#11…Dye My Hair…Check!

[The Preface]

I have never died my hair before and well, when it comes to my hair in general, I’m pretty particular about what happens with it and who I let touch it. My hair texture is hard to explain – it’s fine, curly, long, and non-chemically treated (until now). I grew up going to two hairstylists, and now that I live in Indiana, I don’t particularly trust the talent (no offense). I didn’t like the responses I was getting when consulting about hair color from local stylists, so I took it upon myself to… wait for it… do it myself.

[The story]

The basic premise was simple: turn hair into a different color than before. So, I researched different hair coloring kits and colors, what would look good with my skin tone, and what would preserve the health of my hair. I narrowed it down, went to Target, and spent $6.99 on Garnier Nutrisse’s Nourishing Color Crème in 535 Medium Golden Mahogany Brown.

Thanks to modern day technology I was able to watch a how-to video on Garnier’s website which featured a beautiful woman (with crazy white teeth) dying her hair – hassle free, mind you – in the comfort of her own bathroom. The process looked super simple so clearly I wanted to be just like her. So, I put on my gloves, wrapped a towel around my shoulders, and mixed my color. Then, the fun part…

I’ll back up and mention that the woman in the video RAVED about how good the oils smelled and how great the non-drip formula was. All I can say is, home girl is a LIAR.

Before the dye even made it to my scalp, I had DRIPPED the [explicit word] on an eyebrow AND an eyeLASH. In panic mode, I carefully removed the dye only to find out that the “aroma” of the dye does not smell as amazing as the woman assured me. So there I was, afraid I was going to end up with an eye infection and one medium golden mahogany brown eyebrow, and I hadn’t even touched the hair on my scalp! It was a HOT MESS.

Dying your hair at home is a high-pressure task. You essentially have just a few minutes to apply the dye and have to ensure you aren’t making a mess. In addition to that, you have to stay focused because the mess SMELLS so bad you don’t want to faint in the process. All in all, I completed the process and my hair is officially a different color than before.

I honestly can’t tell much of a difference, but overall, I feel like I look like me with lighter hair. IDK… you be the judge!

[ The Lessons Learned]

1. They say leave it to the professionals for a reason. I don’t want to say I did a bad job, but a professional would have (hopefully) done a much better job.

2. If you can’t get a professional, get a friend. Definitely have a friend help you out when dying your hair at home. I think it will help alleviate the stress of it all.

3. You should probably get like one shade lighter than what the websites suggest when you DIY. I bet I would have ended up with a slightly lighter result.

4. This will not be my last endeavor with at home hair dye! I have to try this at least one more time so that I can end on a much better note.

A [somewhat] successful task completed off my list. Here’s to hoping the next feat is a little less stressful. Until next time:

Peace, Love, and Gumbo,

Ashley