To begin, follow the same first steps outlined in the balayage section above: divide your hair into four and clip each section to separate it. The term balayage borrows its name from a French term meaning to ‘to paint’ or ‘to sweep’– because that’s exactly how the colour is applied when you use this technique. As the blonde colour is only applied to the lower part of your hair, there’s no need to worry about root re-growth – perfect for those of us in need of a low-maintenance ‘do. SECONDLY: If your hair is heat damaged, the process may not work. So if you use very hot styling products (over 230 degrees), chances are your hair is too badly damaged for the product to be effective. It’s free of ammonia, bleach and other harsh chemicals. So it doesn’t dry out your hair or make it brittle. This means that you can safely re-colour your hair immediately after de-colouring it.

And finally, decide what style of grey you’re going for. Do you want to leave the roots dark and gradually get lighter towards the tips? Or are you going for all-over silver? Knowing the look you’re going for before you begin will help you prepare more effectively. I did not leave mine the full hour namely as I know my hair and felt after 45 minutes this was adequate. If in doubt always follow the manufacturers guidelines – they are there for a reason. Once you have completed the final rinsing and finished the complete cycle of Colour B4 apply a small amount of conditioner and work it through your wet hair. Don’t leave it on, just massage it in and then rinse very well. This should at least make your hair combable and less dry. Towel dry your hair very well – sometimes it helps to use kitchen roll just to blot through the ends and soak up excess water. You are going to apply your semi permanent colour onto wet hair – I know it probably says dry but ignore that! By adding some conditioner and working it through plus leaving your hair wet you are helping to even out any porosity.

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Between our haircare experts and years of beauty knowledge, below we’ll take you through the steps you need to find out whether blondes really do have more fun…

Look for haircare ranges that are specially developed for coloured hair to protect and maintain your new look, such as the L'Oréal Elvive Colour Protect Low Shampoo.You could also opt for our Colorista Silver Shampooto brighten your blonde by banishing brassy tones. Remove applicator nozzle from Part B (Remover) and pour in entire contents of Part A (Activator). Shake for 60 seconds. If you prefer to apply ColourB4™ with a tint bowl and brush, you can do so (at this stage) by pouring the mixed contents of the applicator bottle into the bowl once mixed 2. APPLICATION If you have previously bleached or lightened your hair, ColourB4 Ultimate is unable to return your hair to its natural pigment. If you have applied a very dark or fashion colour (such as vribrant red or purple) to bleached, porous or grey hair, the cuticle may have been permanently stained. ColourB4 Ultimate cannot remove cuticle staining. Here’s my hair minus the clip to show you how its worked. You hair at this point is by NO MEANS FINISHED!!! We have a lot of work to do yet. The problem with many of these DIY methods is that they don’t work very well. They’ll remove only some of the colour and even when they get most of it out, they leave your hair looking terrible.This hair colour remover works only on permanent hair colour. It is not effective on temporary dye nor will it remove cuticle staining. One thing to note: When talking about hair colour removers, we are talking about permanent hair colour removers. Most hair colour removers work best on permanent, not semi-permanent, hair colour. For semi-permanent dye, you can either rinse it out or wait for it to fade on its own. Some people found that they could leave their hair that way after de-colouring it. The remover works evenly without leaving any blotches and uneven coloured spots. But if you are not comfortable with the final colour, you can use a dye immediately after. What we like about it:

Please note: ColourB4 Ultimate will help to remove unwanted colour and lighten the hair, however depending on the condition of your hair, and if it has previously been coloured it may not completely remove the colour. While it’s tempting to skip strand tests to save time, especially when you’re busy, strand testing is a recipe for success when dyeing naturally brown hair the perfect shade of blonde.Get your hair to its lightest possible colour before you apply the grey hair dye. You may need to bleach it more than once before it’s light enough, which is why it’s important to ensure hair is as hydrated as possible before bleaching. Activator: Aqua, Sodium Oxymethylene Sulfoxylate, Polysorbate 80, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Remover: Aqua, Citric Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, CI 42090, CI 19140 Fdc, Buffer: Aqua, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Lauryl Glucoside, Decyl Glucoside, Disodium Phosphate, Peg-12 Dimethicone, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium Chloride, CI 16255