I like to change my hair fairly frequently as I do get bored of a style or colour quite quickly; I fancied something bright and came across La Riche Directions hair dye whilst browsing the internet for inspiration.

Directions is a semi-permanent hair colour that is available in 33 shades, from flamingo pink to atlantic blue there is a vivid colour to suit everybody. What appealed to me is that the dye isn't permanent and when one colour has been washed out you can then change to another colour, no need to go through all the hassle of stripping hair colour out with bleach.

The colour only really works if you bleach your hair as light as possible beforehand. With darker hair a colour may add a slight sheen but if you're after a vivid shade then bleaching is recommended. Rather than bleaching my whole head which would be quite damaging as my natural hair colour is dark brown, I decided to just bleach the ends and some of my fringe.

After getting the bleached parts to a yellowish white blonde it was time to get colouring! The hair dye comes in little plastic 88ml pots with a screw lid, once opened they can last for up to 12 months which is great as usually hair dye has to all be used in one go. The comtainer has instructions on the label which are really easy to follow and included on the lid is a paper set of the instructions in various languages.

For my first go with the dye I chose the Flamingo pink colour. It's vital that when you apply the dye you wear gloves as it does stain skin and also bathroom tiles and other surfaces unfortunately! Before putting the dye on you should wash your hair with a PH balanced shampoo and then towel dry. Next you simply apply the dye evenly with a tint brush, though I found it easier to just use my fingertips. Leave it for approximately 15 minutes before rinsing thoroughly and drying. It's worth noting that you should probably put vaseline along your hairline, ears and neck. I made the mistake of not doing so and ended up with bright pink ears which I can assure you is not a good look.

After rinsing and drying I was very pleased with the result, the pink was a lovely bright shade and contasted nicely with the rest of my dark brown hair. After being out in the rain my hair did run and fade a bit so maybe I should invest in an umbrella! Directions is a fab dye that left my hair feeling lovely and soft with a nice shine, I purchased my pots on ebay for £3.99 each, though the dye is available online and in quirky little shops for a range of prices so it's worth shopping around.

The dye has various staying power, some colours seem to last fairly longer than others. I will definately be using this brand again, I love the range of colours and the fact that they don't test on animals. Would definately recommend La Riche to anyone wanting bright, unique hair.