Violet’s Big Hair FAQ

For the record: I really couldn’t care less what hair trends are, I’ve had my hair a LOT of different colours and styles over the years. The first time I did different colour tips was in 2003, I started doing gradient/ombre colours in around 2009ish and have been doing it consistently since. You are welcome to voice an opinion about my hair (and many people have clearly voiced them!) but please don’t think that leaving me negative comments will some how convince me to changing my hair, that is just a bit silly -_-’

How do you do your hair?

Here’s a video on how I dye it. I touch it up once every few weeks and bleach once a month.

This is what it looks like before dying:

During dying I usually look a little like a crazy person.

After dying and sleeping on it damp:

After using the L’Oreal Rowenta Steam Pod on it:

What brand of dye do you use?

For bleaching I use L’Oreal Super Blonde Creme Prelightener. It’s basically a colour stripper. Generally one would add other dye after using this bleach or use a toner. I like the orange shades it leaves so I do not.

For the pink I use Fudge Paint Box. I mix and dilute the pink with conditioner to make my own shade. There’s a review of them here with an explanation on how I achieve the gradient. Note that I just use Pretty Flamingo these days rather than adding copper etc too. I did use Pink Moon but it doesn’t have as much staying power as Pretty Flamingo.

You used to use Wakk Stain dye, where can I buy that?

Yes I did, it was great. Unfortunately it’s no longer being produced so I can’t tell you. If you find any, let me know!

Do you get it done at a salon?

No. I cut and colour my own hair due to financial constraints and a general distrust of people who wield sharp pointy things near my face.

How often do you do you dye your hair?

Around once a month I bleach and every second wash I add a little more pink while I’m conditioning to keep it bright.

What other colours have you done?

Black, blue, green and various shades of red and orange, blonde to black/brown gradient, bright red with blonde tips and the current combination. Here is a post on my hair history.

What colour is your hair naturally?

This one:

How can your hair withstand so much torture and damage?

My natural hair is really thick and frizzy so it could always take a lot. I think the really important answer though is that I’ve been dying my hair since 2001 so I have experience, I know what works with my hair and what doesn’t. I always read and follow instructions fully and I avoid things like heat and bleach as much as possible. I tend to film all of my hair tutorials on the same day every few months so there’s really not that much damage actually going on here.

Can you advise me on how to dye my hair like yours? Or give me any tips on doing this myself?

Nope! It’s not because I don’t want to help but I have no idea about your hair and I don’t want to give you any bad advice. I don’t suggest you try any of the things that I do because your hair might be dramatically different to mine. I really can’t give you any advice so I suggest that you seek it from a professional stylist. A professional stylist can touch and feel your hair to make a judgement on whether the colour you want to go is realistic to expect without frying your hair. Stylists usually offer  advice sessions for a small fee so you can always ask advice even if you are planning to do the dying yourself. For nice hair it’s well worth the expense!!

Can you do my hair for my prom/event/whatever?

Sorry this isn’t the kind of thing I do, I don’t have any hair related qualifications and am not comfortable doing other people’s hair.

Where did you learn how to do all of these hairstyles?

Trial and error! The best way to become good at something is to do it over and over again. There are 365 days in a year so you’ve got at least that many chances to practice each year ;D

Why don’t you do you hair in *INSERT STYLE* anymore?

I get bored very easily 🙂

I didn’t understand *INSERT TUTORIAL STEP*, can you re-film it, explain it, or take more detailed photos of it?

I can certainly try to explain things more clearly but keep in mind that my schedule is very tight so I don’t generally re-film or re-take photos, I will sometimes update the text with more information if many people have problems with a part.

Can you please make a tutorial on how to do *INSERT PHOTO I FOUND ON THE INTERNET*?

I can certainly add it to my to do list but it’s quite a long list!

Why don’t you do tutorials for people with short hair/no fringe/other things you don’t have?

Well mostly because I don’t have those attributes myself so I can only work with what I’ve got. I do try to find friends or models to work with me so I can do a bigger variety but most people I know prefer to be off camera and at this point I’m not going to cut my hair just to film short hair tutorials. Maybe in the future if I feel like a change it will be a possibility.

What shampoo/conditioner/treatments do you use?

Previously I used baking soda instead of shampoo and I really liked that. Unfortunately because my hair is so long and easily damaged from filming hair tutorials after around a year I found that I needed something stronger to fix the damage. I switched to the Garnier Goodbye Damage range. There is a review here.

In terms of serums I use the Goodbye Damage serum on my split ends and the L’Oreal Steam Pod one on the rest of my hair after showering to protect it from heat damage.

I use some kind of hair oil (currently L’Oreal Mythic oil but they are basically all the same) to protect my hair while I’m bleaching.

In terms of hairspray I haven’t found a perfect one since my favourite black Cedel was discontinued. I’ve gone through several bottles but nothing is quite as good so I will update this when I find a good one again.

That’s it, I don’t usually use treatments, masks etc.

What appliances and styling tools do you use?

I use a Parlux 3800 hairdryer if I have to dry my hair. I hate using a hairdryer though so I air dry if possible.

I use a GHD occasionally to curl my hair. I think they are quite expensive though so previous to the GHD I used a VS Sassoon travel curler.

I use the L’Oreal Rowenta Steam Pod to straighten my hair and do my fringe. I also use it for basic curls sometimes. It’s expensive as hell but it’s an amazing product and I was lucky enough to win one as a door prize.

I’m not sure what brand this brush is but I prefer brushes with thicker nylon bristles. No particular reason, they just feel nice.

I also occasionally use a teasing comb if my styles require more volume or staying power. The teasing comb I use was from Takuya but any old one will do.

What did you use to keep *insert hairstyle* up?

Most likely bobby pins and hair ties. I don’t generally use anything other than these unless it’s a really specialised style because it’s not needed. You can really achieve pretty much anything with hair ties, bobby pins and a good dose of hair spray.

Can I bombard you with questions even though you already answered them here?

Sure thing. You’re always welcome to email me and I’ll do my best to help but keep in mind that I get a LOT of emails so I can’t always reply.

Hope that answers all of your questions! Let me know if you have any others and I’ll include them here 🙂

Yay hair!