5 Rules For Buying Unnatrually Colored Hair Dyes

Considering the results of my hair dying last night (toxic sunshiney orange isn't exactly flattering on anyone) I thought now was about the time for me to write up the basic rules of buying dye of an unnatural color. I broke all of these rules. Look what happened to me.

Rule 1) Research. Look up the brand and the color. Don't just go to a store and expect to wing it. It'll work sometimes, but not always. This is especially important if your wanting an exact color (a certain shade of pink, or a purple with a specific undertone.)

Rule 2) The color it is in the bottle is always darker than the color it will turn out once you rinse. How much darker differs from brand to brand, and from color to color, but it's ALWAYS lighter. My Atomic Pink dye (Special Effects) looks red in the bottle and on the hair, but ends up the truest and brightest pink possible. Reapply rule one and research to make sure that you finding the right shade, instead of trying to predict the color it will end up.

Rule 3) Don't trust the swatches, or colors they show you online. The only thing you can really trust is the users. RESEARCH to find people who have used the dyes to see what they did and how the color turned out. I trusted the swatches for the orange. This is not orange, and I applied the same method recommended for the best results of unnaturally colored hair. Also, don't trust photos on the product if there are any. Chances are, they're photoshopped. Color Splat for instance. I got Magenta when I bought Lavender. Boxes lie.

Rule 4) Unless a store is having a hairdye sale, or all of the colors in a specific brand need to go, DON'T BUY DISCOUNTED PRODUCTS. This one has held true more than anything else for me. I've never had a discounted dye that didn't suck in some way or another. Blues that faded quickly, or came out uneven. Oranges that aren't orange... It's discounted for a reason, remember that.

Rule 5) If your new, and really not wanting a bad experience, go with a trusted brand that has a lot backing it. Special Effects and Manic Panic are probably your best bet, since you have the proof to back them all up, and other's experience to let you know how each color will hold up.

For help with research, go to Bee Unique's Photo Gallery. Or the Manic Panic and Special Effects galleries that I linked in 5.

Don't be like me, don't end up with toxic hair. I'll post photos once I get it done up better. Hopefully they carry Electric Lava. Tiger Lily looks too close to my current radioactive color to risk it.