PURPLE! (& pink)

It’s almost been two years since I first attempted DIY funky hair colors.

The first attempt didn’t go so well, even in the light of day.

The second attempt was kinda worse.

Then I threw in the towel and had my stylist fix it all. I watched and learned, and I was then able to maintain it at home for another 18ish months. The last of the pink was fading when my kiddos were born. Shortly after their birth, I went in for a back-to-natural color job and gave up on anything needing maintenance while we adjusted to life with triplets.

Now that we’re 14 months in, life is routine, and I’m confident in my ability to shower on a regular basis. I decided this week it’s time to shake up the mundane on top of my head and bring back the color.

This time, I went with purple. We were getting ready to start last night when I found the jar of pink dye leftover and decided to shake it up even more with adding pink to the tips.

Go big, or go home, AMIRITE?!

We started by separating four chunks of hair just beneath the top layer. I wanted the color to show, but I didn’t want to see the roots as it grows. I can’t maintain it that quickly!

Rob was my (reluctant) at-home artist. But in the name of thrifty fun, sacrifices must be made, you know? We went with a chunk on either side of my head then a larger, split-into-two section in the back. The top of my hair got pinned up, and we were off.

Step one: Cut a hole in the box.

Kinda.

Step one was getting my brownish-blonde hair prepped with a bleaching kit. I chose Clariol Born Blonde. Rob worked with gloved hands (easier than applicator brushes), we wrapped it in foil and let it sit for 20 minutes, got the mix on my roots then let it sit another 20 minutes before rinsing/washing/conditioning.

This is the hardest part.

I was able to rinse the sides myself, but I needed help with the back. For all sections, I held a plastic shopping bag against the not-to-be-colored hair that was exposed under the treated hair. That was where we went wrong way back in the day when we first attempted this mess.

Success! The dye stayed only where it was meant to be, then I jumped in the shower to do the final rinse – the easiest way to get that thick post-dye conditioner out at home.

I dried everything, then we set back to add the color (Jerome Russell’s Punky Colour line, using Violet and Red Wine). The process was the same as the bleaching step, just different goop. For the tips, Rob did the pink first, we wrapped it in foil to protect it, then he added the purple to the rest. I let the color sit for a long time – the longer, the brighter – probably close to 90 minutes.

Again, the rinsing process was the same, but I had Rob do all the rinsing/washing this time. It’s just easier that way. I held the plastic bag in place while he sprayed using the kitchen-sink sprayer (the kitchen sink is safest in our house because it’s stainless steel), then I did the final conditioning rinse in the shower.

Success! Times two!

From start to finish, the whole process took about three hours (including breaks to bathe and feed babies, and I pumped while the purple and pink sat), and it cost a whopping $15. FIFTEEN DOLLARS.

The only trial-and-error part that separated our first attempt (hot mess) from now (success!) was the genius idea that most of the wash/rinse step needs to be done while keeping the dyed hair separate from what you’re not dying. Once we figured that out, it was a breeze to do and not at all scary.

In case you’re wondering, the kiddos were pretty unimpressed. They didn’t notice it on their own and were kinda, “Yeah? So, what? I can eat my toes!” once I pointed the colors out.

Kids. Whatever. I love it, so there!