Hair colour is an identity, and some of us have been living as human-sized mood rings for a few years now. While going bold and bright is a fun way to express ourselves, our tresses often morph from mermaid perfection to 50 shades of bleaugh after a couple of weeks. What you gain in adventure, you lose in lustre, texture, and general hair health. Yeah, not so fun.
We've all been through a similar disappointing journey, but our colleague Wan Kee recently found a way to salvage her hair colour and prevent it from getting even brassier.
Intrigued by how she got here? Keep reading to find out more about her frustrating hair journey and which shampoo she used to restore her hair's shine and vibrance.
Experimenting with a new hair colour pre-CB
Wan Kee's hair colour before CB (left) and during CB (right)
"Earlier this year, I dyed my hair navy blue using a box dye. As I had bleached my hair last year, the bleached base gave the blue a nice ashy effect and I really liked it," Wan Kee shared. However, she soon struggled to manage her fast-fading hue and bleach-related damage. After a few weeks, her hair colour started to turn brassy with unsightly yellow tones.
"About three weeks in, my hair colour started to fade," she said. "During the Circuit Breaker period, my hair started to turn brassy with unsightly yellow tones. Since my natural hair colour is jet black, the roots stood out starkly and I really hated it."
Wan Kee's hair colour after a touch-up at the salon (left), her hair colour 1.5 months after (right)
When salons could officially offer their full suite of hair services in Phase 1, Wan Kee rushed to get her touch-up, but her brown hair didn't stay fresh for long. "The new colour lasted for a few weeks before the bleached base started showing again. I started to feel really frustrated and maintaining my hair colour felt like a chore. It was tiring," she expressed.
Brassiness refers to the unwanted warm tones that show up in coloured hair. It typically happens in dark Asian hair that's bleached, but it can also occur in hair that's been highlighted or lightened to brown. As Asians, our hair has the highest levels of red pigments and melanin, which is why it affects the way dyes adhere to it and turns hair colour brassy, dull, and unhealthy more quickly.
Purple shampoo: a simple trick to make your hair colour last longer
As weeks went by, Wan Kee's hair had begun to feel drier and more straw-like. To prevent further damage and cut down on her spending, she decided to give her tresses a much-needed break from colouring treatments.
In a bid to tone down the brassiness without breaking the bank, she started to look for alternative solutions. This was when she remembered what her hairstylist recommended back at the salon: A purple shampoo.
Purple shampoo is colour theory at its simplest. Since purple sits across yellow in the color wheel (above), the purple pigments neutralise warm yellow and orange tones to make coloured hair look brighter and healthier, like you've just stepped out from the salon. Think of it as your at-home version of a salon-grade toner. Whether you've gone platinum, blonde, pink, or you just want to brighten up your brown hair, purple shampoo can offset brassiness and protect your shade with every shower.
However, these colour-correcting shampoos that are typically found in salons and boutiques can be quite pricey. On the hunt for an effective purple shampoo, Wan Kee found L'Oreal's Everpure Purple Shampoo – the first purple shampoo to be available at drugstores. It's an affordable, sulfate-free shampoo that's extra gentle on bleached, damaged hair – just what she was looking for. For a one-two punch, she picked up the Everpure Purple Conditioner to nourish and moisturise her dry strands too.
L'Oreal Everpure Purple Shampoo & Conditioner: first impressions
Image credit: @charlottelum2
"Upon opening the cap, I immediately noticed a refreshing, floral fragrance! When I dispensed some shampoo in my palm, I was a little intimidated by the pigmented purple shade. But after working it into my hair, leaving it on for three minutes and rinsing it off, I was relieved to see that it didn't stain my skin or my bathroom floor," Wan Kee shared.
"My hair and scalp felt clean after using the EverPure Purple Shampoo. I like that it foams up easily but doesn't strip my hair of moisture, which is surprising because it doesn't contain any sulfates," she noted.
As for the EverPure Purple Conditioner, Wan Kee said, "I used quite a generous amount as my hair is long and thick. I tried to squeeze out as much excess water as I could before applying the conditioner to the lower half of my hair to lock in the purple pigments better."
"After five minutes, I washed the EverPure Purple Conditioner off. When it dried, my hair colour looked more cool-toned and less brassy. My hair felt really soft and smooth – something I hadn't experienced in a while," she added. "Colour-depositing treatments usually leave unsightly stains on my bathroom walls and floor, but this purple duo didn't!"
Results after 1 week
After a week with the EverPure Purple Shampoo and Conditioner, Wan Kee saw a difference in her hair colour and health. "I only used it three times, but my hair colour looks more cool-toned now and it doesn't feel as coarse as it used to. The shampoo was really gentle on my sensitive scalp as well," she said.
That wasn't all she noticed. She added, "My hair looks cleaner and my scalp doesn't get greasy as easily – a surprising bonus! Since the formulas are sulfate-free, they helped retain my hair's moisture even after shampooing. My hair definitely feels lighter, bouncier, and healthier."
Made in the USA, these salon-quality formulas have definitely proven to be effective for Wan Kee. The shampoo and conditioner are free of parabens and harsh salts too, which is why they're extra gentle on her delicate scalp. Here's a quick summary of Wan Kee's experience with the products:
OVERALL SATISFACTION
Hair colour is closer to the intended shade: 4/5
Hair feels smoother: 5/5
Hair feels softer: 5/5
Hair feels lighter: 4/5
Scalp is less greasy: 5/5
Overall rating: 4.6/5
Purple shampoo works for all hair colours
During those seven days, Wan Kee was not the only person to try the shampoo and conditioner. "My sister had just dyed her hair brown, so she wanted to preserve her hair colour right away. The Everpure Purple Shampoo and Conditioner kept her brown shade looking rich and vibrant. It's great because these products work for practically anyone with coloured hair, " Wan Kee shared.
With a purple shampoo, you should use it only two or three times a week in place of your regular shampoo. When you eliminate too much yellow, your hair will end up looking darker than it used to.
In between your purple shampoo and conditioner days, you should also have a suitable haircare routine that's based on your hair type and needs. Choose a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner from L'Oreal's Ever lineup. Purple shampoo corrects brassiness with purple pigments, while a sulfate-free shampoo is non-stripping and will protect your hair colour from fading.
These shampoos from L'Oreal's Ever range are gentle enough for daily use and will help strengthen your hair cuticles, so your hair colour stays vivid for longer.
Here are seven variants to choose from:
- EverPure Moisture Shampoo: Deeply hydrates dry hair and protects coloured hair
- EverPure Repair & Defend Shampoo: Deeply repairs and restores damaged hair
- EverPure Volume Shampoo: Volumises fine and flat hair for a fuller look
- EverStrong Thickening Shampoo: Reduces hair fall for weak and thinning hair
- EverSleek Keratin Caring Shampoo: Hydrates and tames dry and frizzy hair
- EverCreme Deep Nourish Shampoo: Intensively nourishes dry and unruly hair
- EverCurl Hydracharge Shampoo: Naturally defines and enhances waves and curls without weighing them down
L'Oreal Paris EverPure Purple Shampoo and Conditioner retail for S$15.90 each. L'Oreal haircare products are available in Guardian, Watsons, Fairprice, and online at Shopee and Lazada.
From 10 Sep to 7 Oct 2020, mix and match any 3 products from the L'Oreal Paris Ever collection for the price of 2 at all Watsons stores and via Watsons Online.
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