Last year, during Easter while decorating eggs, my sister and I had the sneaky idea to surprise our mom and dye our pom-a-poo, Rosie, light pink with Kool-Aid. The result was subtle yet adorable, and although she was pastel pink for a couple months, it was a fun transformation. This year, instead of dyeing my dog, I decided to do it myself, and dip dye my own hair using Kool-Aid. I was sent the book, DIY Dye by Loren Lankford to review, and followed the book’s instructions for achieving colourful tips!
The book suggests you can do streaks or your full head, but I only wanted my ends done, as I am desperately waiting to get my hair cut. To make thinks easier, I took a pony tail holder to section off the tips I wanted dyed. This made it more manageable and less messy while dying and drying.
Next, I emptied out one package of grape Kool-Aid into a pot half filled with water. (You’re supposed to use unsweetened, but it was unavailable at my supermarket. The result: I have sugary smelling tips!) You could add another packet for a more intense look, but I wanted something more subtle. Let the water boil and stir the Kool-Aid every so often.
Take the pot off the stove once it boils, and let it cool down so that it is barely steaming. I waited about five minutes.
Next, dip your hair into the mixture and leave it in there for 5-10 minutes. I left it in for a full 10 minutes.
Take your hair out of the dye and let it air dry. Wrap a towel around your shoulders to not stain your clothes. Since I kept my hair in a pony tail holder, this step wasn’t as messy as I thought it would be.
Once your hair is dry, rinse it in lukewarm or cold water and let it air dry again.
Simple as that! The Kool-Aid dye will have different effects on different hair shades starting out. I was hoping for a more true grape purple, but found that it had a more burgundy hue. Next time, I might try red Kool-Aid to get a more peachy, coral look.
DIY Dye has plenty of tips and step-by-step instructions for dyeing your hair at home. I have never dyed my hair (save for this experience and a couple of Halloween hair sprays), but I still found the book full of useful tips to get festival-ready hair. There is an excellent hair chalk recipe and tips on how to use coloured hair spray for a fun night out look. If you do dye your hair, there are also extensive instructions for natural henna dye as well!
Here’s a picture of a pink Rosie btw…Perfect for music festivals!
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