Hair dying virgin 101

When it comes to colouring my hair, I was a complete virgin. 100% natural, right until 4 days ago. I used to be a natural blonde but recently have been noticing a very clear 'bronde' colour being adopted by my hair. And that's why I dyed my hair... my great desire to be a, not so natural, blonde again. Getting professional highlights would cost over £90 as my hair is long and thick. As a student whose struggling to buy even one pair of Topshop jeans, I  could not justify spending £90 on my hair. So I box dyed it, I thought, why not? For those of you thinking of doing the same thing, I learnt a few things from the whole experience so I thought I'd share my tips for beginners here.

Do your research

Whether you're looking for highlights, whole head dye, ombre or low lights, there's a box for you. Before going into the shop to buy your dye, try looking online first so you know what ranges/brands/prices they have. Try reading some reviews before buying your hair dye, they are useful as they give an unbiased view on how the product actually works rather than trying to sell the product to you.

Don't just buy what is cheap

I made this mistake. It didn't end up too badly, it could've gone a lot worse though. I saw a blonde John Frieda dye was on offer so picked it up. I originally thought I would get a highlight kit but ended up with a whole head dye and had some weird plan to DIY highlights. In the end, I did whole head dye which worked out well. However in future, buy what you want and not what's cheap.

Read the instructions

I followed my own advice with this one luckily. Inside the box you should have a colour, developer, container, gloves/equipment, possibly conditioner and thankfully, instructions. It should tell you how much you need, safety guides and how long it should be developed for. The instructions should also tell you how to rinse it out and when you can next wash your hair. READ THEM. Please! If you need some more information, look online at either the companies website or a detailed blog post from someone that has already written about it.

Get help

Doing a whole head dye on your own is pretty simple. But highlights, lowlights and ombre are all a little more complicated. Whether you ask a friend that dyes her hair a lot or your bff whose just as clueless as you are. A little help is always useful, even if it's to help clip your hair up or as moral support whilst you potentially wreck your hair... Joking!!

Buy a toner

 

If you are going lighter, there's a possibility that your hair might finish with a brassy (gingerish) tint. Don't be put off though. It's actually quite nice but if you're looking for a more platinum blonde, don't panic. To fix this, buy a hair toner. I bought this one. It is a less complicated process than dying and should help counteract the brassy tones.

 

Toners that counteract brassiness are often purple/lilac coloured as it is supposed to be opposite on the colour chart. Basically, what I'm trying to say is don't be alarmed if purple slime emerges from the bottle... It's all normal.

Buy colour protect shampoo/conditioner before

This is a bit of an organisational tip (yep, gotta love them!) So you won't be able to wash your hair for a day or two after dying it. But it's a good idea to buy a colour protect shampoo/conditioner so when you do wash your newly dyed hair, the colour won't be stripped by damaging shampoo/conditioner.

 

Enhancing products

 

If you're worried about your colour fading, buy a shampoo/conditioner that enhances your colour. I bought this shampoo which is a similar idea to the toner. It brightens blondes and is purple to counteract brassiness. You can also find shampoo and conditioners catered specifically towards brunette, red or black hair. I think it's a good idea because it keeps your colour looking fresher for longer. However I haven't actually tried this shampoo yet, I will do a review once I have if that's something any of you are interested in? 

 

Hope you enjoyed that and it helped some of you planning to colour your hair yourself! Have you got any tips beginner hair dyers? Leave a comment down below :)

 

Thanks for reading and see you next time,

Laura Stone x

Top 5 morning hair saviours

Whether you have a major case of 'slept on wet hair now it's frizzy and unmanageable' or your alarm didn't go off so now your hair is looking slightly on the greasy side, we've all been there. (Maybe a few more times than we'd like to admit.) But hopefully, with my top 5 products for those mornings when your hair is a disaster, you'll be able to get through with minimal effort and/or damage.

1. Serums! Maybe not a perfect match for those with thin delicate hair. But if you are prone to waking up in the morning with thick, unruly, frizzy hair, then a serum could be your new best friend. I have thick hair and use serum every morning without fail. Whether its to add a super sleek shine when straightening or to tame those pesky fly-aways: serum is perfect.

Be careful not to make your hair look greasy by applying it too heavily or near the roots. However, one or two pumps run through your middle to ends, can transform your hair.

Serums vary in price and quality but most respectable brands do pretty decent ones. A quick search in google shows price ranging from £3 all the way to £30. If you're looking for a nice but lower end serum then the L'Oréal Paris Elvive Smooth & Polish Aqua Serum is a good one to try.

If you're willing to spend a lil bit more, then the John Frieda hair serums are always good quality. (Not at an awful price either: £7 for a bottle.) And don't forget, a little goes a long way with serums so you don't need a particularly big bottle.

2. So I had to mention Dry Shampoo. It has saved my life so many times when my hair has been teetering on greasy but I needed to pop out. Dry shampoo is also good to use on clean hair to add a lil bit of volume and life.

It's great for us blondes because the white residue is easy to blend in but I know its a bit harder for brunettes out there to avoid the dandruff look. I would suggest either buying one designed for brunettes or a better quality dry shampoo because they tend to leave less residue.

Now everyone knows batiste dry shampoos and I do recommend them. Mainly because they are not a bad price (£3) and have a good range (different smells and hair colours.) However batiste is not the only option out there. If you're looking for cheap, own brands (I've used the boots and Tesco own brand before) and Garnier both do very cheap, decent dry shampoos. However, if your looking for a bit better quality: there's plenty of option. Everywhere is doing dry shampoos now: from Aussie to Toni & Guy, just take your pick.

3. Now, with long hair I've never really been into wax or gel. I find it clumps your hair together into a sticky mess. But styling wise, putty is awesome. Due to the matt texture, you can not tell  there's any product in your hair which is perfect. By working it upwards near your scalp, it gives great volume that will not flatten throughout the day.

Putty is also great for girls with shorter hair to style because it doesn't create the 'macho' gelled look but lets you style your hair however you want.

I really recommend any of the VO5 styling products (the putties or clays). They're all reasonable priced (around £4) and do not leave a waxy look. Toni & Guy also do a really nice styling 'whip' that works wonders.

4. Leave in Conditioners. If you have ever woken up or washed your hair in the morning, leaving your hair feeling dry and limp, a dry conditioner could be just the thing for you. I like to use them if I wash my hair in the morning, because drying my hair leaves it looking a bit frazzled. A few squirts/pumps of leave in conditioner and its back to its (not so normal) healthy self.

Much like serums, leave in conditioners vary in both price and quality. I used the boots own brand leave in conditioner for ages which was quite thin but left my hair feeling a lil re-nourished and smelling fabulous. And for £1.50,  what's not to like? Whether you're looking for high end or low end, there's plenty of options.

 

5. My last hair saviour, isn't exactly a product. If you wake up and you are just completely lost, do something different. If you have hair straighteners or curlers, use them. Forget about products for one day and just try a different style. Plaits are always good because they hide whatever is going on with your hair.

What I love doing at the moment is straightening my hair quickly (not thoroughly) then shoving it up in a pony tail. I find that if my hair is straighter, it creates a much more swishy 'cheerleader' like pony tail which shows off my length.

Try using different accessories. The large clips or donuts (just 99p at Superdrug) are always cool to try something a bit different. And you know, the messy looks in right now, so you might be able to pull of the 'overslept' look as carefully planned.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this helps some of you on those days when nothing is going your way. Please share if you think someone else might like this and see you next time,

Laura Stone x