this was purchased by me.
Since returning from my late summer vacation, it was really very impromptu, I've noticed that my hair has been looking kind of different. I think with all the times I went to the pool, took a dip in the ocean, and relaxed in the spa, my hair started losing its nice, normal-ish brown color (not to mention I was taking a shower everyday, washing my hair, because being in the Caribbean can make one feel a little sticky after 12 hours). When I returned to L.A., I was resolved to color my hair as soon as possible. I settled on this L'Oreal hair dye in Light Ash Brown that I actually bought a few months ago (like...around May or June...); if I have it, I might as well use it, right?
The box includes these things:
from left to right: pre-color serum, color creme w/optional comb applicator, developer, conditioner, instructions w/gloves
It's the standard stuff one might find in a hair coloring kit, the only additional thing is the pre-color serum. That will be discussed shortly. Here are the ingredients for the aforementioned things from inside the box:
The box features this color chart which is supposed to help determine what your hair color might turn into.
As the dye color is light ash brown, I was hoping the cooler tones would counteract the orange-y/reddish colors in my hair which you can see here.
natural light
with flash
I went ahead and applied the dye according to the included instructions this morning, starting with the pre-color serum. It had a floral-ish scent and made my hair stick together. The serum is supposed to help protect the ends of the hair follicles from getting too damaged in the coloring process. After two minutes, I started to apply the dye to my roots. This particular dye has a very strong chemical smell, it made me gag a few times--I've noticed that L'oreal hair coloring products (semi-permanent, permanent as I've now tried it) have that terrible, chemically aroma, so much more so than other hair dyes I've used (if you have a very sensitive nose or can't stand ammonia/chemical smells, Japanese hair dyes like Palty and Lucido-L have better scents...so much better). I was a bit naughty as I neglected to do a skin test, but i didn't experience any drastic pain or adverse reactions when I started putting dye on my head. I let everything marinate on my hair about 30-40 minutes before I washed it off and conditioned. I have to say, when I was washing out the dye my hair felt so soft. I have never experienced that when washing out dye before and I think that might have to do with the pre-color serum.
When my hair was finally all done and dried it looked like this:
natural lighting
natural lighting
with flash
To be honest, I couldn't quite tell the difference, it looked like my hair hadn't really changed. By comparing the pictures, however, it's easier to see how my hair has gotten a bit darker and less orange. After the whole process I was surprised at how soft and shiny my hair was (probably the pre-color serum & conditioner) and my roots were mostly covered. My hair feels so much healthier than before coloring! The only downside is that the chemically smell is still lingering in my hair....
This dye wasn't the best, but it did enough to make me happy. The strong smell was a real problem for me...I don't know if I'd get this (or any L'Oreal dye) again because of the smell. The results were good. My hair feels amazing. The price is right at around $7. So, maybe in an emergency situation when I need to color my hair, but I can't make it to Mitsuwa or Marukai to get some Japanese hair dye and I don't want to pay over $10 this would be my #1 pick.
bright young person loves it
this much.
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