Article also featured on Black Girl with Long Hair!
Now that we're in the second half of October, the Halloween parties and events are in full swing. Costumes and wigs are fun, but why cover up your gorgeous mane when you can add fun pops of color to your own tresses?
I know, I know. Generally speaking, wild out pinks, purples, blues, and greens only work on lightly colored or bleached hair. But, what if I told you there was an affordable, non-damaging, way to add some spunk to your coils and actually get you the color you desire - even for the darkest hair? No, it's not too good to be true. Keep reading for 2 easy, affordable ways to get some dynamic color into your do.
Wash Out Color #1: Hair Chalk
When I initially envisioned this piece, I hair chalk was the #1 idea that came to mind. It is easy to apply and comes in tons of fun colors. In the picture below, I used Remington Chalk It Up to Color that I purchased at Target for around $5.
Top Row: Hair before chalk color, and the Remington Chalk It Up to Color I used.
Bottom Row: Hair after purple chalk was applied, and after chalk was rinsed out with water.
How-To: The instructions say to dip the chalk in water, blot off excess water, and apply to hair. There is also the option to flat iron the hair to make the color last longer. I was not interested in flat-ironing anything, but I did find that the chalk was easier to apply when my hair was damp versus dry. I dipped the chalk as outlined on the instructions, but I did not blot the excess water, and I sprayed my hair with water before applying the chalk lengthwise through to the ends of my hair.
Drawbacks: After the chalk dried, some purple debris landed on my shirt. However, I imagine this can be resolved by throwing a little bit of a butter-style product on top to help retain some sort of moisture over the color. Speaking of moisture, my hair did feel a little dry after I rinsed off the color. Truth be told, it was nothing a little moisturizing product couldn't fix.
Bonuses: The ease of application and removal of hair chalk was really the star of the show. It went on easy, and rinsed right off without a hitch. I didn't even need to shampoo or cowash it out. Regular ol' water did the trick. If you're looking for a low-maintenance, easy-in, easy-out temporary color, hair chalk is definitely the way to go!
Wash Out Color #2: Cream Eyeshadow
As I researched temporary hair color online (and boy did I come across some rather eh...umm...interesting ideas), I stumbled on a few articles and posts mentioning cream eyeshadow as a way to get powerful pops of color onto dark hair. I was so intrigued, I had to give it a try. In the picture below, I used Maybelline Color Tattoo by Eye Studio in #40 Tenacious Teal that I purchased at CVS for $7.
Top Row: Hair before cream eyeshadow color, and the Maybelline eyeshadow I used.
Bottom Row: Hair after cream eyeshadow was applied, and after it was washed out with shampoo.
How-To: Application of the eyeshadow to hair is really, really simple. Just throw on some gloves, dig your fingers in the pot, and smooth it throughout the hair. I found that the eyeshadow goes on easier with dry hair that has been previously moisturized.
Drawbacks: Given that this particular brand of eyeshadow is designed to stay on for 24 hours, there was no way this stuff was coming off with water only. In fact, I ran it under the faucet and nothing happened. Theoretically, this is a bonus if you're looking for something to last longer than a day. However, when you're ready to get rid of it, a little shampoo or apple cider vinegar gets it right out.
Bonuses: If you need something a little longer lasting than the chalk, the cream eyeshadow definitely has the upper hand. On top of that, I found that the color was richer, and stood out more. Lastly, even though I used shampoo (Qhemet Biologics Egyptian Wheatgrass Cleansing Tea to be exact), my hair was nowhere near as dry as it was with the chalk.
All in all, both options are affordable and deliver on packing the color in with dark hair. There was no damage to my hair, no change in color, texture, or anything else of that nature. Most of all, it was fun to experiment without the permanent commitment.
Will you be adding some color to your hair this Halloween? How are you doing it?
0 Comments