temporary hair dye

[topaz]

I started to ask the Internet this, but then I realized that my friends are actually way more awesome than the Internet:

How well do temporary hair dyes work? Do they wash out right away? Do they produce bright and vivid colors? Which brands are best?

ETA: this is a one-day thing, so super-temporary dye shampoos and the like are potentially fine.

If we were to apply more than one color--say, a mohawk with colored sides--is that likely to be way too complicated for an amateur to attempt on their first try? Would we want to use a semipermanent dye for that, rather than the totally temporary ones?

Comments

what color and how long do you want it?

[buddhagrrl.livejournal.com]

The other responses seem to focus on more interesting colors. I'll agree Manic Panic is great though for me most colors were more temporary than they were for other people I knew. My hair takes a long time to dye thoroughly, though, about twice as long as is normal for medium to dark brown hair like mine with similar texture. It's an annoying oddity. Bleaching it first of course has MUCH different and dramatic results.

That said, Natural Instincts hair dyes, which I love the feel of, have a "28 shampoos" temporary black that I have been trying to wash out since March. Friends warned me but I didn't listen. Beware any black dye that claims to be temporary. It is rarely true and the color may last as long as the hair is attached to your head. Mine has faded but is still at least 3 shades darker than my natural color. I'd call it espresso or very-dark-walnut rather than black, but still.

Red hennas may also work for temporary color - they usually fade over time - but black hennas will dye your hair a more permanent or semi-permanent color.

Re: what color and how long do you want it?

[harimad.livejournal.com]

One reason it could take longer for your hair to dye is a strong cuticle. Bleaching, in addition to making one's hair lighter, also breaks open the cuticle; both changes cause hair to dye faster and hold the color longer.