Josephine

Comments: By this I don't mean mixing the stuff that comes in the Feria kits...which does work btw, I've been doing that for months. What I'd like to write about here, is buying the Feria components at Sallys Beauty Supply and using those.

Before I go on, let me say that I am not a professional hair stylist, so don't sue me if your hair goes south. If I were a professional stylist, why would I be writing about using professional products yourself?

I am an ordinary person, Josephine Six Pack if you will, so this experience is how an ordinary person would do it.

The color liquids cost $5.69 each (the same size as in the kits, 2.4 oz.) and the developer was $3.39 for 8 oz. (the developer given in the kits is 2.4 oz.). Looking at it that way, you'd get 3 full-head applications out of the bottle of developer, with some left over (0.8 oz.):

2.4 * 3 = 7.2

You would need 3 color liquids to go with that, so:

3 * 5.69 = 17.07 + 3.39 = 20.46

Buying 3 kits would be $30 around here, so you're about ten bucks ahead of the game.

That's not to say it is easy to stride into Sallys Beauty Supply, find exactly the right color mix, and leave it at that. The shade names/numbers on the color liquids do not correspond with those on the kits, and there are two kinds of developer.

Fortunately, L'Oreal seems to realize that many ordinary folks are going to try doing it themselves anyway, so they did a couple of new things: they put those fake-hair swatches up, and they labelled the developer bottles...you are to use one if your Feria shade falls within a certain numerical range, and the other if the shade is higher.

I got the higher one...I was hesitant about it, since I've been lightening my hair a few shades up only. But it clearly said to use it for the lighter Feria shades so I said what the heck.

For the liquids, I got the two that seemed closest to the kit shades I've already used, namely Starlet and Candleglow. Feria 9.30, Brilliant Light Golden Blonde, level 9 - base intense gold, corresponded the most closely to Candleglow. Feria 9.13, Sparkling Light Beige Blonde, level 9 - bases blue and gold, corresponded most closely to Starlet.

Then I realized that I still had half a bottle of developer left from the kits that I'd used, plus 2/3 bottle of Starlet. Should I pitch the old and work with the new? It would be more scientific, but I didn't feel like wasting the old, so I went ahead and mixed the old developer and Starlet, with 1/3 bottle of the 9.30 Brilliant Light Golden Blonde and went with that.

Hummm...the mix seemed thicker and stickier than it would normally be using only the kit stuff. Otherwise, the same.

When I was washing out the color, I sensed some irritation in the skin around the hairline. It's likely that the chemicals used in the professional versions are stronger, since stylists are careful not to let the color get on your skin.

I also went back and compared the warnings on both the kits and the developer. There is a very strong warning on both, not to let the product get in your eyes. In fact, the kits instruct you to remove your contact lenses before coloring. Both kits and developer instruct you to rinse your eyes with cool water and call a physician...a serious warning...if the stuff gets in them.

Hummm...I'm looking at the results now (the skin irritation is long gone, it lasted only a few minutes). The color is not quiiiiiiiiite right...it's a tad too golden. Meaning 9.30 is likely more golden than Candleglow. I suspect using straight 9.13 would be too beige for me...but doing 2/3 9.13 to 1/3 9.30 would likely come out too yellow.

But I am happy to say my hair did not turn green or orange, nor did it fry, nor did it bleach overly much. The intensity is about right (keeping in mind I was using kit developer).

So ends Phase I. Phase II will be when I use 100% components (barring anything dramatic happening between now and then!).

Okay...now I've finally gotten around to doing my hair. :)

I'm going to post a review of the component experience on the new daijo's House of Beauty Reviews. See you there!

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