DIY Hair Coloring Dark to Blonde

After recently losing a lot of weight and inches, I felt like spoiling myself with a new hair color! I wanted something nice and different without it costing me Salon prices! I really wasn’t thinking clearly otherwise I would have known going from deep red to blonde was not such a good idea with a cheap store color kit! I’ve done it in the past and it’s never worked out! But I was on such a high from the weight loss, and I wanted to knock The Husband over with a color he’d love, that I reached for that blonde hair dye kit. The results….not what I wanted! 

After an emergency call to a friend, I got all the information I needed to fix the problem and off I went to Sally’s hair care store to get the supplies and started to repair the damage. 

Supplies you will need:

• Salon Care Formula 40, $2.99 Big Bottle
• Salon care Formula 20, $2.99 Big Bottle
• Generic (purple) Conditioning Shampoo $5.49 
• Quick Blue Powder-$19.99
• Corrective Plus, Red Gold Corrective QTY 2 $1.88-small purple packets
• Color Charm T14 Toner $4.79
• Brush- $0.99
• Bowl-$1.79
• Gloves- box $5.49
•  Ion Effective (qty 2) $1.98 (conditioner)

Total cost: $48.38 with a Sally’s preferred customer membership. 

And with these materials, you will be able to do more than one hair coloring session. Which makes the monthly Root treatments average out to about $4-7 a month. You will only need to get more of the small purple packets each month and a new toner about every 2 months. But the larger container products will last multiple months before they have to be replaced. 

 

Directions:

Step 1: You will want to follow regular hair coloring procedure. make sure you are in clothes that won’t mind if you get dye on them. Put conditioner or petroleum jelly around your ears and forehead line to prevent dye/bleach from dying or causing skin irritation. Always wear your gloves when working with hair coloring products. 

Step 2: Mix Quick Blue with Formula 40 and add 1 of the purple packets. We are working on getting rid of all the red and brown tints in  your hair. Apply to your hair with the brush. For me, I started about an inch from the roots and got the rest of my hair coated with the bleach, as that is the part of my hair with the most red. Then I went back over and applied to the roots. Leave on hair a maximum of 60 minutes. 

Step 3: Rinse out with warm water until your hair is clear of the bleach. Wash with the Generic Purple Shampoo. Leave on for a few minutes before rinsing. This helps to reduce the red and copper tones in your hair. 

Step 4: If your hair was really dark or had a lot of red/copper tones in it, you will need to repeat Steps 2-3 again. As you see, after the first cycle of bleach my hair still had quite a bit of red and copper tones that needed to be eliminated. 

Step 5: After you  have done 2 cycles of the bleaching it is time to move onto the toning. Mix about half of the bottle of toner and enough formula 20 to mix well and be enough to cover all your hair. Apply over your entire hair and roots and leave on for 45-60 minutes then rinse well. 

Step 6: Again use the Generic Purple Shampoo 2-3 times, leaving each one on for approximately 3 minutes to help tone down any left over copper tones. Then use the Ion conditioner and leave on your hair for 3-5 minutes to help repair all the crazy damage we just did. 

Step 7: Dry and style  as usual. You will notice your hair is a bit more dry than usual, and for me it actually held a curl for the first time in my life! It was quite a site. 

As you see, it was quite a transition, going from my normal deep red, to the crisis after I used a cheap Box dye kit from the store, to the new and luscious Blonde color that my husband adores! I also love the new blonde color. The down side is like I mentioned my hair is a bit more dry, so you will want to ensure you have a quality conditioning shampoo and conditioner. And every few days you will want to wash your hair with the Generic Purple Shampoo to keep the reds and copper tones at bay. 

For the first few weeks, it will be a little difficult to comb through your  hair, as it takes time for your natural oils to return to moisturizing the entire strand of your hair. It will be very important that you use protective products on your hair when you blow dry or use heat styling products like a curling iron or flat iron. 
 

The benefits

1. You didn’t have to spend a lot of money on a fantastic color!
2. Your hair will now hold a curl! I put in hot curlers one morning and they were still just as tight ringlets that night. Normally my curls don’t last even 1 hour!
3. You can actually go blonde from a dark color!
4. You can color your hair in the privacy of your own home!
5. Your left over products are great for your monthly root touch up routine, thus saving you even MORE money!

If you could dye your hair any color, what color would you go? 

Did you try out our “going Blonde” tips?

How did it work for you? 

 

Disclaimer: I am not a hair stylist, nor have I attended any official training. I have frequently dyed my hair at home and in salons for the last 15 years. This is just a tutorial of what worked for me, and I make no claim that your results will be guaranteed.