Disclaimer - I'm not a hairdresser. If you haven't done this yourself before please use extra caution! But anyway for those who didn't know I ombre my hair myself at home. Although the first time I had my hair done at the salon, so this gives me a rough idea of where to put the dye. I normally apply bleach to the mid lengths to give me the blonde colour. I don't add any colour to my roots because my hair is naturally Brown.
My hair was looking a bit grown out and needed a bit of a refresh so on this occasion I used Naturigin. They are a Danish brand that have developed 19 Natural hair colours that are Amonia, Paraben and cruelty free. Naturigin hair colours also have very minimal chemicals, so hair damage is kept at a minimum. I used the shade Lightest Ash Blonde 10.2
The Hair colour kits are similar to most home hair dyes - they come with the dye, the developing lotion and conditioner for after. The instructions recommend using the bottle the developing lotion comes in to apply the dye to the hair. However, I mixed it up in a plastic bowl and used a hair dye brush because this would be easier for the ombreing process. Here's a step by step guide:
1. 24 HR before you plan on colouring your hair a patch is recommended. This is basically applying a small amount of dye behind the ear to see how you skin reacts (see how to do a Patch Test ). If you do react to dye it's probably best that you don't use it. If all is well than you can continue with the following steps.
2. Mix the developing lotion and the colour in the plastic bowl. Ensuring the mixture is smooth.
3. Section the hair. For a nice subtle ombre effect it's important you use small, thin sections. I divided the top half of my hair from the bottom. From the bottom sections I then decided which sections I wanted to apply the colour to. For a strong ombre effect apply the colour to mid lengths and ends to all the hair. For a more subtle effect apply in sections.
4. Before I applied the colour I backcombed the sections where I wanted the colour to start (Just under my cheek bones). Backcombing the hair prevents those clean lines so this is a VERY important step!
TIP - Make sure the sections aren't too big or the colour wont develop evenly.
5. I then applied the colour on the backcombed sections and then down the length of my hair. Ensuring the hair was evenly covered. I then massage it into the hair to ensure it was covered evenly. Gently lay the hair down. You can use foil for this process if you wish.
6. I then repeated the steps 3 to 5 working through the rest of my hair.
TIP - try not to spend to long on applying the colour or the bottom sections will develop before the top. In the salon they allow 40 minutes to apply hair colour, so I try to stick to this time frame.
7. When I've got the area around my face I made sure my parting was how I have it on an everyday basis to ensure the colour sits evenly on each side.
8. I waited 30 minutes as the Naturigin recommends. Check it often to ensure the colour was developing well.
9. I then rinsed my hair with warm water, until the water runs clear. I then applied a large helping of the colour lock to the whole of my hair and left it on for 20 minutes.
Here are some before and after pictures..
Before:
After...
And that's pretty much the process I do to ombre my hair.
I'm really happy with Naturigin hair colour. Considering this isn't bleach it developed well on my hair, not as well as I hoped but this meant my hair wasn't as dry as it normally is with bleach. It doesn't smell like regular hair colours either, it smells like conditioner! And felt like conditioner on my hair too. Overall, If you're looking for a great, natural, cruelty free home hair dye I can't recommend this enough.
You can find Naturigin hair colours at www.naturigin.com or in Lloyds pharmacies throughout the Uk
So that's how I ombre my hair at home! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask!
Until next time...
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