


In the words of Jill Scott, I’m living my life like it’s Golden. The golden and brown highlights I added to my locks last night have me walking with a pep in my step. I love adding color to my curly hair because it adds dimension. In the past, I’ve had my hair colored at curly hair salons only to walk out of the salon with a head full of beautiful highlights, and a wallet full of change.
Earlier this year, I decided I would color my hair myself, since I have been putting color in my family’s hair since I was a teenager. I was confident that I could do this! My natural hair is deeper than the night sky, so while shopping at Target last week I decided that I would pick up a box of L’oreal Glam Lights color in the shade GL90. I took the L’oreal color and placed it onto a section of my hair, and then wrapped it in a piece of foil. My body’s natural heat along with the foil helps the color to develop faster.
Something to note before dying your hair at home is that this is a process. This process might require several tries before you achieve your optimal color. Please do not try this process several times in one day. Definitely do it over the course of several months, and please consult with a hair colorist before dying your hair several times because this could result in your hair being over processed. Dying your hair can alter your hair texture. For example, if your hair has tight coils, it might loosen and become waves. Before dying your hair you should do a patch test on a section of your hair to ensure that you are not allergic to the dye.
The key to avoiding brassiness is to tone your hair. I decided to use Wella’s toner with their 20 developer. Because my hair is so dark, I have to use a toner to tone down the orange and red hues the dye brings out. After washing and conditioning my hair, I placed my favorite gel Kinky Curly Curling Custard along with Oyin Handmade Hair Dew. I love my new color, and will probably tone it again in a few weeks!
Would you ever color your hair yourself?