Lightening hair - Removing black hair dye

Ok.........Let me just start by saying that I previously box dyed my hair JET BLACK since 2004. I love dark hair and how elegant it looks. My hair is naturally dark brown, almost black but I still wanted the intensity of jet black hair.......so I would color it every few months as soon as it started to fade out. Anywaysssssssss, lol if you don't know I absolutely love, "The Vampire Diaries" and as stupid as it sounds I became obsessed with Nina Dobrev's hair.(She is so beautiful!!! lol.)


I started to wonder if I could get my hair a bit lighter, not as light as hers but maybe chocolate brown..... any brown really lol. I really didn't care! JUST NOT BLACK! So me being me, I thought "How hard can it be?" The answer???!!! VERY, VERY, VERY HARD!! :(



First, I tried stripping my hair with Vitamin C and Head and shoulders. FAIL.

So, after that did not work I started to look for a non-damaging hair color stripper. I purchased "Colour B4". This product is from the UK, and I read awesome reviews about it. I though it would be worth a shot. I purchased the regular strength and aside from stink up my whole house, it did nothing. Then, I purchased the extra-strength formula and NOTHING >:(  Still black, with a reddish undertone. So although it worked wonders for a ton of people, just did nothing for me.



Next, I decided to use a "Bleach Cap". I saturated my hair in coconut oil for an hour, and went at it. I was afraid of using any form of bleach because I know it destroys your hair, but a bleach cap is much milder. I used 20v developer and only left it about 10 minutes. I washed it all out and YAY!! It was a shade lighter, not super light or anything but it definitely helped lift a shade. The only problem is, it was a bit patchy. I still had a lot of deposited hair color from years of coloring. The back was even overall, but the front was a different story. Which brings me to the next product.

Jheri Redding Color Fix


I picked this up at my local Sally's. It smelled just as bad as Colour B4. Yuck. But in my opinion worked really well!! It lifted another shade and evened out some of the patches. It removed some more of the evil deposited black dye lol.

After I used this, I decided to use hair dye (also from Sally's) to lift maybe one more shade. I thought that I was almost done. Oh, jeez... was I wrong.

My roots lifted waaaaaay lighter than the rest, and I had dark patches in the front about 2 inches in length where I assume the most black dye was deposited. The back was a nice golden brown color. UGHHH. Results=Disaster. WTH dude, I reminded myself of a calico cat..... so mad. lol.

I did more research online and decided I was just going to go with bleach. Since it was only a few patches, I thought a box of Loreal's Wild Ombre kit would do the trick. Plus, it has a neat little brush that helps make for an easier, even application. This kit is amazing, I wont lie! Or maybe I just loved the brush lol. It helped to lighten the patches a little, but I was afraid to leave it on more than 10 minutes because I did not know what level developer is used in the kit. Patches lightened a bit.... but still much too dark, and it was clear then that I needed more bleach.

I finally got sick of this hair nightmare, went to Sally's picked up a few packs of "Ion Powder Lightener" and
Ion 20v developer. (I never used anything higher than 20v, aside from the Loreal Ombre Kit which does not say what level developer the kit contains). Before I used the bleach, I saturated my hair in coconut oil for 2 hours. The I applied the bleach on the saturated hair ...on the dark patches first, then all over. Worked quickly and neatly, used a ton of clippies to section off before. I then let it process for 25 minutes. THIS WAS IT!!! My hair came out lighter and even all over. It did have the coppery undertones that bleach is notorious for but it did the trick. I used coconut oil treatment overnight and let it rest again.


 After I achieved even results, I used Loreal's "Candelit Golden Brown", with 20v again.



The results.

It came out great, with minimal damage. I used (and still use) coconut oil after every color stripper and before every single bleach. Coconut oil is my go to for everything, especially hair care. 

Here are a few shots of me with my black hair. One is from Halloween lol, hence the costume.

I still love the look, but as of now I am definitely enjoying my new hair color. If I could do it all over again, I would just go straight for bleach+20v developer. I would have saved myself a lot of trouble. Please do not be afraid to use bleach, just be sure to use 20v and nothing higher. DO NOT FORGET YOUR COCONUT OIL! It is a life saver!

Good Luck! 

Essential Kit - Mr. Bunny Sigma Brush Set

I wanted this brush set for FREAKING EVER! lol. This is my review on the entire set.


This brush kit includes 12 brushes and a neat carrying case. I really love the case, because I am seriously always on the go. I usually toss my brush case in my bag and go.

Brushes Included:

  

•E05 - Eye Liner: this brush is not really one that I use every day, but it is very useful. 

•E30 - Pencil: I love this brush, as it is perfect for highlighting the inner corner of the eye. It is very versatile.

•E40 - Tapered Blending: This brush is OMG amazing. Love how great it blends evenly. I use the  tapered blending brush every single day. It is an absolute must have.

•E55 - Eye Shading: I like this eye shading brush, but am not completely in love with it. I have a hard time packing shadow with this brush. It seems as if it just doesn't do it for me. I have tried using it dampened, and it seems to help but ehhhh.....just eh. Not too crazy about it.

•E60 - Large Shader: I like this brush better than the E55, not exactly too sure what the difference is but I feel like it does more for me. I find myself reaching for the E60 more than the E55.

•E65 - Small Angle: I don't think its made for this purpose.....but I love the E65 for filling in my brows! Amazing!!!!! I use this one almost every day too.

•E70 - Medium Angled Shading: The E70 somewhat reminds me of the E40. It works just as great and is perfect for blending in the crease.

•F30 - Large Powder: I cannot live without a powder brush. This one really takes the cake.I have VERY sensitive skin and some powder brushed for some reason or another sometimes feel like they just wreck havoc on my skin. This one is the opposite. to keep it nice and simple it is soft and provides great coverage.

•F40 - Large Angled Contour: I only use the F40 for blush, and it is also a winner. 

WINNER, WINNER, WINNER!! LOL. If you are like me, and use blush on the daily you will love this brush.

•F50 - Duo Fibre: I have a love hate relationship with this brush. It is a bit flimsy, and to be honest I would like to try the F80 (which is not included in this set). I have read it it better.

•F60 - Foundation: This brush is meh. I would rather use the F50 and just try to work with it. To be honest this brush is kind of just there.

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•F70 - Concealer: The F70 is also a must have. It is the perfect size, and the density of the brush is just right. 

Overall, I love this set and I would totally recommend it. I would love to try to add a few other sigma brushes to this set, the next one on my purchase list is the F80. 

Hiiiiii guys! So I have decided to blog and all that jazz. I am sure it will be an off and on thing. I have a ton of things I would love to share, and I hope you guys enjoy!

(Under Construction)
I will be updating a lot, changing things up and such until I really get this down to how I like it. I am completely unaware of how this works, I will try my best to get it up and running soon.