looking back & rating all the hair dyes I've used in 2021

2021 has been a colorful year despite Covid19. But then again, it is only possible because of the whole WFH and lockdown that I could try different hair colors in the first place! Also because of boredom from staying in for too long...

Without further ado, jumping right in!

#1 L'oreal Excellence Fashion

Starting off with the first hair dye I made a video review and it blew up! My best performing video for the first year and still a top video *touched*

Color(s) I tried: 10.11 Crystal Ash (Shopee MY)

Texture: Watery cream

Application: 7/10 doesn't harden, easy to apply

Smell: 1/10 Not obvious until my second bottle. Bearable.

Messiness: 4/10 Very messy, drips all over arms

Color turnout on dark hair: 2/10 (I guess you still need to bleach beforehand)

Color turnout on light or bleached hair: Unsure

Evenness of color: 7/10

Hair health post-dyeing: 9/10 Hair remains healthy, non-dry and super soft!

#2 Mise En Scene's 

Perfect Color (Blackpink edition)

This is another range from Mise En Scene that I bought directly from a Shopee seller from Korea. This Perfect Color lineup is more otona aka mature and with it lesser 'adventurous' colors compared to the Hello Bubble range. Video review here

I tried it prior to bleaching my hair to see if I like going bright or lighter. After all, it has been years since I bleached my hair and the first experience wasn't a good one. Though I'd say now I'm better at taking care of my bleached hair and already loving the whole ash tones!

Color(s) I tried: 9N Sand Brown (Shopee MY)

Texture: Cream

Application: 9/10 easy to apply, doesn't harden

Smell: 1/10 No discomforting chemical smell. Do NOT sniff directly from bottle though!

Messiness: 1/10 No drippy mess

Color turnout on dark hair: 8/10 Very bright but different from box/online

Color turnout on light or bleached hair: Unsure but possibly very bright

Evenness of color: 5/10 Obviously uneven

Hair health post-dyeing: 9/10 Hair remains healthy, non-dry and super soft!

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The next products are from eZn Malaysia, who have sponsored the eZn Creamy Hair Bleach, eZn Pudding Hair Color and Dr.BokGoo's Perfect Set. Get them on Shopee MY. I also made a video reviewing both products.

I'm no stranger to dyeing my own hair but this is the first time I bleached my own hair. The first time I did this, I got the products sponsored. But I returned and bought the bleach again because I think this is a 'manageable' bleach. I'm saying this because from the reviews I watch online, depending on the strength of the bleach, you will get uneven tons. Unless you're a pro or know someone who can help you, a lot of time that's the caselah. 

However, I noticed with eZn bleach, it will not go past the orange level. I've tried leaving the bleach for an hour (past the recommended 30 minutes max) and most of my hair stayed orange except for one two odd strands that become yellow IDK why. Then even after I bleach a second round (the first time), the result is still orange. This is why I'm confident if I use it to retouch, I won't get layers of colors at the roots.

VERDICT? So yes, this eZn bleach is great up to the orange level or the beginner DIY hair bleach. If you want to go yellow or platinum blonde, didn't work for me. But from orange, you can get nice ashy brown with purple shampoo.

#3 eZn Creamy Hair Bleach

Texture: Creamy

Application: 8/1 (easy to spread on hair)

Smell: 8/10 (no obvious chemical smell)

Messiness: 1/10 (non-messy, could do without cape BUT wear a tee you don't mind messing. I wore a white tee so have no idea if it will stain/bleach color tee) 

Color turnout on dark hair: 8/10 (bleaches to orangey-yellow, not platinum blonde as shown on box despite leaving on a long time. Takes more than 30 minutes to bleach)

Color turnout on light or bleached hair: N/A

Evenness of color: 8/10 (just didn't turn out as box but orange-y)

Hair health post-dyeing: 6/10 (very dry but expected with bleaching. Need post-bleaching hair care)

#4 eZn Pudding Hair Color

Color(s) I tried: Truffle Mushroom Blond (Smoky Ash) (Shopee MY)

Texture: Pudding

Application: 7/10 (easy to spread, doesn't harden fast but do harden slightly after letting it sit for awhile)

Smell: 9/10

Messiness: 7/10 (does get on arms and legs) 

Color turnout on dark hair: Unsure 

Color turnout on light or bleached hair: 9/10 (very pretty! color is nicer on bleached hair)

Evenness of color: 9/10 (one of the best, I use my own comb btw)

Hair health post-dyeing: 7/10

After using the two, I noticed my scalp were slightly dry from the appearance of some dandruff. Thankfully, it's like only a handful of tiny dried skin and it was resolved in a week so it didn't bug me much. Of course, I was worried about my hair/scalp condition from dyeing my hair so frequently. And so post-bleaching, I did extra effort by conditioning my hair when I wash my hair. Equally as important, I did treatment/conditioning whenever I was my hair prior (I don't wash daily like pre-lockdown) to bleaching to 'prepare' my hair.

As of now my roots are overgrown once again but I'm deciding what color is next. Should I bleach orange or go straight to yellow? Whole head or partial? What style? Even coloring hair takes so much into considerations LOL

Beauty Products Hauls | restocking skincare (The Ordinary, Hada Labo) & more hair dyes 🤐

 

Links to all the items which I shared in this video are as below:

1. The Ordinary 1% Retinol in Squalane  ShopeeMY

2. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%  ShopeeMY

3. The Ordinary Peeling Solution  ShopeeMY

4. HadaLabo Hydrating Perfect Jelly  ShopeeMY 

5. eZn Creamy Hair Bleach  ShopeeMY

6. Hello Bubble Whale Deep Blue  ShopeeMY

7. Vijude Hair Color Cream in Smoky Ash Blue  ShopeeMY

8. ARTIZTA Linseed Restructuring Hair Lotion  ShopeeMY Link 1, Link 2, or Link 3

9.  ARTIZTA Soothing Infusion Pre-Chemical Hair Treatment  ShopeeMY

Mise En Scene Hello Bubble in Whale Deep Blue & Dusty Ash Review

 

Early this year, I ordered several shades of DIY box dyes brand called Mise en scene x Blackpink Hello Bubble. This usually retails in the local pharmacy at RM49 but I found retailers at more affordable prices on ShopeeMY, at RM26-29 per box! Some of the colors that caught my eyes from the are Whale Deep Blue,  Dusty Ash, Mermaid Green and Metallic Ash. I also love the warm brown shades rocked by Jennie in Dark Choco and Choco Brown but these are shades of browns I had tried. I wanted something different this year!

I also found out there is two other range of Mise en scene x Blackpink called Hello Cream (Shopee MY) and Perfect Color (Shopee MY), both focuses on very pretty, natural, otona color shades. I had tried 9N Sand Gold from the Perfect Color range. You can read about it or watch the review here.

For this round, I decided to mix BOTH Whale Deep Blue and Dusty Ash. I have came across a TikToker who does that and love the result therefore I'm trying to emulate it LOL. Here is my video of me doing so:

Verdict? As you can see in the video, mine turn up a dark green. In fact, it is very similar to what's shown on Hello Bubble's Mermaid Green box! I suspect it's because my hair is orange and not yellow like the girl's in the TikTok video. Perhaps if I have toned my hair the color will turn out blue? While the color seem to compliment my skin tone, I don't think green is my shade WOOPS. Just me lah. I did get compliment on it.

The color is really vibrant and pretty IRL. HOWEVER! Very oddly, photos or videos don't do them justice! Several online reviewers share the same comments so I don't think it's just me. This is also a semi-permanent dye and lasted well over a month. I had thought like most colors other than brown shades, it'll probably be completely gone in two weeks but nope!

At present, they've lightened to ash green and I'm already noticing few sections of bleached hair visible. Still, it will probably be another week or so before they're completely gone (I think!) and I can move over to trying another shade.

Putting those aside, I find this brand is becoming a favorite. It's easy and not as time & energy consuming to apply. Of the many types of DIY hair dyes I have tried, I always love bubble dyes because they're less cumbersome and gives a much even result. I think Liese has found its competition! But yes, it does get all over my arms and face but they are easy to wash off. Hair dye brands usually changes their lineups every now and then but really wishing they could make some colors permanent! Hopefully, Mise En Scene comes out with more ashy colors too!

(Sponsored Products) eZn Creamy Hair Bleach, eZn Pudding Hair Color in Truffle Mushroom Blond and Dr.BokGoo's Rx-Plex Perfect Set Review

Think 2021 is going to be a colorful year! This be like my third color _ if you don't count bleaching! I finally accepting that if I want to achieve my dream ashy brown hair color, I would need to bleach them. For that, I am super lucky to be able to collaborate with Active Medi Pro, the official distributor of eZn products in Malaysia. This is NOT a paid post but they are sponsoring the products which I am reviewing here.

You can find this DIY hair bleach & dye in Aeon Wellness, ShopeeMY, LazadaMY or Active Medi Pro's official website. 

Until July 31st, 2021 you can use the promo code VIVIEN10OFF for 10% off your purchase when you order directly from Active Medi Pro's official website. Free shipping too for purchase over RM100. BTW, these applies for my fellow readers based in Malaysia only.

A quick introduction of this brand which originates from Korea. While this is relatively new in Malaysia, the brand is quite established in Korea and well-known for having quite a selection of pretty colors that actually turn out well. Active Medi Pro or AMP Beauty currently carries 22 colors, each at RM50.90! The colors are so unique and they carry the widest range of fashionable ash-y tone dyes.

A lot ash-y shades which are quite trendy these days! From the ads, Truffle Mushroom Blond, Smoky Ash Beige and Sandy Ash looks so pretty! Austria Vienna Brown and Bourgogne Burgundy Brown are my other favorite shades but I've sported burgundy for almost 2 years, it's about time I change hahaha!

 

eZn's at Aeon Wellness

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I chose the shade called Truffle Mushroom Blond with expectation is to achieve the medium if not lightest tone!

To achieve that, I will first be using eZn Creamy Hair Bleach (RM40.90 per box).

One very interesting product is the eZn Dr.BokGoo Rx-Plex Perfect Set (RM49.90 per box). It contains cystine, billberry fruit extract, sugar cane extract and rosemary extract to improve elasticity, supply moisture, increase volume in hair and longer lasting shine. 

This hair treatment set consist of Rx-Plex 1 which is to be used together with the bleach or dye to maintain a healthy hair. The Rx-Plex 2 is used after shampoo similar to conditioner/treatment and is recommended to leave for 5-7minutes or longer for best results. 

The instruction mentioned that 4ml of Rx-Plex 1 should be added for every 10ml of bleach or dye. A box of eZn Creamy Hair Bleach is 30ml bleach while a box of eZn Pudding Hair Color is 70ml _ you do the math LOL. I added mine into the bleach knowing it is the most damaging to the hair. Also because I knew I will be using 3 boxes, I divided it equally among the three at 8ml each.

~♡~

How much for all the eZn products?

For the length & volume of my hair, I am using 3 boxes of eZn Creamy Hair Bleach (RM40.90 x 3 = RM122.70) and 2 boxes of eZn Pudding Hair Color (RM50.90 x 2 = RM101.80) plus a box of eZn Dr.BokGoo Rx-Plex Perfect Set (RM49.90) which sums up to RM274.40. 

It is slightly affordable than doing in the saloon because the last time I get my long hair professionally bleached and color in Klang Valley, it will probably be a minimum of RM400-RM700++ in total. That's probably the lower end and without treatment... 

How many boxes would I need for my hair length?

If your hair is past shoulder length like mine, 2 boxes of bleach and 2 boxes of pudding hair dye are sufficient. Add extra box(es) if you think you have thicker hair or gonna do another round to even out on spots you missed.

This guide works for both bleach & dye:

How did the bleaching and dyeing process went?

The whole process (bleaching then coloring) took about if not more than 8 hours over two days. I didn't experience bleach burn like when I tested it on my hand_ I think not washing my hair for a few days prior to bleaching did the trick! However, my scalp did sting when I apply the dye and throughout the waiting period so much that I was getting headache. I think the multiple bleaching processes and then dyeing have stripped the natural oil and turned my scalp sensitive.

Before bleaching followed by first round of bleaching with 2 boxes of bleach and final round of bleaching with last box.

On the bleaching, my hair turn orange and not yellow nor platinum blonde despite me leaving the bleach for an hour! Eeek! I look like Ichigo Kurosaki's long lost sister OMG. Some part or strands did turn yellow but very minimal. I am unsure if leaving the bleach longer or doing more rounds of bleaching will achieve the result as shown on the box. I did attempt a second round of bleaching but only to turn the spots I missed orange while the parts that were already orange didn't bleach any further.

My hair becomes dry (expected with bleaching) but using eZn Dr.BokGoo Rx-Plex 2 revives my hair and made them softer. It makes a huge difference! Would recommend you getting it for the sake of protecting or keeping your hair healthy.

For dyeing, according to the instructions you only need to massage the pudding onto your hair. I use a dye comb (not provided) just in case and the results turn out satisfactory!

What's my verdict?

The color turns out SUPER PRETTY!!The ash brown with lavendar hint is such a unique shade of compared to most DIY hair dye available in the pharmacy now. This gotta be my personal favorite shade after burgundy!

I'm also impress at how accurate is the color is to what's advertised. I do see hints of yellow or orange bleach hair (missed out sections) but would say overall the coverage is quite even!

Also, the coverage on my scalp was quite good despite me only bleaching them very slightly. 

Though I cannot be sure if you'd achieve this shade (second level) I have without bleaching because some parts of my hair at the back looks closer to the first level of result. Perhaps I'll try this shade on unbleached hair in the future!

I was expecting the yellow bleach color but after bleaching I decided that dyeing (aka purple toning) from orange gives nicer results. Saying this because for the strands that were lighter orange-yellow became gray-er after bleach and while I can see the subtle purple hue, they look more like gray hairs to me. The orange hair turn a beautiful ashy, purple brown that I super like.

In some sections, the orange from bleaching my hair are still visible. Also because of the crazy bright orange hair undertone from the bleaching, the color do become brassy! And so I think if you'd want to maintain a nice ashy-purple shade, you can maintain your hair with purple toning shampoo. eZn Korea actually carries a toning shampoo called the Dr.BokGoo Magnetic Color shampoo to fix this but this is not available locally just yet *shrugs*

Last but not least, sharing this video I made while trying this product. What do you think about the color turnout and which color do you think I should try next? If you have tried this, do tell me how it goes!

Mise En Scene x Blackpink hair dye: Perfect Color Series in 9N Sand Brown Review (with vlog!)

Reviewing this Mise En Scene collaboration with Blackpink's Perfect Color range of DIY hair dye. This is less well-known compared to their Hello Bubble DIY hair dye range which you've probably seen thousands of reviews and TikTok videos. The color options for the Perfect Color is less 'experimental' compared to Hello Bubble, which almost need no introduction. 

Then there are shades that seems rather similar between these two range _ Perfect Color's Smoky Ash vs Hello Bubble's Metallic Ash or Perfect Color's Gold Blonde vs Hello Bubble's Vanilla Gold.

By the way, this is NOT available in the local pharmacy. I got mine from a Shopee store that ships this directly from Korea. 

I'm quite obsessed with the idea of dyeing my hair in either ash brown or blue! In order to achieve the colors I want, I would need to bleach my hair. Because of really bad experience bleaching which damages my hair real bad, I didn't want to do that again. However, I'm much confident that I can take care of my better and I know which products work (Refer to my favorite hair care products posts)! 

Also, there are more options of DIY hair dye to either lighten up your hair or bleaching that seems to work based on reviews I've checked out online. Here, I'm attempting the former and chose Perfect Color in 9N Sand Brown which gives a ashy light brown result. I didn't want the yellow-ish, golden-y, blonde color like Perfect Color in 11G Gold Blonde. It doesn't seem to compliment my skin tone!

IDK why but I kiasi these days and actually do the testing at least 48 hours. Because the manual is in Korean and there are little explanation on the manual, I assume it's mixing the applicator & color cream at 1:1 ratio.

The product is not strong smelling which is great but still don't go sniffing directly from the bottle like I did! The cream glides smoothly on my hair and doesn't harden so application was easy. Still very time consuming with the amount of hair I have! Formula-wise, this is amazing and not drying _the L'oreal Excellence Fashion hair dye fare better in this aspect. Still very impressed of the quality of DIY hair dye available these days! I do have a bias and think some cream/liquid type ones gives uneven results unlike bubble ones. I tried to get the hair color distributed properly but nope, didn't happen. 

I think the graphic designer or colorist or whoever's in charge of the whole product is failing at many levels. My expectation was a muted, ashy gold like what I see online or the front side of the packaging BUT the back packaging shows a different caramel brown. And then the result is this honeycomb yellow to orange-y brown? SO-O-O CONFUSING! Btw, I try to edit minimally in the photos I upload to give you the colors closest to what I see.

I try to give the benefit of the doubts and assume the orange-y brown is because I have dyed my hair with orange-based dye (L'oreal's) just a month before and mahogany red (existing color I have that has outgrown) but nope! The other YouTuber who tried the same color too has orange-y brown result from (what appears to be) her original black hair. Let me try taking more photos the next week to see how the color turn out with more washes!

Photos taken the next day. I think it looks better 'cuz front camera. Also, no filter and edit because I was lazy.

Close up on the hair situation using back camera. I think this photo is the closest to the real thing. As you can see, the scalp is in honeycomb gold which I'm hoping it'll darken with more washing. Then there are obvious uneven or missed-out sections in black (middle part) and dark orange-brown (top & bottom). Feels like there are so many shades on my hair now LOL

My final verdict? I don't dislike the vibrant orange shade, it doesn't make my skin looks darker as oppose to another shade I had tried before. The uneven part isn't nice but it does make my hair more 3D-ish. I wouldn't get this shade again (dyeing lighter shades can be so tricky!) but wouldn't mind trying other shades in the Perfect Color range. I do want to try the more well-known Hello Bubble range that seems to give very satisfying results based on the hundreds of reviews on YouTube and TikTok.

Sharing the vlog I made while trying this product out~