Directions Semi Permanent Hair Color > Reviews (30)

La Riche DIRECTIONS

Semi-PermanentConditioningHair Colour

I have been using this range of hair-colour now for YEARS I've tried many others but always come back to this brand.
It comes in a variety of fetching shades over the years I've tried, Flamingo Pink, Violet, Apple Green, Neon Blue..and there are plenty more colours and shades to choose from too.
My favorite colour of choice has to be Pink, I like pink hair and I'm used to having pink hair -to me it looks strange NOT pink these days though you do get some funny looks and small children may be fascinated with you..."...But look mummy that lady has pink hair.." but you sort of get used to it.

Violet

Anyhow for a change I decided to be purple or ' Violet ' again for a while so I got myself two tubs from eBay.
I'd recommend checking out your local goth-type-alternative shops if you have one near you as they usually stock it. The only other place I've stocked up on it is Motor-Bike rallies so keep an eye out at the stalls if you go to

music festivals and suchlike.
You can easily find it on eBay for around £3.50 - £5.00 + per tub or on a few other small online alternative stores.
( Personally I won't pay more than £5 per tub if I can help it ) There is a Directions website but they only sell in bulk orders minimum 12 boxes.

It comes in a 88ml tub which should be enough to do shoulder-length hair, my hair is a little past this so I usually go for two tubs so I know I have enough.

The tubs are see through with white lid so you can see your colour, though you don't really see the real vividness till you open it up. These are bright funky colours. It also has a screw top lid - with a pull off 'Tamper-proof' strip - be careful when opening as you don't want it flying everywhere !
The container is a good design as it makes it easy to dip your 'tint' brush / fingers in (gloved fingers...) So no fiddling around with silly squeezy things, and you can screw top back on to save what you don't use for another day - this has a 12 month shelf-life.

Before Use, and what it says on the tub

As with most hair dye / colour it's recommended you test it before use strand test/sensitivity test. You can mix directions colours together to get a shade you like but do NOT mix with peroxide. Not for dying eyelashes or eyebrows either.
Other important instructions on tub are to wash hair with a PH balanced shampoo and towel dry before you use the dye.

Other words of wisdom include:
" ..to achieve lighter shades than your natural hair we suggest you seek professional advice.. "

" ...May Stain the Skin... "
(yes it will, for how to avoid the worst keep reading)

" ...certain colours can sometimes leave a slight stain on materials and surfaces.."
(yes, most surfaces keep reading for how to get rid of and minimise stains)

" Directions has no specific longevity on the hair. " ( This depends, keep reading)

Right what they don't tell you on the tub...once you've washed your hair and dried it -Don't use a shampoo with conditioner or the colour doesn't take as well.

Get your stuff together ! I find having everything handy saves making mess later..
Gloves are a must unless you want hands the same colour as your hair for a week or so, a tint brush (can be found in most highlighting kits) Baby-wipes (good for wiping off/up stray drips) wear an old T-shirt and get a couple of towels your not bothered about getting stains on, A mirror to see what your doing...Oh and keep some bleach handy as your bath/sink is going to suffer...

Ready to go..

On opening the tub I was met with a wonderful deep vivid purple, directions is quite thick and goopy which makes it easy to apply with a brush and gloved hands. Smells OK too in case you ever wondered (Just try not to get any on your face/neck go easy when doing roots as will have same colour scalp for a bit otherwise !) You can put Vaseline around your hairline which will stop it dying your skin, though am pretty good at this by now !!

Once its all looking purple it's time to clear up as best I can and wait. The instructions say " leave for approx. 15 minutes " I have tried this but find it better to wait until the dye has set a bit - when its basically dried onto my hair. feels like having a ton of hairspray on and goes stiff. I find the colour stays better this way.

Now its time to rinse - "..rinse thoroughly and dry.." I do it over the bath with the shower. Wash your hair and rinse until it runs clear - Remember if it runs clear in warm water you know its not going to run all over you if you get wet - Its important !

Now - Not in the instructions but particularly useful advice - wrap a towel round your head resist the urge to look and chuck lots of bleach on your bath / sink to ward off purple stains. This stuff is good at staining almost everything it touches -.
Now that's done time to dry off hair properly and check out the new colour - FAB. Job done - just brush towels t-shirt to wash and a few stains to get off the side of bath and floor. (do it in the bathroom its a pain in the ass to get out of carpet, can't be done)

does it last ?

I find (doing it my way) Directions lasts longer and works better than other brands I've tried - star Gazer for example faded way to fast for my liking. I wash my hair every couple of days and find the colour doesn't fade that fast. Will last a few weeks before I give it a quick going over again. I bleach my hair then wait a week before I do a new colour - that way you get the best out of the shade ( though not necessarily the best for your hair ! ) Shades will vary on darker hair, if you have very dark hair its not worth doing as will not really show much. Works best on light hair types.

So there you go, if you like bright then be brave and give it a go ! see photos for what my hair looks like purple + purple/pink.

To see the range of colours avalible and for information they have a website :

www.lariche-directions.com
Here you will find all the colours on offer, purchase bulk orders and some handy hints, do's and don'ts etc, worth alook to see all colours.

Thanks for reading,
Manda.x