Those of you who follow me on Twitter are probably quite familiar with the lilac hair saga. I got back from holiday in August with an inexplicable yearning for lilac hair. Twitter didn't talk me down from the edge, but did persuade me to go with a lilac streak rather than a full head of lilac hair.
I bleached the heck out of about the front inch of hair from my parting down to my ear, and then realised that the purple permanent dye I'd bought was probably a bad idea. I tried using an ash brown colour conditioner that looked a bit purple, and ended up with a grey/blue/green streak.
One of my Twitterers (what do you call people you interact with on Twitter?) suggested Manic Panic, and the website www.hairbomb.com to purchase it from. I dithered between Ultra Violet and Lie Locks (do you see what they did there?) but went with Lie Locks as I wanted a more pastel lilac shade.
It's quite subtle when I tuck my hair behind my ear (the way I usually wear it).
When I tie my hair up, it is less subtle.
The hair does need to be bleached to a pale blonde before using this colour, and I refresh the lilac once a week. I assume this goes without saying, but you DON'T need to bleach each time - you only need to bleach regrowth, and not before it's at least half an inch or so long. It's important not to go over already bleached hair with bleach again, or it will get very damaged indeed.
I put the Manic Panic in dry hair, twist it up with a grip, put an old towel over my pillow and sleep in it before washing out in the morning. You do need to be careful not to get it on the skin or it will stain - I use a Real Body Care Cream (as reviewed by me here) as a barrier cream.
I love the lilac - there's something immensely cheery about a streak of lilac hair.
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Woo - Love it - That looks awesome!!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you didn't do the whole head. A streak is cheery & alternative without looking like you should be in the queue to collect your pension.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sparklz & Shine. :)
ReplyDeleteHelen - that's what Mr London said - the whole head would look a bit Mrs Slocombe. I quite like the idea of Mrs Slocombe as a style icon :D
I remember playing with some of their red hair dyes when I was in high school, I really enjoyed it! I'm looking for a cruelty-free alternative for permanent hair dyes but except from Revlon (that I can't find here) but I can't find any, I wish Manic Panic was permanent ):
ReplyDeleteI love the colour, It looks amazing when tied up. I can't imagine what your hair would have looks like fully lilac? I much prefer the subtle streak.
ReplyDeleteOmg i love it. Especially in the shot where it pulled back so you see its full glory. Id do the whole front fringy bit if I was you!
ReplyDeleteNow im tempted to try!!
I absolutely love it. And I have a crazy idea to colour my hair red... Hope this will be over soon.
ReplyDeleteI love the streak. I'm going to have to go and look at that website, though I'm very taken with having a light blonde slice smuggled under my layers (they've got to be good for something!). Can I ask what you used to bleach it? I'm paranoid about my hair going orange!
ReplyDeleteI really like that, its an unexpected colour if you know what I mean and works really well with your skintone x
ReplyDeleteI use Manic Panic or Directions when I refresh the pinky red tones in my hair which fade so fast. If you don't want to sleep in it, you could try wrapping the section of hair in cling film or blasting it with a hair dryer for a few minutes - heat really increases the uptake for vegetable dyes like these :)
ReplyDeleteThanks all for the comments - Tali, you bad thing for encouraging more! Bet that's the way it ends up :)
ReplyDeleteMB - I just use Jerome Russell stuff from Boots, it's pretty good. The trick is to try it on a hairball from your brush first. I will do a bleach post soon. You'll most likely need a toner too.
Gemma - your red hair is glorious, I was quite tempted by the pillarbox red too.
that colour is so cute! im really loving pastel hair colours at the moment too! Im thinking of dying mine baby pink :P x
ReplyDeleteI do like that purple but heard it is one of the colors that bleed onto the pillow cases and lasts shorter than the reds. Do you find that to be true?
ReplyDeleteAny other colors you will be trying?
Hi Aisling - I love the look of candyfloss pink, especially on blonde hair. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Olivia - the purple does fade down to silverish in 3-4 washes, so it does need frequent top ups. I haven't noticed any bleeding with it though - although my streak is at the front of my head and I always sleep on my back.
Grace you are so cool. ^_^
ReplyDeleteThat is just so pretty! The colour suits you so much and it makes your skin look so bright! Maybe you should reconsider having only a streak and go for a full head of lilac!
ReplyDeleteI used to dye my hair in unusual colours a few years ago and lilac is not one of the colours that tends to bleed. In my experience it was the dyes with more red colours like deeper purples that tended to bleed. Blues and lilacs were easy to maintain. And because I didn't like it when it turned too silvery, I used to add a little bit of dye in my conditioner. It's not enough dye to stain your hands etc, but it is enough to maintain the colour for a bit longer.
Thanks Imo :)
ReplyDeleteHi Odyssey - oh, I'm so tempted! I was surprised at how flattering the lilac is.
That looks so lovely! It looks so cool pinned in to the un-dyed hair!
ReplyDeleteWhat bleach did you use? Did it change the texture of your hair? I am looking to die my whole head with Lie Locks but I'm a natural brunette and I'm not looking forward to bleaching for a number of reasons. My hair colour is close to yours, maybe a bit darker.
Glad you posted this :)
Hi Veggie Tales - thank you!
DeleteI used Jerome Russell bleach. I used the kit for medium to dark brown hair (with 40% peroxide) the first time I did it, and then for doing root regrowth afterwards I've moved to the gentler peroxide level - 30%, as roots lift much quicker.
I made sure my hair was in good condition before doing it, and don't wash my hair for a couple of days before bleaching - the natural oil protects the hair and scalp. I also use an oil serum/protector on my ends before bleaching - it doesn't stop the bleach working, but it seems to help stop the bleach destroying my hair. Just be careful to look for one without silicones, which I'd guess could interfere with the bleach. Something like pure Camellia oil works well - Melvita sells it for £14.
I also did a test with a hairball from my brush before going to my actual head the first time, just to check my hair could take going to pale blonde.
It does change the texture of your hair - my lilac is fluffier than the rest of my hair, and I need to use gentle shampoos. I'm pretty tempted to do my whole head, but I couldn't get away with it at work - perhaps if I win the lottery!
Incidentally, I'm now using Fudge Paintbox instead of the MP, and I find that lasts longer. I use a combo of Whiter Shade of Pale and Purple Haze, and what I like about it is that I can moderate the purpleness - I need a slightly stronger shade to get my roots to match my ends, which have soaked up more of the lilac.
Have you checked out Killer Strands? Lots of really good info there about bleaching and colouring. http://killerstrands.blogspot.com/
Hope this helps, and sorry for the novel!
This looks fantastic! I'm hoping to do something very similar.
ReplyDeleteFew questions.
How long did the color stay in your hair for? Did it come out darker when you first dyed it? I'm a natural blonde so I'm trying to figure out how it might turn out. lol Thanks for posting!
Hi Alexandra - from looking at your picture, you have quite cool toned blonde hair, so lilac should work well. It'll be darker/less silvery than on bleached hair, but you'll still get a good lilac.
DeleteIt stays in vividly for about a week - I can go two weeks before reapplying, if I don't mind it going down to silverish. I wash my hair every other day, in a very gentle shampoo.
You might consider getting Fudge Paintbox instead and diluting in conditioner - it works out a lot cheaper than the Manic Panic. Harder to control the colour though - Lie Locks gives the best colour IMO. Anyway, my post on the Fudge is here if you want to have a look:
http://www.londonmakeupgirl.com/2012/03/fudge-paintbox-creative-conditioning.html