Retro & Vintage in Buffalo NY
Retro & Vintage in Buffalo NY
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Orange Hair!

Posted Julie Ann Davis Hair

So I've been dying parts of my hair for years now and decided to go a little more drastic--- I had all of my hair dyed completely bright orange. Originally I thought about going blue or Cats Like Us turquoise, but I felt that those colors are a little more high maintenance. Orange is close to red hair, and even if it fades it won't get too weird. Plus orange is my favorite color!

 

 

The Process

In our years of being open I have met many talented stylists and colorists. For a project this big I decided to have my hair professionally done. For the cost and bother, it was well worth it to me. Plus it turned out fantastic!

My colorist recommended 3 different shades of orange for a multi-dimensional look. She custom mixed Pravana colors and used clear, neon orange, orange, and red to get the different tones. The process was a little more involved and took 3 hours to complete.

multidimensional orange hair color

We had to strip my natural brown, to a lighter shade that would become the bright orange. I am not used to being blonde! (Please excuse the no makeup/ bad lighting face.) Olaplex was used in with the lightening process with a treatment to reattach any broken bonds in the hair. In the end the color was very bright.

Before 

 

TIPS to Keep Your Fantasy Hair Color Happy

Here are a few tips my stylist recommended to keep my hair healthy and bright. 

  • Only wash you hair 1-2 times a week if you can. More than that will make the color fade.
  • Avoid shampoos with sulfates in them. Better quality shampoos will say right on the label that they are "sulfate free".
  • Wash your hair in cool or lukewarm water. 
  • Add color to your conditioner or just buy oVertone Brand Conditioner. I use their Extreme Orange and I love it. (Available here: http://overtone.co). It keeps my color very vibrant.
  • Bandanas and hair flowers will become your best friends because they can hide your roots until you can get them touched up! Cats Like Us has a nice selection. Wink wink. (Check out our selection here: http://catslikeus.com/collections/accessories-hair-doo-dads)

Orange hair with a bandana

Things strangers do/ say when your hair is orange.…

I forget that my hair is bright orange until someone either stares or wants to start a conversation about it. I imagine this is what it's like when you have visible tattoos. I don't mind conversing, except when people want to tell me their life story and I'm sitting by myself in a restaurant eating a taco (true story).


Everyone wants to touch your hair.

FYI--It just feels like hair, nothing special!

 

Ask, "Is your hair a wig?"

I've been asked if it's a wig. This may have to do with my hairstyle. It's a bob with bangs, a popular Halloween wig shape. I'm actually flattered if someone says that because it means my color is still bright and shiny.

Ask "Is the color from a spray can?"

This is similar to ,"Is your hair a wig?"... Yep, someone has asked me this.

Ask "Is it left over from Halloween?"

Actually no. I dyed my hair AFTER Halloween because I'm a weirdo like that. Plus I just really like orange.

 

Say "You look like that chick from the Fifth Element movie!"

Since my hair is orange I was mentally preparing myself for a barrage of "You look like that chick from the Fifth Element" (Milla Jovovich), but surprisingly I only received one of those comments.

 

Final Thoughts

I always said I wouldn't do this, but I did--Changing the colors you primarily wear to go with your hair color--I was always more of a red / orange girl, now I'm a blue / green girl.

I'm very happy with my fantasy hair color even though it's a little higher maintenance than I'm used too. I hope to keep the orange for a while.

If you are ever in the Western New York area I highly recommend Lauren Ashley at The Atomic Barbershop and Salon for color - and they are just down the street from Cats Like Us! She started out as a customer of mine, then a friend, and now my hair stylist!

 ~Julie Ann



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