Good for experiments, but don't stick with them too long! (Superdrugs Effects Temporary Hair Colour)

Member Name: daniash

Product:	Superdrugs Effects Temporary Hair Colour
Date:	15/05/09 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Allows you to try different colours without committing

Disadvantages: I have the impression that your hair will suffer with repeated use

Like many other people, I chose this product because I was looking for a temporary hair colour that would give me time to decide which colour would look best on me, and I was after something that didn't cost too much, that would wash out quickly, and that wouldn't ruin my hair.
The cost is the big seller of this product - 99p in my local store. Of course, with this price, can you possibly be expecting the Moon? No, but what you get is more or less what you asked for - a colour that helps you experiment, but with no promises whatsoever of working well or for a long time.
It is really hard to review this because there is a big range of different colours, and despite only trying 3 of them I can see differences.
First of all, the experience.
The plastic tub is really cheap looking, but is really small and inconspicuous and that I suppose is a plus. When you get home you get under the shower and you read the instructions, you're supposed to leave it on for how long? The instructions are really rushed. If you follow them to the letter you will most likely end up with insufficient colouring. You need to leave it on for longer than stated. But then there could be problems with your hair health at stake! The product inside is quite runny and watery. It will drip off your hair and everywhere. If you're in the shower you must take extra care to not end with drops of colour on your wall, and the insides of the shower will need cleaning. If you're careful, you can minimise this.
Often times, to reach a maximum level of colouring on your hair, you need to keep applying it for 2 or 3 showers in the space of a few days. So if after your first application your hair doesn't look much different from before, insist the next time and eventually you'll see results. If you stop using it, in a few showers you'll be back to your original colour.
Hair health issues: while I didn't have any problems with the reddish tints in the range (although they didn't last very long), I did feel really uncomfortable with one of the ebony darker ones. I felt my hair become coarse, dry and harder to brush, especially at the top of my head where the product lingers for longer during use without running off. This is the main reason why I stopped using it. Thankfully this issue was reversible. After I stopped, my hair got back to its usual shine and smoothness. I'm still glad I had a chance to look at myself with darker hair without committing, but I was feeling like I was mistreating my hair.
While it's good that people can perform many colour experiments in a short period of time, my opinion is that anyone who sticks with these products regularly is just nuts, as I find it hard to believe that anything so cheap wouldn't also be harmful in the long run.

Summary: Depends on which colour you pick, but the quality is suspicious. However it's good for experimenting