Impromptu Hair Ombre...

Afternoon my lovelies!!

Thought i'd do a hair post today as i haven't done one in a while. I had intended this post to be a Sunday Salon post but i wasn't fit for ANYTHING on Sunday so it has only just been compiled. Some of you might be aware that i recently did an ombre/dip dye job on my ends. This was intended just as a pre-lightener for an all over colour as my ends were dark compared to the rest of my hair but.... I actually quite liked it so it has stayed ombre!!

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 Okay, so its not one of those DRASTIC 'dark-to-blonde' type ombre jobbies, it's only a subtle shift, but i love that it's a bit different!! Some might say it's a bit ginger but i really like the colour of it and haven't felt the need to put another colour/tone over it at all. 

I will share with you how i did it... BUT!!!

Please note that i am a hairdresser and i understand completely how to use these products, exactly what they are likely to do to the hair and had a pretty good idea from the start of the end result i was likely to get!!! If in doubt GO TO YOUR HAIRDRESSER!!

1) My mixture was as follows... 

- One large scoop of powder lightener

- 30vol (9%) creme developer

- A slosh of water

- 2 pumps of a hydrating shampoo (I used TIGI Headshot)

(I would have used a lower strength developer but i had run out so had to dilute to the strength i wanted)

2) Section the hair away leaving just the very bottom layers and apply the mixture to the hair, concentrating at the ends and spreading it up until about halfway up the hair  length (this point will vary with different lengths of hair - mine is medium length)

3) Bring the rest of the hair down section by section and repeat the process.

4) Depending on the position of your layers you may, like me, want to leave the very top layers out. 

5) I did not leave the mixture on for a set time, i just watched it like a HAWK! I think it was around 45mins in total. Uncoloured hair will lighten a lot faster and very dark hair will probably take 2 or more applications to get the same level of lift. 

6) Rinse thoroughly, condition and style as normal.

I'd like to put it out there that i DESPISE using bleaching products on my hair and normally avoid it like the plague. It's not something that you should undertake without careful consideration because, in the wrong hands, IT WILL RUIN YOUR HAIR!! 

Here are a couple of photos of it in natural light so you can see the tonal differences a bit better...

So, all things considered, I'm very happy with my new two-tone look!! Yeah, i had to overcome my aversion to lighteners in order to do it, but i think it's pretty AWESOME!! 

Have you done a DIY ombre?? Do you have any bleaching HORROR stories?? What is your current colour crush??