When I casually mentioned to my roommates that I thought I was going to dye my hair this weekend, they didn’t think much of it. I’ve always been one to experiment with my hair with anything from cutting to dyeing at home because I’m fortunate enough to have hair that is relatively healthy and grows quickly. When I told my friends that I’d considered trying out the ombre technique, everyone said I was crazy for trying to do it myself. I had a box of blonde dye that I’d saved from a previous dye job gone wrong that I initially used to try to get this effect. The box color would allegedly give me my desired shade on top of my naturally dark brown tone. After carefully going about the process, washing out the dye, and blow drying to see the fruits of my labor, NOTHING SHOWED UP. I’m not sure if this is the fault of my hair or the dye that I had saved (Does this stuff expire?), but my hair looked no different than when I started the process an hour earlier, with not even the least bit of lightening on the ends or any definition showing I had made the attempt.
Feeling somewhat defeated, I shopped around online and at my local Target for an ombre kit that didn’t break the bank. Trust me, I KNOW how bad box dye supposedly is for your hair – but frankly, I don’t care. I do not color my hair frequently, I get regular trims and Keratin treatments, and take a vitamin supplement with biotin. Plus, I plan on refreshing my look with a shorter length in the near future, so dyeing the ends with box color is NOT the end of the world. I am, however, skeptical when hair dye (only certain boxes or shades) goes on sale for particularly cheap. There never seems to be a method to this madness, but I have to remind myself that cheap doesn’t always equate poor quality (nor does expensive equal high quality). So there she was, sitting lonelily on the shelf with no other boxes like her sitting nearby; I went ahead and took the plunge and purchased the on sale Feria Wild Ombre kit for $4.98, and I cannot say I was disappointed.
To get started with the kit, I took tips from awesome YouTube videos on the ombre process and divided my hair into four clear sections with hair ties. I made sure to brush my hair thoroughly with a brush and a wide-tooth comb to ensure it was tangle-free. I then mixed up the dye according to the package instructions, and used the handy applicator brush (which I think I’ll save for future hair experiments!) to comb the dye through the ends of my hair. I was sure to apply the dye onto small pieces within each of the four sections, and to begin the application at different lengths to create a more natural looking ombre effect. I used little pressure as I began applying the dye in the middle of each piece of hair, and then applied increased pressure the closer I got to the ends. After the sections were covered, I put some of the remaining dye from the bottle in my hands to apply to the ends to guarantee more concentration and a truer ombre effect. I also used the balayage technique slightly through my bangs and the back of my hair with a fine paint brush the blend the ombre better. I washed out the dye after 30 minutes and followed the instructions for conditioning.
I plan on caring for my ombre look and hair texture with the Marc Anthony Hair Care Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Treatment that I received in my December Ipsy bag (a makeup subscription service I LOVE!). While I think ombre looks just fine on straight hair, I prefer the look on curled locks. I’ll definitely be making the extra effort to wake up a little earlier this semester to style my hair before work. My favorite styling tool is the Conair You Curl Styling Wand XL. It has a wider barrel for deeper curls on longer hair. I also have the skinnier wand by Conair for when my hair is shorter or I’m looking for tight ringlets. After shaking out my curls, I also use Aussie Volume hairspray to maintain the style throughout the day. If I’m careful how I sleep (on a very flat pillow), my curls will survive to see another day and I don’t have the repeat the process and expose my hair to more heat damage. “Leftover curls”, as I prefer to call them, aren’t always a guaranteed thing, so I still have to wake up early enough to make sure something is salvageable. I definitely don’t get the same volume keeping the same style for two days, but it creates a very different, more relaxed look that pairs well with some of my favorite business casual outfits! In short: Don’t ever underestimate the potential for achieving fun trends or salon looks at home for a fraction of the cost!
