Project Burgundy Hair | John Frieda Precision Foam Colour in Deep Cherry Brown

Hi ladies! Some times ago, John Frieda were giving away coupons on their Facebook page to try their new Precision Foam Colour, and of course, I am late on this, as always! At the drugstore, I was a bit disappointed to find only one shade in their Radiant Red collection, Deep Cherry Brown, which appeared to be more red than purple when I am looking for the opposite. Since it was free, I figured out I would pick it up anyway just to try the foam formula, even though I was not happy with the only other foam hair dye I have tried, L'Oréal Sublime Mousse.

Foam is unlike traditional home hair color - it is very easy, but different from what you would have used before, hence why there are a few "rules" to follow, such as tilting the bottle to mix instead of shaking, since it will cause the foam to become runny. The bottle should also be kept upright, for the same reason. It is nothing complicated, but you simply have to get used to it.

L - R: before and after

The rich, non-drip foam formula spreads quickly and easily into roots and hard to reach places, giving you complete coverage without patchiness. It is much quicker, easier and less mess than traditional hair color! The only thing that had me worried a bit is that even though I was careful to work with the foam exactly like it was mentioned in the directions, I did not end up with a frothy head like it said I should have, but I am not sure what difference it makes?

After rinsing the color and applying the nourishing conditioner, I was left with a rather natural-looking dark brown hair color with only a slight hint of red, mostly at the roots, and noticeable only with a flash or in direct lighting - disappointing!

The result

Fortunately, the brown washed out a bit after a few washes, and the red peeked through a bit more with time. Feel free to have a look at my hair in this post to see the results just after the dye, and this one, to see what it looke like after a few washes. It did end up turning an horrible red-brown/rust shade though, even if I made sure to use the conditioner every time I washed my hair - so much for "long-lasting tonal richness"!

John Frieda Precision Foam Colour is available in 24 shades for around $13 in drugstores.

Project Burgundy Hair | Revlon ColorSilk in Burgundy 48

Going burgundy brings on a totally new challenge - finding a proper hair dye that won't completely ruin my color, and by this I mean, a hair color that won't turn my hair bright red, orange, or even worse, that horrible red-brown/rust shade that is not exactly flattering. Problem is that there is not currently a lot of cruelty-free hair dye options on the market, and not all of them offer a burgundy shade.

To make matter worse, the cheapest cruelty-free hair dye I have found is not available in Canada - nothing new here - so when I was in the US earlier this summer, I made sure to stop by Walmart to grab a bunch of Revlon ColorSilk in the shade Burgundy, but there was only two boxes left. I was a bit angry because I have had great results with this hair dye in the shade Brown Black 20 for less than $3 but oh well, what could I do?

I always hate when the conditioner included in the box is a single-use packet but at least, it does leave my hair really soft and shiny.

L - R: before and after, with flash

L - R: before and after, without flash

I struggled quite a bit to take pictures that would properly show you my results because this kind of shade always look different in various lighting. Can you see how my hair does not even appear to have been dyed in the last picture, on the right? Natural lighting does not do it justice!

I must say I'm quite a bit disappointed because my hair came out a bit redder and less bright than what is pictured on the box - I was expecting a vibrant purplish shade! I'm not sure if you can tell from the pictures but after dying it, my hair appears only slightly darker and the biggest difference to me is the roots.

I also noticed that their packaging has changed from the last time I dyed my hair with Revlon brown Black 20 and the formula must to have been improved because it now features UV Defense, but I have high doubts that this will prevent my hair color from fading. 

Next step in 'Project Burgundy Hair' is another trip to the hairdresser thanks to an amazing Groupon offer, so stay tuned!

Move Over Project Back 2 Blonde - Introducing Project Burgundy Hair!

Ladies, remember I told you in my "Introducing Project Back 2 Blonde" post that I decided to lighten my hair in an attempt to go back to my somewhat blond roots? Well, I lied - OK, not completely - I contemplated going lighter for a long time because I was getting bored of my dark brown hair, but I'm not sure I'm ready to really go back to my natural color, and recently, while chatting with Caterina on Twitter, another idea emerged... giving burgundy hair another chance!

I tried burgundy hair for the first time in late 2006, but I made the mistake of bleaching my hair myself and then apply the dye, which, of course, resulted in an ugly orange shade after about a week and horribly fried ends. Not to mention that back in the days, I was under the influence of a friend who told me you were supposed to wash your hair every single day, which I started doing, and I guess you know what happens when you make this unforgiving mistake.

L - R: me in 2007 and 2008 - emo? Oh please...

I gave burgundy another try in 2007 and 2008, without never going to a hairdresser, of course, so the same thing happened - I kept bleaching and damaging my hair, and the color kept fading. I finally gave up and decided to stick with dark brown hair until very recently.

When I used Revlon Frost&Glow Highlighting Kit for Medium to Dark Brown Hair, I can't say I was 100% happy with the results and I knew I would have to keep using it a few times in order for the highlights to really come out uniform and the shade I wanted. When I found an amazing deal on Groupon for a cut, style and color or partial highlights for only $35 (valued at up to $111!) at Beauté de Calla which is situated a few streets from where I live, I knew I had to buy it!

L - R: before and after

I booked the appointment for the morning of the wedding of my friend Geneviève and Robin without really knowing what I had in mind. I told the hairdresser that I was contemplating going gradually lighter with highlights but that I was also craving burgundy hair, and she assured me that the results of the burgundy dye  results would be cool due to the different shades in my hair - that was all I needed to go for it! We chose the lightest burgundy shade, which was more on the purple side than red, in order for it to properly show up on the dark parts of my hair...and I almost could not believe the results!

Inside, with flash

As the hairdresser was blowdrying my hair, I was surprised at how vibrant the color came out! She told me that the color woul need to be done a second and maybe a third time in order for it to really show up, but I think it looks pretty good just the way it is, so I can imagine the results after a couple more dyes (which I plan to do myself this time).

I love how my hair appears to be a dark purple with hints of dark red in artifical lightning, but outside in the sun, it just glows beautifully! Now I can't wait to continue dying it until it reaches a deep dark purple shade. I know it was maybe not the brightest idea to go for such a high-maintenance shade in the middle of the summer, but this time, I'm really ready for it! I'm careful to wash my hair only twice a week, and I make sure to wear a hat when I'm outside in the sun. Also, I have tons of products for colored hair laying around and now is the perfect opportunity to test and review them. 

Introducing Project Back 2 Blonde - Revlon Frost&Glow Highlighting Kit for Medium to Dark Brown Hair

Ladies, you may remember my hair history post that I wrote back in December 2009? I mentioned quite a few times on the blog that my natural hair color is a weird and ugly dark blonde that I absolutely hate, that's why I have been experimenting with hair colors so much. I have been playing it safe with a low maintenance dark brown for the last few years, but lately, I have been getting a bit bored with it, and what do I do when I'm bored? I look at YouTube videos!

I recently discovered MakeupbyMel's YouTube channel - which is funny because I remember she was one of the first blog I started following when I got into blogging - and after seeing her amazing results with Revlon Frost&Glow Highlighting Kit, I knew I had to try it. I was contemplating to go lighter for some times and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to go back somewhere near my natural hair color, but somewhat... enhanced - enter Project Back 2 Blonde!

Of course, before buying it, I was determined to conduct more indepth researches in order to prevent a potential hair disaster, and I was surprised to find mostly positive reviews on it. I had finally set my mind and I could not wait to get my hands on what seemed to be a miraculous product, but... I could not find it anywhere!

After scouring the local drugstores and coming home empty handed, I had an illumination - Well.ca! Well.ca is Canada's largest online health and beauty store with free shipping in Canada - what more can I ask for? For some reasons, I added Revlon Frost&Glow Highlighting Kit for Medium to Dark Brown Hair in my cart but then forgot about it - until a totally unexpected $10 gift card from Well.ca showed up in my email! They said it was to give me the chance to experience their website - can you say awesome customer service?

Of course, I did not hesitate one second and put the gift card to use imediately. I was also surprised to receive my order in around three days - wow! I could not wait to try the product and I went at it in the following days. 

Revlon Frost&Glow Highlighting Kit includes everything you need and I was actually surprised at how easy the whole process was. I managed to put on the cap, poke all of the visible holes and pull the hair through by myself, but I asked the boyfriend for help for the back of my head because I got tired. Pulling my hair through all of the holes took about two hours and a half, which I was not expecting at all! I guess the next times, it will be easier because I will get used to it.

L - R: with the cap on, all the hair pulled through, and bleach applied

It is recommended not to leave the bleach on more than 60 minutes, and to keep checking how the color evolve often. I checked the color every five minutes and even though I knew my hair would not come out as blonde as I would expect it, I waited until after one hour to wash off the bleach.

I found it quite hard to remove the cap in the shower - I was told it would come off by itself, but it didn't, and I don't understand how it could have anyway because my hair was all tangled from the bleach! I did finally manage to remove it but not without losing a few strand of hair in the process... 

The conditioner was not moisturizing enough for my taste and even though I did find the bleach quite harsh on my hair, it's nothing that can't be fixed with leave-in conditioners and hair masks. Maybe try to use this product on second day hair and be sure to have a back up of hair treatments.

Of course, the results was nothing like the hair of the model on the box - I had bright yellowish-honey streaks on the top part of my hair, but the lengths were more orange, without being a super neon orange like I experienced in the past. It's not too bad I guess, considering that the bleach had 936476548267 layers of hair dye to go through! I must say it's a nice change for me and I realized that a lighter hair color compliments my skin and eyes - surprisingly - a bit more than my usual dark brown shade.

L - R: before and after

I already purchased another Revlon Frost&Glow Highlighting Kit for Medium to Dark Brown Hair that I found on sale for $9.48 at Giant Tiger yesterday, and I hope it will be able to make my hair blonder and also tone down the slight orange tones. Maybe next time I will start by applying the bleach on my lengths instead of at the roots.

Revlon Frost&Glow Highlighting Kit is available in three different shades at Well.ca for $14.99 with free shipping in Canada. Also, don't forget to use promo code GABYSBEAUTYBLOG to get $10 off any $40 order!

Tints of Nature - Better For Hair, Better For You

If you have followed me through my hair dye adventures, you may know that I'm currently seeking cruelty-free alternatives but it's much harder than I though because there are just not enough options offered here in Québec. Well, I have been very lucky to be given the opportunity to try Tints of Nature, which is a natural, vegetarian, cruelty-free (of course!) and ammonia-free hair color. Tints of Nature has been formulated with specially selected natural and certified organic ingredients and offers a gentler alternative, which will leave your hair looking gorgeous.

I decided to try Tints of Nature Conditioning Permanent Colour in 2N Natural Darkest Brown. I usually prefer to dye my hair when they are a bit dirty - OK, a lot dirty - as it's recommended with most hair dyes to apply the product on unwashed hair, but I was actually surprised to find a clarifying shampoo in the box that is meant to be used before the dye, to remove buil-up caused by product residues, grease and dirt and prepare hair for colouring. Tints of Nature then recommends to dry hair with a towel and then apply the dye, which I thought was super weird - apply color to wet hair, what? - so... after washing my hair with the clarifying shampoo - which doesn't lather, but foam like crazy - I decided to wait the day after to dye my hair. Call me stupid, but I really wanted this to work!

It definitely felt strange to apply the dye on clean hair, but I went a it anyway. The gel formula is great as it prevent the dye to drip everywhere and make a mess in the bathroom. Because I was targeting my roots - my hair is already colored dark brown - I followed the directions which recommended to apply the dye at the roots, then put the cap and wait 20 minutes before applying the hair color on the rest on the hair, then put the cap on again and wait another 10 minutes before washing it out in the shower. I have never used a cap while coloring my hair before so this was another new thing for me.

After about 30 minutes, I jumped in the shower and used the shampoo and conditioner that were included in the box. I had another great surprise with the shampoo which foamed amazingly well, just like the clarifying one. The conditioner was not that great though - it was not thick enough to cover my whole hair and honestly, it didn't even feel like conditioner. In fact, it didn't seem to moisturize or detangle my hair at all because I was absolutely unable to comb it after the shower until I used a leave-in conditioner, which is not something that happens often to me - my hair doesn't tangle easily at all.

L - R: Before and after

In the end, my hair was left a gorgeous and shiny dark brown, almost black, which is always what I'm looking for, especially after my previous bad experience with Clairol Herbal Essences Color Me Vibrant in 66 Chocolate Velvet Dark Brown, which barely tinted my blonde roots a mousey brown. I can't really tell because I used a leave-in conditioner, but I have a feeling that Tints of Nature would have left my hair very dry otherwise, which I think is a bit strange for a hair dye that is supposed to be conditioning.

Tints of Nature offers Natural and Fashion Permanent Colours which retail for $18.99 a pack - check out their color chart here. Also, be sure to have a look at their vast selection of products such as semi-permanent colours, highlight & lightening kits, treatments, etc.

Disclaimer: One or more products were sent to me for consideration to review. I am not affiliated with this company and the fact that the products were free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

Clairol Nice 'N Easy 123 Natural Soft Black

Tones & highlight in one simple step 

Anti-Flat. Always dimensional home hair color. Nice ‘n Easy brings your look to life with depth and dimension. Our formula, with exclusiveColor Blend Technology, gives every shade built-in tones & highlights so color will never be matte or flat.

• Permanent liquid hair color with Precision Applicator
• Lasts up to 8 weeks
• 100% gray coverage
• Includes ColorSeal Conditioning Gloss to help seal in beautiful color and intense shine

I'm currently trying to use up the hair dyes in my stash because it's the only beauty product that I have that is not cruelty-free, and I will be the first to admit that it's damn hard to find a proper cruelty-free alternative. The only brands available around here that don't test their hair colors on animals are GOSH but it's a little too pricey for me and it's rarely on sale, Dollarama's Elegant Effect Permanent Color Cream (review here) but I don't love it that much to keep repurchasing it (maybe I will try the black shade next time though) and LUSH Henna Hair Dyes which are damn pricey and look sooooo complicated to use. I am aware that Revlon does hair dye too but I have absolutely no idea if it's available around here because I have only seen it in the US but nowhere in canadian drugstores. Help please?

The last time I tried Clairol Nice 'N Easy 123 Natural Soft Black was in June 2010 and I decided to give it a go because looking at the model on the box (and the color chart on the back), this did not look black at all, but more of a dark brown, and I was right.

L - R: Before and after (without flash)

Right after dying my hair, it is left a shiny black that is not too striking against my pale skintone. I would say Natural Soft Black is an ideal shade if you are longing for shiny black hair but you are afraid of the commitment, as it will fade to a very dark brown after a few washes.

It left my hair incredibly shiny!

I find it hard to find a cruelty-free alternative to Nice 'n Easy hair dye because it has been my HG for so long for multiple reasons: it does not leave my hair looking damaged (instead, it leaves perfectly shiny and healthy!), it truly delivers a rich and dimensional hair color that never looks flat, it does not fade as quickly as other hair dyes I have tried and it's often on sale - most of the time, I got it for around $3!

*Please note that this product is NOT cruelty-free

Clairol Natural Instincts Vibrant in 4 Dark Brown

You can get up to 8 weeks of vibrant, healthy-looking hair color from Natural Instincts. Natural Instincts Vibrant delivers stunning color with 100% gray coverage—and comes with an exclusive Color Refresher to give your hair a complete boost two weeks in.

• Permanent 10 minute-formula with antioxidants for healthy-looking hair color
• Lasts up to 8 weeks
• 100% gray coverage
• Includes Natural Instincts Week 2 Color Refresher, a nourishing crème formula that deposits color pigments 15 days after coloring
• Includes Color Treat™ Conditioner for radiant and healthy-looking color

I've always been curious about the original Natural Instincts range which promises shiny, healthy-looking hair color in an ammonia-free formula, but the problem is that this hair dye is semi permanent. When they came out with the permanent version, Natural Instincts Vibrant, which even included Week 2 Color Refresher, a crème formula that deposits color pigments 15 days after coloring, I jumped at the chance to try it!

What is included in the box

The first thing I noticed is how annoyingly runny the formula is - I have never experienced this before! It was a complete mess to use as it would always drips off my hair. I had to act quickly if I didn't want to dye the entire bathroom brown!

My hair was left shiny and darker than my previous color, which I was expecting. I'm pleased with the results, however, I was expecting much more from the Week 2 Color Refresher, which didn't seem to do much for my hair. I didn't notice the color being super dull or anything but after using the refresher, it didn't appear shinier or richer. Hmm.

Clairol Natural Instincts Vibrant is available for around $10 in the following shades:

*This product is NOT cruelty-free

Garnier Belle Color Root Touch-Up in R2

Fast and easy way to touch up your roots between colourings, in 10 minutes. Blends with any permanent haircolour brand. 

Our patented formula blends with any permanent haircolour brand and provides natural-looking, impeccable results. To choose your shade, refer to the colour chart on the side of the box.

I don't know if I already talked about this on my blog but I like to have a backup of hair dyes in my closet. The reason why is that I hate to have to rush to the drugstore to have to pay full-price for a box of hair dye when I really have to do my hair - which rarely happens because I don't really mind my roots - and I like to collect coupons and combine them with sales, which scores me pretty good deals.

Think about it - an average box of hair dye costs around $10, not multiply this by 12 months (if you dye your hair once a month, like me) and there you have it: $120. It adds up pretty quickly, huh? You don't have to pay that - that's when coupons and sales come in handy!

I think I went a little crazy with all those coupons and sales though. Yes my HG hair dye may be Clairol Nice 'n Easy, but hey, how could I not pick up that box of Garnier Belle Color Root Touch-Up that is on sale for $3? I just can't stop experimenting with hair colors and the results is that I currently have 6 boxes hidden in my closet and I need to use them before I turn to cruelty-free alternatives.

I haven't used root touch-up kits very often because I was always afraid I would end up with lighter roots and darker hair, but I must say I'm incredibly impressed with this one.

I chose the shade R2 which is said to blend with all darkest browns to blacks. Because I purchased this hair dye such a long time ago, I can't remember the choice of shade, but if I look up the Garnier website, this range doesn't seem to exist! I do see the Belle Color ColorEase Crème but not the root touch-up kits... maybe it has been discontinued?

This kit is perfect for you if you are currently wearing one of the following shades:

Bascially, all darkest browns to blacks shades

In these type of kits, you get a smaller quantity of product, as it's designed to be applied only at the roots - it is not recommended to apply the dye to hair that have already been dyed.

The Precision-Colour brush did require some getting used at first me because I usually use only my hands when I dye my hair, but I actually really enjoyed it, it makes things much more easier. I have even washed it and I plan to re-use it the next time I do my hair.

The instructions are slightly different from regular hair dye 

My main problem with hair dye is finding a dark brown that looks very dark - almost black - and that won't fade. My wish was granted with Clairol Nice 'n Easy hair colors but I still have hopes to find something similar with other hair dyes. I was amazed at the results with this one!

The last time I dyed my hair, I used L'Oréal Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Color in 40 Espresso (Natural Deeply Brown) which is the darkest brown I could find in this collection, but still, it didn't turn out to be as dark as I would have liked it to be. In fact, after a few washes, my blonde roots were already peeking through...?! Look at the difference!

Garnier Belle Color Root Touch-Up R2 gave me super dark - almost black - hair, exactly what I was expecting! I really wish I could find a cruelty-free alternative to this root touch-up kit as I do think these types of hair dye are less damaging to the hair because you only do the roots. Any suggestions ladies?

* Product tested on animals. You may (or may not) be aware that Gaby's Beauty Blog recently went cruelty-free. However, I hope it's understandable that I can't simply throw away the products I have previously purchased that have unfortunately been tested on animals - believe me, I wouldn't hesitate if I were rich! My goal is to use up those products but not repurchase them in the future. Also, Gaby's Beauty Blog will no longer accept for review purposes products that have been tested on animals.

L'Oréal Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Color in 40 Espresso (Natural Deeply Brown)

Féria absolutely masters the art of shimmering prismatic colour. Its advanced Silk & Shimmers Deep Conditiong hydrates and conditions week after week. Plus, an aromatic scent for a pleasant colouring experience. 

Inspired by cutting-edge fashion, Féria's prismatic colour spectrum is custom blended by L'Oréal master colorists to make every shade shimer with X3 highlights. 

After my bad experience with L'Oréal Féria Power Reds, I decided to make a complain to L'Oréal and they sent me a coupon for a free box of hair dye of my choice. I kept hearing great things about L'Oréal Féria range in general but I never purchased a box because they are rarely on sale, so I decided to give the "natural" color a chance, and I opted for the darkest brown I could find, 40 Espresso, also called Natural Deeply Brown.

I don't remember the last hair dye I used to conceal the red (I forgot to post about it), but I remember I was in a rush, hence the poor results - I forgot to coat some of the hair in my bangs in the dye, so they were left an ugly orangey-blonde that only got worst when I spent my days in the sun. Not to mention that my roots were paler than the rest of my hair, despite me choosing the darkest brown I could find, as usual.

At first I thought the color was not as dark as I usually like it to be, but I think it has grown on me because now I quite like it. You can see in the "after" picture that the dye did cover my orangey-blonde bangs, but you can still see some red shines through, and it only gets worst in the sun. If you look closely, my roots seem lighter than the rest of my hair, and this time, it's not because I messed up! Maybe I should have opted for Midnight Sky, which is a natural soft black... Anyway, it doesn't bother me that much though as I think the result looks pretty natural, even on my pale skintone.

Can you see the annoying reddish tones where the sun hits my hair?

I didn't notice anything different from the previous hair dyes I have tried, not to mention the scent was still strongly chemical despite the Aromatic Shimmer Serum.  I also wish they had a proper dark brown color. I would say it's a good hair dye, but not enough to justify its steep price for my tight student budget.

Other Féria shades:

And the winner of my Glymm Box giveaway is...

Halifax! Congrats!