Hurr

I decided to do a little blog post about bleaching my hair for anyone who's interested. As you know, it was a very spur-of-the-moment decision, so I didn't do very much research- oops! After bleaching I watched a bunch of YouTube videos from mostly people in the USA and UK. They seem to have plenty of beauty supply stores, which is something I haven't really heard of in Wellington at least (though please let me know if I'm overlooking somewhere!) So I saw my options as being box bleach from a supermarket/pharmacy or a salon, and obviously I went for the DIY option because I'm cheap. And probably a bit stupid. I don't know of anywhere that I could buy a tub of bleach and bottle of developer off the shelf as I've seen online.

• 2 x Schwarzkopf Nordic Blonde in Ultimate Lightener
• 1 x Garnier Colour Intense in Very Light Blonde
• 1 x Schwarzkopf Nordic Blonde Toner
• 1 x La Riche Directions in White Toner
• 1 x pack of hair dye brushes
• 1 x plastic shower cap

Before the bleach, I had my natural dark brown hair colour down to about my ear lobes, and then below that was a redder brown colour, which was faded from a black I dyed around two years ago. I applied the two boxes of Ultimate Lightener in the same amateur method I used to dye my hair dark in the past- slap it on, rub it through to the ends. Fortunately it provided a better coverage than it probably should have, there's a little bit by my roots in the back of my head that I missed, but you can't see that when it's down or in a ponytail. I left the bleach on with a shower cap for over an hour, and when I washed it out the natural part had gone a pale yellow blonde, while the ends were a much brassier yellow (but not orange, phew!)

I applied the Blonde Toner, and left that on for five minutes as instructed by the bottle, then blow dried my hair. Around an hour after drying it, I used the Very Light Blonde colour, and only left that on for around 40 minutes before washing it off, blow drying it, and straightening it. I don't think that dye did anything at all, as you probably could have told me! Just thought I'd give it a go at the time haha. All the above products were purchased from City New World supermarket.

Yesterday (four days after bleaching) I got the La Riche Directions White Toner from Calico Jacks in Cuba Street and a pack of hair dye brushes from 2 Cheap on Manners Street. This time I'd watched a lot more videos and read more information so I had a better plan when it came to application. I parted my hair right down the middle, then on each side to my ears, to make four reasonably-equal sections. I painted the White Toner on a section, rubbed it through, then moved to the next section going back back, front front. Once it was all covered, I combed it through my hair then left it on with a shower cap for around an hour. I rinsed it out and conditioned with Blonde Toner and normal conditioner, then blow dried and straightened, and that's the colour it is now, above.

The ends are still a different colour to the top, but allover it's been significantly lightened by the White Toner, and I'll definitely be buying it again. I've read reviews from people with hair that sounds similar to mine, and they applied the White Toner twice which took it to a very pale yellow and then white blonde. I might apply it again in a week or two and see how that goes (or even just to the ends) but for now I'm happy! Won't feel like such a clown when I go back to work next week haha.

Clearly I'm no expert, in fact many of you are probably laughing at me right now! But if anyone has any questions, fire away!