Saturday 7 July 2012

My 50p hairdo

This is the downside of colouring your hair. For whatever reason you are doing it, whether to cover up the grey or just to ring the changes with a new image every so often, you're going to get the dreaded roots growing through. Wouldn't it be brill if you could get your hair to how you like it, and apply a spray which would stop the growing process untill you are ready to start it again. If someone ever invents such a thing, 50% of hairdressers would go out of business.

I have been colouring my hair for as long as I can remember. When I was young I sometimes changed my hair colour as often as I changed my knickers, (pants came later) ha ha. I always bought the lotion from a shop and did it myself. Only once did I treat myself to a colour in a hairdressing salon, and that was in 2008 before I went into hospital. I wanted to give myself a bit of a lift, to feel good about myself even though I knew I was going to feel not so good when I came out of the operating theatre. I sat in the hairdressers for nearly three hours for the full works, cut, colour, blow dry, and I must say, I didn't feel good at all when I came out. My pamper session was a long and boring chore. My appearance was nothing special either, and certainly didn't justify the cost of it.

How women can sit around in salons week in week out, I'll never know. I find nothing pleasureable about someone fiddling with my head, while trying to divert my eyes away from the mirror knowing that my face is under scrutiny from everyone in the place. I just want in and out, thank you very much. Well now I don't have to go through that torture any more, yipeeeeee. As you know I posted about my first attempt at cutting my hair. I did the whole caboodle, top, fringe, sides, and back, and I was quite pleased with the result. So this is going to be the way for me from now on.

Now it's time to get rid of those dark roots again. I normally spend around £3 to £4 on a colour, buying it from the discount stores, and usually go for well know names. Anyway, the purpose of this post is to illustrate just how cheap you can go with your hair care regime, it needn't cost a fortune.

First of all I trimmed my barnet all over, again with two mirrors, back and front. Cost, nothing. My box of Extra Light Natural Blonde colour for £1, is from erm....Poundland. It is a make I am not familiar with but I will give it a go. I've checked their web site and it looks legitimate. So, how to get the cost down even further? This is not my idea, I read it somewhere. First find a plastic pot, an old houmous tub will do, plus a paintbrush. You could use a small piece of sponge or even your fingers to apply the mix if you haven't got a paint brush.
    
Mark the halfway point of the developer in the applicator bottle and pour it into the tub. Then squeeze out half the colour from the tube.

Mix both together, and apply to the bonce. I started at the roots on the top, working my way down the sides, then to the back. I used my left hand to rub it in as I applied it.

Then wait. There was just about enough to cover most of my shortish hair.

Forty minutes later I washed it off, and used the whole of the conditioner in the sachet. I have some other conditioner for the next time. And there you have it. It wasn't quite as blonde as I'd have expected, but that could be because of either the cheapness of the product, or because I only used half of it. But the roots are blended in quite nicely.


I think the experiment was successful. I can't see any reason why using the second half of the product should not give the same results. Cost of new hairdo? 50p, whooopeee, plus the cost of boiling a pan and a kettle of water. I wash my hair in the kitchen, not in the bathroom, only flick the hot water switch if I am having a bath. Have a nice Saturday. Toodle pip.

24 comments:

  1. This is almost exactly what I do, it suddenly hit me a couple of months ago that folks with much longer hair than me used this sized packet so why not just use half. It works a treat as we both now know.

    That's a lovely colour too Ilona.

    Sue xx

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  2. Excellent idea but I'm too lazy to colour my hair. If I were to cut it very short I might just go some totally outrageous colour.

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  3. Your hair looks nice!

    I've done the same thing going halfsies, except I save half the special conditioner as well.

    The one thing no one should try is saving the MIXED ingredients. That stuff is dangerous.

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  4. I do not colour my hair, I like the blonde/black/brown/grey/silver mix...it's my own unique colour!
    I am REALLY tempted to cut my own hair...though by cut I mean shave it all over to about one inch. If it's a disaster...it'll grow back. I object to paying $22 every four weeks for someone else to cut it. (That's the cheapeset I can find).
    Jane x

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  5. colour looks great! I have AT LEAST an inch and a half of grey showing...but am too chicken to do it myself...

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  6. well done, it looks great and for 50p too! I've been trimming my own hair for the last four years, the hairdresser used to charge me £11.50 and only took the ends off and that was just a wet trim as well, didn't even get it washed!
    I highlighted my hair myself last year, didn't look too bad, pics here if you want a laugh!
    http://www.sykesssillysite.co.uk/before_and_after.htm , think it cost about £5 for the kit.

    Josie x

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  7. Thank you for your lovely blog.Keep taking the pictures and the videos, Ilove to watch them.
    Alison Rhodes

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  8. It does look good, and a bargain too!

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  9. I'm glad you decided to carry on doing it yourself. It looked very nice when you did your cut. The colour looks perfectly good too - why pay more? I always get my colour from £shops. I look out for branded dyes there, but have also used generic/unheard of brands and they have been ok (polycolor is good and cheap from HB's though they don't put a conditioner in). I haven't been to the HD's in years as I used to get into a right state over it, not an enjoyable experience at all. I used to have foil highlights and be in there for hours, such a waste of precious time. I know not everyone thinks like that though, thankfully we are all different.

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  10. Looks great Ilona...it's given a lovely highlighted effect :-)
    That would've cost you a fortune at the hairdressers!
    I too got bored with roots but my solution was to buy some clippers and go for the natural greying cropped look.

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  11. Looks a lovely colour :-) I also cut my own hair as it is thick and curly, I hate paying as last time it was £80 to colour, cut and blow dry it- never again! Although it looked good it lasted all of two days before I had to sort it out. Style was OK for someone else blow drying it but was hard work for me- they had cut across curls so made it difficult to keep in one place without applying lots of product. Luckily my hair grows quickly and I just trim and colour myself- everyone comments how nice it is- job done. I usually buy two for one offers on hair dye and keep one for root touch up, I just mix equal amounts and touch up as an when needed.

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  12. yes, I only use half the product and just do my roots. I just need to work out how to cut it, as it is very wavy.

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  13. Well done Blondie. It looks a very natural colour. I buy cheap highlights kits and my daughter or husband do it for me. I hate going to the hairdressers and and only go for a trim. I'm too chicken to try myself at cutting. I am the only person the hairdresser says, that doesn't enjoy a head massage. She doesnt do it to me anymore.

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  14. I'd say thata was 100% successful. Tones in quite nicely and does the job.
    I must have a quick look in my £1 shop next time I'm down there, see if they do it.
    Briony
    x

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  15. Wow!!! It looks great!!! I had not colored my hair for about 18 months. I wanted to see how much gray I had and I wanted to be "natural". I had been coloring my hair for 30+ years so I wasn't sure what color it actually was :) I was almost done with my transition to gray (or should I say salt and pepper) when I got the bright idea to bleach the last 2" on the ends to get the rest of the old oxidized color out. WRONG thing to do!!! I messed it up so completely that I HAD to go to the hairdresser's and have her fix it. I ended up getting a double process done...highlights and lowlights....to make it look decent. I won't tell you how much that cost!!! So now I'm back on the merry-go-round for coloring :(

    I love this shade much better on you than the other blond. This is much softer looking and not quite as harsh. Nice job :) I may think about doing my own hair from now on....again. I hesitate because I'm allergic to the dye and my hairdresser uses a soy-based color so I'm not allergic or itchy.

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  16. I am working on my new hairstyle right now. I just need to find some cheap shoe polish to colour in the bald spot at the back and I'm done. Can you get shoe polish in grey? Hey, I have some grey paint somewhere in the shed. Sorted. I am going to look so good for my party.

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  17. Great result! I've only use half a pack to colour all over. I have short hair and only colour after a cut = less hair to colour!

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  18. I, also, despise sitting around to have my hair washed, cut, and styled. I cannot stand all the smells of the products in the salon. I go in with freshly washed and dried hair and get a trim once a month for $20. I just know I cannot cut my hair. I need to find a hairdresser who needs sewing or baking done and trade!

    My friend uses his bottle of color for four colorings, so 4 months for $3.14. There was a shop that sold to hairdressers and the public. I bought color and the mixture for putting the color in. I had a separate bottle with a tiny tip that I put half of each into and colored my hair.

    I have long hair, touches my shoulders and two inches more. I only use half of the bottle because I try to do roots only. However, I notice I still use only half the color mixture and throw out the rest. I had already decided I would use only half of each little bottle, but I forgot this last time. It is $8 for the kind I use. Twice a month, I have to color since I am totally gray! I tried the $3.14 stuff, cheapest around, and it fried my hair.

    My daughter colors her hair with a brush, using half the product and on roots only. She has hair half way down her back and still uses only half the bottle--on roots only.

    You did a good job. It looks great.

    If I could handle looking at myself as a blonde, I would use a blond on my hair and it would not show roots as quickly....well, my theory, anyway.

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  19. What a bargain hair colour, amazing! I've never thought of just using half the contents, but will try that in the future. I've been colouring my own hair for a while and toying with the idea of going grey. But unfortunately I have shoulder problems at the moment so can't raise my arm high enough. Got hubby to do the last one but he didn't like the fumes so went to the hairdresser - $55AUD later, which did include a light trim all over. I'd much rather colour myself and just pay for the haircut but may have to settle for getting it done while having those darn shoulder problems!

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  20. Hi Ilona,

    Fantastic job on your hair! I too only use half the product (& I have long hair) - it doesn't need the whole thing each time. Since my greys are coming thicker & faster (I'm 48) I need to do this about every 5 weeks now. I never enjoyed going to the hairdresser as I hate the chitchat about nothing - also didn't like the prices! I found that dying my hair one colour one month and another the next makes it two toned - even my hairdresser that I go to for cuts (she works from home NZ$20 per time - cheap!) says its good!

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  21. Your colour looks great. I went back to brunette recently uaing a shop brought colour.After years of going to the salon. I had more compliments about the shop brought brunette colour than the salon and Im £45.00 better. Which goes to doing up the nursery for little bump.and paying off debts.

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  22. I have highlights in my dark brown hair but my roots need touched up every 5 weeks. I certainly could do this with store bought color and only use 1/2 the mix and save myself $60+!!!

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  23. Great idea. I agree about hairdressers salons they are places I avoid.

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  24. My daughter does my highlights for me, which sufficiently disguises my grey for now. I get 5 lots out of pack which sells for £4.99 but I usually buy it when I find it on offer. This one suits my hair so I shall stick to that brand but I shall keep an eye in the £1 shop - just in case...

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