Buongiorno!
It's been a while, but this time I think I'll be back for good. I've had a rough year, but at last (touch wood) I am back on track. I suffer from a chronic illness called Interstitial Cystitis and have only recently been given a diagnosis and effective medication, after a painful 6 years, which has felt like a whole lifetime to be honest.
I forgot what it was like to live a day without feeling pain...and now the days without pain outnumber the days with. I feel so happy to have my life back. I will get round to writing a post on I.C, as I feel it's important everybody should know more about it...but, for now, here is a review of L'Oreal's Brasilia (dark brown) hair colour from their Recital Preference range.
I was a blonde until the beginning of autumn, but I was lured back over to the dark side a few weeks ago. The blonde was enjoyable while it lasted, but my heart is brunette. I only wish I had been certain of this BEFORE (fml) I shelled out a small fortune on my blonde 'do.
The first dye I used over the blonde was a mid brown, however I have decided to take the plunge by going super-dark. I eventually chose L'Oreal's Brasilia (3 Dark Brown) as it was on special in Boots for £6, and I remember a friend I had when I was younger used this shade, and it always turned out lovely on her.
The box describes 3 Brasilia as "an intensely dark brown. Rich and exceptional. For all brunettes searching for radiant colour. Works well on all skin tones."
The amount of mixture you get isn't great, my hair is a shoulder length bob, but any longer would require 2 boxes in my opinion (for all of the hair to be well covered to ensure an even colour). However, the consistency was really creamy so didn't drip all over during application.
The smell of this dye was quite eggy and strong, however this was improved once the little pouch of "High Shine Elixir" (I think it's just their fancy way of saying conditioning oil) was added. The developing time for this dye was 30 minutes, but I left it on my hair an extra 10 (on purpose, brown dyes fade quicker from hair that has been lightened). I made sure to wipe my ears and around my hairline to minimise the dye from staining my skin.
Once I washed the dye off, I used a generous blob of the High Shine Conditioner which is included in the box. This was amazing, and my hair felt instantly smoother, even as I was massaging it onto my head. A quick rinse, and all that was left was to blow dry my hair, and ta-da!
The colour I was left with was a deep blue-black colour, which I personally love, but I know this will fade a lot over the next week. I will probably end up dying my hair black, even though my mother will kill me! As you can see on the photo above, my hair has been left in marvellous condition too - it hasn't looked so shiny since the last time I was a brunette!
I highly recommend L'Oreal's Brasilia to anybody wanting to achieve a glossy, vibrant darkest brunette. I will post another picture in a week or so to show you all how much the dye has washed out.
Have any of you used another colour from the Recital Preference range?
What is your favourite brunette hair dye?
Love, hugs + silky-smooth, ultra-shiny brunette ponytails!
xo
