A common misconception about curly hair is that if you are a naturally curly girly, coloring your hair, especially creating curly hair highlights, is a hair-tastrophe waiting to happen. The organic construction of a curl or coil does inhibit the natural oils produced by your scalp, to adequately saturate all strands from root to tip, therefore curly hair is more susceptible to dryness. Because chemical based dyes and bleaches have a tendency to dry hair out further, it is a recipe for split ends and breakage, when applied to hair textures already possessing the propensity for dryness. You can safeguard your dyed and curly hair with highlights by deep conditioning with products like our Miss Jessie's Rapid Recovery Conditioner. However, every color session can fade your beautiful curly hair with highlights. Every hair savvy chica knows that once you color your hair, each wash will strip away at the vibrancy of your new color. It's a seemingly unfair stylista catch 22- have healthy curls but keep your same old color, or indulge in the vast hair color spectrum and experiment with your look, while running the risk of damaging your hair.
I personally love the gorgeous dimensions that curly hair highlights and lowlights can bring to a head of hair but refuse to believe that I should have to choose between my hair's health and looking fresh. With a little research, I discovered a creative solution that keeps hair healthy and happy, while also preserving one's stylish swag. I recently learned that it is possible to create your own highlights in a matter of seconds, right at home. This method is quick, simple, and totally inexpensive. All you need are cream based eye shadows, in the colors of your choice.
First, isolate the few sections of hair you wish to color. With your fingertips, scoop a small amount of the creamy eyes shadow out, and gently massage the color into your small section of hair, from root to tip, until you achieve your color reaches the desired level of colorful luminosity. For the best selection of colors and long lasting sheen and shine, I recommend using Maybelline's Eyes Studio Color Tattoo 24 Hr. Cream Gel Shadow. You can choose from funky greens, regal purples, hot pinks, and cool blues- any shadow color will provide your hair with a unique dimension, upping the ante on your look. If you prefer more natural colors, gold or bronze shades can also create a sexy, sultry highlighted look. The best part is, the color is completely temporary. Creamy shadows last about two days and come off with ease in the shower. You can also use powder-based shadows, to create your highlights, however, I have found that the cream based shadows are easier to manipulate in the hair and tend to have better-staying power than powders, as powders only last for a few hours. For a more detailed approach on how to get this look, check out this great video demo I found on Essence.com, led by beauty blogger, HeyGorJess and Deena Campbell, the Hair and Beauty Editor of Essence Magazine.
With Halloween only days away, this discovery could not have come at a better time. I for one am the kind of person that enjoys going all out with my costumes. Wigs itch too much and drive me crazy, and coloring with temporary sprays or dyes makes my hair brittle and gunky. However this innovative color solution has opened the door to billions of costume concepts for the holiday, and with so many color options to choose from, now my biggest problem is settling on one thing to be! Give it a try and experiment for yourself, this Halloween, or any day of the week. A couple of colored highlights are sure to take your chic, fashionista status, to the next level.
Sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 *All Images were sourced on Pinterest
