Thursday 10 January 2013

Review: Clairol Perfect 10 Medium Ash Blonde hair colour


I have been dying my hair since the beginning of High School. I remember clearly the first time. It was a wash in/wash off blonde colour. I wanted to go lighter as I was a dark blonde. I dyed it myself and was very disappointed when it came out an orangey blonde. Ofcourse back then I didn't understand WHY I couldn't go blonder without bleaching it. It didn't put me off trying though and tested out probably every brand and colour I could get my hand on.
 
Home dying is very easy to do but also very easy to get wrong.

 
Here are a couple of things to bare in mind when choosing your colour -
 
*WHY* are you colouring?
  • Do you want to go lighter or darker
  • Cover grey
  • Re-touch roots
  •  
((WHEN)) do you need the colour change for?
  • Today
  • Tomorrow
  • A weeks time
  • Month/s
 
{WHERE} will you be colouring?
  • In your own home
  • At your mates/boyfriends
  • A hotel
  • Public toilet/school/petrol station.... o_O I dunno LOL I wonder where's the oddest place someones dyed their hair. Please do share ;)

I know what your thinking... Why do I need to know why, when and where??? Trust me it makes a difference. Don't buy a colour in haste! If you have left it to late and your party you need to look fab for is tonight your gonna be rushed and more likely to ruin your hair. I've been every colour under the sun and dyed it at home, round a friends, in a hotel and let someone I barely know dye it for me at theirs! If you're with friends they will influence what colour you choose whether it suits you or not and you'll agree with them until you get home, look in the mirror and cry when you realise there is no way it's washing out.
 
The worst colour I have ever had was a pinky/red. I can't even remember what the original colour was meant to be. I was on holiday and fancied the boy who was going to the evening Disco so thought I'd make an entrance with a new striking hair colour. Well I turned the hotel bathroom red... they probably wondered who'd I'd killed after I left.. and ruined my lovely blonde hair. Patchy pink really wasn't the result I was expecting. Needless to say I wore a hat for the rest of the holiday.
 

Anyway back to the task at hand.  I needed to re-touch my roots recently but wanted to change the colour ever so slightly. I choose Perfect 10 in Medium Ash Blonde. I usually use Ash colours as I suit cool colours. I've learnt after many, many tries and fails that golden or warmer tones don't suit me. Blonde highlights look best as I'm a dark blonde naturally but it costs so much to keep it maintained at a salon so the past year I've been a brunette. I get bored easily though. It won't be long until I go back.
 
ALWAYS follow the instructions. It's best to do a test strand first if you haven't coloured your hair at home before. Some say to colour on dry hair and others on wet so check first. Don't assume all colours are put on the same way. Below are a few tips I've learnt along the way....

  • Carry out a skin allergy test 48 hours before you colour.
  • Read the instructions thoroughly - TWICE - advice and technology changes!
  • Wash hair 24 to 48 hours before colouring. Shampooing the same day strips the natural oil that protects the hair and scalp and acts as a natural protective barrier.
  •  Always wear gloves and old clothes. A shirt is best as it can be unbuttoned and you won’t have to pull it over your coloured hair (I have an old dressing gown especially for home dying). Also use an old towel to prevent staining from spills or drips.
  • Apply {VASELINE} around your hairline and on the tips of your ears to block staining, making sure you avoid contact with your hair. Trust me this really works!
  • If colour does stain your skin, gently massage the area with your regular facial exfoliator.
  • Remember when re-touching your roots, put the colour on the ROOTS ONLY and then massage the colour through the rest of the hair to blend the colour in. This avoids colour overload and ensures even colour throughout.
  • Keep track of the time and always stick to the recommended development time. It’s easy to forget what time you started when you’re flicking through a magazine or watching TV!
  • Colour can sometimes become runny when your head is warm, so pop a shower cap on to stop the colour dripping all over the place.
  • Rinse your hair thoroughly and condition your hair with the product provided to ensure the longevity and shine of your new hair colour.

 
 
Above is my BEFORE & AFTER results using Perfect 10's home colour. It does exactly what it says on the box and works in 10 minutes. You'll have to excuse the lighting I took the after pictures when it was dark out and you can see my boyfriend sitting on the floor in the background... how rude!! ;)
 
As you can see my blonde roots are now covered and I have a more brunette/auburn colour.. much to my dismay! The colour wasn't anything like the colour on the box :( It's good in a way though because I can show you what happens when you try to go lighter! I didn't think Medium Ash blonde was too light and my colour even matched the colours on the back of the box which said would be suitable for dark blonde to light brown. Just goes to show you really need to be careful when choosing your colour.
 
I'll be getting my colour done at a salon next time so I can go lighter. Even if it does cost me between £50-£80!!!! Anyone know of someone who does a colour and highlights for cheaper BUT who does it well plz let me know. It's funny how really I still haven't learnt that I shouldn't try to go lighter. Maybe I haven't learnt anything after all... oh dear xoxo


Paint the UK Pink




7 comments:

  1. I just don't think that an at-home hair color can work in 10 minutes - the formula is too gentle to do much of a lift for that. I have thin, fine hair, and I have to leave my color on for an HOUR for it to penetrate.
    Don't give up! Maybe try those new foam colors? I use John Frieda in Medium Ash Blonde and after a few washes it settles into a nice golden blonde.

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    1. I'll stay clear of that then Wendy :D No golden colours for me xo

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    2. Golden colors turn out brassy for me, is that your experience too? That's why I use ash - it settles into golden without being ORANGE.

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  2. Great post, really interesting, and thanks for the tip about vaseline! I use the John Frieda foam one in dark chocolate brown- my hair's brown anyway so it brightens it up and adds shine, I would really recommend it!
    Rosy x
    P.S. Would love it if you could check out my blog when you have a spare minute!
    http://rostinted.blogspot.co.uk/

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  3. I love dying my hair. But I always do it myself, since I had a bad trip to Toni & Guy!
    Looks great.
    Erica xo

    www.sushiturtlesandlife.blogspot.com

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  4. Thanks for the vaseline tip~ I'm that person that ends up with black spots all over my forehead & the back of my neck because the dye dripped down. It's terrible but it's happened almost every time. LOL

    Although I don't dye my hair often, I'll definitely be keeping this in mind for my next attempt~

    www.sunkiissed.com

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    Replies
    1. Your welcome❤ Remeber to be careful not to get any on your hair though :) xo

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