Okay, first the stuff I used! Indigo + fine salt + henna + blue mayhem, special effects.
I got the indigo powder from e-bay. The seller is bulgarian and so is the text. XD But a really nice instruction followed. :) I didn't need that though, since I researched pretty hard before I even thought about buying it. But it was a nice detail, and also a nice insurance that the seller knows what they are selling.
... And the blue semi permanent hair dye from Special Effects. This brand is supposed to be one of the best ones out there, when it comes to colour and lasting power. :) But it's also a bit expensive!
Okay! On to what I did with this stuff! DAY 1
The first step I did was washing my hair with a deep cleansing shampoo, to clean off all cones and oils, to achieve a better colour result. :) When my hair was almost dry I went on with the next step...
Then I applied the henna, that I had mixed a few hours before and left to dye release. I like to use a foundation brush. Since I was going to end up with black hair, and wanted a strong dye result, I made the henna mix strong. I mixed henna with just demineralized water (I prefer distilled, but it's not available to me). I left the henna on for 3
hours+. (It smells like hay to me.)
I call this the next step because it's a bit extensive. To get the henna out I do a mermaid soak in my dishwashing bowl. I stand in my shower with my head upside down. I repeat a few times until the water is somewhat clear. Then I shower my hair still upside down. When I'm done with that I squeeze out all excess water with my soft cotton pants. I've learned that if I detangle my hair while still upside down, and then swing my hair back up, it's so much easier! I still don't use any products since I want the best result I can. I let my hair dry a little before I move on.
Then it's on to the actual indigo! I mix it with a bit of salt, (for better result) and some demineralized water. This time I use my hands to just put it on and rub it in! Since it's grainier than henna, it's easier this way. I mix small portions as I go since you can't freeze indigo like you can with henna. It smells kinda like stale grass. :( I also left this on for 3 hours+. With both henna, indigo and blue mayhem I covered it up with plastic.
Next I did the same as with getting the henna out. I will say, compared to henna, indigo is harder to get out and it is so much more messier. XD This picture just shows the least of it. Before I got my camera it was down the drain...
After rinsing out as much as possible I rinsed with water+apple cider vinegar to get my scalp back to a healthy ph level, and also to close down the cuticles.
Now I applied a TON of leave-in and to make my hair less grumpy! ^___^
This picture is from right after the first indigo application. As you can see it's pretty greenish and not very black, but I was expecting that since it needs time to oxidize. But a few hours later it was clear that it wouldn't become jet black from just one application... So I did another one same night!
I just redid the indigo step...
The second pic is almost right after the second indigo. You can still see the red through but it's a lot darker than the first.
Then I decided it was time for bed! I was exhausted!
In the morning it was pretty black, yay!!! It wasn't until evening that I got around to do the next step.
Now it was time for blue mayhem! It's a super strong paste so I decided to mix it with some cone free conditioner. The mix was about 50/50. I applied it with my hands, covered it up and left it on overnight. I just rinsed it out in the morning, and suddenly my hair was majestically blue black!!! To make it a bit easier for myself I think I'll just mix in the blue mayhem with the indigo next time.
The end result:
In some light it looks very blue and in other it looks super black!
And what the gloves looked like when I was done! Just remember them 'cause it will happen to your hands if not! Skin is not as dye resistant as gloves, if you don't know.
I did not use gloves the first time, because I couldn't be bothered... Well I could this time!!! XD I literally had dark purple/blue hands for a week! Not to mention the smell... Ha ha.
