An unlikely candidate (pt. 02)

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Even still, when I took it home I wrestled with the thought of using it. Would it overprocess my recently dyed hair? Would the hi-lift be too vibrant for me to pull off (especially with my light olive skintone)? Would it even deposit the color evenly or noticeably enough since it had just be recently done and was still a dark color?

Not only that but when I looked at the directions in the box I was overwhelmed because not only was there your typical creme developer, hair color, and post-color conditioner…but they also included a “Red Intensifier” and a post-color shampoo. I’ve been dying my hair at home for years and I’ve NEVER used a post-color shampoo…every other time I just rinsed the color out and applied the conditioner. Strange…

But then I looked in the mirror and looked at my icky brown hair…I remembered that I’m well into my 9th month and expecting my baby any day. Once, little Sofia comes I know I’m not going to have the time or energy to color my hair so if I wanted to update my look, this would be the time. Besides, if the color came out too red it would always naturally fade with time and sun-exposure. And I am going for something fun and youthful (that’s me proving I’m still young while being a mother – lol).

Anyway, the product worked wonders. It was extremely easy to apply, although I found the plastic gloves a little large for my fingers. All of the parts of the kit were clearly labelled according to their step in the process and their function ( 1. creme developer, 2. hair color, 3. red intensifier, 4. post-color shampoo, and 5. post-color conditioner). I mixed #1-3 in the creme developer bottle by shaking vigorously and then I began the process of applying it to my hair. First I painted on small, face-framing highlights with a few strands at the crown…left that on for a while… Then, I painted on larger chunks or blocks of highlights first, at the top layers of my hair and then underneath (alternating from side to side)…left that on for a while. After a total of about 20 min. I applied the red of the color to my entire head, while combing all the color through. I left this on for about five minutes and went to shampoo and condition my hair.

Unfortunately the hair color splattered all over my plastic curtain and tiles but I was able to wipe it up quickly enough. And before I knew it my once-auburn-turned-dookie-brown hair was a rich reddish brown.

I won’t deceive any of you…the color did NOT turn out as vibrant as the model on the box. I’m glad I didn’t otherwise I might resemble Rihanna. So let’s all be thankful for that. But it did come out a lovely, rich, and vibrant shade of reddish brown – no hint of orange either! The color deepened my hair color just a tad so it became a tiny bit darker. The overall color is a rich, dark-auburn brown that reflects hints and flecks of scarlet red in sun (especially in the places where I concentrated the color via balayage highlights).

I know that my hair is going to need some extra care but even after blow-drying and flat-ironing it…the hair proves remarkably resilient, shiny, and supple – thanks to leave-in conditioner (another African American brand lol).

So would I recommend this product to others…most definitely. But believe me, you have to have realistic expectations. The color that came out was vibrant, not the most natural shade, but very flattering and not as intimidating as the box’s picture. I would recommend this product to anyone with thick, dry, and/or curly hair who needs a gentle product. Oftentimes thick, curly hair tends to coincide with naturally dark hair, in which case I would also recommend this product as it did deposit a generous amount of color (enough to make a noticeable difference).

I’m not quite sure how this product would perform on African American hair since I have neither black nor combination hair…but I did take the time to watch a few reviews of the same product on Youtube. Overall…maintaining realistic expectations is key. My hair was a dark/medium shade so the color showed up…but if you have very dark/jet black hair your results may only appear as a tint in the sunlight. Overall, it was a great product that I would recommend to a friend. I fully intend to explore other Carson Shoft-Sheen haircolor products in the future because I like the texture and feel of my hair afterwards.

Unfortunately I didn’t include a picture of my own results because my apartment has pretty poor lighting…but I do plan to edit this post in the future with some hair pics so you can see some real life results.

In a nutshell…

Carson Soft-Sheen Hi-Rez Haircolor (Scarlet) receives…

A+ in gentle/moisturizing processing

A-/B+ in vibrant color deposition

B+ in ease of application

**Especially recommended for African-American/ethnic, curly/wavy, thick, dry, and/or overprocessed hair that is more delicate and fragile to handle/process.

If you’re confident enough to do your own hair and have realistic expectations I would definitely say it is worth the money!

xoxo