New CranberryCocolat Hurrrrrr...

Finally I had some time to get a hair cut and bang trim this past weekend! Woot woot. I'd noticed my layers had grown out and my hair just seemed long, straight and boring! Don't believe me? I'll show you! Nevermind, I'm too embarrassed to show the ragged state of my hair...but here it was before my hair cut (hair color dye L'oreal True Match 5N, the lighter parts of my hair are from highlights back in April):

After my hair cut, I rushed home and eagerly dyed my hair with a new color! I saw this color at Mitsuwa and thought it looked so yummy, I just had to have it (even though that location was sold out, I googled another location and called to make sure they had it).

The color is called CranberryChocolat by Hoyu Beauty Labo.


I really like Beauty Labo. At first I was attracted by the packaging (pink boxes, hellooo) and the pictures of the hair colors. When I use it, I also like that it comes with a pink comb applicator, it really makes it easy once you get the hang of it (squeeze at the top, then comb the dye down). It has a light floral scent and only a slight chemical smell. Also, the dye itself turns purple (not black or gooey brown). It really just feels like you're combing deep conditioner through your hair! And after rinsing it out and using the leave-in deep conditioner, my hair feels luxuriously soft.

I also have the Color Care Leave-in Treatment Gel Deep Moisture (it's the same as what comes with the dye). It has a nice "fruity floral scent."


Since my hair was already dyed brown not too long ago, you can't really see a lot of the red – excuse me, cranberry – but bear in mind that hair color gradually fades.

Some tips for dying your own hair at home! (I've learned the hard way over the past seven years)

♥ Lay newspapers down to cover the floor and counter(s).
♥ Outline your face/hair line and cover your ears with petroleum jelly, that way if you accidentally get dye on your face, it's easy to wipe off (save yourself the embarrassment of scrubbing out dye spots).
♥ Either buy a cheap plastic smock, wrap an old towel and clip it together below your chin, or wear an old t-shirt and short/sweats that you wouldn't care if they get dyed.
♥ Remove dye stains from your skin with warm water and soap.
♥ If you accidentally dye your floor/counter/wall/tub/shower, use bleach! It's the quickest and most effective way to remove dye stains (I use Lysol With Bleach Spray...it completely cleans up even black and purple dye!).
♥ Use clips and section your hair before dying it, this makes it so much easier to ensure that you dye all of your hair and use the amount of dye you have efficiently.
♥ Use old towels to dry your hair because you will see dye stains for a couple of weeks.
♥ The longer you leave in the dye, the truer the color will be to the box color (i.e. you are going darker/lighter, it will be darker/lighter the longer you leave it in, I usually leave it in an extra 20-25 minutes, but 45 minutes total is probably the max you should ever leave dye in your hair).
♥ Use gentle shampoo and conditioner that's safe for colored hair to maintain the color, and use deep conditioner once a week (depending on what you use).
♥ If your hair color comes out darker than what you wanted, you can get it to fade quicker by using regular shampoo instead of colored-safe shampoo.
♥ If you have hair that is dense and/or long (past shoulders is considered long), use two boxes. If you're not sure you need two boxes, buy two anyways and prepare to use one box. That way if you find you do need a second box, it's right there!

camera whoring in the bathroom...

See my two pink applicators and purple-looking dye?

And for fun and out of vanity mixed with a little nostalgia, here's a picture of me with purple highlights from three years ago.