yours with bangs, waves, curls, or layers. Lobs can be symmetric, asymmetric, inverted, and more. A long bob is a great medium-length haircut with many different options to customize. Luckily, since this is one of my favorite lengths, I’ve got a few examples of different long bobs on my own hair that might help you decide what you like best.

Angled Bob / Asymmetric Bob

One of my favorite ways to wear a lob is with an angled cut. An angled bob, sometimes called an inverted bob, is where the hair is cut without layering, and there is a clear angled line from the back, which is shorter, to the front, which is longer.

It’s easy to get an angled long bob cut that is shoulder-length or medium-length. I’ve had it cut where the short part starts at the base of my head, and the longest part barely scrapes my shoulders. I’ve also had it cut like the photo above, where the short part starts at my shoulders, and the long part reaches below my shoulders. An angled bob is low maintenance and easy to grow out because it looks good at both shoulder-length and medium-length!

You can also pair an angled bob with an asymmetric cut beautifully, as my hairstylist did for me. An asymmetric bob adds some additional character to the cut. The only difference between an angled bob and an asymmetrical bob is that one side is longer than the other with an asymmetrical bob.

Layered Bob

Another popular way to wear a long bob is with layers or feathering. I’ve done layers with my long bob several times. A layered look is a very professional look and is also easy to maintain. My standard styling routine before I started dying my hair was to blow it dry, then use a round brush with the blowdryer to curve the ends a bit. A layered bob is perfect if you prefer symmetric haircuts. I normally part my hair to the side, but it is so easy to do a middle part with a symmetric layered bob.

If symmetry is your preference, make sure to part your hair the way you want it before you go to the salon so that the stylist can make the layering match.

How to Style a Long Bob

Long bobs are also so much fun to wear with curls. Because I dye my hair bright colors nowadays, I usually create heatless curls because I don’t want to damage my hair with a curling iron or straightener.

My favorite way to make curls without heat is using a Curl Scarf. A curl scarf makes it easy to curl your hair anytime because it looks like a cute headband—so you can wear it overnight to bed or while you’re out and about. After 6–8 hours, you’ve got pretty curls!

A long bob doesn’t have to be above your shoulders. You can also get one that comes just past! As seen in the photo above from when I had green and yellow hair, the long bob looks great if it’s just a bit past your shoulders too. In this picture, I did loose waves created again by the curl scarf but brushed out.

How to Talk to Your Stylist About Getting a Long Bob

A long bob is such a classic hairstyle that your hairstylist should be able to do it easily. You will definitely want to give specifics, though. You will want to decide some things before you go to the salon so that you can accurately describe your preferred lob cut to your hairstylist. Consider whether or not you want:

• Bangs and what length you'd like them to be
• Layers
• Feathering (like Farrah Fawcett)
• An angled cut
• A blunt cut (a straight line across)
• Shoulder-length or medium-length
• Asymmetrical or symmetrical

It may also help to bring a picture along. Search for your favorite celebrities online to see if they’ve had a long bob haircut that you would like to copy. If you plan to also have your stylist do color along with your haircut, make sure to bring ideas or sample color palettes with you so that you can ensure you get exactly what you’re looking for!

Tori loves trying out new makeup looks and sharing her expertise and tutorials with others.

Don't Worry, There Are No Makeup Rules

In my years spent working at a popular makeup store, I learned a lot about doing makeup in many different ways. I was also able to expand my own makeup collection with my employee discount. I fell in love with unique styles that I saw in-store and started copycatting the ones I liked best.

What I love about colorful makeup is that there are no rules! It looks amazing on any skin tone, eye color, and face shape. What matters is that you find a look you love.

Neon Makeup Looks: It's Not All Skulls and Halloween

While my primary love is Halloween and neon makeup looks often fall into that category, there are ways to utilize the trend without looking like you’re ready for the best holiday of the year! Many brands at all price points carry a neon line.

Start With a Good Base

Neon makeup needs a nice, even, flat base to give the vibrancy everyone wants. There are a number of ways to achieve it, but here are some products I use that help it stay vibrant and keep it from melting off.

• Concealer: Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. This creates a nice, full coverage base. I use it anywhere I need a little color correction.
• Eyeshadow Primer: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. This product is just magical and really is crease-free!
• Setting Spray: Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray. When you finish your makeup, you can set it with a spritz of this stuff. I’ve tried many setting sprays, and this one is hands-down the best. Setting spray also pulls double-duty because you can use it to wet your eyeliner brush before applying a powder liner. This helps powder liners stay brighter for longer!

Neon Eyeliner Looks and How to Apply Them

Using neon as part of your eyeliner is one of the easiest ways to get a neon makeup look without going over the top. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it with instructions.

How to Do a Double Wing Neon Eyeliner

This one is so simple and perfect for someone who just wants a little color added to their normal makeup. My daily routine is concealer and highlighter, with black winged liner and black mascara. Adding this pop of blue is a great way to achieve a neon makeup look without looking gaudy.

Makeup Used:

• Black Eyeliner: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Intense Black
• Blue Eyeliner: LA Girl Shockwave Neon Eyeliner in Fresh
• Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Royal Blue (but if you want something less subtle, use Lime Crime Astronomical Mascara in Blue Moon)

Instructions:

1. Apply a base of concealer.
2. Apply a standard winged liner using black eyeliner.
3. Gently draw a thin line with the blue eyeliner above the black.
4. Finish the look with a subtle blue mascara.

Tip: Sometimes gel-based liner pencils can be tricky to apply in a thin line, so if you’re having trouble, use an angled liner brush to get some pigment from the pencil and then apply with the brush instead. You can also use the liner brush to smooth out an already drawn line and bring it closer to the black.

How to Do a Fully Lined Neon Eyeshadow Eyeliner

Yes, this look is technically eyeliner, but believe it or not, it was entirely created with eyeshadow! It is easy to pull double duty with your neon makeup look if you get yourself one really nice neon eyeshadow palette and a few types of makeup brushes.

Makeup Used:

• Aqua: Gonzo from the Urban Decay Electric Palette
• Neon Yellow-Green: Thrash from the Urban Decay Electric Palette

Instructions:

1. Apply a base of concealer and eyeshadow primer.
2. Apply the blue eyeshadow with a wet, angled liner brush, and wing it out as much as you'd like. (A wet brush is important! The color will be much more vibrant. You can use a setting spray to wet the brush—it will stay vibrant and last longer.)
3. Apply a little primer under the eye along the lash line using a clean angled liner brush.
4. Apply the neon yellow on top of the primer (again with a wet brush), taking care to bring it all the way up to the lash line and dragging it out to the point of the blue wing.
5. Finally, take a smidgen of neon yellow and apply it to the inner corner of the eye with your pinky finger, then blend it in a bit.

I was so sad to find out the Urban Decay Electric Palette has been discontinued because it is truly one of my favorites! Not to worry though, their newer neon palette, Wired, contains two colors that are nearly identical titled Chaos and Jolt, respectively.

Neon Eyeshadow Looks and How to Apply Them

If eyeliner looks just aren’t doing it for you, add a step up by applying neon eyeshadow for your neon makeup look!

How to Do a Multicolor Neon Eyeshadow Look

Looking to be a little more daring? Add more than one color by following this simple neon shadow and eyeliner placement.

Makeup Used:

• Neutral pink: Burnout from the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette
• Hot Pink: Savage from Urban Decay Wired Palette
• Yellow: LA Girl Shockwave Neon Eyeliner in Screamin
• Blue: LA Girl Shockwave Neon Eyeliner in Fresh
• Black: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Intense Black

Instructions:

1. Apply a concealer and eyeshadow primer base.
2. Use a standard eyeshadow brush to add a wash of the neutral pink color Burnout over the inner eyelid.
3. Gently press the hot pink color Savage underneath the crease all the way down to the lashes on the outside of the eye.
4. Switch to a small, dry blending brush and fade the hot pink into the neutral pink.
5. Use the yellow liner to line the bottom lash line. Smooth it out with an angled liner brush if needed.
6. Apply a smidgen of the blue liner on the inner eye, again smoothed by an angled liner brush as needed.
7. Apply a thin line of the black liner to the upper lash line and into the lower waterline.

How to Do an Electric Purple Neon Eyeshadow Look

The most daring color application of them all extends the color past your crease and into your eyebrow line. This is one of my favorite looks, and it is all about blending.

Makeup Used:

• Neutral pink: Burnout from the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette
• Grayish neutral: Darkside from Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette
• Bright Purple: 1985 by Urban Decay (single shadow pot)
• Light Purple: Blue Moon from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Pallete
• Black: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Intense Black

Instructions:

1. Apply a neutral base of concealer and eyeshadow primer.
2. Apply the primer all the way up to the eyebrows to give a good blending surface for the eyeshadow.
3. Use the neutral pink color Burnout to blend out between the eyebrows and crease so that the neon eyeshadow doesn’t end up too high on the lids.
4. Use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to blend the grayish neutral color Darkside from the outer lid to just before the inner edge of the pupil, following the natural line of the crease.
5. Use a wet brush to press the bright purple color 1985 into the eyelid from the outer corner to about midway above the pupil.
6. Use the fluffy brush to blend the bright purple into the grayish neutral.
7. Apply the light purple Blue Moon highlight to the inner corners using a clean fluffy eyeshadow brush.
8. Finish the look with a black winged liner and your favorite black mascara.

Neon Lipsticks

Not a fan of having color on your eyes? Try a neon lipstick instead. Neon lipsticks will add a bright color to your makeup routine without overpowering your look. They add a perfect complement to standard neutral makeup!

Neon lipsticks are fairly simple to apply, you just have to find one that is a finish and color that you love. In the photo, I’m wearing NYX Line and Load All-In-One Lippie, in the color Girl, Please. This color is a matte, long-wear liquid lipstick.

If you’re looking for a less natural neon color such as blue, I recommend NYX’s other line Liquid Suede. It has a similar look and feel, with colors such as blue, orange, and purple available.

Where to Buy Neon Makeup

There are so many places to get your hands on some neon makeup, but your best bet for finding makeup is going to be cosmetics-specific stores such as Ulta or Sephora. They carry the widest and most complete selections of brands, many of which carry lines of neon makeup that will be easy to compare in-store.

My Favorite Neon Makeup Palettes and Brands

Urban Decay

As you can see, I’m quite partial to Urban Decay! They have a variety of fun colors that pop so nicely in eyeshadow, eyeliner, and lipstick colors. The Wired palette is an excellent palette to invest in if you want multipurpose eyeshadow that can also be used as eyeliner.

BH Cosmetics

BH Cosmetics also has an excellent neon palette called Trendy in Tokyo. This sixteen-color palette would be incredibly gorgeous as eyeliner or eyeshadow.

NYX

If you prefer using liquid eyeliners to using a powder and a brush, turn to NYX Vivid Brights liquid eyeliner. It has the pigment, the staying power, and a microscopic tip to make your eyeliner go on perfect every time!

Is Neon the Same as Glow in the Dark?

Nope! Neon colors are fluorescent, which means that they will appear bright in daylight, but they won’t “glow” unless they are under a blacklight. Glow-in-the-dark colors are phosphorescent, which means they will glow in a dark space after being exposed to bright light beforehand.

Tori loves dying her hair all colors of the rainbow and shares her tutorials with others.

I dye my hair just about every three months and love choosing bright and interesting colors. Luckily for me, over the past decade, there has been an explosion of semi-permanent hair color brands that provide an impressive variety of colors. Recently I've been working my way through Arctic Fox's line of colors. I've also been on a cool-tone color streak, so the Arctic Fox Semi-Permanent Hair Dye in Violet Dream fit into my lineup perfectly.

Notes Before Starting

• My hair is naturally a medium-dark blonde, and very thick. I have found that most semi-permanent dyes don't stick to my hair if I don't lighten it first. I dye my hair frequently which means it gets lightened often, so I only lighten my roots now.
• You may need multiple bottles of dye depending on how long your hair is. My hair is just below my shoulders, so I typically purchase two bottles: one 8-ounce and one 4-ounce. That is enough to generously cover my entire head.
• Arctic Fox is a vegan, cruelty-free brand, which earns them major points. Because of their ingredients and formulation, you can think of this dye like a leave-in conditioner with coloring properties. You shouldn't have to worry about allergic reactions or damaged hair.

Supplies List

Step 1: Lighten Your Hair

The first step to dying hair any semi-permanent color is to lighten it. If your hair is naturally light blonde already, you can most likely skip this step. But if it's dark blonde, brown, or black, you'll need to lighten it. But be careful—lightening your hair too much or with the wrong products is what causes the most damage.

For lightening products, I am loyal to Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener mixed with 20 volume Sensitive Scalp developer. The creme lightener is much easier to work with than a messy powder lightener. This one also doesn't smell nearly as bad as others on the market. I have also experienced more even lightening and much less damage to my hair versus others on the market.

I lighten my roots only, right before I dye the ends. I mix a 1:1 ratio of developer to lightener, brush it on my roots using a tint brush, and process no longer than 10–15 minutes. If this is your first time lightening your hair, I recommend taking a look through this tutorial on how to use the product.

Once your hair has been lightened, let it air dry and wait a day to apply the dye. This gives your hair a chance to rest and dry naturally, since applying heat can cause damage.

If your hair was previously a bright color, try to fade it as much as possible using clarifying shampoo or jumping in a pool (I work at a pool, that's why I suggest this as an effective option), but you don't have to worry if there is still a little bit of color remaining. My hair was previously blue and there was a tiny bit of blue left once I faded it. I didn't mind having that underneath the purple because it helped provide a dimension as the purple faded.

Step 2: Applying the Dye

I always start by applying dye to my roots, following the below steps:

1. Section hair into four parts and tie them off, working with one section at a time.
2. Using the tint brush, paint the dye onto the root, making strokes about two inches in length.
3. Using the end of the tint brush, draw a thin line underneath the hair you just painted (like you would if you were parting your hair). Paint the back-side of that line of hair, and then paint the new section.
4. Keep drawing parts and painting the dye on until the whole section of roots has been covered.
5. Once the section of roots has been covered, use your gloved fingers to rub dye into the rest of the section of hair.
6. Once the whole section is saturated, pin it up onto itself and begin the next section.
7. Repeat steps 1–6 until all hair is saturated.

If you need to see how this is done, the video below from ElleBangs is a great visual example!

Step 3: Allow the Dye to Absorb

Because Arctic Fox hair dye contains only natural ingredients and no chemicals, it ends up being like a conditioning treatment. I prefer to let the dye stay in for 1–2 hours before washing it out. The conditioning portion of the dye really helps my hair feel hydrated and smooth. As far as the dye itself, two hours may be overkill, but it makes me feel like it will stay longer—especially since I work at a pool!

Step 4: Rinse and Dry

When it's time to rinse, DO NOT USE SHAMPOO THE FIRST TIME. Shampoo will pull out some of the color and ruin the evenness of the color deposit. You only want to rinse until the water runs clear.

After rinsing, I typically will dry with a hairdryer set to medium heat so as not to burn my hair.

Step 5: Maintain Your Color

• Due to my work schedule at the pool, I typically only wash my hair twice a week: Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. If you don't work at a pool and can make it to where you only wash your hair once a week, then the color will last longer.
• Use dry shampoo in between washes to keep the greasiness at bay. My favorite is Batiste Dry Shampoo.
• When you do wash your hair, make sure you are using a sulfate-free shampoo. Follow immediately with conditioner and lukewarm water, which I have found keeps the color runoff to a minimum. Rinse until there is no color runoff left.

Review and Conclusion

I already have a very positive view of Arctic Fox due to using their dyes in the past, but this color is really gorgeous and lasts a pretty long time. I loved this color so much I ended up dying my hair twice with it. I kept the color for two months, re-dyed at the two-month mark, and kept it for another two months before switching colors. Here are my takeaways:

• This dye makes your hair feel amazing.
• It is long-lasting and fades to a color that is just as pretty.
• The packaging isn't great. You lose about a half-ounce of dye because it's not a squeeze bottle and the dye isn't liquid (the bottle is hard plastic and the dye is conditioner consistency, so you can't squeeze the last bit out).
• I love that the company is vegan and cruelty-free. I would love it if they could add to that mission by eliminating plastic from their packaging and using something biodegradable, such as sugar cane resins, or simply using recycled plastics to manufacture their bottles would be awesome too.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

How I Got Started

Shortly before Thanksgiving last year, I was enthralled with gray hair and wanted to try it myself. However, I was torn because I wanted to do a bright color again too. I decided not to choose and ended up doing both.

I chose gray and red because I thought they would look pretty together, and that's pretty much it. There's not a whole lot of reference material on the internet for these two colors together, so I knew I was going in blind, but I had trust that it would work out just fine.

For my gray, I chose to use Ion Color Brilliance Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Titanium mixed with just a touch of Ion Color Brilliance Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Black. The photos of the titanium were just a hair lighter than I wanted mine to be, so adding just a tiny bit of black adjusted the shade to the darkness I wanted.

For my red, I chose Manic Panic Semi-Permanent Cream Color in Wildfire. This red online looked to be the vibrant red with a touch of orange tone that I wanted. If I do this hair again, I also think that Manic Panic's Rock 'N' Roll red would look absolutely stunning with the Titanium. Rock 'N' Roll red is more on the pinker toned side of red.

I found all of these colors and supplies at Sally Beauty Supply, but you can order everything you need from Amazon as well.

Supplies You'll Need

Step 1: Lighten Your Hair

The above picture is what I had right before I lightened my roots and began applying my dye. To give you a better idea, my hair was bright red with violet roots prior to this picture, so I'd say it faded pretty well.

Here's What I Do To Remove Color:

1. I work at a pool and teach swim lessons three days of the week. Normally I wear a cap, but when I'm ready to re-color my hair, I take it off and let the chlorine do the heavy lifting. It works pretty well most of the time.
2. I use a clarifying shampoo to remove a large portion of color deposits. Normally, I only wash my hair twice a week, but for two weeks before I dye my hair, I wash it three to four times a week (especially since I'm letting my hair get all chlorine-filled at the pool).
3. If I think there will be additional detrimental show-through color, I will use volume 10 developer and the lightener I mentioned in the supplies list above to remove some of it. I try not to do this on a regular basis since my hair has already been lightened a lot.

The remaining color deposits did not affect the final color at all, so if your hair is as faded as mine was in the picture above, don't worry. Generally speaking, if you're going darker than your faded color, you will not see any color show through, and that was the case here. If you are trying to go lighter, however, you may notice some issues. If you're concerned, you can use a toner such as Wella T-18 to even out your hair a bit.

Here's What I Do To Lighten My Roots:

Nowadays, when I lighten my hair, I only lighten my roots, because the rest of my hair has been hit with lightener enough that I don't want to damage it further. If you need more direction on lightening your entire head, take a look at the review and tutorial I wrote about Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener. These are the steps I follow to lighten my roots using this product.

1. Mix lightener and developer at 1:1 ratio in a tint bowl. Wear gloves while applying.
2. Section hair out into sections about 2x2 inch squares.
3. Starting on one side of the square, apply lightener with a tint brush. Be careful not to overlap the new lightener with any previously lightened hair by more than a quarter-inch to prevent breakage.
4. Using the pointy end of the tint brush, thinly part and flip the sectioned hair that you just painted to one side. Apply to the other side of the hair.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 moving your way through the square as quickly as possible until the whole square has been saturated with lightener.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for each square of hair.
7. Let sit until your hair has lightened the desired amount, or for 20 minutes—whichever comes first.
8. Rinse lightener out in the shower and apply conditioner.
9. If your hair is not the desired lightness, wait a day or two to give your hair time to rest, then repeat the process.

The video below from Ellebangs on Youtube is a great resource if you need help figuring out how to section and apply lightener or hair dye to your roots without missing any spots!

Step 2: Apply Color

The next step in the process after lightening your hair is to apply the color. To prepare for the color, I followed the following steps:

1. Part your hair across the back of your head in a straight line. I started my line at the top of one ear and drew straight across the back of my head to the top of my other ear. You may need a buddy to help you make sure the line is straight.
2. Pull back the bottom section so it's not in the way. You will first apply dye to the top section of hair.
3. Mix just a tiny bit of black dye, I would say no more than a teaspoon, with the Titanium color to make it just a bit darker.
4. Using the hair sectioning method shown above, apply the dye to your roots. If you are not confident in your ability to not get dye on the bottom section of hair, lay a piece of foil or saran wrap flat on the section that is not getting dyed to catch any dye that might drip on it.
5. Once your roots are finished, go back and apply dye down to the tips of your hair until it is fully saturated.
6. Pin the hair into a bun on top of your head within the gray section.
7. Take down the bottom part of your hair and prepare to add dye to it. A buddy may need to help you. My boyfriend helped me with this step.
8. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until your hair is saturated. Pin hair into a bun on the back of your head within the red section.
9. Allow the dye to process for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 3: Rinsing and Washing Your Hair

Because these colors are so different, I had to be very careful not to allow the red to bleed into the gray. Because of this, I was cautious while washing the dye out. In subsequent washes, I washed and rinsed the sections separately to ensure that minimal color bled.

1. Section your hair out into the respective color zones and tie back the gray section. You're going to rinse/wash the red section first.
2. Rinse or Shampoo and condition the red section. Once finished, tie back out of the way.
3. Tip your head over and rinse or shampoo and condition the gray section.
4. Once you're finished, you can towel dry the sections together. There is less likelihood of color bleed once the conditioner has been applied and rinsed out in the shower.

I washed my hair following these steps for the six weeks that my hair was this color. Thanks to this washing procedure, I was able to extend the life of both the gray and the red for the entire six weeks, and they faded beautifully.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I very much enjoyed using these two colors together. They worked well together and ended up looking incredibly vivid. I've always had good experiences with both Manic Panic and Ion Color Brilliance, and using these two colors together just showed how well these brands can work together despite being competitors.

I appreciate both brands' approach to package design. The Manic Panic tubs can be reused to store things or to plant tiny plants in, which I've done in the past. Both the Manic Panic tubs and the Ion Color Brilliance tubes allow me to get every last bit of color out of them, which helps me get the bang for my buck that I look for out of hair color.

Both colors lasted reasonably well (about six weeks), and I did not have any issues with colors bleeding onto my skin and clothes, although they did bleed into each other ever so slightly.

Overall, I would recommend both of these brands and these specific colors, especially together. I think they deliver an interesting, not-normally-seen visual, and it's definitely worth trying if you like to experiment!

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

How I Got Started

I'd been wanting to go back to blue for a while, but I wanted to try a new product. I'd never done split-tone hair, and I'd never used Arctic Fox before. My sister, who dyes her hair as frequently as I do, pretty much exclusively uses Arctic Fox nowadays, so I trusted it would be a good brand. I chose to use Aquamarine (Teal), Poseidon (Cobalt Blue), and Transylvania (Black) as the colors this time.

I got all my supplies from Sally Beauty, but Arctic Fox can be found online and at other retailers. I'll be sharing my opinions on the product as well as a tutorial for how I dyed my hair diagonally split toned in two colors.

I am not a licensed professional! Just an at-home hair dye DIYer. I love dying my own hair and think it's fun, and I've been doing it for years. Different methods work for different people with different hair types and colors, so make sure you are checking two to three reviews to ensure you are getting uniform information before lightening or dying your hair.

Supplies I Used

The Packaging

While I have found that I love Arctic Fox's hair dye itself, I have to say I dislike the packaging. Due to the hard plastic bottle, it doesn't squeeze out very easily. While I got most of the product out, there was probably still an ounce of product left in the bottle. I tried scraping the sides down with the end of my tint brush, but ultimately there was still at least a half an ounce of dye that I wasn't going to be able to get my hands on.

There is better packaging out there. Personally, I love Manic Panic's jar-style or Ion Color Brilliance's aluminum squeeze tubes, both of which allow you to get out all of the product that you bought with out a bunch of extra effort.

Step 1: Prep Hair for Color

The first step to putting bright colors into your hair is to lighten it.

When I lighten my hair I pretty much exclusively use Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener mixed with Ion Color Brilliance Sensitive Scalp Volume 20 Developer at a 1:1 ratio. These two products are hands down my favorite lightening products I've ever used, and I've tried several. They are so gentle on my hair while lightening it quickly, and the lightener doesn't dry out while it's on my hair which makes rinsing out a breeze. It also lightens incredibly quickly. For more detailed instructions on lightening your hair with these products, check out this tutorial on using them.

Since I've been lightening and dying my hair for a while, I never lighten my entire head anymore. I only do my roots. To begin the process, I used clarifying shampoo to remove as much of my old color (gray and red) as I could. I also work at a pool, so the chlorine helped remove a lot of the color as well.

When the old color in my hair had faded to my liking, I began the process of lightening my roots. In general, you will need to follow the below steps if you are doing only your roots.

Root Lightening Directions

1. Mix lightener and developer at 1:1 ratio in a tint bowl. Wear gloves while applying.
2. Section hair out into sections about 2x2 inch squares.
3. Starting on one side of the square, apply lightener with a tint brush. Be careful not to overlap the new lightener with any previously lightened hair by no more than a quarter inch to prevent breakage.
4. Using the pointy end of the tint brush, thinly part & flip the sectioned hair that you just painted to one side. Apply to the other side of the hair.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 moving your way through the square as quickly as possible until the whole square has been saturated with lightener.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 until all sectioned squares are saturated.
7. Let sit until your hair has lightened the desired amount, or no more than 20 minutes - whichever comes first.
8. Rinse lightener out in the shower and apply conditioner.
9. If the hair is not the desired lightness, wait a day or two to give your hair time to rest and repeat the process.

Step 2: Apply Hair Color

So when I first did this, I used the colors as they come in the bottle on my hair. I thought the Aquamarine turned out gorgeous, but the Poseidon turned out very bright cobalt blue. It was pretty, but it didn't go as well with the Aquamarine as I had hoped. Both colors looked great individually, just not together (to me). When you are taking a look through the tutorial and its photos, keep in mind that the photos of how I sectioned my hair are on the second try, where I mixed Transylvania (black) in with Poseidon to make it a little darker. By itself, Poseidon goes on very bright. Here are the steps I followed to dye my hair after it was lightened.

Color Application Instructions

1. Brush out hair. Using a skinny comb or the skinny end of the tint brush, draw a diagonal part that starts just above your eyebrow, goes behind your head, and ends just behind the ear opposite of the eyebrow you chose. I did from my right eyebrow to my left ear.
2. I wanted my part to be completely straight, so I had my boyfriend check it and make sure it was straight. You could make yours zigzag if you want to make the colors blend together a bit. That is up to you.
3. Starting with the hair above the part, apply Aquamarine throughout the roots with a tint brush. Be careful not to get dye on the south side of the part. If you aren't good at coloring in the lines, take a piece of foil or saran wrap and lay it flat over the top of the hair you don't want to dye, so that you can minimize contact.
4. After roots are completely covered, apply dye all the way to the ends. Wrap and pin into a bun.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the bottom side of your hair, using Poseidon mixed with your desired amount of Transylvania. I did about half a tablespoon of Transylvania mixed with 10 oz of Poseidon.
6. Allow it to set for 45 minutes to an hour. Rinse with a sulfate free, color safe shampoo until the water runs mostly clear. I do not use conditioner after this step because the Arctic Fox has conditioner in it.
7. Towel dry. Apply a spritz or two of leave in conditioner if you like.

You May Need Someone to Help

I was not able to do this hair coloring style entirely with my own two hands, mostly because my bathroom is not made of mirrors and I can't see the back of my head, so I enlisted my boyfriend to help me part my hair correctly and apply the dye in the back. My boyfriend didn't have the steadiest hand when applying the dye to the hair closest to my part, but I still appreciate him for helping me put it on!

Final Thoughts

In the picture above, you can see how the blues turned out. The Poseidon mixed with Transylvania was much closer to what I was thinking in my head - and in person, the colors really stood out against each other. I loved the variance I would get in braids and other types of hairstyles to show off the color.

Overall, I'm very pleased with these two blues from the Arctic Fox line and how I was able to use them. I love how vibrant they are, and the color lasted just about eleven weeks with two washes per week before I removed the color to move on to my next one. Here's a photo I took in a dressing room about ten weeks after the original dye job. It's not the best photo, but it shows how beautifully the colors faded.

Be Careful, This Color Will Bleed

My two main complaints are the packaging and the color bleed.

With the packaging, it is hard to get the entirety of the product out of the bottle, which makes me feel like I'm leaving money in the bottle, literally. A packaging redesign would solve that issue.

With the color bleed, for the first six weeks or so, every time my hair got wet either from the pool or the shower, I had to put it up away from clothing and skin until it was mostly dry, or else the colors bled. They did not bleed onto each other, which is a great thing, but worrying about my skin or clothes turning blue was a minor nuisance. There were a couple of times that I didn't put my hair up before I left the pool, and hours later I'd see myself in a mirror looking like I had killed a smurf and carried it on my shoulders.

If color bleed is an issue for you, just make sure that your hair is dry before you leave it down or go to bed so that it doesn't dye your stuff. If you do go to bed with wet hair, make sure you cover your pillows with a towel. The good thing is that the dye did wash out of all of my things that it got onto, but it's just a pain to have to worry about that.

I mentioned earlier that on the first try with these colors I did use Poseidon as-is with no Transylvania mixed in, but that I didn't like how it mashed with Aquamarine for myself personally. If you feel like you would like how they look together, here is the only photo I took of my hair from the first round, for your reference. It will give an accurate reference for what Poseidon looks like straight out of the bottle.

Overall, I give these colors an 8.5 out of 10. I love how vibrant they are and how long they lasted, but I just really want the packaging and color bleed to not be issues. I would absolutely use these colors from Arctic Fox again and I would recommend them to my friends despite these two issues.

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

I like to dye my hair just about every two months. What can I say? I get restless, and I'm constantly itching for a change. My hair is one of those things I can change fairly regularly that is relatively inexpensive compared to other things I like to do, such as traveling to new places or redecorating my apartment. I haven't been red since high school so after doing blues and greens, I was drawn to the warmth of the Little Mermaid-esque red produced by Manic Panic Rock N Roll.

Originally, I planned to apply it with Wella Color Charm Orange as the root. Unfortunately, I didn't think that was going to work mainly because of the blue that I had in my hair previously not wanting to come out all the way, so I was afraid orange would show up muddy and gross. Instead, I chose a Radiant Orchid by Ion Color Brilliance.

Step 1: Lighten Your Hair

Any time you want to dye your hair a bright jewel tone color, especially when that color is semi-permanent, you want to lighten your hair to blonde. Semi-permanent dye does not typically take very well on dark hair, so lightening is pretty much a must.

My go-to lightener combination is Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener mixed with volume 20 developer from the same brand. I recommend reading my tutorial and review I did on this product combo. It's the best!

In my case, before dying my hair red, I had been trying to strip out an extremely heavy-duty royal blue out of my hair that was listed as semi-permanent but really felt permanent.

I got my hair to a light sky blue, with my roots and ends being back to white-blonde before I did my color. I was confident that the brightness of the red would cover the blue pretty well.

After your hair has been lightened, rinse the lightener out using purple shampoo such as Ion Cool Blonde Toning Shampoo, which is my current favorite. It smells amazing and feels really nice on my hair! Don't forget to use a conditioner as well. After a lightening process, your hair will feel pretty gross without it.

After you get out of the shower, I highly recommend a spritz or two of It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In. This stuff is amazing and really helps keep my hair's integrity after a fresh lightening. Make sure to let your hair fully air-dry before going on to the next step.

Step 2: Apply Root Color

I always start any dye job by fully applying whatever I want my root color to be before doing anything else. Here's how I did it:

1. Place the Orchid dye in a bowl and put on your gloves.
2. Section out your hair and work in one section at a time.
3. Using your tint brush, paint out as far as you prefer to with the Orchid color. Make sure to paint down far enough that you can create a gradient with the orchid to fade into the red. I did about three inches total, with two inches for orchid and one inch for blending with red.
4. As you finish layers, use the tail of the tint brush to separate new layers to paint. You may need to get a buddy to do the back of your head.
5. Repeat this step until all roots are covered.

Step 3: Apply Red

The next step is applying the Manic Panic Rock 'n Roll Red. I didn't take a specific approach applying this since it was going over my entire head, so here are my directions:

1. Use your fingertips to massage the red into each part of your hair, working in small ponytail-sized sections all over your head.
2. Blend the red with the edge of the purple by sliding the hair in between fingers a few times until the colors have somewhat mixed together.
3. Leave dye to process for 30+ minutes (I usually do an hour or more).

The whole process of applying both dyes took me about 30 minutes, and the nice thing about using semi-permanent dye is that there are no harsh chemicals that can fry your hair if it is in for too long, which is why I leave it in for about an hour after application. The lighter the color you use, the longer you'll want to leave it in.

Step 4: Caring for the Color

Generally, my steps in caring for any color are pretty much the same:

1. Wash no more than twice a week with a sulfate free shampoo (my current favorite is Redken Micellar Clean).
2. Use a moisturizing conditioner to help lock the color in. I absolutely adore the OGX Coconut conditioners—they smell amazing and make my hair feel so good.
3. Apply a leave-in conditioner such as It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In that I mentioned earlier.
4. Air dry as much as possible, and in between washes use dry shampoo to keep away oils.
5. Wear a swim cap when you will be near any kind of chlorinated or salt water. It won't keep all the water out, but it will keep a lot of it out and prevent your hair from losing color as quickly.

My Opinions

I work at a scuba center and part of my job is teaching swim lessons, in addition to doing the marketing for them. Because of that, I am in chlorinated, salty water three days a week, which is a real test for semi-permanent dyes. I do wear a swim cap when I'm in the water, which preserves any colors that stay inside my cap.

As with any other semi-permanent dye I've used, the baby hairs at the nape of my neck were white-blonde again within three days, but the rest of my hair stayed a vibrant beautiful red for a couple of weeks before eventually fading to various shades of bright pink. I'm in love with how it faded, because with the blue that was still left in my hair it made these gorgeous little pink and blue highlights that you can see below in this picture I took at the 35-day mark.

In general, I am happy with how Manic Panic Rock 'N' Roll Red held up considering how often I'm in a pool compared to most people. At six weeks in, I'm very happy with what it's faded to as well.

My only problem is that I can't go to bed with wet hair because when I do, I wake up with red all over my pillow. At the very beginning, if my hair was wet and down instead of up, there would be some minor color transfer to my shirts. I tried to make sure to keep my hair up when it was drying so as not to ruin my clothes. Now that the color has faded quite a bit that's not so much of an issue.

That being said, I also want to note that I am incredibly impressed with the Radiant Orchid by Ion Color Brilliance. It wasn't on my ends so obviously, it stayed in just a tad longer than the red, but the fade is also gorgeous. Six weeks in I feel like the color payoff is still incredibly worth it. This is the most beautiful, vibrant shade of purple I've ever used in my hair.

Overall, I would recommend both hair colors for use, especially together!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

1. Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Lightening Creme + Developer

If you're looking to lighten your hair fast, using Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener is the way to go. Every time I use this product, I have amazing results and don't have to worry about crazy damage as long as I use it right. This creme lightener works on any hair shade.

The product comes in an easy squeeze tube, which makes it easier to clean up than traditional powder lightener that gets everywhere when you pour it. My only complaint about it is that the bottom of the tube is very stiff, so when you're almost out of product it is very difficult to get the last bit out.

Using this product is easy and hassle free. Here are some basic steps you can follow:

1. Mix on a 1:1 ratio with Ion Sensitive Scalp Volume 20 Creme Developer.
2. Use a tint brush to apply to sections of hair you wish to lighten. Make sure you apply on both sides of the hair, and using a gloved hand give the section a little massage to make sure it's all covered.
3. Leave in for 20-30 minutes or until you get to the desired level of lift, whichever comes first.

As with all lightening products, you do not want to leave this in for too long because it can damage your hair if you do. If you don't get the desired level of lift on the first round, wait a couple of days before trying again to make sure you don't fry your hair. I recommend using a leave-in conditioner or coconut oil in between rounds to make sure your hair does not get too dried out.

For a more in-depth tutorial on using this lightening method, I wrote a tutorial specifically for it, which you can check out here.

2. Sun-In Spray In Hair Lightener

Sun-In has been around for years, so it's no wonder it has made its way onto my list. If you're looking for more natural, subdued permanent lightening, Sun In is the way to go.

Sun-In is made mainly with hydrogen peroxide, and provides a subtle, gradual lightening effect that will give you beachy highlights. It works best on hair that is medium brown or lighter. If used on dark hair, it may cause the strand to turn orange. Sun-In is recommended for natural or highlighted hair and not a suitable product for lightening already dyed hair, as it may react differently with non-natural colors.

Application and use is much easier than other types of lighteners. Just follow a few simple steps:

1. Spray onto the section of the hair you'd like to lighten until the section is somewhat damp.
2. Either go out in the sun for a few hours or use a blow dryer. Heat is the agent that causes the lightening process to happen.
3. Repeat until you get your desired effect.

Sun-In is another product I've used so much in the past that I wrote a more in depth tutorial on what it is and how to use it, so check that out if you decide to go this route.

3. Vitamin C + Dandruff Shampoo

You might be thinking I'm a nut, but this really does work if you are trying to remove an unnatural color and go back to the previous color. Most of the time, if you have dyed your hair an unnatural color, you had to lighten it in order to get the unnatural color to stick. This is perfect for getting your hair back to that blonde or for lightening a dark jewel toned color up to a pastel tone.

The main downside of this type of hair lightening is that it takes time. You will probably have to do more than one treatment to achieve your desired level.

Simple steps to follow:

1. Crush Vitamin C tablets to a powder and mix with dandruff shampoo to make a creme.
2. Apply to hair and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
3. Wash out and repeat as many times as necessary to achieve desired level.

Below I've included a video from Missy Chrissy to help illustrate the before and after of using this concoction to remove or lighten hair.

4. Traditional Powder Lightener + Developer

The tried and true method of traditional powder lightener and developer is what you can always fall back on in case the methods above don't work for you. Powder lightener will work on any hair type, and works pretty similarly to the creme lightener I mentioned above.

I've used a few different types of powder lightener but my old faithful is Ion Color Brilliance Ammonia-Free Powder Lightener. I like buying the big jar because I dye my hair enough for it to be useful, but if you're only going to need a little bit it does come in packette form too. You can purchase this lightener at Sally Beauty Supply or Amazon.

When I use lighteners of any kind I try to stay away from those that contain ammonia, because ammonia can be more damaging than other chemicals and the smell also gives me massive headaches, which makes this powder lightener a step above the rest. Don't get me wrong - once you mix it with the developer there is still a smell but it's not nearly as strong as the death-pungency of ammonia.

Be careful how long you leave it in though—it can still be damaging to your hair if you let it sit for too long, especially if you're using a high volume developer with it. For safest results, I typically never go above a 20 volume developer to make sure I don't fry my hair entirely.

Easy directions for this powder lightener:

1. Mix at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio with Ion Sensitive Scalp Volume 20 Creme Developer. It will turn into a purple creamy foam.
2. Work quickly. Use a tint brush or gloved fingers to apply to section of hair that needs to be lightened (tint brush works better to make sure you don't miss any spots.
3. Don't leave on for more than 30 minutes. Rinse out and apply conditioner.

After using powder lightener with developer, I recommend using a leave-in or hair treatment mask before you start putting in your color to help alleviate any damage. Argan Oil or Coconut Oil are both great options (if you use coconut oil, it's more like a mask than a leave in. Make sure you rinse it out or else your hair will be a little greasy).

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

I love dying my hair! I recently had emerald green hair and decided to change the color. I'm a huge fan of jewel-tones, so I knew the next colors I chose were going to be along the same lines as the emerald. I also knew I wanted to challenge my dying techniques and not just do all one color with a shadow root again, so I chose to do three colors.

I wanted to dye it navy blue and fuschia with a dark gray root. This was a little daunting because it has been a long time since I've done an ombre and up to this point, I had not done one into another color at the same time before. Luckily for me, it was successful. Here's everything I used and how you can do it too!

Supplies

Step 1: Lighten or Fade Your Current Color

To start, jewel-toned colors look best on hair that has been pre-lightened and doesn't contain any other colors. Your hair doesn't need to be white, but it should be relatively light and any other bright colors you had before should be close to pastel.

My favorite hair lightener of all time is Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener mixed 1:1 with Ion Sensitive Scalp 20 Volume Developer. I use this lightener when I am trying to remove old color as well as when I need to lighten natural hair. I wrote a tutorial on how to use this hair lightener that you can find here. The tutorial goes very in depth so that you can make sure you use the product correctly.

Here are some quick reminder directions if you've already lightened your hair a time or two:

1. Mix equal parts lightener and developer.
2. Wear gloves apply to the sections of your hair that you need lightened, being mindful to cover every piece of hair to avoid patchiness.
3. Leave in for 20-30 minutes, then wash it out.

A warm sensation is normal, but don't leave the product in for too long in order to prevent damage.

When I began this dye job, my hair was very light pastel green (residual from my emerald) with golden brown from the shadow root, plus about a half an inch of my natural dark blonde. To prevent damage, I used lightener on the golden brown and my natural roots only.

After I lightened my hair, I also used a conditioning treatment to help alleviate additional damage. I tried the Ion Color Brilliance Effective Care Treatment Packette. It did work for moisturizing, but it did leave my hair feeling pretty waxy afterward. This may have been a result of not getting all of it out when rinsing, so if you use this one I do recommend a light, sulfate free shampoo to help you get all the residue out after you rinse the bulk of the product out.

Step 2: Prepare Your Dyes

Because you're doing multiple colors, you do not want to use the same tint brush to apply all three colors. Squeeze out your dye into three separate bowls.

For the gray root, I was a little concerned about the Titanium being too light for what I wanted, so I mixed it with black at a ratio of three parts titanium to one part black.

If you have longer than shoulder-length hair, I recommend purchasing two tubes of titanium and two tubes of Fuchsia because Wella and Ion's dyes both come in small tubes. I actually ran out of Titanium before I was done and had to switch to black mixed with conditioner, and I almost ran out of fuchsia. This being said, the blue from One 'N Only comes in a pretty large tube, so I only needed one.

Step 3: Section Hair

After your hair is lightened, make sure it is completely dry before starting this step. section your hair out into a few squares so that you can work in batches. It will make life easier. I usually end up with six or seven ponytails worth of hair on my head.

Step 4: Apply Color

To apply color, you'll need to follow the steps below. You'll be working these steps in sections.

Within each section, work with flat, even, tiny layers of hair at a time. Follow the below steps for each flat layer of hair.

1. Begin at the roots with gray. Bring the color in about two inches. If you want more gray, paint down a little farther. Once you've painted one side of the layer, flip it and paint the other side to ensure complete coverage of the roots.
2. Apply the blue, leaving about four inches at the end for the fuschia. Overlap the blue and gray dye, and use your fingers to blend them together.
3. After blue and gray are on, wipe your gloves with a paper towel so that any gray and blue doesn't contaminate the fuchsia. Using the same method of application, paint the fuchsia on the remaining hair and blend carefully with the blue using your fingers.
4. After an entire section is done, wrap the hair in tin foil or plastic wrap to keep the dye from getting everywhere. Allow the dye to set for 30 minutes to an hour.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of this step while dying my hair. I've included a video from Guy Tang that will help you to visualize the method I'm describing. Start watching right around the 14:40 mark to see how he applies and blends the colors together.

Step 5: Wash Out & Dry

After setting, rinse the dye out of your hair until the water runs clear. You can use a small amount of sulfate free color safe shampoo if you wish. I recommend spraying a leave-in conditioner such as It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In, which is my favorite one, after you get out of the shower.

Air drying is always best right after a lightening/dyeing session, but if you do choose to blow dry, use medium heat and a vented brush.

Overall Thoughts

I've never used Wella Color Charm before this, but I had heard good things and was willing to try it. I was blown away by the intensity of the color and the shine—it turned out amazing.

Ion & One N Only are two brands I'm constantly using and I was excited to try different colors from them. Both colors turned out beautifully. I am glad that I mixed a little black into the Ion Titanium to get a slightly darker look because I achieved exactly what I was looking for. I had a little trouble keeping the other colors off of the gray, which resulted in some splotchiness of pinks and blues mixed in with the gray. To prevent this, make sure your gloves are clean and free of residual dye before you start the next section.

Overall, I would recommend all of these brands and colors, and hope this tutorial helps provide some insight into how you can do an ombre with multiple colors too!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

I'm obsessed with emerald green. It's my birthstone color, but it's also hard to find cute things in this color that I would want to buy. Since I started dyeing my hair again, I've been itching to go emerald green. My problem with green hair is that a lot of the green hair dyes I see on the market are either too blue or too yellow—nothing in the emerald family. The dyes on the market that are emerald green seem to fade really quickly, or the color that it was previously dyed shows through after a few washes.

I finally found one that I liked, though, and had a great experience with it when the conditions to use it on my hair were right. In this article, I'll be telling you how you can dye your hair emerald green with a shadow root like I did, and how I took care of it to make it last almost two months before I started purposely lightening it!

Supplies List

Notes Before You Begin

Just to preface this with some conditions that made it right to dye my hair emerald green:

• In my past experience with emerald green, it shows best when your hair is in the yellow family with no other colors in with it. If your hair is yellow-blonde, as it fades it will continue to become lighter shades of green.
• If your hair was blue or white blonde prior to dying, then it will fade to a turquoise blue in those areas after a few washes.
• The dyes I used are semi and demi-permanent dyes but avoid chlorinated pools or saltwater to prolong the life of the color. If you have a job where you're in the water every day like I am, make sure to wear a swimming cap.

Step 1: Lighten Hair

This hair color works best on yellow blonde hair. The first step will be lightening your hair to the appropriate shade. If you've never dyed your hair before or have a large portion that is natural like I did, I recommend using Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener and 20 volume developer to achieve a great shade of blonde. Do not leave on for too long as you don't want to damage your hair or make it too white. For directions on lightening your hair using this lightener, check out this tutorial.

If you are trying to remove color from your hair that was previously there so that you can do this color, I recommend two things: go swimming in a chlorinated pool several days in a row and/or use One 'n Only Colorfix with Argan Oil to remove the previous color. If your previous color was blue, keep in mind that this green may fade to turquoise as a result.

Step 2: Shadow Root

If you want your entire head to be green, you can skip this step. I personally really like the look of dark roots with jewel-tone hair, and I also wanted to give my natural roots some time to grow out without being as noticeable. I chose a color that is darker than my natural color, which is a dark ash blonde. I used Ion Intensive Shine 4G Medium Golden Brown Demi Permanent Creme Hair Color.

There are a couple of ways to do this step. You can either apply the shadow root and the green hair color in the same step, or you can split them up and do them separately. I chose to do them separately because I don't typically work with hair color that requires developer, and I didn't want to leave the brown in for too long because of that.

You will most definitely need some assistance with this step because it is difficult to do the back of your own head. I made my boyfriend watch me do the sections I could see so that he could do the sections on the back of my head for me.

For this step, you'll need two tint brushes, a bowl for your conditioner, a bowl for your hair color, hair ties or clips, and gloves.

1. Mix 4 oz of creme developer with one tube of hair color. It will not appear to be the color you want on your hair immediately—mine was a golden color. It will darken over time. Put your conditioner in a separate bowl and place a tint brush in each.

2. Section your hair out with pony tail holders or with hair clips. I found this to be the best way to make sure the hair dye didn't get on parts of my hair that I didn't want it to while I was applying it.

3. This is where you will begin to paint your hair.

• First, start with taking down a section of hair from the pony tail holder. You are going to be working with very thin sections of hair at a time within the bigger section, so as you work, use the parting comb to get your next layer of hair to work with.
• Apply conditioner with a tint brush to your hair, only where you would like the dye to stop. I forgot this step when I was doing my hair, and I ended up with a brown root that didn't transition as well as it could into the green.
• After the conditioner is applied, use your second tint brush to apply the dye to the area between your scalp and the conditioner, taking care to blend the two areas just a little bit. Refer to the map below to understand how you are using the conditioner and dye in conjunction with each other.

4. Let the dye sit for 20–30 minutes and wash it out. You can blow dry or air dry your hair to prepare for the next step. I chose to air dry and do the green color the next day.

Step 3: Apply the Emerald Color

As I mentioned before, I chose to wait until the next day to apply my green color. I did this a little less precisely as the shadow root, but here are the steps I followed.

1. Section your hair out.
2. With gloved hands, apply the dye with your fingers to each section, using a comb to disperse the dye as needed throughout your hair. No need to worry about getting green on the dark brown, as it won't show up.
3. Move section by section until you are certain that all parts of your hair are covered.
4. Leave the dye in for 45–60 minutes, then wash out (this dye does not have any chemicals in it, so you don't have to worry about it harming your hair).
5. Style as you normally would!

Step 4: The Finished Product and How to Care For It

This emerald dye by One 'n Only is gorgeous and vibrant. It's exactly the right shade that I wanted. With a few extra steps, I was able to preserve the color for a long time with only a little bit of fading and color changes.

• Don't wash your hair every day. I tried to wait 3–4 days in between each wash. Use dry shampoo if your hair starts to feel greasy.
• When I did wash, I used Redken Micellar Sulfate Free Shampoo (use sparingly, you don't need a lot) and OGX Coconut Water Conditioner. After I got out of the shower, I sprayed in It's a 10 Miracle Leave In for additional softness. These are my three favorite magic products for upkeeping colored hair.
• Since my job is 50% being in a pool, I made sure to wear a swim cap every day to protect my hair color from fading. I'm glad I did because, at the base of my neck where some hair didn't fit into the cap, the dyes both completely faded out back to blonde. (I didn't mind though, it created a really cool effect when I braided my hair).

As you can see from the picture above, the fade was very nice! That picture was about four weeks after I dyed it. My ends turned a little bit more turquoise, but that is because they were white blonde before I dyed. The rest of my hair was yellow blonde. I believe I could have extended the color even longer, but about two weeks after I took this picture, I started allowing my hair to fade by not wearing a swim cap so that I could get ready to re-dye it.

The below picture is after about 15 hours of pool time and daily washings over the course of about 4 days, and as you can see it faded to a really pretty pale minty green.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I would definitely recommend this hair dye brand and color to anyone looking for a gorgeous jewel tone color, and I recommend the Ion Demi Permanent for the shadow root as well. It fades nicely and looks best on yellow blonde hair. I would definitely use it again!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2018 ToriM

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

Save Money and Wax Your Own Eyebrows

To put it simply, I love to save money. There are a lot of beauty services that I used to have done by other people that I love, but sometimes you gotta go into money-saving mode. How do you keep up your beauty routine without breaking the bank? You find the right product that works for you, and you learn how to do it at home. I've started doing this with nails, hair color, and eyebrow waxing, and I can't even begin to tell you how much money I've saved in the process. Plus, each time I do these services myself, I get better and better at them.

In this tutorial, I'll walk you through what I use to shape and wax my eyebrows, and how you can do it at home with the same easily accessible and affordable products. That way, you can get killer eyebrows on your own, and save a little cash in the process!

You Will Need...

To preface, I have used the Sally Hansen wax every time I have done my eyebrows at home. I have found that the wax works great, but if you have sensitive skin there may be some redness present afterward, so it's imperative that you moisturize after you are done. Apply aloe if needed as well.

In addition, the box comes with waxing strips and thick popsicle sticks to help with your waxing. For your eyebrows, the popsicle sticks that come in the kit are a little bit too large. I find that I make way too many mistakes and often pull too much hair out when I use the large sticks. For this reason, I recommend using smaller, skinnier sticks that will allow you to be more precise.

Step 1: Warm the Wax and Prep Your Station

Before you even start doing anything, you should first warm up your wax according to the package directions.

• Don't put in the microwave for more than three minutes. The wax will be way too hot and will take a long time to cool, and you don't want it taking your skin with it when you apply it.
• The wax shouldn't be completely runny liquid, but it should turn from a solid into a thicker type liquid.

While the wax is warming up, go ahead and cut the waxing strips to sections that are just about 1/2 inch by 2 inches.

• The waxing strips in the kit come large because you can use the wax for more than just your eyebrows, but you don't need to use a big strip for your eyebrows because they are smaller!

Step 2: Map Your Brows and Find Your Arches

Don't just start to wax your eyebrows willy-nilly. Possibly one of the most important steps to doing your eyebrows at home is mapping them out so that you get the shape you want.

• For any brow mapping, I like to use a white or light-colored liquid liner because my eyebrows are dark and furry caterpillars. The lighter color helps me see where I need to stay away from when waxing. I have found when I use darker eyeliners, I end up with bushier brows because I can't see anything.

As far as the mapping goes, there are two main ways to accomplish this.

Use an Eyebrow Stencil

• Anastasia Beverly Hills sells a really neat set of eyebrow stencils if you don't trust yourself to choose your arch yourself. I've used them before and they work pretty great!
• All you have to do is hold the stencil to your brow, and trace with eyeliner, powder or brow pomade.

Manually Map Your Eyebrows

1. Take an eyeliner or brow pencil and hold it straight up and down next to one of your nostrils, with the tip un-capped and facing up. You're going to make 3 dots/lines.
2. The first dot/line is going to be at the beginning of your brow, before you move the pencil.
3. To place your second dot, keep the pencil aligned with your nose and turn it on a 45-degree angle. Where the tip points, is where your arch should be.
4. The third dot will determine where the tail of your brow should end. Turn the pencil again between a quarter and a half an inch, keeping the base aligned with your nostril. Where the tip points, is where the tail should end.
5. Next, connect the dots on both the top and bottom of your brow, as close to the hairline on both sides as possible. You will end up with the outline of an eyebrow. Make sure the lines that you draw are straight.
6. If you want to you can fill in the center of the shape you just drew. This method is good to watch a few times before you try it, so I've included a video below that can show you these steps visually, from the Youtube Channel Look Good, Feel Better featuring Benefit Cosmetics' Jared Bailey.

Step 3: Set Eyebrow Hairs and Wax

Before you start waxing, it is a good idea to set your eyebrow hairs in place with some brow gel or hair gel and a spoolie. If you're like me and your eyebrow hairs are really long, they need to be in place. If they aren't, you may accidentally catch the end of one with wax while you're applying it which may result in bald patches.

1. Set the hairs so that they are inside the lines you drew on with eyeliner.
2. After everything appears to be in place, then you can start the waxing process.
3. The wax should be still warm, but also cool enough that it won't burn your skin.
4. Choose which brow you're going to start with and which area. I recommend starting above your brow closest to your nose.
5. Take just a little bit of wax on the end of a small popsicle stick and place along the line of your arch, outside of the colored outline you drew earlier.
6. Press a waxing strip gently into the wax, being careful to press away from your eyebrow. If you press towards your eyebrow, the wax may spread too close to your eyebrow and pull hairs that you don't want pulled.
7. Once the wax has set into the strip, quickly rip the wax strip off in the opposite direction of the hair growth pattern. Since hairs grow pointing towards the outside of your face, you will want to pull the strip off towards the inside of your face. If you are waxing hair in between your eyebrows above the bridge of your nose, you will want to pull down towards your mouth.
8. Do not go over an area more than once with a wax strip. If you do, you will either come away with an angry red rash that takes a few days to go away, or you may pull skin off. The skin on your face is very delicate, so you don't want to overwork it. If the wax strip misses a hair or two, you can pull those out later with tweezers.
9. Repeat the waxing process on all sides of your brows until you have hit each edge of your outline, then proceed to the next step!

Step 4: Tweeze Any Strays and Wash Your Face

1. Before washing off your outline and brow gel, take a pair of tweezers and clean up any individual hairs that may have been missed by the wax. Be careful not to tweeze inside your outline.
2. After you have cleaned up the strays, use a gentle face wash and rinse the outline and brow gel off your face.
3. After you rinse, apply the azulene oil that comes in the kit. Azulene is derived from chamomile, which is a soothing tea leaf. The oil helps with inflammation and to calm down any redness.
4. If you don't like the azulene oil (I tend to find that it is a little too shiny), you can use aloe or some other soothing lotion or oil that will help calm the redness after waxing.
5. Once the oil has absorbed in, apply your regular facial moisturizer.
6. Once you have washed your face, move on to the final step!

Step 5: Trim the Hairs

You may not need to do this if you have naturally shorter brow hairs, but as I mentioned before, my brows resemble caterpillars. My hairs are very long, so I have to finish with a trim in order to make sure they all stay within my new brow shape!

1. Take a spoolie and brush the hairs straight up. if you have trouble getting them to stay straight up, you can use a little bit of brow gel to help.
2. Once the brow hairs are straight up, trim along the top line of your brow towards the inside of your face with brow scissors.
3. Brush the hairs back into place and repeat on the other brow.

Now you have officially waxed and shaped your own eyebrows at home! If you're getting ready to go somewhere, apply concealer and fill your brows with your favorite pomade, powder, or pencil, as I have done here. I hope you found this tutorial helpful and I look forward to bringing you more at-home tutorials in the future!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

Why Do a Spa Pedicure at Home?

If you're like me, you love going to the nail salon and getting a spa pedicure, but you don't love the price tag. For me, going to the nail salon and having my fingers and toes professionally done is a treat, not something I can pay for every couple of weeks. But here's the problem: what do you do when you are broke and your feet are starting to look like Frodo's?

I started doing my own pedicures about two years ago. With the purchase of some simple tools to keep in the shower, I am able to keep my feet flip-flop ready and free of uncomfortable and scratchy calluses all the time. All you need to do is follow this routine every couple of weeks when your feet start to feel a little scratchy again, and you're in the clear!

As a precursor, for me, this takes a few hours because I like to be extra moisturized. So if I were you I would set aside a few hours on a Sunday afternoon to do your pedicure!

Step 1: Apply Lotion or Oil

My feet get extra dry and super callus-y, so the first step I do before I do anything else is apply lotion or oil to clean feet and put socks on for at least 30 minutes before soaking my feet to prepare for callus removal. The softer your feet are, the easier it is to remove calluses.

If I'm using oil, I will use either coconut oil or argan oil. If I use lotion, I will use an unscented one. Slather on a thick layer and then put socks on for thirty minutes before starting your foot soak and scrub!

Step 2: Soak and Scrub Your Feet

I'm on my feet all day at work, so my feet are very callused and rough after a couple of weeks without treatment. Calluses aren't something you can slough off dry. It's uncomfortable to do so. The first thing you have to do is soak your feet. There are a couple of different soaks you can do depending on what your foot problems are.

First off, no matter what you decide to put in your foot soak, you should always put in Epsom salts. Epsom salts are made with magnesium and sulfate, two minerals that are essential in human body processes that we don't get enough of. Magnesium and sulfate can be absorbed through your skin and can help with muscle aches and pains, too. (Source)

My favorite foot soak is warm water with peppermint oil, Epsom salt, and a little bit of vinegar. I know the vinegar piece sounds a little weird, but vinegar acts as a disinfectant which can help prevent or manage fungal problems (Source, Source). You can do this soak in your bathtub or in an extra-large plastic bin. I typically do it in my bathtub with the water-filled up to my ankles. I eyeball the measurements, but it is about two cups of Epsom salt, a cup of vinegar, and several drops of peppermint oil.

If you used coconut oil in the previous step to help soften your feet a little bit, you may have to rinse your feet off before placing them in the soak. Argan oil or lotion should have fully absorbed. I like to let my feet sit for 15 minutes before I start using my tools to get those calluses off.

While my feet are soaking, I have a scrub that I absolutely love that I will apply to my feet and calves. Mix equal parts coffee grounds and sugar with just enough olive oil to make a paste. Coffee grounds have caffeine, which is proven to tighten skin and minimize the visibility of cellulite (Source). The grounds plus the sugar also act as an exfoliant, which is why I apply it to my feet too. And the olive oil, of course, acts as a moisturizer.

Rinse off the scrub when you're ready for the next step!

Step 3: Slough Off Those Calluses

Calluses are the most annoying part of keeping up your feet, especially if you are a little ticklish, but here's an easy way to think about taking them off. It's just like sanding wood. The coarser the grit that you use, the more that will come off, but the surface will still be rough, so you follow with finer and finer sandpaper until the surface is smooth.

Start with a metal foot file that resembles a cheese grater. File away on all of the roughest parts of your foot—heel, big toe, and big toe joint—to remove as much of the callus as possible. This is possibly the most important tool you will need and you will see immediate results from using it.

The next important step, as I mentioned, is using a finer file to remove the rest of the calluses and smooth the skin. I love using the Earth Therapeutics Diamond Foot File because it is double-sided and has an extra file in the handle to help with smaller hard to reach places. One side of the file is a little bit coarser and the other side is super fine.

These files work best when your feet are wet. Don't drain your foot soak solution, as you can continue to use it while you are filing. You will also be able to use the soak to rinse your feet when you are done and ready to move on to the next step.

Step 4: Lotion Up

After I get the calluses off and my feet are dry and smooth, I always take unscented alcohol-free lotion and slather it on once more under a pair of socks. This is always a good followup to a soak to lock in moisture and keep your feet softer for a little longer.

I usually will let my feet rest in the socks and absorb the lotion for about 30 minutes before starting the next step, which is painting my toes!

Step 5: Beautify Your Toes

After you've finished the grunt work, you can continue on to the actual pedicure part of the process if you like. If you don't care or don't want nail polish on your toes, you can skip most of this step!

Start by clipping your toenails to the desired length. If you are keeping them a little bit longer, use a nail brush to clean the undersides of your nail. I personally prefer my toes clipped down as short as they will go.

After your toes are clipped, you can use a cuticle trimmer to trim extra cuticle if you need it. I don't usually have to do that because I don't have a lot of extra cuticle on my toenails to worry about.

Next, you can paint your toes. Start with a clear base coat. If you don't apply a base coat, you risk the nail polish bleeding through your nail. When you go to remove it, your nail will have a tinge of whatever color the nail polish was. I really like using ORLY Rubberized Base Coat because it has the best staying power out of every other non-gel nail polish I've ever used. After your base coat, apply the color and a top coat to seal it in. Use a Q-Tip dipped in acetone to correct any mistakes.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

Does Sun-In Really Work?

I've been using Sun-In since high school. It works great if you've got natural hair that you're trying to lighten just a shade or two, or if you are looking for a way to add some natural-looking highlights into your hair for the summer!

Sun-In is a less stressful alternative to bleaching your hair and much cheaper than going to the salon if you're just looking for a little bit of a change. There are a few ways to use it depending on what you're looking for and how fast you want to get there.

In this article, I'll tell you all about Sun-In, what makes it work, and the different ways you can use it to achieve the natural blonde highlights or all-over lightening that you're looking for so that you're prepared for the spring and summer months!

About My Hair

To start off, I'll tell you a little bit about my hair, so you can get an idea of what Sun-In will do for your hair. My hair is naturally dark blonde, and does tend to go towards the yellowy side when I lighten it. My individual hairs are actually pretty thin, but I have a lot of it, so my hair is pretty thick when you put it in a ponytail. The last time I used Sun-In, my hair was down to my waist, so I did have to use a couple of bottles over time to achieve the look I was going for.

Sun-In: What Is It?

Sun-In is a spray-in hair lightener that has been around for over 30 years. It uses two main lightening agents to help lighten your hair: hydrogen peroxide and lemon juice. The spray also contains a couple of other ingredients to help moisturize hair and protect your scalp while you're using it, such as aloe vera leaf juice and chamomile flower extract.

Overall, Sun-In is pretty safe for your hair no matter which method you choose to use it to lighten with, and will not cause damage to your hair.

As a side note, Sun-In may react differently if your hair is previously dyed. If you have dyed your hair a dark color it may turn out more brassy than it will if your hair is natural. Also, if you have naturally dark colored hair, it may take a lot longer to achieve the desired results. Sun-In works best on medium to dark blonde hair.

Sun-In has two different bottles that they sell, and I've used both of them. One comes in a pink bottle and is labeled "Tropical Breeze," and the other one comes in a yellow bottle and is labeled "Lemon." I haven't really noticed much of a difference between the two of them other than the smell. They both work the same and give the same gradual lightening transition over time. I do prefer the smell of the lemon, though!

You can purchase Sun-In at a variety of different places, and it is pretty inexpensive. You can find both kinds on Amazon, or at Walmart or Target, with one bottle being between six and eight dollars no matter where you purchase from.

Step 1: Spray or Paint

There are a few different ways you could use Sun-In to achieve your desired highlighting effect prior to applying heat.

Let's say you're just looking for one section of your hair to be lighter, such as your bangs, a chunky streak, or only the pieces lining your face. Because Sun-In comes in a spray bottle, it can be a little tricky to aim it to apply only to small sections. For smaller sections, unscrew the cap and dip a 1/4 inch paintbrush into the bottle. Paint the liquid on to the strand you are trying to lighten, and then apply heat in your preferred method.

If you want the bottom half of your hair (closest to your neck) to stay dark and you only want highlights on the top portion of your hair, section out the bottom half of your hair and put it in a bun, and cover with plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Then spray the Sun-In onto the hair that you are looking to lighten and comb through to evenly distribute the spray.

If you just want a few pretty highlights, Pull out the strands you want to highlight and hold them straight. Spray the solution on and use your fingers or a comb to evenly distribute throughout the strand. If you're not confident in your spraying ability, you could use the paintbrush for this as well.

For all-over lightening, spray liberally everywhere on your hair and comb through to evenly distribute the mixture. If you choose this, depending on the length and thickness of your hair, you will be using more. To protect myself from running out when I'm not done, I always buy two bottles as a safeguard.

From here, there are two different methods you can use to get the Sun-In to work!

Step 2: Activate the Product

Option 1: Sit in the Sun

As its name indicates, Sun-In provides subtle highlighting to your hair as you sit in the sun. So naturally, the first method that I'm going to recommend is to lightly spray it in your hair while it is dry, and go to the beach or the pool for a few hours. The more of the spray that is in your hair, the more highlights you will have, so spray liberally. You will probably not notice a difference right away, but after a couple of visits outside regularly, you will start to notice natural-looking highlights coming out of the woodworks. Make sure you rinse your hair after you are done!

If you choose to get in the water with Sun-In in your hair, it will wash out and the desired effect most likely won't be achieved as quickly, so just be mindful of that. If you've already been out for a couple of hours and you're ready to jump in and don't mind it washing out, don't worry about it! If you do get your hair wet you can always spray more in after you get out. However, the water in your hair may dilute the spray's mixture, so just be mindful of that.

Keep in mind that you probably don't want to wear your hair in a ponytail or other kind of style while Sun-In is in your hair. Because it uses heat from the sun, parts that are not exposed to direct heat from the sun will not lighten. That means that you may end up with a faint line where your ponytail holder was. So, it's best to keep your hair down and just keep rotating which side of your head your hair is on so that all parts of your hair will get enough sunlight for the lightener to take effect!

Option 2: Spray In and Apply Heat

I am an impatient person, so I'm going to be honest with you when I say this is my preferred method! The reason for that is because it works a lot faster than sitting in the sun all day. Plus, my family does have a history of skin cancer, so I do like to limit my sun exposure and usually stay covered with a towel or light blanket when I am in the sun (in addition to wearing lots of sunscreen).

When you're using a hairdryer you'll want it on the hot setting. Now I will preface this by saying your hair will not be immediately six shades lighter, it will still take time. All you need to do is spray the Sun-In on the desired sections of hair (or all over, if you just want a shade lighter everywhere like I typically do). Use a vented brush and a blow dryer to heat your hair up and blow dry for about 10 minutes or longer depending on the length of your hair.

As I mentioned, Sun-In works via heat application, not actual sunlight, so this is why this method works too. You can repeat this process every day on dry hair until you achieve the desired level of lightness. If you wanted to you could probably do two rounds in a day.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: My hair is dirty blonde I’ve used this product twice and my hair is almost orange. Should I continue using the hair lightening product I have been or would it make my hair worse?

Answer: You can continue using the product, but I would recommend a toner and a purple or blue shampoo depending on the shade of orange once you have achieved the lightness you are looking for. Wella Color charm T18 is a great toner, and I like Ion's purple and blue shampoos. That will help get it towards a neutral tone!

Question: How long should I wait to blow dry my hair after applying the Sun-in?

Answer: I usually put the sun in into my hair and then immediately blow dry!

Question: Does Sun-in spray continue to lighten your hair after it has dried?

Answer: Yes - if it dries and you are in the sun afterwards it will continue to subtlely lighten until you wash it out.

Question: How many washes until Sun-In comes out of hair?

Answer: The effects of Sun-In are not able to be washed out. It contains peroxide and is lightening the natural color of your hair.

Question: For the before and after pictures included at the top of this article, how many applications of the sun did it take to achieve the end result?

Answer: Daily applications for about two weeks!

Question: After lightening your hair using Sun-In spray, do you just go on with your day or do you need to rinse it off after you have finished drying or heating your hair?

Answer: You can go about your day! No need to rinse it unless you want to.

Question: What is the difference between the pink and the yellow Sun-In bottle?

Answer: The scent. Nothing else is different. I've used both and they both work fine. The yellow bottle smells a little more lemony and the pink bottle smells like lemon with flowers (as much as a mixture like this can smell like either of those things).

Question: If I want a natural look; can I spray Sun-in randomly all over my hair? or will it turn out uneven

Answer: This product is really subtle, so however you spray it in your hair it will look pretty natural.

Question: Can I straighten my hair after using Sun-In without rinsing it first?

Answer: You can but I would be careful because a straightener is also a source of heat and will lighten your hair further if you use it while the product is still in your hair.

Question: Why did my fingertips turn white with white spots on my fingers when using sun-in?

Answer: I'm not sure, but sun in does contain chemicals such as peroxide that have lightening qualities which is why it works on hair. I've never had issues with it lightening the skin on my hands before but I think if you give a few weeks for the skin on your fingers to regenerate it will go away. If you begin to get itchy or feel burning it may be an allergic reaction and you should see a doctor right away.

Question: I'm allergic to most hair dyes, can sun in hair lightening cause the same reaction?

Answer: It's hard to say. You aren't allergic to hair dye, you're allergic to an ingredient in hair dye, and dye is different than Lightener. I would go back and try to figure out what ingredient in hair dye you might be allergic to, and if sun in contains any of the same ingredients as the hair dye that caused a reaction then don't use it.

Question: If I have medium brown hair. Can I "bleach" it with Sun-in?

Answer: You could but it would take a really long time. I would recommend using 20 volume developer with Ion bright white creme Lightener if you are trying to go for anything other than natural highlights.

Question: Will the sun-in wash out of my hair if I take a shower?

Answer: Nope - lightening products are permanent.

Question: I have been using Sun-In on my roots and it has lightened but it seems to have stopped getting lighter. Is that normal? Also, I’ve dried it with the hairdryer and then sat with a bag on my hair to keep it warmer would that help?

Answer: It could help to use the bag to keep the warmth close to your head! As far as lightening stopping, this is a gentle lightener and it doesn't work very fast. Your hair has probably reached a level of light where it's hard to see changes without taking a before and after picture. If you are trying to get your hair to platinum blonde I would recommend using developer and Lightener such as Ion bright white creme developer, with a toner applied afterwards such as Wella t18.

Question: Can you use Sun-In hair lightener on highlighted hair?

Answer: Yes, you certainly can! I have done so before with no issues.

Question: How do you cover up your roots using Sun-In spray?

Answer: When using Sun-In, your roots should be treated the same as the rest of your hair. If you want them light like the rest of your hair, concentrate the spray in your roots and use a blow dryer to achieve the desired level of lightness.

Question: Should my hair be wet before I apply Sun-In?

Answer: You can do it either way. I typically apply it on dry hair, but it can also be wet!

Question: I've used Sun-In but now want to have my hair professionally highlighted, what do I need to tell my stylist?

Answer: To be honest, since sun-in is so gentle, if I were you, I wouldn't bother because it's not going to have much of an effect on your stylist's ability to put new highlights in. If you're concerned that it might, then just be honest with her/him. A good stylist isn't judgemental of home solutions and is going to help you achieve the look you want.

Question: How many applications of sun in did it take to achieve the third picture with the blondest hair? About how many bottles did you go through?

Answer: I was applying sun in to my hair every day for a couple of weeks because I was in the sun everyday. I'd say probably two or three bottles with daily application!

Question: I only want a few slightly lighter streaks in my hair. How do I achieve that with Sun-In Spray?

Answer: You have two options! Either you can pull your hair into a bun and then spray all over, or you can braid your hair into pigtails and spray all over, then hang out in the sun. If you're looking for subtle highlights, I don't recommend blow drying as that lightens it faster and lighter.

Question: Can I straighten my hair after using Sun-In spray?

Answer: Yes, you can - you can style as normal, but as you normally would when straightening hair I highly recommend a heat protectant to prevent damage. I love Paul Mitchell's Hot Off The Press spray!

Question: I have strawberry blond hair and Sun-In spray makes it more orange! should I keep putting it in to make it lighter or should I stop using it?

Answer: Grab yourself a good toner such as Well T-18. Follow the package instructions. A toner will get the color away from orange. You can keep lightening it, but it will still have an orange tint without a toner. After your toner, make sure you shampoo at least once a week with a purple or blue shampoo for maintenance so that you can stay away from the brassiness of orange.

Question: What type of shampoo should I use with Sun-in spray?

Answer: Whatever you normally use is fine, though I tend towards sulfate-free shampoos personally! Right now I'm using Redken Clean Maniac shampoo and OGX coconut milk conditioner.

Question: Does Sun-In hair lightener eventually come out of your hair? Or will it stay in forever?

Answer: It stays in forever -- it is a hair lightener, not a dye, so the color your hair turns is there for good.

Question: I have medium brown hair and still have seen results after 3 days! Does lightening take longer for medium brown hair?

Answer: It can take longer depending on the methods you are using. This is a very subtle hair Lightener that is not meant to be instant bright blonde - it's best over time, even if you use a hair dryer. Continue using it over the summer in the sunshine and you will notice a difference for sure. If you use a hair dryer, it will lighten faster, but it also depends on your hair type as well. If you would like a brighter lightening faster, I recommend seeing a professional for highlights. or if you want to be full blonde you can try Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener with a 10 or 20 volume developer (but that is to go BLONDE blonde, not for subtle highlights!)

Question: I have light brown hair and I used to be super blonde and I really dont want orange hair, should I still try Sun-in?

Answer: If your hair is light brown from being dyed light brown, I wouldn't do it. If your hair is naturally light brown you could use sun in and then follow up with a toner, but if you're looking for platinum hair I would just use Ion bright white creme Lightener and volume 10 or 20 developer instead of sun in, because sun in is meant for subtle changes.

Question: Do you have to wet your hair before you use Sun-in? And is it ok to put your hair in a pony tail when You used Sun-in?

Answer: You do not have to wet your hair and it is ok to do a ponytail after you have finished being in the sun or using a hair dryer but I don't recommend it during because the hair underneath the pony tail holder will not lighten evenly!

Question: How long should you be out in the sun while using Sun-In hair lightener to get hair really light?

Answer: If you are trying to get it really light, I'd use the hair dryer method to save you time because it would probably require several consecutive days of sunshine to lighten it several shades.

Question: Are you supposed to wash your hair and dry it with a towel right before using Sun-In hair lightener?

Answer: No, you don't have to! You can spray it right on dry hair.

Question: How long does the Sun-In hair lightener last after use?

Answer: The product itself will wash out after you wash your hair but its lightening effects are permanent.

Question: Is it better to use Sun-In hair lightener on wet or dry hair?

Answer: I prefer using on damp hair but you can use it on either.

Question: When you apply the product for the second time, do you do it on top of your first application or you wash your hair then do it for the second time?

Answer: That is totally up to you. I have done both and had similar results each time.

Question: I’ve never used Sun-in before. I have dark brown hair I was born with almost strawberry blonde hair naturally. If I used it, would my hair turn red?

Answer: It will probably turn coppery orange before it turns blonde and it will take several uses before turning fully blonde. The best way to find out is to test it on a small hidden strand of hair first before doing your whole head.

Question: Can I wash my hair like normal after using Sun-In hair lightener and blow-drying, or do I need to wait a period of time?

Answer: Nope, you can wash your hair like normal.

Question: How long does it take to see results when using Sun-In spray hair lightener?

Answer: It depends on how light your hair already is, but typically on my dirty blonde hair I notice results after two or three uses in the sun or just one use if I'm using a hair dryer!

Question: Do you need to shower before applying the sun-in?

Answer: No you do not!

Question: How long does it take to see results after applying Sun-in for the first time?

Answer: Depending on how dark your hair is it may take a while to notice results. For me it's usually 2 or so times before I notice a changes, but take a before and after picture to confirm that you are seeing changes.

Question: When you apply Sun-in, you don’t wait for anything right? After you spray or comb it with the bottle, you straight up go blow-dry your hair? Or do you wait like 30 minutes and then blow dry it?

Answer: I go straight into blow-drying!

Question: How long should I keep the Sun-In hair lightener in my hair?

Answer: As long as you like. You can reapply it if you decide to use it for multiple days straight.

Question: Can Sun-in be used on eyebrows?

Answer: I have never tried but you could try if you're not using a hair dryer. I would be hesitant of applying heat that close to my eyes. If you're looking for blonde eyebrows it may be better to use a lightener + developer combo such as ion Bright White Creme Lightener mixed with 10 volume developer.

Question: Can you apply Sun-In twice a day?

Answer: You could, I have done so before. If you are getting in and out of a body of water while using sun in you would need to reapply just like sunscreen because water will take the product out.

Question: Will I see results after one time of spraying my hair with Sun-in?

Answer: It depends on what color your hair was previously and how much you saturated your hair. If your hair was fully saturated with product and you have light brown hair you will probably see results after the first try.

Question: Does sun in damage your hair? Are there different shades for a specific hair color?

Answer: Just like any lightening product, your hair can be damaged from Sun In, but it takes a lot of sun in to cause noticable damage. There are not specific shades.

Question: Thank you, I have also been using Sun-In since I was a teenager, I will be 50 very soon. I don't think I've ever put in on dry hair until today! It works just as well... I was wondering if it has an expiration date? I couldn't find one.

Answer: Honestly I don't think it does because it's a peroxide formula. If I had a bottle from a few years ago I would still use it!

Question: How long should I wait after blow-drying to shower?

Answer: You can shower immediately.

Question: Where can I purchase Sun-In hair lightener?

Answer: Sun-In is available at many retailers including Amazon, Walmart, and your local drugstore.

Question: You state to use a hair dryer brush, but is it o.k. to use a hair dryer comb when using the blow dryer method?

Answer: Yes if you are more comfortable with a hair dryer comb you absolutely can!

Question: I can use Sun-in at night right...?

Answer: Yes absolutely! Just use a hair dryer to see results since you don't have the sun.

Comments

ToriM (author) from Atlanta on February 11, 2021:

Hi Annette, I'm not entirely sure about availability outside of the US but you might be able to find it at target or walmart who should ship internationally!

Rachel on May 26, 2020:

I love using sun in lemon but have never been sure whether I have to wash it out or not? I usually do it in the morning and deep condition at night.

Annette on April 22, 2020:

Where can I buy sun in from struggling to find somewhere in Tasmania or Australia or a website that is not out of stock

Mack on March 23, 2020:

Does it come out

Faith Kuszay on March 02, 2020:

Can I use sun in in between getting my hair colored? I want it for my bangs

Colleen on January 08, 2020:

Be careful when using the blow drier method, if you hold it one spot for too long you can burn off a chunk of hair like I did!

Kathryn on January 08, 2020:

P.S. you can even spray sun in on your hair and put on a hat and it will still work because the hat will keep the heat from your head from escaping so your hair will still get warm.

Kathryn on January 08, 2020:

Your post has some inaccuracies. Hydrogen peroxide and lemon juice will still lighten your hair without heat applied but heat makes your hair more porous and will increase the lightening effects. That being said, heat from the sun will still lighten the bottom layers of your hair, you don’t need to have each section exposed. Hydrogen peroxide can absolutely damage your hair! Be cautious of putting your hair in a pony tail after using sun in because this can cause breakage and leave you with some unintentional layers.

lillianJane21 on October 20, 2019:

I LOVE SUN IN. and not just me... my boyfriend says i look hotter blonde (hes not wrong) and but he also disaproves of that because ALL the guys are after me now. Its like by completley changing my body, style and look they all want me. im pretty darn sure its bc of my new blonde hair. i used 21 bottles (yes it SOUNDS LIKE A TON buuut i used a bottle a day for 3 weeks and my hair went from brown to platinum in less than a month) SO I ABSOLUTLEY LOVE SUNIN ohh and another thing. i did my hair riht before a trip to mexico on a cruise and i couldnt walk from my room to the pool without AT LEAST one guy asking for my number ANDsome woman telling me how pretty i was or how much she liked my hair. Id like to say sunin "made me a total chick"(quote from Jack my bf) so yeah thats what i have to say on that. BUY SUNIN IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE IT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY AND if youre lucky you might get a few guys too ;)

catie on October 20, 2019:

im so excited to try sunin. i have REALLY LONG AND REALLY THICK hair so i bought 9 bottles (my hair is down to my calves and sooo thick) hopefully it works bc i just spent $63+tax. still WAY cheaper than any salon though. Im really really excited!! Ill post about it on my blog if you want to see. lilyshair.com

check it out!!!! luv u guys remember to have an awesome day... OH and inspiring quotes of the day

-dont accept criticism from people you wouldnt go to for advice

-once you start seeing your worth youll find it harder so sty around people who dont

-you are beautiful. period.

-be who you are and say what you say because people who mind dont matter and people who matter dont mind (dr seuss)

-yer a wizard harry and a bloody good one too

luna on August 05, 2019:

Sun in actually works!

Nayvee on July 21, 2019:

I am actually going to use sun in today at Disney world and since Florida has a lot of sun exsposure that’s why this is every helpful

Jessica on April 29, 2019:

How many bottles did it take you total?

Trey on March 06, 2019:

I was wondering does it continue to work after it has dried

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

1. Bright Green All-Over

For a bold start to the list, I offer up this gorgeous lime green all-over color. For a color like this to show up exactly like this on your hair, I highly recommend lightening up to a level 8 or higher. For a tutorial on lightening your hair, click here. I really like to use Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener and 20 volume developer when lightening my hair.

Once you have gotten your hair to the appropriate shade of blonde, you can achieve this color green with a couple of different haircolors. My number one pick to achieve this color would be Pravana Chromasilk Vivids in Neon Green. You can also try Manic Panic in Electric Lizard mixed with a little bit of Green Envy.

The easiest way to apply this one would be to section your hair, and apply the product with gloved hands. When using semi- or demi- permanent dyes, the longer you leave the product in, the better. Unlike permanent dyes, they don't have ammonia or other things that can damage your hair so it's totally okay to leave them in for a little longer. I recommend 45 minutes to an hour for this shade of green.

2. A Shock of Green

One chunky highlight of green that is partially hidden by your hair is such a cool look that is both subtle and outspoken at the same time. This shock of color is perfect for someone who wants to experiment with their whole head but doesn't want to commit to a whole head or a more vibrant ombre.

To achieve this look, all you need to do is lighten just the strand you want to a level 7 blonde or higher. Make sure you pin the rest of your hair back while lightening and also applying the haircolor, so you don't accidentally dye the other parts of your hair. For the green in the picture, I recommend applying One N Only Argan Oil in Emerald Green mixed with a squirt of Electric Teal. Leave the mixture on for 30 minutes to an hour before washing out.

Because this color doesn't take up a lot of space, upkeep will be pretty easy. Every couple of weeks as you notice the color start to fade just section the hair back out again and redye it, following the same process.

3. Emerald Green All Over

Hands down, this is my number one favorite color in the world and when you put it on hair it just becomes that much more magical. Your hair doesn't need to be super blonde, I would say level 7 or higher, in order to execute this look - but I will say that you should remove as much orange as you can before applying, otherwise it might look a little funky. To remove brassiness you may consider using a purple shampoo or a toner prior to dying.

As far as hair dyes that you could use to get this color of green - there are a couple on the market. One N Only Argan Oil Dye in Emerald Green, which I've used before and love, or Lime Crime Jello would be great colors to use for this. You may need to purchase multiple tubes if your hair is as long and thick as in the picture - typically when I dye my hair I need two to three tubes to cover it all!

The best way to apply this dye would be to section your hair and apply it with a gloved hand. To get all the way to your roots, use a tint brush. Leave the dye in for 30 minutes to an hour before washing out. To upkeep, mix green dye with colorless conditioner and let it sit in your hair for 20 minutes as a hair mask. Doing it this way will help keep your hair shiny and radiant and also keep the color from going dull.

4. Ombre Emerald to Lime Green

Another great way to wear green in your hair is to apply with other colors for super multidimensional effect. This example is vibrant and gorgeous with colors that don't clash at all!

To achieve this look, you'll need a couple of different dyes. I would recommend starting out with choosing a shadow root (or if your hair is naturally dark, you won't have to do anything to your roots!) A good shadow root color is going to be a dark brown or black demi or semi permanent dye.

For the darker green I recommend Lime Crime Jello or One N Only Argan Oil Emerald Green, and for the lighter green I recommend Manic Panic in Electric Lizard. You could even go a step further and add in a highlighter yellow color at the very end of your roots, such as Manic Panic in Electric Banana.

Section your hair off and apply the shadow root first since it is the darkest color. Use a tint brush to apply the color from your roots to about 2 inches down. After you've applied your shadow root, apply the emerald green color of your choice, making sure to blend the emerald with the shadow root to get a nice gradient, while also leaving enough room at the bottom for you to apply your lime green color.

Apply the lime green from the end of the emerald down to the tips of your hair, ensuring to blend with the emerald as well so that you don't have a crazy line where the hair dye stops.

As with all ammonia-free semi and demi permanent dye, I recommend leaving the mixture on for 30 minutes to an hour or longer, because the longer you leave the color in the longer the color will stay in your hair.

5. Mint Green Hair

If you really love pastels, then this mint green hair is the perfect choice for you! Your hair will need to be level 10 blonde or higher to achieve this look, and you'll probably need to use a toner to bring it to an icy blonde before you apply your color. If your hair is too yellow when you apply the dye, it may not turn out the way you want it to!

My recommendation for dye to achieve this look is Pravana Chromasilk Pastels in Mystical Mint. You could also try Lime Crime Unicorn Hair in Salad. For either color, if your hair is longer than your chin you will need to purchase more than one container to get full coverage on your hair.

Apply the dye generously throughout your hair, taking care not to miss any spots. For light colors like this, I recommend leaving the dye in for an hour or more. You may also want to apply warm air (not hot) to the hair to help it sink in more, that way it lasts a little longer.

This color can be difficult to maintain, so I recommend following up your color job by mixing a tube of a darker green, such as Joico Color Intensity in Kelly Green with a colorless conditioner in a 10 oz or more size bottle. After you wash your hair and apply the conditioner, let it sit in your hair for 5-10 minutes. Alternatively you could also apply as a mask to dry hair, then rinse it out. It will look super bright in the mirror when you're applying it, but I promise—when you wash it out it will be more pastel because you are mixing it with conditioner which softens the dye color when you apply it.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: Do I have to bleach my brown hair in order to tint it green?

Answer: If your hair is dark brown, I do recommend lightening your hair first. In my experience, the semi-permanent dye does not stick for more than a few washes on virgin hair, and will not be visible on dark hair.

The level of lightness your hair needs to be will depend on the color green you choose.

If you're going emerald, it doesn't need to be white or even yellow - if you got it to a medium blonde, then emerald green will look great. (Medium blonde will probably look orange, use a purple shampoo to tone it before applying dye).

If you're doing highlighter green, you will need to get your hair as light as possible which may take a few sessions - if you try to get it super light in one go, you will fry your hair. When you lighten, don't use anything higher than 20 volume developer to reduce the likelihood of damage.

Question: How do I apply emerald green hair color to brunette hair?

Answer: Lighten your hair first using ion color brilliance bright white creme lightener mixed with 20 volume developer. It does not need to be white but it does need to be lighter than brunette. Then after your hair is lightened apply the semi permanent emerald of your choice and let it sit for about an hour before rinsing it out.

Question: What about dip dyeing i.e. just dyeing the tips of my hair all of the way around - in green?

Answer: I love that idea!!! Lighten the ends, and then apply dye. I think it would be beautiful!

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

1. Shaved or Buzzed Side

When Natalie Dormer stepped out with a shaved side in 2015 for her role in Mockingjay, I instantly fell in love. This style has been around for a long time and it is still eye-catching and incredibly bold when done right!

To execute this style, you'll need to section out the part of your hair that you'd like to shave using the pointy tail end of a comb. Tie back the hair that is not being shaved. Depending on the length of your hair, it may be a good idea to cut some length off before getting the electric clippers. After you've cut down your hair a little shorter, decide what length you want it to be buzzed at. Electric clippers typically come with a couple of different guide combs that go for different lengths of hair. Refer to the sizing guide below to decide which length you would like to choose.

After you've chosen your guide comb size, carefully shave the section of hair up to the edges of the part you've created. And voila, you have yourself a bold haircut that will definitely help change up your routine!

2. Hidden Color Hair

Hidden rainbow hair is another amazingly beautiful trend that I love. It's perfect for people who can't dye their whole head and want to spice things up in a tasteful way that is easily hidden or put on display by different kinds of hairstyles.

Depending on what you decide to do, hidden rainbow hair can be relatively easy to complete, but the beginning steps are all the same. I actually wrote a tutorial on accomplishing hidden rainbow hair that you can take a look at here, but in a nutshell here are the instructions you need to follow.

First, you'll need to choose a section that you are going to dye - tie back the sections of hair you are not dying. Put a piece of tin foil underneath the section you're about to do because you don't want lightener or color all over your neck or other hair. Start by applying lightener to the area that you'd like to dye. I love using Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener and Sensitive Scalp 20 volume developer to lighten my hair quickly and with minimal damage.

You'll need to rinse the lightener out and dry your hair. After this, you will need to re-section the hair out and pin back any non-lightened pieces of hair. Slide another piece of tin foil underneath the hair you are dying and apply the color you decide to use. In the picture I used Ion Color Brilliance in Cantaloupe, mixed with a little bit of Manic Panic in Wildfire, to achieve an orange color. For the bottom half of my hair, I used straight Manic Panic in Wildfire and blended the two colors together to get a beautiful gradient fade between the two.

I recommend leaving the dye in for 30 minutes to an hour, and then you will have hidden rainbow hair!

3. Shaved Undercut With a Design

Another shaving style that is super trendy and can be easy to do at home is the undercut with a design.

This trend can be at varying levels of difficulty. If you have a friend that is pretty good at drawing designs, this might be the right project for them to help you with, but it is doable on your own if you choose a simple design. To do a simple undercut, section out the hair that you'd like the undercut to be applied to, and pin the rest of the hair back. For the chosen section, if your hair is long cut away some of the length first. Shave the hair across evenly. If you need to, you can draw your design onto the shaved piece first using chalk or other hair safe material (don't use a sharpie!!!). Then use the clippers without a guard to cut your design.

Youtuber Tessarr gives a great tutorial on how to do this type of a cut by yourself. Take a look below if you're interested in this style.

4. Ombre With Bright Colors

By far this is one of my favorite hair trends. I spent about a year dying my ombre different colors, and when I got bold enough I did multiple colors at once. As with some of the other hair trends I've mentioned, this one can have varying levels of difficulty depending on what you decide to do. Again with this one, I did write a tutorial on dip dying that you can find here, but below are short instructions for a couple of different methods of dip dying.

To start, you'll need to lighten your hair to a level 7 blonde or higher. Then, decide how you want to distribute the color in your hair. If you read my articles regularly, you'll know that I particularly love using Ion Color Brilliance, Manic Panic, and One N Only Argan Oil hair color brands. They all have beautiful bright or pastel shades depending on what you want to achieve, and all three can be found at Sally Beauty Supply or on Amazon.

Are you using just one color? Great! Start by sectioning your hair, because it makes it easier to handle everything when it's in small sections. Apply conditioner to your hair to the section of your hair just above where you lightened, being careful not to get conditioner in the lightened area. Take your desired hair color and apply it either with a tint brush or with gloved hands. Carefully blend the dye up into the conditioner, so that you can create a nice fade between your regular hair and your colored hair.

You can also be more creative with this trend by stacking colors or doing streaks. Stacking follows the same directions that I mentioned above, but streaks can be a little harder. You can pick out sections of your hair and individually color them until you've covered your whole head, or if you have long hair like I did in the photo, I picked out sections for each color and group them together with a ponytail holder. Then dye each ponytail its respective color, wrap it in plastic wrap or tin foil, and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour before rinsing.

No matter which method you choose for doing an ombre hairstyle, you can't go wrong! They're all gorgeous!

5. "Unicorn" Shadow Roots

I love me some unicorn hair. In my opinion, this was one of the most unique trends to come out over the past couple years. I would say this is a medium difficulty to complete.

For the colors in the picture, I'd recommend Manic Panic Hair Color in Ultra Violet for the roots. For your hair, I would lift up to a level 10 blonde before beginning and also use an excellent purple shampoo that will take all traces of brassiness out of your hair.

To apply the shadow root, section out your hair first. Then use a tint brush and paint sections of hair from your scalp that are about an inch and a half long. While the roots are processing, mix about a tablespoon of the ultra violet dye with a half a cup of conditioner and use another tint brush to apply the mixture to the rest of your hair. Let everything sit for about an hour before washing out and you will have beautifully violet roots with pale purple tinted hair.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

If you are about to dye your hair blue and are looking for inspiration, then look no further! I'll give you some of the best ideas for blue hair and tell you how you can execute them at home!

Ideas for Blue Hair

1. Teal Ombre
2. Midnight Blue Hair
3. Ice Pastel Blue with a Shadow Root
4. Hidden Blue Hair
5. Blue with Green Highlights

1. Teal Ombre

To achieve the teal ombre/dip dye look, you will first need to lighten 3-6 inches of the bottom of your hair to be as blonde as possible. I like using Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener and Ion 20 volume developer to achieve the right shade. You'll need to be at a level 9 or 10 blonde (both very blonde, almost white). Make sure you do not leave your lightener in for too long, and also make sure you don't use too high of a developer. I typically do not like to go any higher than 20 volume. 30 and 40 both fry my hair too much, but with 20 volume I can control the lightening process a little bit more without frying my hair.

After you've lightened your hair, section it out and apply conditioner to the midsection just above where the lightened hair meets your natural hair. Do not put conditioner on the lightened hair. Then, apply Manic Panic Semi-Permanent dye in Atomic Turquoise to the lightened part of your hair. Blend it with the conditioned portion so that when you wash it out, it will fade into your natural hair. Then wrap with plastic wrap or tin foil and sit for 30 minutes to an hour.

I like to leave the dye in for an hour because it helps give my hair more staying power. Since the haircolor doesn't have ammonia in it, you don't have to worry about it damaging your hair while it's processing.

2. Midnight Blue Hair

Midnight blue hair looks super gorgeous when it's done right! There are a couple of ways to achieve this look. You will need to have your hair lightened just a bit, I would say to a level 5 or a level 6 blonde. It doesn't need to be white blonde, but do remember that the lighter your hair is, the brighter the midnight blue will be.

Manic Panic in After Midnight Blue or One N Only Argan Oil Hair Color in Midnight Blue would be my recommendations to achieve this look. I like both dyes but I will tell you if you're looking for something that is more washable, choose the Manic Panic. I've discovered, at least for my hair, that dyes with argan oil in them have much longer staying power than those that don't.

If you want the blue to be a bit darker than in the picture, you can try mixing in some black dye with the blue dyes at a ratio of 1 part black to 3 parts blue.To cover your entire head, there are a few methods to get there - you can put the dye in like shampoo and rub it around until everything is covered (you will have to take extra care in this method because you are more likely to miss spots). The second method is to section your hair and take a tint brush to brush on the color. This is the way that I recommend because you definitely won't miss any spots and it keeps your hair neater while you're dying it, but it will take longer and you will probably need someone's help to cover the back of your head.

3. Ice Pastel Blue with a Shadow Root

This blue is such a beautiful shade! But fair warning - pastel colors are hard to upkeep. To achieve a look similar to the one in the photo, your hair will need to be as light as possible, level 10 or higher. You will also need to use an excellent purple shampoo to remove any brassiness, or the blue may come out looking more mint green than anything.

To start, you'll need two different colors of dye - one for your shadow root, and one for the rest of your hair. If you like the grey as seen in the picture, I recommend purchasing Ion Color Brilliance in Titanium for the roots (it may pull a little blue at first, but will fade to gray).

For the ice blue portion, I would use Manic Panic in Blue Angel. Depending on the length of your hair, you may need more than just one tub of the manic panic.

To achieve this look you'll need two tint brushes, two color bowls, and tin foil sheets. and to apply the dye in sections. Part a flat section out of your hair and slide a piece of tin foil under it. Because the root color is much darker, I would start with applying the blue first, from about two inches down from your scalp, all the way to your ends. once the blue has been applied, apply the gray from the root to where the blue starts, carefully blending into a nice fading gradient. You will need a friend to help you with the back.

I would let the dye sit for an hour, with the last thirty minutes under a warm hair dryer to help lock in the ice blue, before washing it out.

4. Hidden Blue Hair

Hidden color hair is an awesome way to have a little bit of fun without being totally committed to color! This kind of color is great for people who have jobs with stricter dress code policies - depending on how much of your hair you dye, it can be easily hidden with creative hair styling.

To achieve this look, you can really use any blue that you like the best - but to imitate the streaks in the picture, I recommend lightening your hair to at least a level 7 blonde first and then using One N Only Midnight Blue and Electric Teal Haircolors. One n Only brand Haircolors have amazing color payoff and will take more than a few washes to fade out, so I think they are perfect for the hidden rainbow style. I had Electric teal in my hair for almost 4 months without redying and it looked beautiful the whole time.

To apply, you'll need two tint brushes, two colkor bowls, and foil or plastic wrap. Decide what section of your hair you want to apply color to. Part your hair above that section and tie back the rest of your hair so it's out of the way. If you want natural hair underneath your dyed section, part your hair again underneath the dyed section, tie back the hair that is not being dyed, and pin tin foil underneath the section you're dying.

First you'll need to lighten that section. Once it is the desired shade of blonde, take the teal tint brush and paint a 1 inch section from root to tip. Then do the same thing with the blue tint brush, alternating until the whole section is coated with dye. Place a piece of tin foil on top and pin it to the bottom ton foil piece to keep it from moving. Leave the dye in for 30 minutes to an hour, using warm heat to seal if you like. Once you rinse it out, you should have beautiful hidden blue hair!

5. Blue with Green Highlights

Hands down, I think this is my favorite look out of all five. However, highlighting is a difficult method to do by yourself, and will take a lot of time so make sure you are careful in choosing the placement of your highlights or else it may not turn out the way you want it to. I would only recommend doing this type of coloring job at home if you've had experience coloring your own hair before, as it may be a little frustrating to do if you're doing your first at-home coloring job.

To get colors as bright as this you'll need to lighten your hair to at least a level 8. As far as the colors to use, I recommend One n Only Argan Oil Hair Color in Emerald Green for the highlights, and Ion Color Brilliance in Sapphire for the base color.This comb will also be helpful for sectioning your hair for highlights.

There are a couple of different ways to do this. The first way is that you can just take random sections of hair and paint them whichever color you deem appropriate, then let them sit. But doing this may result in chunky color that doesn't blend as well as this image.

The more time consuming way will gain results most similar to the photo. You will need a friend to help you with this. Section your hair out and work on 3-4 inch sections at a time. In your first section, part out a flat section of hair, and then take the pointy tail end of a comb like this one to weave in and out through the section. the pieces of hair that end up on top will be your green highlights, and the pieces you weave out on the bottom will be your blue hair. Tie the section that will be your blue hair. Place a piece of tin foil in between it and the green hair section. Paint the green hair, and fold it up out of the way when finished. Place another piece of tin foil under the blue hair, and do the same thing. Repeat this until your whole head has been covered. Leave the dye in for 30 minutes to an hour and then rinse out!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: How do you change your current hair color from red to this cool color?

Answer: My recommendation is to use a color remover to get your old dye out and then you should be able to put this one in! If your red came from a permanent color not a semi-permanent, I would go see a professional to get to this color blue!

Comments

Teresa on March 22, 2020:

I'm trying to dye my hair with sapphire ion permanent brights creme hair color instead of creme developer can I mix the color with something else to get my sapphire hair colir

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

I have dyed my hair many times, but one color that I can't ever seem to get enough of is pink. I love pink hair. More specifically, I like light pink—rose gold, bubblegum pink, smoky pink—whatever you want to call it! I've tried a few different ways to get that color over the years and now I'm going to share my methods with you so you can see what works best for you!

Ways to Get Rose Gold/Pale Pink Hair

1. Use a rose or light pink-colored dye.
2. Mix hot pink dye with conditioner.
3. Use a rosy colored toner.

Before You Begin

Unfortunately, any kind of light or pastel colors will not show up on darker hair. Your hair must be at minimum a level 8 blonde for the color to show up in your hair. If you're not sure what level color you are, I've included a levels chart here for your reference!

To achieve the correct level of blonde, you have a few options. Either you can lighten your entire head on your own, or you can do highlights. I am terrible at doing my own highlights, so I get them done professionally when I decide I want highlights.

If you decide to lighten your hair on your own, I recommend using Ion Color Brilliance volume 20 developer for sensitive scalp and Ion Color Brilliance Creme Lightener. Out of all of the lightening products I have tried, these ones gave me the best results: I came out with lighter hair in 15 minutes and no fried hair at all!

Any time you lighten your hair, it will come out a yellow. You will need a purple shampoo to remove the yellow and get your hair to a more cool toned blonde. Unless, of course, you're going for a strawberry pink or rose gold - then the brassy yellow color will add to your rose gold tone and look really pretty once the pink is on top of it.

The other thing to remember about dying your hair light pink is that it is a color that will fade extremely quickly so it is a high maintenance color. Every time I've done it it lasts about four washes before it's gone completely. I only wash my hair twice a week so I could make it last two weeks without touchups. I'll provide methods of maintenance for each of the ways I tell you about below so you know how to make the color last longer than two weeks.

1. Use a Rose or Light Pink-Colored Dye.

The first way you can achieve rosy pink hair is probably the easiest - use a rose or light pink colored dye. For this type of pink, your hair will need to be a very light blonde - level 9 or higher is my recommendation. For me, light pink dyes don't take very well unless my hair is basically platinum, and for people who do have naturally darker hair like I do, I would expect the same problem.

There are a couple of different brands that make light pink or rosy dye. I've tried Manic Panic Cotton Candy Pink and Ion Color Brilliance Gemstone Brights in Rose Quartz.

The Manic Panic was interesting because I love this brand and normally it works out great for me. But this particular color didn't work - it barely took in my hair. I felt like it would be good if you wanted extremely subtle pink highlights.

My pick for my hair though is going to have to be the Ion Color Brilliance in Rose Quartz. The color turned out amazing. The only thing I will say is that I had to use a lot of it to cover my whole head. I bought three tubes and used all three. But the color came out amazing and just the shade I was looking for.

To maintain this color, my best recommendation is to just re-dye your hair when you feel like the color has faded too much. Since these pinks are not as pigmented as, say, a hot pink, this will be the best method of maintenance.

2. Mix Hot Pink Dye With Conditioner.

This is one of my favorite methods because maintenance is easy and my hair gets a conditioning mask out of it every time I do it! For this method you'll want to purchase a much stronger pink dye than the ones I previously mentioned, and your hair doesn't need to be as light as it would be for the previous method. You could probably get away with a level eight, maybe a level seven if your hair is thin. We're talking hot pink. If you want a more coral color, you could select a dye that is more of a reddish pink.

My favorite kinds of dye for this type of hair coloring are from One N Only. The One N Only Perfect Intensity Argan Oil dye in Hot Pink is the dye that I've had the best results with. All you need to do is mix half a tube with half a cup of conditioner. The conditioner must be colorless. My current favorite is OGX Coconut Water conditioner.

After mixing the dye in, apply to your hair like a mask and leave in for at least an hour. As a warning, when you are applying it to your hair it will look hot pink on your hair, but I promise when you wash it out your hair will not be hot pink.

To maintain this look, all you have to do is apply the mixture like a hair mask every two weeks, and that's it! You'll have super soft moisturized hair and a great light pink color to work with.

3. Use a Rosy Colored Toner.

I did this once and had it done professionally, but you could easily replicate this at home. I also realized I didn't take any good pictures of mine, so the picture I'm using is Guy Tang's results from his formula, which I found online and is the formula I gave to my hairstylist so he could replicate it. Here's the ingredients. My stylist mixed at 1:1 ratio for everything except the magenta was just a few drops.

Best Rosy Colored Toners

• Guy Tang Favorites Demi-Permanent 10BrM Extra Light Blonde–Bronze Metallic
• Guy Tang Favorites Demi-Permanent 8BrM Blonde–Bronze Metallic
• Kenra Color Demi-Permanent 5VR Light Brown–Violet Red–gives the haircolor a rosy feel.
• Olaplex with a drop of Kenra Color Creative Magenta

It turned out beautifully. My hair stylist mixed all the colors together and applied the toner after putting highlights in my hair. We left the toner in for about an hour before washing it out and my hair turned out gorgeous.

When I did this color, it was back in 2016 when rose gold was just starting to get popular as a hair color, so a mixture of toners was necessary. Now, it's so popular that there are actually pre-formulated toners that you can use. I found this one by Pravana that looks like it would yield good results as well.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: I recently dyed my hair pastel pink (I bleached then toned to platinum and then added pink and I'm very happy with the results) but it didn't take to all of my hair. So my friend said that I should dye it again and then use toner and the toner will make my hair all one color. Does that sound right to you?

Answer: To a certain extent yes, it would help even the color out a bit. however without seeing your hair it's hard to tell. Usually with me, if dye isn't taking to my hair it means I didn't lighten it enough (because my natural hair will NOT hold dye at all).

Question: How light was your hair when you used toner to colour it rose gold?

Answer: My hair was a medium blonde with blonde highlights!

Tori loves dying her hair all colors of the rainbow and shares her tutorials with others.

Why Should I Try Nail Powders?

I love multichrome or holographic anything. I even own a pair of holographic silver tennis shoes. I am to the point of my multichrome/holo obsession that my boyfriend's eyes can't roll any further back into his head when I find something that is holographic or multichrome. I can't help it—I want it all!

Nail polish, in particular, gets me. The first time I ever got anything chrome or holographic on my nails was about a year ago, the day that I quit my job in preparation to start a new role. I got black SNS (SNS is a brand) with silver chrome in gel over top on all fingers except the ring finger, on which I got silver holographic. I continued on the SNS path for a while, but let me tell you . . . when I decided to stop using it, my nails were ruined. I knew I had to figure out a way to still have my multichrome and holographic nails without using gel or SNS to achieve it.

I immediately went to Amazon and shopped around for some powders. I settled on a couple and purchased them, and got to work as soon as they came a couple of days later.

How Did I Figure This Out?

Honestly - figuring it out was pretty dang easy! I was already obsessed with nail color, and I had quite a collection already. I knew the trick was going to be using the right kind of base coat. I knew it would have to be a sticky base coat because if it wasn't, the powder would have nothing to stick to when I rubbed it on.

I only had to try two base coats. The first base coat I tried was Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat. For normal nail polish, this is one of my favorites. But unfortunately, it wasn't sticky enough for the nail powder.

The next one that I tried was ORLY Bonder Rubberized Base Coat. I had to look no further. This one was sticky enough once dry for the powder, because of its rubbery properties. The next trick was finding out the best process for application to get the most reflection and best results out of my nail powder.

After some experimentation, I came up with the below process for applying. Follow this process and you'll have great results on your own too!

Supplies Needed

1. Apply Peel Off Latex

First, you'll need to start by applying peel off latex around your nails to assist with mistakes. If you're anything like me and you get nail polish and powder all over the place when you paint your nails, then peel off latex is a literal god-send and makes cleaning up mistakes so much easier. I love Pueen Peel Off Latex. It is easy to use and dries quickly. It is also easy to see when it is dry—it turns from an opaque baby pink to a translucent "barbie" pink.

2. Apply Base Coat

After the latex dries, apply one coat of the ORLY Rubberized base coat. Allow it to dry for about a minute and a half. Then, apply a thin coat of base color of your choice. I recommend the base color be a color you have used in the past so you know how it dries. You don't want to use anything that peels off easily or doesn't dry very well. I particularly like using Sinful Colors Black Nail Polish or Essie Penny Talk Nail Polish as base coats. Both of these dry relatively quickly into a hardened state and do not peel.

Let the base color dry for a couple of minutes. You want to make sure it is fully dry before proceeding any further. If you're impatient like me, watch a 5 minute YouTube video in between layers. That helps the time pass so you're not just staring at the walls waiting for your nails to dry!

3. Apply the Powder

After the base coat is dry, paint another layer of the ORLY base coat on top. Let this fully dry. Now you are ready for the powder. I purchased all of my powders from Amazon, and my favorite ones are by What's Up Nails. In this tutorial, I used What's Up Nails Paradise Powder, which is a multichrome powder that shifts from teal to purple.

Using a makeup sponge or an eyeshadow applicator, dab lightly into the powder container. Then press lightly onto your nail. Once you have pressed powder in, gently rub it in. The more you rub it in, the smoother it will get.

4. Apply Base Coat Again and Repeat

You'll notice after the first layer of powder that there's not a whole lot of sheen or color difference there. That will happen. This is why we do two layers.

After your first layer has been buffed in, Carefully, with extremely light pressure on the brush, apply another layer of the ORLY base coat on top of the powder. This step is critical. Do NOT go over your nail more than twice with the brush, because if you do it will remove some of the powder and make it look streaky. This needs to be done in one swoop motion with a second only for light touchups.

Let the base coat dry fully again. After the base coat has dried fully, follow the same process of dabbing the powder on, then rubbing it in. If you would like, you can repeat this step one more time for additional coverage.

5. Apply Top Coat

After you have finished your layers of powder and ORLY base coat, it is time to apply your top coat, which will protect the powder for even longer. My favorite top coat to use with powders is Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat. It is not actual gel, but it dries to look in a similar fashion, and helps my nail polish stay on longer without chipping. This top coat is my go-to for any nail look.

Again with the top coat, you need to use a light hand and as few strokes as possible. Let this dry fully. After the top coat has fully dried, peel off the latex around your nails. There will still be some residue to clean up, but not nearly as much as if you didn't have the latex. To clean up the residue around your nail bed, dip a Q-Tip in acetone nail polish remover and gently rub around the nail, being careful to avoid any contact with the nail itself so that you don't accidentally rub off your nail polish.

Results

After your layers have fully dried, you will end up with beautiful, multichrome nails that last for about a week and a half. Depending on your line of work, this could increase or decrease how much time the polish will stay without chipping. If you are in a role where you have to do a lot of typing, you may notice more chipping than someone who doesn't spend a lot of time typing.

I hope this tutorial was informative. The most important parts are the ORLY base coat and the Sally Hansen top coat. Without those, your multichrome or holographic effect will not show up as well.

Happy Nail Painting!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Tori loves dying her hair all colors of the rainbow and shares her tutorials with others.

Introduction

I recently started a new job that doesn't mind if I dye my hair any color I want to. After a very long stint of not putting any colors in my hair except blond highlights, I decided I wanted to take an easy step back into coloring my hair so that I could eventually transition into some crazier colors. I've always loved any kind of pink-toned hair, especially anything rose gold or smoky pink colored, so I figured this would be a great step into a new hair journey.

I purchased all of my supplies from Sally Beauty Supply, with the exception of my leave-in conditioner. Below, I'll tell you how I prepped my hair and utilized this dye to achieve the gorgeous pinky rose gold color I have now.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

My hair is naturally a dark blonde, and I also had some residual yellow-blonde highlights that were growing out. I've learned in the past that my natural hair doesn't really take bright colors well at all. The only dye I've managed to get to stay in my natural hair are dark, ammonia-based hair colors (which I haven't done since college because I don't really trust your typical box dyes anymore—too damaging!). So in order to get my hair in the right state to accept a color, I had to lighten it first, then apply the color. That's why I have so many different supplies on this list. If your hair is already close to being white blonde, then you can skip the lightener and developer!

Step 2: Lightening My Hair

I started by lightening my hair from dark blonde to a light blonde. I achieved this by using Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener and Ion Color Brilliance Sensitive Scalp volume 20 developer. I mixed the products together at a 1:1 ratio, and applied to my hair. The creme lightener works much faster than a typical powder lightener, so I only left this in for 15 minutes as my hair was completely super blonde by that point. I rinsed it out and used my purple shampoo to tone down the brassiness and yellow color. I conditioned my hair using my OGX coconut water conditioner, rinsed, then towel dried and applied the It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Product. I let my hair air-dry for two hours before drying it with my hair dryer on the "warm" setting with a diffuser attachment.

I missed a few spots in my lightening process so after my hair was fully dried I applied additional mixture only to the spots that needed additional lightening, let it sit for another 15 minutes, and repeated the washing process again, only adding one additional step of letting the purple shampoo sit for about seven minutes before washing it out.

Step 3: Applying the Color

I let my hair air dry for another hour and a half, plus using my hair dryer at the end, before I started applying the color. My hair is fine but I have a lot of it, and I've never had success covering my entire head with only one tube of hair color. Currently, my hair is just above shoulder length and I had to buy 3 tubes of this color to cover my entire head.

I squeezed the hair color into my bowl and applied the color with my fingers all the way through my hair. I massaged the color into my scalp to ensure that I didn't miss any roots. I used the tint brush to brush on color around my hairline to ensure that they were fully covered as well.

After I was confident my entire head was covered in dye I left the color in to sit for about 90 minutes under a processing cap. The really nice thing about the Ion Color Brilliance line is that because the hair colors are ammonia-free, they will not damage your hair if you leave them in for a long time. Typically leaving the color in for a while yields better color results. My recommendation is the lighter the color you are putting in your hair, the longer you need to let it process. Darker jewel-toned colors won't require as much processing time but lighter pastel colors can take a bit longer to take in your hair.

Step 4: Rinsing the Color Out

When rinsing hair dye out of your hair, the typical rule of thumb is to rinse until the water runs clear. Because this is such a light color, you will think the water is clear before it actually is. So once the water looks clear to you, rinse for a minute or two more to prevent finding bits of dye still in your hair. I used a tiny bit of sulfate-free shampoo to help with this as well.

The dye is pretty moisturizing on its own, but because my hair was a tad parched from lightening, I used my OGX conditioner. After I got out of the shower I also applied my It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In, concentrating on my ends.

I let my hair air dry for an hour before finishing with my hairdryer on the warm setting without the diffuser attachment to finish my look.

Results and Conclusion

I ended up with a pretty, golden bubble-gum color that distributed easily within my hair and looked great in both natural and artificial light. It was just the pop of color I was looking for to start my hair journey.

As another rule of thumb with lighter colors, even when you leave the color in for a long time when initially dying it, pastel colors always fade the quickest. My job also requires me to be in a pool three days a week, which means my color will fade a lot more quickly than someone else's might.

For a normal non-pool dwelling person to maintain this color, I would recommend washing only every three to four days, using a sulfate-free color-safe shampoo and conditioner, and dry shampoo on in-between days to combat oiliness. This will probably preserve the color for about three weeks before it fades to the blond that is underneath the rose gold, so you will have to re-dye your hair about every three weeks to maintain this color.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: What was your developer to dye ratio when dying your hair rose quartz?

Answer: I actually did not mix developer and dye! I only used dye when it came to the coloring portion.

If you're referring to the lightening process, I typically use 1 part Ion Bright White Creme Lightener and 2 parts Ion Sensitive Scalp 10 or 20 developer. But I do not mix the developer with the dye itself.

Question: I love the Ion Rose Quartz hair color, but I wish they would make it into a permanent dye kit. I find this semi-permanent pasty stuff is hard to use and get even saturation. The color is gorgeous although it fades too fast. Any tips for a smoother application process?

Answer: Yes, that is the downside to the pastel colors!! I've heard of some people adding developer to semi permanent dyes to make them more permanent, but I personally cannot vouch for how effective that is or if it even works! I would mix a bottle of the dye with your conditioner and use that every time you wash your hair. Also, make sure you're using sulfate free shampoo washing your hair no more than twice a week and the color should last a little bit longer.

Question: I'm actually going to try this on my beard tonight. I have a mix of red (strawberry blond) and white and don't plan to bleach it first. In your opinion, do you think the red parts will change at all? I expect the white will easily accept the color, so it look like I have pink (er, rose quartz) highlights.

Answer: It all depends! It's possible that the red will take, but it's likely that it will fade faster. If it doesn't take I think it will blend in pretty well anyway!

Comments

ToriM (author) from Atlanta on April 24, 2018:

Hi Stacy, it depends on how many supplies you need to purchase. I didn't include a total cost, only costs of individual items, because you may or may not need everything on the list. If you purchase everything new and also using the exact products that I did off the list and add it up in a calculator you are looking probably around $55.

Stacy on April 24, 2018:

So in total how much to do the whole process

Tori loves dying her hair all colors of the rainbow and shares her tutorials with others.

How I Found This Product

I recently started a new job that doesn't care if my hair is dyed (score)! I've had the itch to re-dye my hair for a couple of weeks now, so yesterday I just went for it. My boyfriend and I went to Sally Beauty Supply to pick up my standard set of supplies and decide on a color.

Normally, I buy Ion Color Brilliance Ammonia Free Powder Lightener and mix it with 20 Volume Sensitive Scalp developer of the same brand, as I've always had good results with that combination. But when I went to grab the Powder Lightener I noticed Ion had a new product, creme lightener, that I hadn't seen before.

I called my sister, who is a hair-dye-at-home aficionado, to ask her if she'd ever used it or heard of it and she said no. I'm a little adventurous and I've always had good experiences using Ion products, so I decided to try it out on a whim. I didn't read any reviews until after my hair was already finished.

Disclaimer

Before you begin using my directions as a process to lighten your own hair, I just want to preface by saying I am not a licensed professional. I am a do-it-yourself person who has been dying my own hair for many, many years. My methods of using these products are what work for me, and sometimes different methods work better for different people, especially those with different types or colors of hair than me.

Before lightening your hair at home, read all package directions. I also recommend looking at 2–3 different reviews with directions to ensure that the information you are using is uniform. If it doesn't work out the way you wanted, do not hesitate to visit a professional to have it fixed.

Packaging

Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener comes in a 10.6 oz squeeze tube. which I think is a good amount for the price. Overall the packaging is user-friendly. I used about 3/4 of the bottle during my first round of lightning, and the remaining 1/4 to touch up spots that I missed.

My one complaint about the packaging is that I feel like I missed a small portion of the product because you can only squeeze out so much before you reach the hard plastic opening and can't squeeze anymore. I even left the bottle standing up overnight to see if any of the remaining product would settle into the opening but unfortunately, it did not.

Supplies I Used

The Process

First, I took a shower the night before to ensure that any hair styling product were out of my hair. If you have residual products such as gel, hairspray, mousse, etc in your hair, it will mess with the lightening or coloring that you are doing and it may not take evenly.

The next day, I mixed a 1:1 ratio of 20 volume developer with the creme lightener in the bowl. I used the tint brush to mix it together. The texture of the mixture looked like a chalky paste. The more you mix it the smoother it gets.

From here there are a couple of ways to apply the product. Lightening products work quickly already, so you have to work fast or be prepared to apply and rinse out sections of your hair at a time instead of your whole head.

I think the best way to apply the mixture while keeping your hair neat and not missing any pieces is to use the tint brush. Do your roots first: Start where your natural part is and paint the mixture on. Once you finish that layer, lift it up and put it to the other side, so that you can do the section underneath. You may need a friend to help you with the back of your head, but with this product you need to work very, very quickly. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse it out. After your roots are done, section your hair out in 1–2 inch sections using clips and apply the bleach mixture using your gloved fingers to rub it in. Let it sit for another 10–15 minutes and then rinse it out.

Alternatively, you could do what I did, which is not the best way but it is a way. I applied the lightening mixture with my hands, as if I was shampooing my hair, making sure to rub the product into my roots and scalp to ensure full coverage of my roots. Then I went back over with the tint brush to apply the product to any areas of my hair that looked like they weren't fully covered. If you do it this way, you have to be prepared to do a touch-up round, because no matter how much you think you've coated, you will most likely miss a spot. I was lucky and only missed some small spots on the back of my head so I just did a quick touchup round and was ready to go.

During each rinse, I used the Generic Value Products Purple Shampoo to remove brassiness and tone down the yellow that comes with lightening my hair. I followed up with OGX Coconut Water Conditioner and rinsed with cold water to seal my hair cuticles

After getting out of the shower, I used It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In to help rehydrate my hair after lightening. I waited 2 hours in between my first round and my touch up round, so that my hair could mostly air dry and rest a little bit. When I went back for my touchup round, I used my hairdryer on the warm setting (not hot) and the diffuser attachment to finish drying it before applying my touchup round using the tint brush and only covering areas that needed extra attention.

After rinsing the touch-up lightener out, I did two rounds of purple shampoo - the first to remove as much of the lightening mixture as I could, and the second round I let it sit for about 7 minutes before rinsing to remove as much brassiness as possible. I followed up again with conditioner and then the leave-in product after I got out of the shower.

Results

Overall, I was very impressed with this creme lightener and would recommend it if you're looking to lighten your hair and dye it a bright color! I had no issues with using powder lightener, but I appreciated how fast this product worked once applied to my hair. My hair was originally a dark blonde with some residual yellow-blonde highlights at the bottom. This product lifted my hair so quickly that I only left it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing each time. The only thing I felt was a slight warming feeling on my scalp as the lightener reacted with the developer—no burning or stinging.

My hair felt soft and shiny, and split/fried ends were minimal. For my just-above-shoulder-length hair, I only needed to use one bottle to achieve the desired color, but if your hair is longer than mine you may have to use two. I bought two 8 oz bottles of 20 volume developer to use with this lightener and it ended up being the right amount, as I only needed about 10.5 oz of developer for a 1:1 mixing ratio. You will definitely need purple shampoo, because as with any hair lightening product it will typically lift to a yellow-blonde. If you have any other dyed colors in your hair at the time of using this product, you may have different results.

Ingredients

I've listed all of the ingredients on the back of the bottle here for reference. Before using any kind of lightening product, I recommend checking the ingredients for any known allergens, so that you don't have any kind of allergic reaction to the product. For some of the lesser-known ingredients, I've included links to information or short descriptions of the properties of the ingredient—that way you can learn a little bit more about ingredients that you may be unsure about.

• Mineral Oil
• Potassium Persulfate (lightening compound)
• Ammonium Persulfate (lightening compound, not Ammonia)
• Sodium Silicate
• Sodium Metasilicate
• Petrolatum (Assists in preventing outside dry-out)
• Sodium Persulfate (lightening compound)
• Ethylhexyl Stearate
• Sodium Stearate (Soap)
• Kaolin (White Clay, absorbs oil)
• Magnesium Oxide (Mineral)
• Sodium Laurel Sulfate (Foaming Agent)
• Silica (Anti Caking Agent)
• Titanium Dioxide / Cl77891 (White Pigment)
• Hydrolyzed Keratin (Moisturizer)
• Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract (Calming Agent)
• Helianthus Anuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil (Provides Nutrients)
• Beeswax (Softens ad smooths)
• Hydroxyethylcellulose (Natural Thickening Agent)
• Carbomer
• Xanthan Gum
• Bisabolol (Fragrance)
• Ceteareth-30 (Emulsifier)
• Hydrogenated Castor Oil (Emulsifier/Fragrance)
• Tetrasodium EDTA
• Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer (Viscosity Increasing Agent)
• Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer (Viscosity Increasing Agent)
• Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Cross Polymer (Viscosity Increasing Agent)
• PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (Fragrance/Emulsifier)

Overall, after researching each ingredient individually, there seems to be a low toxicity hazard and should not cause much, if any, irritation unless you are allergic to a specific ingredient. One thing about the ingredients that I appreciated was the inclusion of keratin, sunflower seed oil, and chamomile extract, as all of these ingredients are needed to ensure that your hair is not overly damaged, is receiving proper nutrients, and that your scalp is not irritated while you are using the product.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: What is developer used for when dyeing hair?

Answer: Developer is what is used to lift your hair color level. It often has peroxide in it. The higher the number on the developer the quicker it works and the more damaging it can be if used incorrectly. I typically use volume 10 if I am removing color from already lightened hair, and volume 20 if I am lightening virgin hair. However, if your hair is naturally medium blonde or lighter, you shouldn't ever need to go higher than volume 10 to lighten.

Question: I have dyed black hair, should I use the Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener 30 or 40 for the max lightning affect?

Answer: I wouldn't use 30 or 40 to lighten dyed black hair especially if it is dyed with permanent dye because your hair is already damaged from chemicals. Be aware also that lightening hair that has been permanently dyed black may not yield blonde hair either, and it may take a few rounds (a couple of days apart, to allow your hair to rest) to achieve blonde. I have never gone blonde from permanent black though so I would not consider myself the expert on this.

Question: Did you tone your hair? Should I tone mine if it's orange?

Answer: No, I did not have to tone my hair after because my hair doesn't have red tones because it is naturally dark blonde. Orange can happen after any lightening process if you're lifting from a darker or more red-toned color, in which case you will need to tone once you're done. I recommend Wella T-18.

Question: My hair is blond already but I want it lighter, can I use a 30 developer instead of 20?

Answer: I would not. 30 volume is very damaging. If your hair is a lighter blonde than mine already, I would even recommend going lower than volume 20 - you should use volume 10. That way you don't fry your hair before you even get to wash out the lightener.

Question: Can I use 30 Vol lightener on hair roots? I want to achieve white, while I have dark brown roots.

Answer: You can, but I wouldn't recommend it because 30 Vol is very strong and has more potential to fry your hair. If you're starting from dark brown, it may take a couple of rounds to get to white - using a stronger developer may get you there faster, but it's going to be at the expense of the integrity of your hair. If you do decide to do it, be extra careful watching the time and don't leave it on for more than 10-15 minutes especially when mixing with this particular lightener, since the lightener works very fast.

Question: My daughter has dark brown roots and it fades to a very light brown. The sales person had us to get 20 volume bright white developer. Can we use the developer by itself to lighten the darker parts or would we need to mix with something else?

Answer: You do need to mix developer with a lightening product such as this one. Unfortunately, the developer does not really work on its own as a lightening agent. Out of all of the Lighteners I have tried, the Ion Bright White Creme Lightener is the gentlest and easiest to work with, especially when compared to powder versions, so this is the one I would recommend.

Question: I was told at Sally's Beauty Supply to use Volume 30 creme lightener to lighten my hair but I see you used Volume 20. Is it okay to use 30?

Answer: It really depends on how dark and thick your hair is. If your hair is dirty blonde and thin, 30 will fry it. If your hair is dark brown and thick, 30 is probably okay.

Question: Would you recommend using a dye after using the developer and lightener?

Answer: It depends on what you are going for! If you want blonde hair, I'd follow up with a toner. If you want another color such as blue, pink, or red, then yes you can use a dye. If you like how it turned out though you don't necessarily have to do anything to it!

Question: I want to dye my tips emerald green. I have black hair and have never dyed my hair. Should I only lighten the tips of my hair with the lvl 20 developer?

Answer: Hi Anon, yes - if you want only the tips of your hair you will only need to lighten the tips. Since you have dark hair though, I just want to caution you not to try to lighten too quickly so that you don't damage your hair. A lot of times on darker hair, any kind of lightener will most times come out orange on the first round. Don't be frightened if it does- let your hair rest a few days (using a conditioning treatment of some kind also), and then apply the lightener again. For a color as dark as emerald green you won't need white hair - just a couple shades above will work fine.

Question: Do I need a developer to use the ion color creme lightener?

Answer: Yes - in my article I recommend 20 volume sensitive scalp developer from the same brand!

Question: After we wash out our hair with the conditioner how much should you use shampoo on bleached hair?

Answer: I typically wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner every three to four days. Make sure the shampoo you are using is sulfate, silicone, and paraben-free so as not to harm your color.

Question: I have super short hair in a pixie cut. Can you save unused product still in the bottle?

Answer: Yes! You absolutely can.

Question: I have dyed my hair black using Wella a few times. I want to go to a brightish red now. The rep at Sally's told me I can use a 30 developer in all my hair for 30 min, and would maybe need two rounds. Is this ok? Now I'm doubting. I don't want to burn my hair.

Answer: I would say it depends. Have you lightened your hair before you went black? If so, that already treated hair may not be able to handle volume 30. If your hair has never been lightened, only dyed with semi-permanent black dye, then it will be fine with volume 30. You have to be careful, especially if you have a lot of hair. It just is more powerful and works more quickly, so you have to keep an extra eye on the clock and make sure that you put a day or two in between rounds of lightening to ensure you don't damage it.

Question: How long are you supposed to leave Ion Color Brilliance Bright White creme in your hair?

Answer: I do not leave it in more than 20 minutes once I have finished the whole section I'm trying to do.

Question: I was wondering that if I've already died my hair can I do the bright white cream lightener & the 20 volume developer wash it out and I already have the blue/purple shampoo? Will it still have a yellow kinda tone if I don't use a toner?

Answer: My hair usually does have a little bit of a yellow color if I don't use a toner to cool it down, but if you leave purple shampoo in long enough it does help tone it down a bit. It also depends on what color your hair was before you tried to lighten it as to what color it may be when you try to lighten it now.

Comments

Jen on July 15, 2020:

I have dark brown hair colored using demi-permanent for years and would like to go a shade lighter. Will the creme lightner work for that? How long do you think I should keep it in using 20 developer?

Mary on June 10, 2020:

I have dark copper hair, I would like to lighten it a little. I do not want to

be a blond. Tried that was not for me.

Bev on November 05, 2019:

Can I use this product once a week. I shampoo everyday and it doesn’t on my hair longer than a few days.

Susie Lang on May 04, 2019:

I HAVE PALE BLONDE HAIR ALREADY BUT I WANT LIGHTER HIGHLIGHTS IN FRONT, MY QUESTION IS HOW LONG WOULD I LEAVE THE ION IN FOR , AND IS THE RATIO OF ION BRIGHT WHITE CREME DEVELOPER AND THE 20 VOLUME CREME DEVELOPER USED 1 EQUAL PART TO 1 EQUAL PART aka 1 TO 1 RATIO, THANK YOU FOR ANY SUGGESTIONS :-D

ToriM (author) from Atlanta on March 22, 2019:

if you are using a chemical-free semipermanent or temporary dye such as manic panic, arctic fox, or wella color charm, then you can dye it as soon as your hair dries from the shower after lightening. If you are using a permanent dye or one that requires chemicals such as peroxide or developer, it's best to wait a few days to let your hair rest.

Laurie moretta on March 08, 2019:

I want white, I have dark brown roots and pink on ends, I want to achieve white roots, blue on ends

Rossann ross on February 26, 2019:

How long after I lighten my hair cami color it

Kimmy k on January 07, 2019:

I used it with 30 developer and my hair was and orange red looking from where i strip my color bug now my roots are blonde and my ends are a lighter Orange

ToriM (author) from Atlanta on August 05, 2018:

@milly, you can for permanent or Demi permanent dye - I've never mixed developer with semi permanent though - never needed to!

milly on August 01, 2018:

hi can I mix ion sensitive developer with one n only hari color

Stacy on April 24, 2018:

I love that product, works great

Tori loves dying her hair all colors of the rainbow and shares her tutorials with others.

Why Hidden Rainbow?

Hidden rainbow hair is so pretty, but also extremely functional as well. It's when you color just a section of your hair instead of your whole head, and the color is only revealed if you wear your hair a certain way or move your hair in a certain direction. Hidden rainbows are particularly awesome for people who want to dye their hair bright colors but work at companies where it is frowned upon to have unnatural hair colors.

The other thing about hidden rainbow hair is that you do not have to do an actual rainbow—it's just the name of the trend! There are many ways to execute the look. You can have it on the side or the back of your hair; the whole length of your hair or just a section that doesn't touch your roots or ends. You can also apply the color in many different ways—streaky, ombre, patterned, or just one color.

I am lucky enough to work at a company that does not care what color my hair is. My coworkers have seen all of my hair color excursions, from every color of the rainbow in dip dye to hidden rainbow, tinting, highlights, et cetera. When I cut my hair in April after I decided to stop dip dying it, many of them were asking me what color or style I would be doing next. I was in my cousin's wedding in July, and I didn't want my hair colors to take away from her wedding, which is part of the reason why I cut it in the first place—that and my ends were getting pretty damaged from re-bleaching.

After the wedding in July, I wanted to dye my hair again but I was a little more apprehensive about what to pick since my hair was pretty short. I didn't want to do any colors that would not wash out after a couple of washes because I still wanted the freedom of redying other colors or going back to my normal blonde if I wanted to. I also wanted to be able to hide the dye if it didn't work out so well since my hair was short. So I settled on a hidden rainbow.

How I Chose My Colors

When I was deciding on my colors, I already had a pretty large collection of colors underneath the sink so I didn't want to buy anything new. I also knew I didn't want to use blues or greens. If you've read my previous hubs, you know that the blues and greens are a little bit more difficult to remove and I wanted to do some bright colors before I did steadfast colors.

I ended up using Ion Color Brilliance in Cantaloupe and Manic Panic in Wildfire. Since my hair is already blonde and I didn't want to look like a McDonald's mascot, I mixed the Cantaloupe with a tiny bit of the Wildfire to make a pastel creamsicle orange.

I decided to do the rainbow in an ombre style with the lighter color on top fading into the darker color. This is a good way to do multicolored ombres at home. I say this because when you are working with reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows, I have found that if you put the dark color on top, and the light color on the bottom, if you aren't careful with how you rinse, then the darker color will almost always overtake the lighter color during rinsing. I haven't figured out an at-home way to prevent this from happening other than trying to rinse lighter sections first and darker sections last.

Things You Will Need

Directions for Sectioning Hair and Applying Lightener

1. Decide where you want your hidden rainbow to be. There are many placement ideas for where you could put it online. My favorite places are the middle side and middle back of the head.
2. Start with parting the hair that will be on top of your rainbow. You can make the part straight across, zigzag, or rounded depending on your preference. Section the hair that will be remaining normal color up out of the way with a rubber band or hair clip.
3. If you want normal hair underneath your hidden rainbow as well, you will need to create a second part underneath the section of hair you will be dying. Put this hair in a ponytail and wrap it with plastic wrap or tin foil to protect it from the bleach and dye.
4. Mix the powder lightener and the creme developer to make your lightening mousse.
5. Starting with the roots, apply the bleach like you are painting to all of the hair. You will more than likely need an extra set of hands to help you with this part. I had to have my boyfriend help me paint the bleach since my rainbow section was on the back of my head and I couldn't see.
6. Wrap the section in plastic wrap or tin foil and allow it to process between 20–30 minutes depending on the directions of your hair lightener.
7. When it's ready to rinse out, you will need an extra set of hands to help you rinse. Sit in a chair with a towel over your shoulders, and tip your head back into a sink. Have your buddy rinse the bleach out of this part of your hair. A sink with a retractable faucet is much easier to use when rinsing, but you can also have your buddy fill a container and pour water on the bleached section to rinse. You do not need to rinse the sections of your hair you have designated to not color.
8. Condition hair, and rinse conditioner. Towel dry the newly lightened section of hair.
9. If the hair has not lightened enough, wait a day or two and lighten the section again until it is the desired blonde that you prefer for the color application. Be careful not to bleach too many times, or your hair will become very damaged. If you only had to process once like me, apply a heat protectant to the bleached section and blow-dry so you can move directly on to the color application.

Sectioning Hair for Ombre Color

Directions for Applying Color (Ombre Style)

1. Make sure your designated non-color areas of hair are pulled up and out of the way. If you have elected to have a section of hair underneath your hidden rainbow remain the same color, make sure that section is covered with plastic wrap or tin foil prior to dying. The directions can be a little confusing, so if you need help understanding the steps, refer to the diagram of where to apply each dye mixture!
2. Squeeze the color you'll be using for the top into a bowl. Have your buddy paint the dye on from the roots to where you want the dye to fade into the next color. Make sure to color inside the lines so as not to dye any sectioned no-dye hair.
3. In a separate bowl, squeeze some of the bottom color into a dish and mix with an equal amount of conditioner. This mixture is going to assist in the transition of one color to the other to get a great looking ombre.
4. Because this dye is a transition color to your dark color, you don't want to apply it underneath where you stopped your first dye - you want to put it on top. Apply it to about a 1-inch section of hair where you've already put your lighter dye, and bring it down about a half-inch into the uncolored hair.
5. In another bowl, squeeze pure dye and apply to your hair from the conditioner/dye section all the way to the ends of your hair.
6. Let the color process for 45 minutes to an hour or more. If you are using Manic Panic, Ion Color Brilliance, or One 'N Only Argan Oil hair dye, the color is non-toxic and can stay in as long as you like. The longer you leave it in, the longer the color will remain before fading out.
7. Get your buddy to help rinse your hair in the same way that you rinsed from the bleach. Rinse from the root first then work your way to the ends to prevent any color bleeding.
8. Condition and then either towel or blow-dry.

Directions for Applying Color (Streak Style)

1. Make sure your designated non-color areas of hair are pulled up and out of the way. If you have elected to have a section of hair underneath your hidden rainbow remain the same color, make sure that section is covered with plastic wrap or tin foil prior to dying.
2. Squeeze each color into a separate bowl.
3. Section out a small strand of pre-lightened hair.
4. Have your buddy help you apply a color with the brush from the root to the tip.
5. Wrap the strand in plastic wrap or tin foil.
6. Select the next strand of hair, and using a different color, repeat steps 3 and 4.
7. Repeat steps 2–5 until all strands are colored and wrapped.
8. Let the color process for 45 minutes to an hour. If you are using One 'N Only Argan Oil, Manic Panic, or Ion, you can leave the color in as long as you like because the dyes don't contain damaging chemicals.
9. Have your buddy help you rinse your hair. I recommend removing each tin foil/plastic wrap individually, and rinsing one strand at a time to prevent your darker streaks from bleeding rinsed color into your lighter strands.
10. Condition and then either towel or blow-dry.

The Finished Product

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

Lindaslife on March 25, 2018:

Thank you for the streak style tutorial. This was a big help. I also love the idea of adding conditioner to get some lighter colors. I'm working with splat blue envy and purple desire. They seem to work great for me. Again, thank you! :)

Lynn Fox on February 13, 2017:

Wow looks good. You're instructions seem easy to follow too. Great job.

Kathleen Motteler on November 20, 2016:

Good Job!

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

Tinting My Hair Rose Gold

I love experimenting with my hair. Since high school, I've pretty much run the gamut of hairstyles and colors from short to long, natural to bright, dip dying to hidden rainbow! But the one thing I haven't tried yet was tinting my hair.

To me, tinting is a more muted version of dying your whole head a different color. I have seen rose gold hair gaining popularity online, and naturally, I also fell in love with it. But how could I do it at home?

There are many ways to do it—my hairstylist recommended I get my normal blonde heavy highlights redone like normal. Then, instead of using a toner that would take the yellow out, he would use a pink toner to give me the rose gold look I was after. I was 100% game and told him I would be waiting to get it done until the week before my trip to Europe over Thanksgiving!

But naturally, me being me, I woke up one morning with an itch to do something on my own right that second. I looked at my collection of hair dyes under the sink to contemplate how I could do it, saw my leftover Manic Panic Cotton Candy Pink, and had an idea.

Supplies You'll Need

How to Tint Hair Based on Brand of Dye

Using Manic Panic Dye in Cotton Candy Pink

1. Put your gloves on, and using your fingers, scoop out the dye from the container. Coat your entire head with the dye as if you are conditioning your hair.
2. Let process for at least 30–45 minutes, or longer if you prefer.
3. Rinse out, and shampoo and condition like normal.
4. After you've dried your hair, if the color is not pink enough for your liking, repeat steps 1–3 a second time.

Using One 'N Only Argan Oil Perfect Intensity in Hot Pink

1. Using your 4–5 oz container, fill to the top with conditioner.
2. Squeeze out a drop of dye about the size of the tip of your pinky finger into the conditioner, and combine until the dye has turned the conditioner a hot pink.
3. If you think you'll want a slightly pinker rose gold tint, add another small squeeze of dye into the conditioner.
4. Put your gloves on and apply the mixture to your hair as if you are conditioning your hair like normal. Let it process for 30–45 minutes or longer if you prefer.
5. Rinse out and shampoo and condition like normal.
6. After you have dried your hair, if it is not pink enough for your liking, follow steps 1–5 a second time. In my second round, I ended up adding two squeezes of pink into the conditioner instead of just one.

The Process

First I started with the Manic Panic. I had bought it previously to use it in my rainbow dip dye, but after it had processed in that project it didn't come out bright enough for my hair so I ended up having to do a different color over top of it, and had nearly an entire jar left of it.

I was able to do about half of my hair in the Manic Panic Cotton Candy Pink before I ran out of dye. If I wasn't bound and determined to have rose gold all over, I would have had some pretty awesome pale rose gold highlights complementing my blonde hair. But you know me—I can never get enough, so I started searching for a solution to make it brighter.

I found some One 'N Only Argan Oil Perfect Intensity Haircolor in Hot Pink under my sink. This one made me a little apprehensive because if you've read my other hair blogs, you know that One 'N Only has extremely strong staying power! I was concerned about my entire head coming out bright pink, but I decided to experiment anyway.

One thing to know about bright colored hair dye is that conditioner helps dilute the color. This is especially helpful if you're trying to fade one color into another color smoothly, but it also helps dilute hair dye colors. I filled the empty Manic Panic container almost to the top with conditioner and put just a drop about the size of the tip of my pinky finger in the tub with the conditioner. I mixed it up and applied it all over my head.

I let it process for about an hour before rinsing it out, and then shampooed and conditioned like normal. The nice thing about using conditioner to dilute it is that it's like a tinted mask for your hair. It's completely non-damaging and super moisturizing! Your hair will be soft and shiny after a conditioning mask, and that is something I can never get enough of.

I ended up doing two rounds of this because after I washed and dried my hair the first time, I had beautiful, subtle rose gold color in my brightest highlights, but I wanted more than that. So I did another round of the hot pink mixed with conditioner a few hours later to try and get a more pronounced rose gold color.

Things to Remember

• Both dyes are semi-permanent, which means that the color will fade after a few washes. Because there's so little dye that was actually put in your hair, it will more than likely return to its old color or pretty close to it.
• If you have thin hair, hair that takes color extremely easily, or blonder hair than me, and you decide to go the Manic Panic route, you should add some conditioner to the Manic Panic dye to dilute it a little bit. For me, my hair is thick and it is difficult to make it take color if it's not platinum blonde, so any pastel shades from Manic Panic come out extremely light on me.
• When using Manic Panic Cotton Candy Pink, I found that I did not have enough to do my entire head even with a nearly full jar of it! if your hair is chin-length or lower, you will need to purchase two jars of it should you choose to go that direction.
• The dyes are non-toxic and do not contain any harmful chemicals, which means you can do several run-throughs in one day to get the shade of rose gold you're looking for and you won't have to worry about damaging your hair. The conditioner method is also basically a mask for your hair so once it is dry it will be super soft and shiny!
• Your hair already has to be heavily highlighted like my hair, or it must be dyed a yellow or golden blonde. I personally prefer applying this dye over highlights because then it gives the rose gold more dimension since the color will take to some pieces of hair more than others. Once your hair is the same yellowy color that mine was, it will work best with rose gold tinting.
• The longer you let the hair color process, the better the staying power your color will have. Again because the dyes are nontoxic you don't have to worry about how long the coloring mixture is in your hair because it won't damage it.
• Do not be afraid by the color the dye is in the jar when using the Ion dye on your hair! It will look like you are dying your hair hot pink when you put it in, but it will not come out that color when you wash your hair because the color is pretty diluted. Your hair will be pale once you rinse it out.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

priyanshi pradhan on July 28, 2020:

This is such a nice post. you can also visit ourr blog Mom Blog Names

Annie Denz on February 15, 2018:

It was very useful for me. Keep sharing such ideas in the future as well.

http://www.byrdie.co.uk/rose-gold-hair/ - check out, post also about gold hair transformation

Melissa from Georgia on December 31, 2017:

I absolutely love the rose gold hair! It's something I've wanted try for the last year or so. Thanks for the educational tutorial!

Dulquer Salman on November 13, 2017:

Very informational article really. I think the combination of the above article and https://goo.gl/duhHVb this will be the best.

Mona Sabalones Gonzalez from Philippines on October 06, 2017:

You look lovely with your new hair color:).

Melessa on August 22, 2017:

Very Nice article Dear. I visit your website everyday. Keep updating.

Kesha Evans on July 23, 2017:

that is a great color on you!

Ellen Gregory from Connecticut, USA on July 15, 2017:

I have been working up the courage to go rose gold. This information is really helpful.

Buy Contact Lenses on May 25, 2017:

It was very useful for me. Keep sharing such ideas in the future as well. This was actually what I was looking for, and I am glad to came here! Thanks for sharing the such information with us.

Kathleen from Michigan on November 20, 2016:

Turned out really pretty!

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

Disclaimer

I am not a professional hair stylist and this tutorial is based on my personal experience of dip dying my hair several times on my own. Additionally this tutorial is not meant to be used with permanent/demi-permanent dyes. If you are following this tutorial your dye should be semi-permanent or temporary.

You Will Need:

Step 1: The Lightener

The first step to getting your colorful ombre is bleaching your hair. In order to bleach properly, you need to know a little about how hair bleach works before you do it, or you could seriously damage your hair.

What Is Bleach and Developer?

Most hair bleach comes with two components that you have to mix together in order to make the mixture that goes on your hair: lightener and developer. The lightener itself is typically a powder or creme, then you add a liquid "developer" to the lightener in measured amounts to create the mixture. The developer comes in different volumes in order of lifting strength: 10, 20, 30, and 40. My preferred brand of lightener and developer is Ion Bright White Creme Lightener and 20 Volume Developer.

Ten is the weakest volume and will take the longest to lift your hair to lighter shades. 40 is the most powerful and works the fastest to lift your hair to a lighter shade. But using 40 volume developer comes with a price. Because it pulls the color out faster, it will damage your hair much more quickly. My recommendation for anyone with any color of hair is to start with 20 volume. If your hair is really dark, you could use 30 volume.

Now, I can understand the yearning to have the end result quickly—but trust me on this, you really want to be patient when working with hair lighteners. When lightening your hair, you will almost never get the shade you are looking for after the first round unless your hair is already very blonde to start with, or you don't want it to be platinum before you put the color in.

How Light Should I Go?

Keep in mind that your hair does not need to be platinum or white before you can put the color in. You can stop lightening your hair if you are happy with the result before it gets to platinum. You just need to know that the darkness of your hair after lightening will affect how bright the color appears. The whiter your hair is, the brighter and more vibrant the color will be, but the more damage may be visible. The darker your hair is, the darker and more muted the color will be.

When lightening your hair, if you choose to do multiple sessions, it is best to space out the bleach sessions between 3–7 days to let your hair rest, making sure to condition it well in between sessions. If you have to bleach more than twice to lift the color out enough, then you definitely need to space it out much longer, between 7–10 days.

You may end with an orange or yellow tone after lightening. If you want to, you can add an in-between step of using a toner such as Wella T-18 to reduce the orange and yellow tones.

Dip Dying Without Lightener

The first time I dip dyed my hair, I had it done professionally. I was a little too scared to do the bleaching just yet, so I had my stylist do a nice navy-turquoise color by Pravanna without bleaching my ends. The color looked SO awesome and it turned out great. But the problem with my hair, which up to that point had not been dyed, was that it didn't absorb the dye very well. It looked so gorgeous but started fading after the second time I washed it because my hair was so thick and strong that the color did not take very deep.

If you are non-committal to bright-colored hair, and your hair is not bright blonde already, I do recommend dip dying without the bleach so that you can see whether it's something you want to do in the future. I also recommend getting it done professionally the first time, just so that you can get a feel for everything and know that it will look awesome the first time around before you start trying to do it yourself. However, you can definitely do it at home with a couple of hours and an extra hand!

Directions for Applying Lightener

1. You will need gloves, a bowl for mixing, the lightening powder or creme, developer, plastic wrap or tin foil, and a hair color applicating brush.
2. Decide on the line where you want your eventual color to stop so that it can fade into your normal hair color. For me, that line was about 8 inches up from my tips.
3. Divide out a section of hair and mark that line with a clip or a hair tie. If you are confident enough eyeballing it instead of marking it, you can do that.
4. Mix your lightener and developer in the bowl according to the directions on the packaging.
5. Apply the bleach to the section of hair from the tips to about two inches under the section you marked. Make sure that the entire section of hair under your cutoff line is covered.
6. After the bleach is applied, wrap the section with a piece of tin foil or plastic wrap to keep the lightener from getting on anything as it takes to your hair.
7. Move on to the next section and repeat steps 5 and 6 until all of the sections you wish to lighten are coated.
8. Let the lightenerpLightener I would not leave it on more than 20 minutes. You will see the bleach start to lighten your hair relatively quickly.
9. After the processing time has passed, jump in the shower and rinse everything out. Use shampoo and conditioner.
10. Apply either hair oil or leave-in conditioner after you get out of the shower to help re-moisturize your hair after the bleach. I like OGX Moroccan Argan Oil or It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In.
11. I don't recommend blow drying your hair to prevent additional damage, but if you do, just be careful not to concentrate the heat on one section of your hair for too long to prevent damage. You can also let it air dry if that is your preference.
12. If you feel your hair still needs another round of lightening, wait a few days before lightening again.

Step 2: Don't Skip The Purple Shampoo

Before you apply your color to your bleached ends, you may notice that the bleached areas of your hair look a little brassy or orange. There is an easy fix for this. A night or two before you are ready to put the color in your hair, wash it first with purple shampoo. Purple shampoo takes the yellow, orange, and red tones out of your hair to make it a cooler blonde, which is generally preferred prior to applying any bright color to your hair. You can also use a toner to remove orange and yellow tones as well.

As far as purple shampoos go, there are so many to choose from, but I personally really like Generic Value Products Purple Shampoo. It works just as well as the name brand products and smells really good too!

To use purple shampoo, you will apply it in the same way you would apply normal shampoo, except you'll want to let it sit for a minute or two before washing it out. You'll notice an immediate difference after washing it out that your hair is a cooler shade of blonde. Don't leave the purple shampoo in too long, or else it may tinge your hair the same color! Apply conditioner after rinsing like you normally would, and once your hair is dry, you are all ready to apply your color.

Step 3: Apply Your Color

This is the fun part: it is now time to apply your color so you can achieve your vibrant ombre look. First, you'll need to choose your color. There are many different brands of color to pick from, so make sure you read the reviews and look at pictures of people who have already used the color you're looking at so that you have an idea of how it will turn out.

If you prefer a brand of dye that does not come out easily because you plan to keep the color a while, One N Only Argan oil is what you should use. For dye that lasts roughly 8-10 weeks, I recommend Arctic Fox. For dye that lasts a few weeks to a month, You should use Manic Panic.

If you aren't finding the exact color you are looking for, it is ok to mix the dyes to get the color you want. All of the brands are non-toxic and don't contain any chemicals that would damage your hair, but just because of the formulations between each brand I recommend only mixing colors within each of the brands rather than mixing the brands themselves to make a new color.

Directions for Applying Your Chosen Color

1. You will need your chosen color, two bowls, gloves, conditioner, plastic wrap or tin foil, and a hair color applicator.
2. Section off a piece of hair to work with first. Apply conditioner about three inches above the bleached portion of the hair, down to one inch above the bleached section of hair. This helps prevent any stray hair dye from getting where it doesn't need to go. it also helps the color fade nicely into your natural color like a smooth gradient instead of a choppy color.
3. Using the hair color applicator, apply color directly to the bleached portion of your hair. Make sure the entire strand is coated. Pull the color up all the way to meet the area you applied conditioner to.
4. Wrap the section of hair with tin foil or plastic wrap, and repeat the process for the next section of hair, until all sections of hair are complete.
5. Let the dye sit for at least 45 minutes to an hour.
6. Jump in the shower and rinse all the hair dye out until the water is running mostly clear. Apply conditioner.
7. Apply your hair oil or leave-in conditioner the same as you did after the bleach, and either air dry or blow dry according to your preferences.

Taking Care of Your Ombre

Now that you've successfully dip dyed your hair, it's important to know what you should do to preserve the color! Here are some things to remember about caring for your tresses:

• Don't apply shampoo directly to the colored portions of your hair. Apply it only at your roots, and rinse it out without scrubbing it into the colored parts of your hair. My hair was actually long enough to where I could hold the colored part in one hand out of the way while I shampooed and rinsed my roots. Then, I would let my hair down when the shampoo was out and I was ready to apply conditioner.
• Try to stay away from shampoos that contain sulfates and also clarifying shampoos. Both will strip your color away faster.
• Don't let your hair in chlorinated water.
• If you had to bleach your hair multiple times prior to dying, always apply a leave-in conditioner or hair oil after getting out of the shower to help keep breakage to a minimum and close up your split ends.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: How do I blend the dye so that there is no line of separation when using two colors?

Answer: Once I have applied the two colors of dye, I will take a flat section in between my forefinger and middle finger and rub up and down to create the gradient.

Question: For coloured hair dyes are we meant to do an allergen test, like you do for bleach?

Answer: You can if you are concerned, but I have never had any issues with them since semi-permanent dyes don't have harsh chemicals in them! I would do a strand test if I wasn't sure about how the color would turn out, though.

Question: Do you use a brush or a bottle to apply dye to your hair for the dip dye look?

Answer: I used a brush, but you could use a bottle if you wanted to!

Question: Would dip-dying be a similar process with permanent dye?

Answer: Yes, except you do not want to leave the permanent dye on for nearly as long because it will damage your hair. Also make sure you are in a well ventilated room!

Comments

Kathleen from Michigan on November 20, 2016:

Interesting

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

How I Found Murad

I started working part-time at Ulta as a Prestige Beauty Advisor around the same time I started my new logistics job. At the time my acne was not bad but I learned a wealth of information about skincare and what I was doing wrong (not using moisturizer, not washing my face every day, using too-abrasive soaps on my face, etc). Granted, I know a lot of it was just marketing techniques to push people to favor certain brands, but there had to be some truth to it!

Before working at Ulta I had never heard of the brands of skincare that Ulta refers to as "prestige" (you have your drugstore brands, and then you have the "prestige" section). During the weekly Sunday trainings we would get to try whatever product we were learning about, and oftentimes went home with a sample (this is how I became addicted to Urban Decay eyeshadows as well).

Some of these products I thought were all hype, and I was extremely surprised to go home and find that a lot of them worked and were worth the higher price tag. Case in point: IT Cosmetic's Hello Lashes Mascara, whose formula helps eyelashes grow longer and keeps them from falling out as quickly so you end up with three times the lashes than you would normally have.

I gained some trust in more expensive brands through my Ulta training --- so when my acne got REALLY bad over the summer of 2015, I started trying various products, both drugstore and prestige. I bought a Clarisonic Mia 1, a facial cleansing brush, which definitely helped but didn't completely eliminate my acne. By November 2015 the acne on my chin was horrible. I had huge spots all over my cheeks, and I was having a lot of trouble covering them up. I had heard great things about Murad, and LOVED their T-Zone Pore Refining Serum (makes your pores much smaller and helps keep dirt from getting into them. Eventually I had no more blackheads on my nose). So, I went to Ulta and bought the Murad 30-Day Acne Starter Kit.

The Kit

Murad was founded by a skincare doctor, Dr. Howard Murad. He is a board certified dermatologist, a trained pharmacist and also acts as an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA. He is known as the "Father of Internal Skin Care" for his work and research promoting the use of vitamins and supplements, such as Alpha Hydroxy Acids, to help people achieve better skin. Now you can see why I was so willing to try the products!

The Murad kit is reasonably priced for a starter kit ($34 at Ulta and on Murad's website, $30 on Amazon). I very much enjoy the way Murad sets up their products because they make it super easy to figure out what you need. Each of the 11 product lines that they carry is color-coded based on what you are trying to achieve, and numbered based on the steps in skincare that you should be following to have the best results.

The acne care products come with blue labels, and this kit comes with three steps:

1. Cleanse/Tone
2. Treat/Repair
3. Hydrate/Protect

What's in the Murad 30-Day Acne Starter Kit?

How Did It Do?

There are a few really great things about this kit.

1. Each of the #1 and #2 products that come in the kit contain some form of acne treatment to help diminish breakouts. The Clarifying Cleanser contains 1.5% Salicylic Acid; Acne Clearing Solution contains .5% Salicylic Acid; and the Acne Spot Fast Fix contains 3.5% Benzoyl Peroxide.
2. The Acne Spot Fast Fix contains Great Burnet (a perennial herb in the rose family) and Allantoin (a chemical compound) to soothe inflamed skin. It also contains Niacinamide (a water-soluble vitamin) to help restore an even skin tone.
3. The Oil Control Mattifier is SPF 15 and absorbs super quickly into the skin.
4. All of the bottles are travel-friendly, AKA small enough to not be taken by the TSA at security checkpoints.

The directions indicate that you should use the products morning and night, but in an effort to conserve the product since I was on a tight budget at the time, I only used them once a day. I think if I had done everything twice a day, I would have run out of product in around 20 days. By only using it once per day (in the mornings) I was able to stretch the product out to about 38 days before I had to replace it. The first thing I ran out of was the Moisturizer, and the last thing the Acne Spot Fast Fix (60 days later I'm still actually on the first bottle).

I started seeing a difference after just a few days of using the products. My acne was not gone by any means—but a lot of my bigger spots on my cheeks started to fade, and I could see the spots on my chin beginning to get smaller. By the 35 day mark, the spots on my chin had completely disappeared, and I only had some recurring spots on my cheeks where I was getting some giant zits.

After My Kit Ran Out

When I went to replace my kit, I was mulling over buying everything full size because I could see the products were working—but I had some problems doing that:

1. The full size products can get really pricey
2. I was on a budget
3. While my patches of acne had disappeared, my big zits had not and I wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke

In the end, I decided to go with another (slightly different) acne kit that came with slightly larger versions of each product plus an additional moisturizing agent. This one is called the Murad Complete Acne Control Kit. It costs $65 at Ulta and the Murad website, and is not available on Amazon. It again comes with blue labels and the same 3 steps.

What's in the Murad Complete Acne Control Kit?

Side Note About Ulta

If you shop at Ulta, sign up for a rewards card. You get 1 point for every dollar you spend on a normal basis. There are opportunities to get more points though. Buy your makeup during your birthday month so that you get 2x the points on everything. Watch out for 2x, 3x, & 5x point sales that they send out via email. And if you want free stuff in addition to points, try to wait to buy new products until you see free gifts attached to them on the website.

Once you spend $450 in a calendar year, you get platinum membership. Your points don't expire and the point rate per dollar increases to 1.25 so you earn points faster. Because of my points, I actually ended up not having to pay for the kit at all, AND I shopped at a time where there were tons of free gifts. When I bought my second kit replenished some of my makeup also, and ended up walking out of there with over $200 worth of product for about $50!!

Use All 5 Products in the Complete Control Kit

This kit comes with 2 moisturizers. At first, I thought, "Okay, I can just switch them out every other day, I don't have to use both!" But, after researching it and using the products that way for a few days, I realized that was not the way to do it. The Skin Perfecting Lotion is awesome and I like how smooth it makes my skin feel. It contains Retinol and queen of meadow extract, which help reduce oil production as well as toning and tightening pores. The problem is that it doesn't contain an SPF, and when used alone, the ingredients leave your face looking a little shiny (but not oily --- just shiny). That's where the Oil Control Mattifier comes in. It's got the SPF 15 and eliminates the shine given by the skin perfecting lotion. So, as I've indicated in the table, make sure you use all 5 products, and make sure you are waiting a minute or so in between the application of each product to allow your skin to absorb each product.

Conclusion and Final Review

After using many products to try and get rid of my breakouts, I found that Murad works best for my skin. The brand has a trustworthy background in skincare and I've had really great results with it. It has evened out my skin tone and actually also helped with the redness that I get in the corners of my nose that aren't related to acne.

There's only a few cons -- the first one is that nobody is immune to getting a giant zit every once in a while, so those will happen even with this product. The plus side to that is that the products get rid of acne that has been around on your face for a long time, and it does it in a way that makes sure your skin doesn't get dried out. The second con is that my skincare routine in the morning now takes about 15 minutes due to having to let each product absorb into my skin before applying the next one, and also that it can be tedious to have to use so many products. I fixed this con by waking up 15 minutes earlier to get it done, because the fact of the matter is if you want your skin to clear up you need to put in the effort even if it's a little inconvenient.

Overall, this product for me is a 10/10 would recommend to everyone to at least try it! The Starter kit is a great way to test the products without breaking the bank and the Complete Acne Control kit is a really great upgrade if you decide you want to move further with the Murad Acne Skin Care Regimen.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: Should I still use Murad acne treatments after my face clears up?

Answer: After your acne is gone, I still recommend using the clarifying cleanser and the mattifier every day. You can reserve the acne solution and the spot fix for when you get a breakout. Murad actually sells a smaller kit with just the mattifier and the clarifying cleanser in it, so that you don't have to buy the bigger kit unless you need it.

Question: Will Murad's work for aging (47 yrs old) hormonal acne skin problem?

Answer: I am not sure if it will or not, but it's worth a try. The active ingredients are standard acne ingredients!

Comments

mayoush on August 15, 2019:

this is a great post thank u love

Branda on May 15, 2019:

What are the steps in using this prdocurs

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

DIY Marbled Manicure

Marbled nails look really cool. I used to always see these nails all over the internet and wonder how on Earth people did it. It seriously looks like they took a sticker and put it on their nails (which, apparently, is a thing now).

I learned how to do this from a post on Tumblr. The post in question was just a group of images without any text showing you what to do to create the look. I looked at it and thought, "OK! That's easy enough!" Unfortunately, the graphic tutorial didn't contain any tips and tricks that are useful when trying to do this, and also wasn't very complete in the steps, either. After several tries, I eventually got the look I was going for. Even though some of my nails looked really janky, I was happy with it for the time being. But I did want to get better at it!

I began doing the marbled look more regularly, and have discovered some tips and tricks to accomplish this method of nail art in the cleanest, easiest way possible. Here is an easy DIY guide for creating that marbled look at home!

Supplies

This nail art is simple if you are equipped with the right supplies to get the job done the right way.

You will need:

• A small cup that you don't care about. It must be at least an inch deep. I used a quarter measuring cup.
• Room temperature water. It is absolutely imperative that this water is room temperature, and not cold or warm to the touch.
• Q-Tips (for touchups!)
• Wooden toothpicks
• The polish colors you would like to use. OPI nail polishes work great for this style of nail art. For the base coat, you'll want to use a white or a pastel, to ensure the rest of the colors show up. I really like using OPI Alpine Snow as my base coat. Then you'll need to pick two other colors to mix with for the marbled look.
• A paper towel
• Nail Polish remover
• Masking tape or Scotch tape (I prefer blue painters tape or masking tape).

Important Tips Before You Start

• Cup Size: The cup you choose should not have a large surface area for the water. The smaller the cup, the better—so long as it is at least an inch deep. If you have a big surface area for the water in the cup, the nail polish will spread too much, and you will end up wasting a lot of it! I've used the little disposable sauce cups from a restaurant—those are great for this type of project!
• Water Temperature: The water in your cup cannot be too hot or too cold. The temperature of the water will either cause the polish to dry too quickly, or it will cause it not to separate properly. For this reason, it is very important to ensure that the water does not feel hot or cold to your touch.
• Polish Choice: It is very important that your polishes are new or like-new, and cannot be the instant-dry nail polish. Firstly, the polishes must be new or like-new because older polishes tend to be more dried out than when you first purchase them, which affects their ability to spread in the water. Instant dry nail polishes also have the same issue - because they dry so quickly, they will not spread on the surface of the water but will clump and sink. You can test your nail polish to see if it will work for this project by dropping a small bit of it into the water. If the nail polish stays in a clump or sinks to the bottom, it is too old and cannot be used for this project. If it stays on the surface of the water and spreads out across the top without clumping or sinking, it is perfect to use.
• Put Remover in the Cap: The nail polish remover is easiest to deal with when you pour it in the cap. The nail polish remover will come in handy when you are cleaning up the nails and the nail beds after each coat of polish. Since you are working on details and will be using Q-Tips for this, it is very convenient to pour a little nail polish remover into the cap for easier access.
• Change the Water Regularly: Switch your water out if you notice it is getting really dirty. The water will become dirty from all of the nail polish you are dropping into it. If you start having issues getting your nail polish to spread, you will need to switch the water out. I can usually get one hand done before I have to switch it out.

1. Paint Your Base Coat and Color

Paint the base coat as smoothly as possible. Use Q-Tips and nail polish remover to touch up around the cuticles. Make sure to let this dry completely before doing the next step!

2. Protect Your Skin

Tape your nail all around so that as little of your skin is visible as possible. Try to surround your nail as well as possible, and extend the tape to about your knuckle.

Alternatively, you can also use liquid latex around your nail. I particularly like Pueen Latex Nail Tape—it dries quickly and peels off easily!

3. Add Colors to the Water

Quickly drop the nail colors into the water, alternating colors however you want. I will usually start with the base color (white), then drop the other colors on top of each other. Do this step quickly to prevent the polish from drying too quickly.

4. Swirl the Colors

Swirl the colors together lightly with a toothpick to your desired design. Do this quickly! If you mess up, blow on the top of the water until the nail polish dries. Then, sweep it up with the Q-Tip and start again.

5. Dip Your Nail Into the Design

Identify the pattern that you would like to show on your nail. Strategically place your nail over the design you want and carefully dip your nail in the water.

Note: Whatever you do, don't lift your nail back out of the water at this point.

6. Lightly Blow on the Top of the Water

Lightly blow on the top of the water while keeping your finger submerged. Take a toothpick and pick up the dried nail polish from the water. Make sure all of the excess nail polish is taken up from the water before pulling your nail out!

7. Take Your Nail out of the Water

Take your nail out of the water. Let dry for a minute or two. Peel back the tape, and use a Q-Tip to clean up any polish that may have gotten on your skin.

You Are Done!

Now you know how to create the marbled look on your nails. The marbled nail looks really cool as an accent nail as well. I will paint my nails all one color that I use in the marble and then do the marble only on my ring fingers and it looks really good!

This nail art is super easy and really cool looking when you are done! Don't worry if you don't get it right the first time - you can always take the polish off and try again!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

ToriM (author) from Atlanta on June 26, 2014:

Hi Deborah, Thank you very much! I hope you find it useful - and I hope your nails turn out great :)

Deborah Sexton on June 24, 2014:

Great hub. I'm going to try this, thank you for sharing this information

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

Long hair is beautiful when it is maintained well. There are a lot of people who would love to have it, but it does take a little maintenance to achieve great looking long hair.

I myself have run the gamut of hairstyles, colors, and lengths. My hair has been super long, super short, somewhere in the middle, red, brown, blonde, pink, blue, green, purple, and almost everything in between.

When I was in college, I fried my hair because I didn't really know what I was doing while dyeing it. The colors looked great but up close, you could tell my hair was a complete mess.

Now that I have learned from my hair care mistakes, I have compiled some tips for people who would like to have long hair, whether you're growing it out natural or dying it, so that you can avoid the mistakes I made. These basic tips are beneficial to all hair types if you use them correctly.

They are extremely helpful for people who bleach or lighten their hair a lot, or have used a lot of box dyes with ammonia in them. If you are like me and did that, these tips will be great for helping you restore the healthiness to your hair.

1. Don't Wash Your Hair Every Day

There are several reasons not to wash your hair every day:

• It is tedious. It takes forever to wash, and even longer to dry.
• It causes more damage than if you wash it less frequently. Every time you wash your hair, especially with heavy duty shampoos, you are stripping your hair of the natural oils it needs to look good. The more you wash, the more oils you strip away. Yes, you are replenishing some of those nutrients when you condition, but think of your hair like a kitchen sponge. The more you wash it and use it, the more worn out it becomes.
• If you're like me, more showers leads to more blow drying or straightening. Blow drying or straightening your hair every day can fry it, and even more so if you're using a lot of styling products, too.

2. Use Sulfate Free Gentle Shampoos and Conditioners

Each time you wash your hair, you should ensure that you are using products that are sulfate free.

Sulfates are a detergent used to clean your hair and provide a really sudsy lather. If your hair is natural and not damaged, they don't really do much to you. But if your hair is dyed or damaged, they can be more damaging. Sulfates strip the natural oils out of your hair, and if your hair is damaged, you want to leave as much of those oils in as possible (Source). Sulfates also contribute to faster color fading if you are dying your hair, especially if the dye you are using is semi-permanent.

My favorite type of shampoo and conditioner is Herbal Essences Naked Shampoo and Conditioner. This brand contains no paraben, heavy residues, or dyes. It's a really light formula that smells great and is pretty affordable.

3. Deep Condition Your Hair Once a Week

Deep conditioner helps your hair stay soft and shiny all the time, especially if you've just lightened it or used a dye with ammonia. My favorite deep conditioner is "It's a 10" Miracle Deep Conditioner. I highly recommend this stuff. It works like magic!

Whether you decide to use this or another deep conditioner, here's how you should use it.

1. Brush your hair before getting in the shower.
2. Shampoo your hair like normal.
3. Squeeze out the excess water and towel dry it as much as possible.
4. Apply the deep conditioner generously through your hair, but stay light near your roots to prevent product buildup. I recommend using a wide tooth comb during this step to help detangle and ensure the conditioner has reached every part of your hair.
5. Put your hair up with a clip on top of your head, and leave the conditioner in for a minimum of 5 minutes. (I usually continue with my shower during this time!)
6. After the five minutes have passed, take your hair out of the clip and rinse it out thoroughly. You will feel a difference in your hair after the first wash!

4. Maintain Oil Levels in Between Washes

If you have an oily scalp, you may be concerned about the conditioner. A lot of times an oily scalp is just over compensating because it feels like it's not moisturized enough. This is often a result of overwashing, not because of conditioner (Source). As I mentioned before, don't wash your hair as much, and you will notice oil levels start to decrease.

That being said, you also want to prevent buildup of product near your roots because that can make it feel greasier. So, when you are applying any kind of conditioner, be careful not to put a lot on your roots–or avoid your roots altogether and just apply mid shaft and down if your scalp is exceptionally oily.

Another thing you can do to combat grease is using dry shampoo. Dry shampoo typically comes in an aerosol can. You can spray a little on your roots and it will absorb any additional oiliness. That way, you can go a little longer between washes. It also helps provide a little bit more body if the roots of your hair are looking a little flat. My favorite dry shampoo right now is Batiste dry shampoo in Original.

5. Keep Your Ends Trimmed

Split ends can be a pain in the rear end, especially if your hair is long because they become more noticeable the longer your hair gets. A split end happens when the outer layer of hair, the cuticle, starts to wear away at the tips and expose the proteins at the center of the hair. Follow these simple tips to keep those pesky split ends, which are so common with long hair, away.

In high school I was terrified of going to a hairstylist, because I was afraid if I told them to only cut one inch they would cut five, or if I asked for layers they would look terrible. I was just so attached to my long hair that I didn't trust anyone to touch it but myself. That way if it looked bad it was my own fault.

When I got to college, my hair was so damaged I was afraid if I decided to cut it myself it would be more noticeable because my hair was so fragile and broke easily. I finally had a friend who was a professional hairstylist cut my hair, and she did great, and eliminated my fears.

Some of the benefits of getting a regular trim:

• Trimming your ends will not only make your hair look healthier, but it also makes it easier to drag a comb or a brush through it when you are doing your hair.
• Contrary to popular belief, trimming your hair does not defeat the purpose of growing it long. If you let your hair grow for a long time without giving it a trim up, you will get split end that will get worse with time. It will keep your hair from looking frayed and lifeless.
• If you decide to curl your hair or put your hair in a style that tucks your ends away, they will be more willing to cooperate and less likely to stick out in weird places.

To help keep the split ends at bay, I recommend getting 1 inch cut off every one to two months. This will keep the split ends from getting out of hand, even if it's the only thing you do differently to your long hair.

Poll:

6. Protect Your Hair From Heat Damage

One of the best ways to help prevent split ends before they start is using some kind of protectant on them before styling your hair for the day. My favorite one to use is OGX Argan Oil.

Argan oil won't make your hair oilier because a lot of oil in your hair is at your roots, not your tips. The oil should be applied from about halfway down your hair, all the way down to the tips, but not all the way up to your roots. Once you apply a little heat to this oil, your hair soaks it right up and doesn't leave greasy residue.

You can find it at Walmart, Target, or your local hair care retailer. You don't need a lot of it for it to have an effect, so buy a small bottle. It will probably last you six months and it's worth the investment!

In addition to preventing the forming of split ends, this stuff also will make current split ends less visible. No product will "heal" split ends, those are all lying to you. Products that say they are healing split ends are only bonding the cuticle back with the protein, like a glue, but it will come undone again later. Better to just snip the ends and start fresh.

To use this oil on your ends when your hair is dry:

• Drop about a pea sized amount into your palms and rub it in slightly.
• Using both palms, rub the oil into the middle section and ends of your hair until your ends look relatively coated.
• Wash your hands if you have any extra residue so you don't get it in the rest of your hair, and then use your flat iron or curler to finish your hair as needed.
• If you aren't planning to style your hair, just use a blow dryer and lightly apply heat so that the oil will soak into your hair.

To use oil on your ends when your hair is wet:

• Towel dry your hair as much as you can so it's not dripping wet.
• Apply the oil in the same method as above.
• Finish with the application of heat. My preferred method when my hair is wet is to blow dry my entire head after applying.

7. Dye Your Hair the Right Way

If you decide to dye your long hair, make sure you follow the right steps to keep your hair healthy. If you go to a salon they will provide you with some tips for upkeep, but if you do it at home, here are some tips to help you do it correctly.

• Stay away from permanent box dyes. If you have long hair and you want to preserve it the best way to go is to use ammonia and peroxide free semi-permanent dyes. A great brand with a large color selection is Ion Color Brilliance, which is sold at Sally Beauty Supply.
• If you're trying to go lighter, do not use anything higher than a 20 volume developer with your lightening product. Ion Color Brilliance has a really wonderful set of lightening products you can use that will help keep your hair safe.
• Always do the strand test to see if the color is what you want it to be, and also to help check for allergies or to see if your hair can handle the dye.
• Purchase enough dye. If your hair is long make sure you purchase two or more boxes or tubes. It's always better to have a little extra then to run out halfway through.
• Condition your hair afterwards on a regular basis and make sure you are using sulfate-free color safe shampoo and conditioner so that you do not strip your color.
• Trim your ends before you get your hair colored.
• Use argan oil to preserve the ends of your hair.

Poll:

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

Sasha Jasrain on August 09, 2017:

Hi! Loved your article. I have very long hair and struggle a lot with split ends. Silk oil really helped me too!

Mia Pereira from Caldas da Rainha on April 08, 2015:

Hi! Really liked your article.

I can definitely relate to those problems. Fortunately I had my mom reminding me during high school not to dye my hair so frequently, but it's very hard for me to control that urge because I really like to change colors. In college I discovered henna for when I wanted it black, but sometimes I go for red and it goes wrong. I tried to go for your natural blond but my hair is naturally reddish so I got orange instead. Now I have really long hair and try to dye it only once or twice a year.

I also have a similar problem with sun and pools because besides having a degree in Archeology (which made me spend summers in a row under the sun) I'm also a scuba diving addict. So much that I currently work in a SSI Diving Center so I know what that does to our hairs, whether it is on the pool or on the sea.

Like you did I have that uneasiness when it comes to putting my hair in the hands of others because it takes a long time for my hair to grow and they always cut more than I would like so it's been hard for me to keep it healthy. It looks really freezy and without shape. It's also been a struggle for me to find products that work and aren't expensive. I would like to try those from herbal essences but I've never seen that "line" here in Portugal. We have that brand but not that "naked" line. I try to apply oils frequently but most of the times I forget and I've stop with the blow drying. I always let dry by itself, unless I have a special occasion. Also, I only wash it 2 or 3 times a week depending on practices, and use dryshampoo in between if needed. It's a great advice. The more you wash the more it will get greasy faster.

Sorry for the comments. :)

Greetings from Portugal

ToriM (author) from Atlanta on May 12, 2014:

hi Beth, yes unfortunately my hair was too unnatural looking at the time that they told me I could not compete with that color :( If it had been more natural, such as the first red picture where it's more of an orangey color, they would have let me compete. And I really liked the ariel-red and wanted to keep it, but I figured at the time that it wasn't worth it to keep my hair and not compete in the competition I was apart of as a result. I saw it like this - either I could miss out on a huge trip that I wanted to take with school, or I could go neutral, go on the trip and dye my hair back afterwards! It is a downside of the business world that looks are everything, but unfortunately there are some looks-based standards (if somewhat ridiculous) that business people have to adhere to.

Thanks for stopping by - I appreciate your comment! :)

Beth Perry from Tennesee on May 12, 2014:

Very interesting article. I have long hair, down to my rear now, and some of your tips are very sound.

I noticed in your "red" photo you mentioned being forced to go neutral. That is such a shame and sounds very prejudicial (I'm a red head, too) - hopefully such biased views are not tolerated in high school clubs now.

Thanks for sharing the tips.