Curly Kirsty Curses Chemicals (L'Oréal Couleur Experte)

Member Name: kirstymack80

Product:	L'Oréal Couleur Experte
Date:	09/07/05 (3441 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Dyes your hair a fetching colour

Disadvantages: Highlights? What highlights?

Well seeing as though each time I try a new hair dye, it mysteriously disappears from shop shelves forever, I am constantly searching for new ideas to keep my red hair … red! And once I saw this particular product in the shops and on the tv, well it was too much for this gal (yes there is such a thing as the advertiser’s dream – and here I am!). KM had to have it! As my hair has now been cut and is looking half way decent for a change, I decided to dye it last weekend.

Firstly I’m going to warn you now. This is pretty dang time consuming. It took me nearly 2 hours and that’s without drying it. So be prepared to set aside a goodly part of your day/evening. Will I have the patience to go through all the stages? Read on, my friend.

* The Subject *

Take one Mack (that’s me). She’s got curly shoulder length hair and has been dyeing it .. err (coughs nervously) for quite a while now. It’s naturally really dark brown but in the current state it’s copper red. She’s going for the same colour again, just trying a different brand. Let’s not be too adventurous here! ;-)

* The box *

It’s a kind of metallic red with a picture of a gorgeous girly with perfect, straight hair and beautifully added highlights. There’s 3 different types of colours to choose from – blondes, browns and reds. I chose number 6.46 which is Morello Cherry (copper red).

Anyway my gal is looking coyly over her milky pale shoulder and her hair is very, very lovely, shiny and straight. My hair is very, very curly and will look nothing like this! But that’s OK.

* What’s in the box, KirstyMack? *

A plastic carton containing 2 sets of goodies. Step one contains 3 items – a fetching pair of ‘quality’ gloves (that’s disputable), the applicator bottle of developing crème and the tube of crème gel colourant.

Step two contains slightly more. The developing crème, lightening powder, another pair of absolutely beautiful rubber gloves, the mascara wand type brush, an after crème conditioner and a spatula.

* What do I do? *

Firstly grab an old towel and secure it about your person. Put on the first set of rubber gloves and get set for step one. This involves just a normal hair dye procedure which I won’t go too much into because if you’re anything like me, you’re an expert(e) anyway! Just put the tube of crème gel colourant into the applicator bottle and give it a shake so it all mixes together. Once that’s done, you break off the tip off the applicator bottle and you apply it all over your dry, unwashed hair.

At this point I’ll say that if you’re changing the colour dramatically, or it’s your first time dyeing your hair, you leave the colour on for 25 mins. If it’s a touch up then you apply it to the roots for 20 mins and then finish off the ends for the last 5 minutes.

Then you can sit and relax for the allotted time while the dye takes effect. Ho Hum *taps fingers impatiently*.

Wash off and see the lovely colour swirling down the plug hole, making your bath turn the most fetching shade of sludge brown.

* Step 2 *

Well if you think this review’s long, then you will have NO patience when it comes to this particular hair colour! Step 2 is the DIY highlights bit.

Put those rubber gloves back on (they feel most disturbing let me tell you, kind of like they’re not meant to fit you properly!). Get the other goodies out of their plastic container.

* Mixing *

The tray that the products are in doubles as the mixing tray. In the middle section it is clearly marked ‘mix 3 and 4’. All the products in the trays have numbers so really, unless you are incredibly DOH then this part is easy. In this tray you mix the bottle of developing crème (number 3) and the lightening powder (number 4). The spatula is needed for the stirring. Now at this point I was a bit worried. The smell was pretty overpowering and there seemed to be a heck of a lot more of the powder than the crème. Thus it looked a bit like wallpaper paste. The powder just wasn’t mixing in and had lumps in.

So.

I had to put this in my hair! An assistant was called in <looks around hopefully>. Ahh, helpful Mother! Of course I knew I couldn’t do this on my own. The ‘highlighting precision wand’ (to give it the full name) was nothing more than a bigger version of a mascara brush. It was pure white. But not for long. Soon it was raking out bits of my hair and looking rather nasty, it has to be said. Mother was laughing evilly as she put it in my hair, saying that the hair was clumping together with the powdery mixture. I started to get worried. Was Momzie dearest going to get her revenge after years of Mack’s practical jokes?!

As I have curly hair the instructions do say that it’s less important to be precise about where you put the highlights. I kept thinking that if it goes wrong, at least hopefully it won’t show too much! In the little booklet that's provided they give you pointers about how to apply the lightening paste and have ‘expert tips’ throughout.

Obviously once it’s applied, be careful your fringe or any longish hair anywhere near your eyes is clipped back. This stuff is VERY painful if you get it anywhere near your eyes, just the smell is enough to make them water! Ahem, yes I know from first hand experience.

This part is slightly quicker – once you’ve finished the last of the mascara, I mean, highlights application, you only leave it on for 15 mins. Tick tock.

Then it takes about 10 mins to wash it out. Yawn, this was getting a bit boring.

* My thoughts *

Well my hair doesn’t look the same wet as it does dry. So this caused a bit of a problem that I’m sure straight haired people don’t find! It made it rather hard to apply the highlights as I couldn’t really tell what they’d look like when the hair had sprung up to its corkscrew curls! It was a bit of a guessing game. Anyhoo, who cares really? Variety is the spice of life and all that. Mother just dotted them about, and I seemed to let her (?!)

* What did it look like after – were you KirstyMackCopperHair? *

Well once you’re applying the second stage, you can kinda tell what colour your hair is. I wanted red hair .. and I got it. As predicted it didn’t look anything like the Babe on the Box but then I don’t have blue eyes and peachy skin so I’m not too upset about that. I WISH my hair looked like the stunner on the box but it doesn’t. My question is, what happened to the highlights?

They weren’t there.

My hair was red. But all one colour. So – the second step was a complete waste of time.

* Price *

I went to 3 different shops to purchase my particular colour. This is expensive at £9.99 a box and is available in Boots (sometimes on special offer) and Superdrug. Savers had it slightly cheaper at £9.69 but they didn’t have the colour I wanted, or, indeed, any reds at all!

* Ease of use *

The directions are easy to understand but the application is not really as simple as 1, 2, 3 as you’re led to believe on the box. Quite frankly I don’t think you could do this by yourself. Not if you wanted all over highlights because doing the back and underneath of your hair without being able to see what you’re doing is nigh impossible. A handy passer by is needed.

* Length of op *

Sorry for the extreme length but we have to be thorough about these things. And you want a final opinion. Well it’s going to be a low rating because the price and the big highlight letdown is going to be leaving some stars behind. I think 3 is a good ‘sit on the fence’ type verdict. The rest of the ratings will be average.

* Recommended *

I’ll give it a reluctant yes. Because I got red hair at the end of the day which is what it said on the box. However, if I get this again I won’t even bother with the highlights. I could have got a normal box of dye and paid a heck of a lot less but this promised highlights which just don’t show up on my hair, even though I followed the instructions perfectly. The Mack was disappointed – big time – with this. Was that a little tear in her eye? Heck – NO! That was just me getting some of that nasty chemicals near them! ;-)

* Warnings *

Be careful to stick to times rigidly. Do not exceed the time for the highlighter especially.

Always throw used products away, never save any unused mixture.

Avoid contact with the eyes.

Keep out of reach of the kiddies.

Actually there are quite a lot of warnings. Almost enough to put you off using it!

* For questions and advice *

UK 0845 399 1939

Eire 1850 399 399/RSA 086 010 2491

Freepost WD649, London W6 8BR

www.lorealparis.com

My mother is most disappointed her hard work went to waste! ;-) I have had a few comments from leering men passing by … hmmm maybe it’s time to get a hat?!

Thanks for reading

Summary: Dyed my hair but the highlights weren't noticeable. Bah!