Review (5/5): Atomic Pink is fantastic
After reading many reviews on Atomic Pink, I went with this color for the first time ever dying my hair pink. I found some tips online that I followed before I dyed it and I'll relay some of them here.
One thing that is pretty common knowledge is that the more damaged or processed your hair is, the EASIER the color will take to your hair.
So knowing that, I bleached my hair (Using Manic Panic's amplified bleach kit) to get my hair as light as color (It made my hair near-white but it would probably still give a decent color even at the light orange stage) and after rinsing the bleach out, I avoided conditioning my hair as I usually do after a bleach job.
Tips I was given:
1- Make your hair damp. it helps the dye to cover evenly and considering the last time I tried dying my hair a funky color it ended up splotchy despite being in a similar bleached state, I think it definitely helped.
2- Mix the dye with conditioner in a small tub (I personally rinsed the little tupperware that came with the bleach kit since it has a lid and I could cover any I didn't use). Conditioner was said to make the color last longer and it also helps to repair your hair since you've likely just bleached the hell out of it.
3- If mixing with conditioner (It didn't dillute the color at all for me but if you use a signifigant amount it just might), start with just a couple of teaspoons of dye at a time to make sure you don't waste any. I ended up making two "batches" and still had some leftover, and barely used any of the bottle, but my hair is very short.
4- Cover your hair with a plastic bag (or shower cap) when waiting for the dye to take. It'll keep your hair from drying out and also keeps the mess off your neck and clothes
5- A tip I was given but didn't try was to blast your hair with hot air with a hair dryer right before you wash it out. Highly suggested if you use a red or blue.
When washing out your hair the first time, don't use shampoo. Even the second time you wash your hair, don't use shampoo. Only use shampoo when your hair looks dirty. Invest in some dry shampoo to use between washings. Less washing means a longer lasting color! That said, I dyed my hair on Valentine's Day and I've washed it three times since then and the color is still as vibrant as when I first dyed it.
REMEMBER just because color is washing out of your hair doesn't mean your hair still has dye in it. Your hair is likely to bleed for awhile. Don't use your best towels or pillow cases or wear light colored shirts for awhile.
If your color does start to fade, just mix up some more dye and conditioner to refresh it. You can also mix a tiny bit of dye into your conditioner and shake it up and use that regularly.