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Tigi Copyright Colour True Light Bleach Review - Safe DIY Hair Bleach
Friday, January 09, 2015
We've all witnessed the explosion of hair colour of late, it seems everyone's getting in on the act! For us Mermaidians and Unicornians with coloured hair, we can all relate - bleach is a bastard. Quite frankly, I always get butterflies in the stomach ahead of bleaching. No matter how experienced you may be, there's always acknowledgment that you are tampering with one of your defining features.
Bleaching can be a messy process, it can ruin clothes (even ones you aren't wearing!), it can get all over your hands, the harsh chemical aroma burns the nostrils and can be dizzying, it gets on to the wrong bit of your hair, it will inevitably cause damage and breakage to the hair and the instructions can be a bit like a manual for a rocket ship.
So why do we put ourselves through it? Well the results are worth it, salons charge extortionate amounts and are quite selective with their customers, if your hair fails the 'strand test' you've got no chance and there seems to be more choice than ever before on what products you can use at home.
Decisions, Decisions
Choice can pose problems though. There is just so much conflicting information out there with regards to colouring your hair, I've even heard people say that picking the right colour/tone is the most critical part - wrong!! The bleaching is the most dangerous part of the process, and by definition, the most critical part. Get this wrong, and you can at best kiss goodbye to that colour you want, and at worst kiss goodbye to respectable looking hair for a while.
But please, don't let me put you off. You just have to respect the bleaching process, pick the right product for you and wash it off at the right time - it's much simpler than made out to be.
In terms of products, I've been through almost everything you can buy in the likes of Boots and Superdrug as well as several different salon brands too. I've tried it all from the Jerome Russell range through L'Oreal's Platine Precision to Wella's Blondor. Up until lately, I was a big fan of the latter. It left me with the desired pale yellow-blonde tone I was looking for, that I'd then neutralise or tone. The problem is it was really quite damaging to my hair. For so long I just accepted that as part of the bleaching process and went with it. But on one fateful night, the hair junkie within took control and carried out some internet-based research.
That's when I first came across Tigi's Copyright Colour True Light Bleach.
Copyright Colour True Light Bleach
I may have built that up as some kind of an epic moment in my life, and actually yeah. It really was! I had a good read about it on the net, then purchased the Bleaching Powder and matching Peroxide, or 'Activator' in 20 Vol / 6%. Usually I go for 30 Vol / 9% to get my Indian black hair down to that platinum colour I desire, however Tigi don't recommend using anything more than 6% on the scalp, so I bowed to their superior wisdom on this one, as the only time I use bleach is usually on the roots for regrowth.
There is a bit of a choice when it comes to Tigi's Bleaching Powder too. You can either go for the standard True Light White - named so as the powder is... white - or for True Light. True Light is an amazing concept, one that must leave other companies kicking themselves for not thinking of it sooner. It's violet-based, meaning toning becomes easier (more on that later!). I went for the violet option.
The reason it's such a good idea, is that bleaching will always lift the colour out of your hair, leaving behind yellowy, brassy tones that look pretty dreadful and actually can cause a bit of panic if it's your first time! With any standard bleach, you need to tone your hair afterwards to get rid of those yellow colours. As True Light is violet-based, you get a much cleaner lift meaning the yellow colours are already partially toned, so it won't look quite so horrifying but will still require a bit of toning afterwards.
The Oily Myth
Just to clear up a little bit of a myth here too, I always saturate my hair before bleaching with Coconut Oil. "OIL?!?!" I hear you say. Yes, Oil. The Coconut oil replicates the hair's natural oils and can offer some protection to the nasty chemicals you're about to apply to your hair, and oddly enough it actually accelerates the process! I apply the Coconut Oil the night before I bleach, allowing the oil to penetrate deep into the hair and offer as much protection as possible.
The Bleaching Process
Moving back on to the actual product itself, there are a few things that set this apart from other bleaches out there. Firstly, a minor point really, the powder is very finely milled and is much easier to mix. I noticed this within seconds, there just aren't any clumpy bits to get rid of in your bleach. Also whilst mixing, you tend to be smacked around the face with the powerful chemical bleach smell. Tigi's is actually quite floral and pleasant. It's the small things! :)
So, when you've combined the two together and mixed it all up, applied to the desired sections of hair, Tigi state to leave it on for around 40 minutes, or until the desired tone is achieved. As I only purchased 6%, it lifts slowly so I tend to leave it on for 90 minutes. But I must stress, that is because I want my hair to be as close to platinum blonde as possible. Just a pro tip: leaving bleach on for longer than 40 minutes will require constant check-ups on the colour, but also it will dry up so use a shower cap to keep the moisture locked in.
After 90 minutes or so, my hair looks a very pale blonde, just what I'm looking for so I rinse it off and blow-dry. Once dried, it is plainly obvious that Tigi's bleach far exceeds any other bleach I've ever used. Not only does it look like a much cleaner, lighter blonde with less yellowy/brassy tones, the condition of the hair has deteriorated far less than other bleaches. It actually feels quite soft and silky and there isn't much breakage, if any - most unusual!
As I'm a complete perfectionist, I still have to go for some toning to get rid of all traces of yellow. This is particularly important if you're aiming for a light, pastel colour like mine, the dye won't take too kindly to any patches of canary yellow and you'll be left with an odd look. However, if you're going bright or bold, it can actually be a good idea to leave the yellow tones (depending on the colour) in there to give more dimension to the finished colour.
Conclusions
In conclusion, bleaching is and will always be damaging to the hair. It's an inescapable fact. However that doesn't mean we should settle for sub-standard bleaches in any way, shape or form. For me Tigi have raised the bar. I never expected a bleach to leave my hair looking so close to the desired tone without having to make severe compromises in the form of weak, straw-like, broken hair. To then top all of that off by actually making my hair feel soft and smooth after bleaching is so good it's ridiculous. Ridiculous I tell thee! Of all the bleaches I have tried, this is the only one I'd recommend, and for any future bleaches I try, they will be judged against this. Just fantastic.
Before, I could only ever use 9% (30 Vol) for my roots as the other 6% peroxides on the market could never lighten my hair to the desired tone. Now though, with Tigi's Copyright Colour, I can achieve the similar results but with lower strength peroxide and therefore less damage.
Before, I could only ever use 9% (30 Vol) for my roots as the other 6% peroxides on the market could never lighten my hair to the desired tone. Now though, with Tigi's Copyright Colour, I can achieve the similar results but with lower strength peroxide and therefore less damage.
Nothing is ever completely perfect though, and Copyright Colour is no exception. If you want all this bleachy goodness, it will set you back a pretty penny: £11.49 for the True Light Powder and £15.94 for the Activator. Initially it does feel a bit expensive, but then you see the actual amount of product you get for that, 500 grams of bleaching powder and a litre for the activator, it's clear it will last. Also, the sheer quality of this bleach makes it worth every single penny. Not only does the hair feel silky and smooth in the immediate aftermath of bleaching, it continues to feel that way for months afterwards - so long as you treat your hair kindly, there's no gradual deterioration here!
14 comments
I've always wanted to bleach my hair and dye it blue like yours, but I just don't have the guts!
ReplyDeleteI just can't do it! You have balls for doing this process. I've had naturally blonde hair all my life and I still think my dad would kill me if I dyed it. Plus I'm not sure it would be so great in my job :( I used to long for a pink dip dye!
ReplyDeleteYour hair looks fabulous! I have bright red hair at the moment and I am looking for a better way to lighten my hair and this looks great!! thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteMelissa || www.vintagemelissa.co.uk
Great review - I love your mermaid hair and wish I was brave enough to try it!
ReplyDeletexXx
This sounds fab!? My mum is often my emergency hairdresser when I need a root 'touch up'! ;-D So I'll definitely be showing her this! xx
ReplyDeleteLong gone are my days of hair bleaching, however I so wish there would have been something like this about when I used to lighten my hair. It's good to know though as I have a friend who is always tempted to colour her hair but is often unsure, so I'll definitley have to recommend this one to her. I really like your coloured hair btw, it looks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI tagged you in my most recent post on my blog to do the Sisterhood World Blogger Award if you're interested. The details are on my post anyway: http://www.samio.co.uk/sisterhood-world-blogger-award/
Samio x
www.samio.co.uk
wow would love t have my hair lke your its fantastic and so inspirational
ReplyDeletehttp://beautyandtheprince.weebly.com/mummy-of-7-blog/cayton-bay-holiday-park-and-filey-shore-holiday
I used to bleach my hair when I was younger, not brave enough
ReplyDeleteI love reading your hair dye posts esp from the days you had green flashes. I'm debating whether to go ahead with blue ends to my already dark red hair. ..eepp! X
ReplyDeleteGo for it! If you need any help, just drop me an e-mail lovely!
Deletexo
Thank you beautiful expect an email on the weekend! X
DeleteOh yes! The HG of bleach in your life. I like the sound that it has a nice scent to it makes that bleaching process bearable. Well you know your my Queen of helping me with bleaching bless you.
ReplyDeleteI think for any itching moments I'm going to keep an eye on this cos we all know my hair isn't going to stay like this for long lol.
It's good that it gives more a of cleaning finish as I don't doubt that you've been through the bleaches lol.
Mermicorn power!!
LimaMonroe xo
It looks amazing, creams like this http://blackwhitebleachingreview.com/ works for me
ReplyDeleteI tried this bleach and I ditto my impression. It's amazing !😍 Very quick lightening and no tingling or pain. There was no "pleasant smell" for me but I wasn't crying from this bleach as I was with Schwarzkopf BlondMe (I couldn't breathe with all windows opened and cried so bad!!!) Also I bleach my hair using 3 percent or 10 volume activator for roots, and I hold it only 30 minutes for a yellow result (I tone is a few days later). If you want lighter result you can hold 60-90 minutes. It all depends how brave you are.
ReplyDelete