Wednesday, March 14, 2012

My Adventures in Maintaining Red Hair! Featuring L'Oreal HiColor HiLights in Magenta & RAW Color Hairdye in Flamingo Pink/Fuschia Fatale

I've had my hair this red for a little upwards of 2 months now, and it's definitely been a trial and error process in maintenance! In the past, I've had jet black, blue black, bleach blonde/orange, light brown, dark brown, auburn, burgandy, pink, and deep red hair... but vibrant red was something I hadn't ventured into before! My love Serenie at super-ser.com gifted me some L'Oreal HiColor HighLights in Magenta, and her hair looked fabulous, so I wanted to try it out for myself :)

You can buy this dye at Sally's for ~$5-7.
  • For highly-visible, intense red highlights even on dark hair, without brassines
  • Breakthrough technology lifts hair 3-4 levels, no pre-lightening required
  • Rich, no-drip creme makes it easy for control of creative techniques
  • True-to-shade color that resists fading
  • Quick processing time of only thirty minutes
  • Available in three Hi-lift Red shades
NEW HiColor RED HiLights by L'Oreal Excellence is the first highlighting series formulated for dark hair. Rich, no-drip creme makes it easy for control of creative techniques . True-to-shade color that resists fading. L'Oreal Excellence HiColor Red HiLights is available in Magenta, Red, Copper Red and Copper


This was after I dyed my hair!
It was a bit deeper colored with pink undertones irl.

For this dye, you mix the entire tube with a cream developer. I used Jerome Russell 30 Vol Cream Peroxide. The ratio is 1 part hair color (1.2 oz) to 2 part Crème Developer (2.4 oz). Basically add in cream developer and mix until the consistency is like a thick cake batter.

Apply to hair in sections and leave on for 30 minutes to develop! I like this dye because it is specifically for dark hair so you don't need to pre-bleach. However I already had bleached hair that was dyed a deep red that had faded to an auburn shade... so dying over this color made the magenta SUPER bright and vibrant! I've seen youtube vids of people doing it over black/dark hair, and the color is still vibrant, but not as bold imo as doing it over a "lighter-dark" shade of hair. After 30 minutes you wash out the dye until the water runs clear. Wash with cold water!!! This dye did not stain my tub but it did continue to bleed out color for several weeks when washing my hair.

I'm not big on maintaining colored hair... usually I get bored fast so if I had my hair a funky color, I'd just dye back black over it when it started to fade. But I really liked the way this color came out, so I started trying to maintain it better! Some tips I picked up along the way...

Wash your hair with cold water!
This is not something I actually did for more than a few days because I just can't stand cold >_< BUT washing your colored hair with cold water does help keep the color because it closes the cuticle and seals in the color better.

Wash your hair as little as possible.
This is also something I have a hard time doing, because I feel like my hair gets oily really fast. So originally I had been washing my hair every day, and that stripped the color wayyy too fast. So the most I can tolerate without washing my hair is every other day without feeling like a greaseball, and this has kept my color for at least 2-3 weeks without fading too significantly. If you can go longer between washes, I'd recommend that! I would also recommend using dry shampoo between washings. I tried one by Tresemme but it was not very good. But I've heard from many people that dry shampoo works wonders for them at keeping their color longer.

Use products for color-treated hair.
I use Redken Color Extend shampoo and conditioner. I got a set from Trade Secret for I think $23. This shampoo works the best for me and has done the best at preserving the color the longest. I had used Warpaint Beauty color-depositing shampoo from Hot Topic because I thought it would help revive the red, but I think it actually did the opposite and stripped the color faster. So I'm not sure if there are other color-depositing shampoos that work good, but I wouldn't recommend that one.

I would also recommend some kind of serum to keep your hair looking healthy. My hair is pretty fried as is, but I can still fake it! I use HANA Shine Shield, which I reviewed here. It's great for adding shine to hair and making it look smooth and silky :)

Don't overuse the L'Oreal Dye.
I had acquired 3 tubes of the L'Oreal HiColor Highlights, and used 1 for the first time to do my entire head. I used 1 more tube -- half the tube at a time -- to touch up my roots and do an overall coloring when my hair needed reviving. I wouldn't keep using the L'Oreal dye though, because it is for dark hair specifically, the more you use it to re-do the red, the more it is actually lightening your hair in the process because of the cream developer in it. It starts to fade faster and the lightness becomes more apparent as it fades.

Do touchups with demi-permanent dye.
I use RAW Color hair dye from Hot Topic. Mixing equal parts Fuschia Fatale and Flamingo Pink together create practically the exact same Magenta shade as the L'Oreal dye. In fact, it comes out a bit pinker, so I think the combination is nicer :) I leave this dye in for at least an hour before washing it out. BEWARE, THIS DYE WILL STAIN YOUR TUB!!! Be sure to rinse it off really well. I've tinted my tub pink several times already :P

I thought this dye would fade out pretty fast since I haven't had the most luck with hair products from Hot Topic, but it actually lasts relatively long. It claims 3-6 weeks, and I'd give it a good 3 before it starts looking a bit dull. Using this dye between touchups with the L'Oreal dye also worked really well for me because it counteracted the lightening effect of the L'Oreal dye and darkened my hair instead. For info on demi-permanent VS semi-permanent dye, read this article.

This is after using the RAW Color Hair dye in Fuschia Fatale and Flamingo Pink mixed together:


I'm planning to keep this hair until I run out of dye, so maybe for another month or so. Overall, it's a lot of work to maintain red hair, but if you're willing; it's definitely a fun and funky color that will turn heads! :)

52 comments :

  1. After you washed out the loreal hicolor did you apply conditoner right after or no?

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  2. Is that the color result on black hair? :o

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    1. I haven't been on this blog for quite awhile and am catching up on comments now, sorry! No, my hair was a faded auburn-ish color before using the dye.

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  3. is there a way to do this with a more red raw hairdye so it is not too pink ... i am a guy and want my hair like ariana grande but this seems to pinkish but the loreal magenta i plan on using it is just the raw color i am worried about... i am ok with it being a hint pinkish but yours seems really pink other than red

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    1. Hey i trye this loreal be4 is really red i wont recoment raw cus used raw and was bad frim black made na hair look green and theres another brand us really good i love it is only sold in puerto rico but u could the webside the kuul.com is really good i love it

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  4. Thank you for this! It was so helpful! :)

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  5. The l'oreal hicolor highlights has different shades of red so check it out

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  6. Your hair (and face) is like so pretty! I love the color of your hair. Can I be you?

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  7. Thanks I'm dying it this color because I want mine like Ariana grande! It's so pretty I just wish it was darker!

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  8. Do you have to bleach your hair to get it EXACTALLY like yours?

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    1. Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on your hair... I would think probably bleaching would make it likelier to come out like mine, though.

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  9. Awesome review! I'm a natural auburn-head, but dyed dark brown, then black, then lifted, and today I'm going back to being a redhead. I've been searching the net for some info on how to take the fire up a notch, and this has been one of the most helpful posts. Thank you! And, by the way, you are gorgeous!

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    1. I haven't been on this blog for quite awhile and am catching up on comments now, sorry! XD Thank you for the comment! Glad the post was helpful! :)

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  10. What color is your eyebrows?

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  11. Your hair is gorgeous! my hair's black, do you think the loreal hair dye and developer would work for me still without bleaching?

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    1. Thanks! Yes I think it will work. I saw a video of a girl using this dye over her hair, which was dark brown. And it still came out pretty red.

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  12. Wow that looks really nice!

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  13. im confused did you use the red or magenta loreal

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    1. You used only one bottle of magenta that day? My hair is red red but the ends faded it's not similar to yours but I want your color I wouldn't know if I'd have to keep it on for an hour what would happen

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  14. i have dyed my hair with the XXL box color (red, i think it's loreal), but it has faded to dark brown with a red tint. Do you think the magenta color will work and get my hair to brighter red days?

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  15. I had bleach blond hair with tons of multitones then i dyed it black now its both black brown and got some blonde peekabooing so i feel this color will be a nice change plus it will look way diff from urs concidering i have multi tones and u dont thus preventing any kind of copy cat creepy stuff lol

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  16. Beautiful! I used this same product and love the result... I do have one question however...

    HOW did you get such perfectly even color?! Mine is fairly even, except for the ends. They are a lot less bright/red than the middle/roots of my hair.

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    1. I really REALLY saturated my hair with the dye and rubbed it in lol I take the ends between my palms and rub it together :P

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  17. How can you go from Loreal Magenta back to black?

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    1. I would give your hair a break for a bit and just let the dye magenta dye wash out on its own for a few weeks before getting a black dye and dying over it.

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  18. I have bleached hair and dye it blue black but it faded away so its a light brown since i bleached it do you think this product will burn or break my hair??? Cuz i know this has bleach in it alredy?

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    1. My hair is pretty fried from constant dying and bleaching, but it didn't have any bad effects from using this dye. I guess it all depends on you and your hair though!

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  19. I did every thing u said but mine didn't come out as deep as urs did how can I get it deeper red

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    1. Sorry to hear that... I would just get a deeper/darker shade of dye and go over it.

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  20. Did you use loreal hi color magenta? Or red?

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  21. Did you use loreal hi color magenta? Or red?

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  22. is your eyebrows red? if so, do you color them with makeup or did you use the haircolor product?

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    1. No my eyebrows are (were) dark brown. I've never tried to color my eyebrows with makeup or hair dye before so I'm not sure how that works out, sorry!

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  23. How would you touch up your roots? And how often would you this? How often would you use the raw dye?

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    1. It's all explained in the post if you read through it.

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  24. I have dark brown hair & I dyed it recently but only on some small parts of my hair to a reddish color using ion but it came out like a orangy blonde color & I just bought the hicolor loreal highlights in red & I'll be using a 30 volume developer, I want a bright red but idk how long should I leave it? :/ do you think it'll work for me? :)

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    1. I think it'll work fine :) I dyed my hair over old bleach/dye and it was fine. Just follow the box directions.

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  25. I have dyed my hair red for years now and I finally tired the loreal magenta . I love it ! The red it makes my hair is so much prettier and the tips you are talking about is exactly what I do even down to the shampoo lol. red hair is awesome and not to hard to keep up . You should definitly keep it .

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    1. I have since returned to my natural hair, but red is definitely something I'd go back to in the future! It's such a fun color :)

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  26. When you dyed your hair has it been colored before or was it completely virgin hair

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  27. I mix the red with the magenta 50/50 and don't shampoo my hair everyday but wet it and condition rinsing in cold water. I then use leave in conditioner.
    You're post was very helpful. I have also found the Ion semi-permanant great for in between dyes to keep the vibrancy up without frying my hair with the activator.

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  28. I mix the red with the magenta 50/50 and don't shampoo my hair everyday but wet it and condition rinsing in cold water. I then use leave in conditioner.
    You're post was very helpful. I have also found the Ion semi-permanant great for in between dyes to keep the vibrancy up without frying my hair with the activator.

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  29. Can you use 20 volume if my hair is auburn slightly red will it work?

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  30. Love the tips, never knew any of these kind of things, thanks heaps!

    Regards,

    Miss Eliza wonderland
    Www.misselizawonderland.com

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If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, feel free to drop me a line and I'll get back to you asap :)