Blondes have more fun :p (Jerome Russell Bblonde Permanent Hair Lightener)

Member Name: Wild_Child

Product:	Jerome Russell Bblonde Permanent Hair Lightener
Date:	25/11/07 (2049 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good lift, choice of bleach volumes

Disadvantages: 40% vol very strong

I change my hair color ALOT, which usually involes using bleach, either to get blonde hair, or a base for bright colors.
Previously, I just used the cheapest bleach around, but then I found Jerome Russell.
JR bBlonde bleach comes in two strenghts, for light-medium hair & medium-dark. You can use the bleach on very dark hair,but I'll get to that later. If you have quite light brown hair, then don't get the higher volume bleach, 'cos it actually won't work aswell, stick with the lower volume bleach.

Packaging - BBlonde comes in a cardboard box, with the bleach volume on the back - check you have the right one first. The box has a picture on the front, and the bBlonde logo. The kit also includes a plastic cap, gloves, a mixing tray and a tiniting brush (the brush is pretty useless though, so buy a decent one seperatly)
Also comes with a shampoo sachet to use afterwards, to get all the bleach out.

Avaliability - Mostly boots and superdrugs, also some independent chemists, and occasionally wilcox and bodycare.

Price - Around £5 a box, which is pretty good considering all the stuff you get with it.

Instructions - the instructions are fairly clear and easy to follow. They reccomend doing a strand test first, to see how long you will need to process the bleach for. NEVER miss this step.
They also have a trouble-shooting section, which is very useful.

Performance -
You have to mix the powder and a liquid up in a tray, to make a paste. The powder is blue, but don't be put off - that's just there to counteract reddness, you hair will not turn out blue!
When you mix the paste, be very careful not to inhale any of the powder - keep a distance, or hold some paper towel over your face.
You apply the paste - I usually get my mum to help me with this, cover with the cap provided (although I find it easier to use clingfilm 'cos the cap is abit rubbish) and leave on for the development time.The smell is pretty strong when you're applying, but not too bad during development time. Pretty easy!
Now, I've used this bleach on jet black hair and it WILL NOT turn blonde the very first time. It will turn a mucky orangey, brassy color. Don't panic - deep condition your hair daily for about a week, then reapply the bleach. Then use a toner with 30 vol bleach ontop & you should have blonde hair.
This isn't the fault of JR, however - it would be impossible for any bleach to turn black hair blonde first time 'round.
On medium brown-light brown hair, this bleach works excellently - I used some on my little brother, and he had white-blond hair in 45 minutes!
Okay, now I'm going to do a little cautionary tale - although this bleach doesn't seem damaging to hair, it IS if you use it in excess. I had a period where I was dying my hair black, then blonde, then black & eventually it gave up and all snapped off, about 1 cm from my roots. So unless you want to be practically bald, go easy with this!
Always use a good deep conditoner after you bleach you hair, don't bleach all over more than a few times a year & if it seems to be getting dry and straw-like, then give it a break.
For more info, check jeromerussell.com although when I last looked, the bBlonde section didn't have any info on this product!

Summary: Give it a try, but be careful.