Feeling Blue: I Dyed My Hair in Quarantine

When one goes through a global pandemic, what are the initial stages of social isolation? I’ve found them to develop as follows. First, we experienced disbelief that our social lives are basically nonexistent now. Next came the endless hours spent binge-watching YouTube, Netflix and Hulu. Pretty soon after, we decided to get crafty and put those Pinterest ideas to use. Finally, at what may be our most desperate time comes my personal favorite... the makeover stage.

Roots are growing out, split ends are popping up left and right, and eyebrows are starting to look a little wild. People have begun taking makeovers into their own hands by experimenting with at-home treatments such as DIY cornstarch acrylic nails and eyebrow tinting. And I’m no exception.

While I’m a big advocate for a classic au natural look, I was starting to look unrecognizable. I didn’t quite feel like myself, and was in dire need of a pick-me-up. According to Nielsen Global Research Firm, hair color sales have increased by 23 percent and haircutting tool sales have increased by over 160 percent. I have proudly contributed to these increased percentages because I made the spontaneous decision to dye my hair myself.

I headed over to my local drugstore and picked up the L'Oréal Colorista Semi-Permanent hair dye in “Aquamarine.” It’s only $10.99! I chose this color since it was bright and would work with my blue eyes. I really had no idea how this would develop on my root-y blonde hair but figured it was worth a shot. That’s the one good thing about quarantine—it’s the perfect time for experimentation. You’re not going to see anyone, so you might as well try out that beauty trend you always wanted to!

The L'Oréal Colorista collection comes in a variety of shades and has different formulas for brunettes and blondes. My hair has been bleached for years so the blonde formula works better for me. If you have darker hair, the dye will tint your hair that color but on a darker level. So if you’re looking for pastel pink or blue, bleaching will have to be your first step (be super careful if you wish to do that step).

The box comes with gloves, a brush and the dye mixture. Be sure to get a mixing bowl and definitely wear an old T-shirt you don’t care about... This sh*t stains! Now, let’s get into it!

I applied the dye to damp, washed hair. I fully saturated my hair with this stuff and used the whole bottle. Keep in mind that my hair is a pretty long length, so if you have shorter hair, you definitely won’t need to use as much.

Then, I tied my hair up and put a shower cap on to ensure my dye wouldn’t drip and get all over the place. After about 30-40 minutes I washed the dye out. Here are the results!

My overall review of L’Oréal’s Colorista Semi-Permanent hair dye? I’m gonna give it a 4.5/5!

The dye was a beautiful color and luckily didn’t damage my hair at all. As an added bonus, it’s faded nicely within the past few weeks.

However, this dye does take a while to wash out. I have subtle light highlights in my hair and the pigment has clung to it pretty well. So if you have lighter hair and really don’t want this color for a couple weeks, I recommend using L’Oréal’s coloring spray instead to avoid staining. Other than that, I have no other complaints!

Dying your hair or changing your appearance in an odd time such as quarantine can be very therapeutic. It’s nice to have control over something such as your appearance in a time of such uncertainty. Remember, proceed with caution if you’re dying your hair or trying new products. Conduct an allergy test before to make sure you won't have a reaction. Be safe and have fun experimenting with beauty trends!