and up until recently I used to strip out deep shades by using harmful bleach.
I have completely wrecked my hair more times than I care to count
with one time being so horrendous that the kindest solution was to shave it all off...sob!
Then one day I heard about a wonder product that removed hair dye minus the bleach,
my initial thoughts were this is too good to be true but none the less I put it to the test.
Colour B4 comes in two versions - original which is for light/medium hair dyes
and for those without colour build up (i.e. countless layers of hair colourant etc).
There is also Colour B4 Extra Strength which is the only one I have tested,
the Extra Strength version is for those who have used deep shades and/or have colour build up.
Colour B4 works by shrinking and "flushing" away the artificial colour particles on the hair follicles.
I am not going to pretend I'm ever knowing about hair because I am not but the process is really easy
all be it a little tedious and water heavy.
You essentially mix parts 1 and 2 together and apply it to dry hair, leave to process and rise off.
For best results you should wrap your hair in clingflim as the heat helps the product to work best,
you should only use this product in a warm room and keep out of drafts in order to see the best results.
I left the solution on my hair for the full hour as the shade I was removing was a deep chocolate brown
but in some cases 20minutes is more than significant.
I will be honest the product stinks! Imagine rotten eggs and you are close...bleurgh!
The next steps are so boring and will have you cursing your shower but I must stress how important it is
to just grin and bare it, in the name of sexy hair and all!
Next you must rise your hair for a full 10/15minutes in order to flush out all those shrunken colour particles,
after that you apply step c which is essentially a shampoo and allow it to sink in for a moment
and then lather it up before yet again rising your hair for 5/10 minutes then repeat.
It is such a chore but worth it as Colour B4 does not ruin your hair in the sense bleaching will
after using you may notice that your hair is a little dry but nothing that a deep condition won't solve!
Once you have used this product you may be left feeling a little disheartened as the results are not evident
until you have dried your hair, wet hair looks darker than when dry
so fully dry your hair before making any judgement.
Colour B4 will restore your hair back to its lightest stage, so in my case it did not return it to my natural
light brown hue but to the honey blonde it was before I dyed it deep brown.
I should point out that some shades can not be removed by this process such as the waterproof versions
and some bright reds can also be troublesome, another factor can be excessive heat as it can melt
colour particles on to the hair so consider this before purchasing.
It can also leave the hair porous meaning any shade immediately after will go a little deeper in tone
than intended so you may want to pick up a shade or two lighter to avoid this.
All in all I am really happy with the shade my hair was restored to as it is a really nice base colour
that I can easily get highlighted to the shade I desperately want to be.
Eggy smell aside I would use this again should the occasion arise!
Colour B4 is available from Boots starting at £10.20 - link
this is the first thime I'm hearing about this colour b4 stuff! wow, it actually works aswell! you hair's so glowy! even after the colour treatment!
ReplyDeleteThanks lovely :)
Deleteruined my hair by constantly using permanent dyes and then finally bleach to lighten it. wish id known about this back then! great review thanks! :) xx
ReplyDeleteAh I have done that too, never mind if there is a next time you know what to try first :)
DeleteGet it from morrisons its £2 cheaper :)
ReplyDeleteGood call :)
DeleteOh wow, that's a huge difference to your hair! x
ReplyDeleteHasn't it :)
Deletethis product looks like a god send, because i swap colour so often my poor hair has previously taken a battering!
ReplyDeletei can't believe the before and after pics of how well it's lifted your colour and left it in good condition. can't wait to see your highlights! x
http://www.bangbangamy.blogspot.com/
I am the exact same so this is a great alternative for me, although it works better some times than others.
DeleteThank you lovely and I shall post a photo when i'm done :)
Not to be negative cos I love your reviews but this doesn't work on a lot of people. My Mums a hairdresser and explained the ins and outs of why to me a while I go but I've forgotten a lot of it now. This isn't good for people have coloured their hair black/very dark brown and it will never work as well as bleach. While bleach is very damaging it does do the job. Even if you want to do an at home colour i'd always recommend just chatting to a hairdresser before colouring your hair so they can tell you the pros and cons. For example going red your hair will have red undertones till it's completely grown out!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a successful time with it though. I hate it when people have bad experiences with their hair!
x
You're not being negative :) I mentioned that in my post that if you have deep shades it may not work as well, same applies with some red shades and those who have used excessive heat etc. As with everything what works for one person won't work for the other :)
DeleteThanks chica I hate having a bad experience haha!
I've used this stuff a couple of times and it really works.. made my hair loads lighter. I agree with you, it does reek of rotten eggs! I thought I was gonna pass out from the fumes in my bathroom when I was using this! Haha.
ReplyDeleteI didn't find it damaged my hair too much either which is always a plus ha x
Haha the smell is beyond words isn't it haha!
DeleteGlad you had a good experience with it too :)
Thanks for doing a review on this! As someone who has dyed my hair countless times, it's interesting to see of instances where the product has done 'what it said on the in'! xx
ReplyDeleteMost welcome :) though it may not work quite as well for others but well worth a go :)
DeleteSo glad to hear a good review on this , I've been debating whether to buy this or not.
ReplyDeleteThanks for another one of your wonderful reviews, I look forward to your next post.
Thanks Lucy :) let me know if you do try it and how you get on :)
Deletewow your results are great! i've just used this too and it did next to nothing so my hair! xx
ReplyDeleteUgh that sucks :( I guess it's like everything else though some things work better for others.
DeleteI think I'll definitely try this. I have always bleached between colours which has made my hair damaged beyond belief. The last time I had it 'stripped' I paid £90 at the salon :/ so for £10 this is a total bargain!xxx
ReplyDeletehttp://loolitopsboutique.blogspot.com/
Haha you are the exact same as me! Well worth a go next time :)
DeleteThis product is so interesting, I would love to try it. I must do some research and find out if it's available in Australia. Thanks for sharing your results x
ReplyDeleteI hope it is and thank you :)
DeleteI used this to get the red out of my hair and it was so good, but I just couldn't handle the smell! SO YUCK. x
ReplyDeletebefriendingskeletons.blogspot.com
haha it is a grim scent!
DeleteSwear by ColourB4, it's a lifesaver! but it does smell like eggy farts haha
ReplyDeletexxx
haha oh god haha the smell is horrific haha!
DeleteYour natural hair color is lovely Adrienne! :)
ReplyDeleteSadly that's not my natural shade :( but thank you :)
DeleteFrom what I've heard, this works even better when you let it sit in your hair more than an hour. Wish I could get it in Finland :-)
ReplyDeleteAh next time I shall leave it on longer :)that sucks have you tried eBay?
DeleteI'm so THRILLED a blogger I trust and adore reviewed this! :)
ReplyDeleteI've searched to no end for reviews on this as I want to try it but found them to be uninformative.
Your hair looks gorgeous and in such a great condition!
Aww thank you lovely :)
Deletewhat are you going to use it for you have such beautiful hair!!
Great review! Your hair colour has came out lovely! I used this after dying my brown hair black and it took the black dye out great! Although it took ages to get the smell out the bathroom ha!
ReplyDeletexx
Thank you so much :) haha yes the scent is beyond words haha!
DeleteLove this! I used this product when I had black hair - although it did turn me ginger! But it still works great :) xx
ReplyDeleteAh I have read it does that a lot to black hair dyes but the way I see it, it's easier to dye over red than black? Glad you liked it though :)
DeleteI saw this a few days ago on another blog & I couldn't be more behind it. It's awesome that you'd take the time to review this! Thanks :)
ReplyDeletehttp://glossandmagic.blogspot.com/
i love it! such a pretty colours =) xx
ReplyDeleteBetter for your hair than bleach? I've never permanently dyed my hair actually! I've temporarily made it white, pink, green and purple though!
ReplyDeleteWOW! i neeeeed this in my life! LOL! i always die my hair and it's so ruined! :( Hopefully this product will do wonders for my hair! :D
ReplyDeleteAlso to you and anyone thats interested!
Too faced eyeshadow primer now on buyapowa! £9+£1.50 p&p!
Referral Name: Candice H :)
Happy Shopping girls!
So I used this a couple of days ago and the results came out pretty nice! My hair DID come out a tad orange but I was expecting that. However, every time I wash my hair now, the color just seems to get darker, as if it's going back to the dyed color. Does anybody know why?!
ReplyDeleteHi :) I just called my hair dresser to ask why this may have happened and she said it is because the hair is more porous and suggests washing with a good deep cleansing shampoo such as Vosene to see if that helps?
DeleteIts amazing. I was skeptical as well as the strand test did nothing but having gone for it with a "nothing ventured" attitude and sat in it for an hour i have to say my purple/red/brown/black all vanished to reveal the colour I last saw 10 years ago. It does stink worse than a dirty nappy but well worth it. Oh - and it was only 7.99 at Superdrugs today :)
ReplyDeleteIts amazing. I was skeptical as well as the strand test did nothing but having gone for it with a "nothing ventured" attitude and sat in it for an hour i have to say my purple/red/brown/black all vanished to reveal the colour I last saw 10 years ago. It does stink worse than a dirty nappy but well worth it. Oh - and it was only 7.99 at Superdrugs today :)
ReplyDeleteIts amazing. I was skeptical as well as the strand test did nothing but having gone for it with a "nothing ventured" attitude and sat in it for an hour i have to say my purple/red/brown/black all vanished to reveal the colour I last saw 10 years ago. It does stink worse than a dirty nappy but well worth it. Oh - and it was only 7.99 at Superdrugs today :)
ReplyDeletei have dyed my hair black for about a yr now abd hav bought colour b4 but not used it yet what colour will my hair turn out. ny natural cokour is dark brown?
ReplyDelete