Time to DIY dye: Review of Richenna Bubble Color in Red Wine

I am bored of my hair. There, I said it: I am bored of my hair. I don't know if I should stay with this pixie cut or whether I should grow it out. Everyone tells me I look better with short hair though, so I guess having long hair again, at least for now, is not an option. The challenge lies in updating my hairstyle without being limited by its length, by exploring other ways I can change it up without making any drastic changes like shaving half my head or having a fauxhawk.

The easiest solution: hair color!

The last time I had my hair colored was in September of last year, and I've grown it out since then. I wanted so badly to color my jet-black hair but I don't want to cough out more than a thousand bucks for it, so I figured I should try the DIY route.

There's only one problem: I've never done it before.

Still, there's a first time for everything. Last Thursday, as I was in Watsons, the many different brands of hair dyes caught my eye and, well, you know the rest. I got a box of Richenna Bubble Color in Red Wine for only P309 (on sale from the original price of P349.50). The packaging is so kawaii I had no qualms getting it! From what I understand, it is a Korean brand. The box says it doesn't have ammonia, that's a good thing! For that price, you get everything here:

Bubble color, developer, pump bottle, plastic cape, one pair of gloves, a sachet of conditioner, and an instruction booklet
Not bad, right?

I started with this hair color:

I have really dark hair so I didn't have high expectations. My only wish is for my hair to turn just a wee bit lighter.

I read the instruction booklet about three times. Good thing it's written in English!

I wore the cape and gloves and got to work. First, you have to pour both the dye and the developer in the pump bottle, then invert it around five times after making sure the cap is secure. Do not shake vigorously because the mixture might not turn into foam!

The mixture will turn a little warm and come out as foam when you pump it out.

Apply on dry hair but be careful because you don't want it dripping on your skin and clothes!

The booklet says wait for 30 minutes, but I took my chances and waited for an hour before I rinsed it out heh.

I was a little scared before I rinsed it out because I was worried that the formula is not really right for me and I would end up with big clumps of my hair on the bathroom floor, but thankfully that didn't happen. I was still terrified a bit though because the water turned dark red and then dark purple when I stepped under the shower-head ha ha.

Here are the after photos!

Did you like it? I do! As I said earlier, I wasn't really expecting that much because of the price. I am pleased to say I got what I paid for, and a wee bit more. Here's my quick pros and cons list about Richenna Bubble Color.

What I liked:
- Accessible. Available at the many Watsons branches nationwide!
- Variety. There are a lot of other colors available. I think I'd like to try Pink Brown next.
- Affordable. At P349.50 a pop, it wouldn't be that difficult to try a new hair color every couple of months *wink*
- Easy to use. Everything you would need to color your hair is included in the box. No need to buy other stuff separately!

What I didn't like:
- The smell. But then again, it smells exactly like what they use in salons so I'm not sure if it should belong in this list.
- Although the conditioner helped, it wasn't enough to make my hair as smooth as before I dyed it. Still, there's nothing that a deep hair conditioning mask couldn't overcome ;)
- I wasn't able to apply to all areas equally, so I might need someone else's help next time. I liked that it gave my dye job more "character" though, if there is ever such a thing. LOL.

So there you have it, folks. My first ever DIY dye job. It involves some serious work in the forms of arm exercise and lots of waiting, but I think I did okay. I'm excited for my next hair experiment!