Finally! There is a product out there that can dye my dark, dark brown hair to fire engine red. No bleaching required! L’Oreal’s Excellence Hicolor Hilights Red for dark hair only has been a dream come true for those who have been looking for a permanent red hair dye. What it can do is lift the color from your hair and deposit in the red color all in one simple step. I have just recently discovered this product by word-of-mouth because you just won’t find this in regular stores with the other dye kits. In fact, the only stores that I do know to carry this product are the Sally’s Beauty Supply stores. But you can also order it from their website at www.sallybeauty.com if there is not a store nearby.
Now this dye does not come in a kit so it is required to buy a developer to mix with it. The developer will come in different levels depending on how much lighter or more intense the color you desire. L’Oreal suggests using the Oreor developer with this dye, but in my experience the brand of the developer doesn’t really matter so I opted for the cheaper bottle that Sally’s Beauty Supply offered.
Tips and Suggestions For When Using This Product
- Be sure to have garbage bags to lie over your sink and floor to catch little drippies.
- Use rubbing alcohol to erase whatever doesn’t make your head or the garbage bags. The alcohol will take it right off of most surfaces (including skin) if treated immediately.
- I’ve also heard to use petroleum jelly before dying to keep from staining your skin. (This personally didn’t really work well for me because I found it too messy for my liking.)
- An extra pair of hands is always nice to have but definitely not necessary.
- A fine-toothed comb for only if you plan on dying your hair by yourself. Once you’re done applying the dye, run the comb through your hair until it starts to get nice and foamy. This will help to distribute the dye evenly.
- And of course a measuring cup/mixing bowl to measure out the developer and mix the dye.
- Don’t forget plastic gloves.
- Also, if you have medium to long hair and looking to color all or most of it, I would suggest buying at least two tubes of dye.
Since there is no bleaching involved your hair will stay healthy and let’s not forget all the money you’ll be saving yourself. As the economy is still not at its best, it’s always smart to find ways to be more resourceful. Now you may not find the radical colors such as blue, green, or purple but they do have other shades of reds, oranges, and blondes. Perhaps a blonde shade from this line can be used as an alternative to bleaching before applying another color. But remember to look for the RED box that says for dark hair only.
Sources:
http://www.sallybeauty.com/red-hilights/SBS-500241,default,pd.html?green=BEB29E56-B7EC-5B46-9128-0860A4AF22DF&cm_vc=MYBUYS
http://www.lorealtechnique.com/hicolor_03.shtml
