More ridiculous Goth Upkeep

[cupcake_goth]

I am bleaching two streaks into my hair, right by my temples. I had forgotten how many rounds of bleach it takes to get my hair pale. ::overdramatic sigh::

I didn't suffer any allergic reaction to my blue-black dye (L'Oreal Preference professional in Onyx Sheen) yesterday, just a tingly scalp. But I probably do need to start looking for a better dye to use. It's just that I'm very picky about my black dye: none of this "soft black" nonsense, thank you. I want unnatural blue-black, and I want it to LAST. Anyone have any suggestions?

One last bit of ridiculous Goth Upkeep: I decided to play with rag curls again, so I spent last night sleeping with twists of fabric in my hair. They're still in, as I want to make sure they're completely dry before I take my hair down and go for modified Big Hair. Oh, the things I do for my gothy beauty standards. ::wink::

Comments

[cass404]

Have you tried the Bigen? They go astoundingly unnatural black (88 is their blue black) and when I did a strip darker than my natural color a long time back, it never faded.

[ghostworld00.livejournal.com]

I am sure you will get lots of good recommendations for high-quality blue black dyes, but in case you do not, might I suggest the madradhair community?

[icprncs.livejournal.com]

I painted my nails, put on makeup and did my hair while awaiting a hurricane. Beat that for ridiculous.

[blackrosemortal.livejournal.com]

I'm having cocktail time. Yesterday I dolled myself up

[lilmartini.livejournal.com]

I sent you an email about a neato, invite only event. checkit, yo

[ghost-girl.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, so envious of pretty temple streaks! I would love to do that some day :D

I'm the same where I like unnatural blue blacks. I've never found one with a decent BLUE blue, but the closest I've found is Nice n Easy Natural Blue Black. It's quick, easy, and doesn't get a brownish tinge when your hair is backlit. (my ultimate pet peeve, heh)

[blackrosemortal.livejournal.com]

I haven't gone blue black in so long. I kinda miss those days. I'd love to add black streaks to my red hair at some point.

I'm presently waiting on hurricane of doom and clinging to any forms of amusement I can find

[ghost-girl.livejournal.com]

I'm also patiently waiting for hurricaney craziness. My current amusement is painting little wooden coffins I bought at Michaels. :D

[blackrosemortal.livejournal.com]

I'm presently latch hooking a lady bug design in hopes of making a pillow for my niece. One day it'll be the tale of the hurricane pillow.

Apparently Long Island is under tornado watch now. As if I didn't have enough anxiety going on

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I finished a baby hat and got a very good start on the matching booties! I felt so productive.

[staxxy.livejournal.com]

I would like to see a pic of the curls, before you comb them out.

[jinasphinx.livejournal.com]

What bleach do you use? I've been thinking about streaks myself.

[girlgoth.livejournal.com]

If you lightly spritz your hair (towards the ends) with water before you roll them up, they'll dry nicely but still have full shape. ;) I've used rollers a lot, and now use them with my dreads too. :D

[ozitonaranjo.livejournal.com]

Every time I've tried rag curls I end up with a Little Orphan Annie 'fro. So I will sit here envying those whose hair cooperates.

Did your hair react negatively when you switched back to chemical dyes from henna?

[caleidescopeyes.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Feria's blue-black, called Starry Night? It's my go-to blue-black.

[tagaseguchi.livejournal.com]

For some people I will warn you that the Feria dye doesnt stay at all. My husband and I did our hair (he used the Starry Night and I used the maroon color) first off the maroon came out orange (I had blonde hair as a base that wasnt freshly colored but that shouldnt have mattered my stylist said) and he was going over his natural brown naked hair (his first time dying since highschool) the Starry Night stayed in his hair about two weeks and then it started fading to his natural. I LOVE the Beyond Zone Color Jamz. I use the Crimson Storm and Not So Shy Violet and get lovely purple/blue/gray in my hair.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Huh. Starry Night stayed longer than that on me when I used it, but I wasn't using it on virgin hair - my cuticles were already rough and open from a few rounds of "bleach and Manic Panic" shenanigans.

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Feria never stays in my hair. I love the initial color, but it fades within two weeks on me.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I'm reluctantly switching to "soft black" for my next upkeep, assuming I don't decide to let it fade so I can lighten it in January to do a River Song costume (and then re-dye after that weekend!) because on my last blue-black in April, I discovered that it's not playing nice with my complexion any more, and, having weighed the options, I'd rather maintain "mistaken for a 28-year-old" than "goth as fuck," given that I don't dress as dramatically or as fabulously as you all the time.

I forget what I used in April. Whatever it was they had in stock at Sally Beauty, because MOST of their brands were sold out of blue-black; left to my own, I'd have gone with Feria Starry Night.

[gothityourself.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

I have been using ColorSilk in Black for about two years. So far, it has shown no signs of fading. I dye my roots only and have never had to touch up the rest. The color is consistently shiny black to the ends. (One caveat: my hair is naturally extremely porous.)

ColorSilk also comes in Natural Blue Black, and there's a new Luminista line with a Brightest Black that I'll probably try.

[erischild.livejournal.com]

Have you tried hennah then indigo? could save some hair up form your hair brush and do Science!

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Science!

I have done henna + indigo, and while I love the idea of it, it doesn't give me a lasting blue-black, no matter what henna I used or how much indigo.

hair color

[blacklace-2.livejournal.com]

Henna is really messy and time consuming, but it makes your hair really soft and silky which is a great payoff. I used henna recently which covered some pale highlights that had fried the ends of my hair and my hair is in great condition now. Also, henna and indigo don't leach color from your hair like chemical dyes do.
As suggested earlier, you might look into a neutral henna for conditioning followed by indigo to get the black color. Having never gone black, I'm not sure if indigo produces a warm or a cool black. I hear it's a commitment and that you cannot bleach on top of it. However, you can use both products over chemically processed hair. I've purchased good quality, all natural, vegan products, including henna, from The All Natural Face site as well as received lots of good information from the owner, Krystal. She also sells indigo and can give you more information as well as good reasons to switch from a chemical black dye. I kind of like the idea of using a natural substance that's been used to color hair for over 4,000 years! Best of luck on your beauty quest! :)

Re: hair color

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Oh, I have done henna + indigo; in fact, that's how I colored my hair for a year or so. While I love the idea of it, it doesn't give me a lasting blue-black, no matter what henna I used or how much indigo. It just goes darkdark brown, but not black.