Thinking pink: Renbow Crazy Color semi-permanent hair dye in Cyclamen....

I've wanted to use a pink dye on my hair for as along as I can remember [probably due to the fact that I love Jem and had all of the VHS tapes and dolls] but I'm painfully shy and suffer from anxiety issues, so have never been brave enough to do something that would make me stand out from the background - trying a few of the red and darker purple shades by Schwarzkopf was really wild for me, and that took me a few years of working up to.

Anyway now I'm 30 I've finally reached the point where I can honestly say that I don't care if people look and judge me for how I look or whatever I'm wearing, so after being left a bit underwhelmed by the results of the L'Oreal Intense Ombres kit [my fault for accidentally buying the strongest one], I decided to work with the new bleach in my hair rather then cover it back up by finally trying a shade of intense pink hair dye over it...


My first [and only as it turned out] port of call in my search for a pink hair dye was Amazon, where I found hundreds to choose between, so I narrowed it down to Crazy Color simply because it is inexpensive and if i didn't work I wouldn't be wasting loads of money. Renbow says that the Crazy Color range lasts between 4 to 8 washes, and for the low price I thought that you can't really complain with that.

After umming and ahhing over the large colour selection in the brand for a while I finally choose the shade Cyclamen as it has the best of three worlds; it a hint of red and purple at first, with a strong undertone of pink. The scattered customer reviews stated that the pink undertone is meant to grow stronger as the dye fades.

What the instructions on the bottle say:

Crazy Color does not require the addition of peroxide. For optimal results apply to pre-lightened hair.

After shampooing, towel dry your hair.
Apply Crazy Color direct, spreading evenly over the hair (wear gloves).
Leave for 15/30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly until water runs clear.

[via Crazy Color]


What I Did:

I applied the dye into my freshly washed and still damp hair with gloved hands, starting at the roots.


I remembered that when I previously used a semi-permanent dye it advised placing a plastic cap over my head to lock in heat, to help the pigments develop. So I improvised and paced a carrier bag over my hair.


I have thick hair so decided to leave the dye on my hair for an hour to let it really sink in [it's vegetable dye so you won't damage your hair].


I then rinsed my hair until water ran clear, but didn't use shampoo, conditioner, or any other products on my hair.

I also remember a magazine article where a hairstylist who works in TV said to leave your hair for 48 hours after being dyed, before washing it again. So that's something I always do now.


I couldn't find a customer review for Crazy Color which detailed exactly how well that the dye lasts, I decided to do my own and use photo evidence so other people who are interested in the brand can see the results and make up their own minds.

I'll take two closeup shots (with flash) and one natural lighting portrait after each hairwash, to see just how well this product holds up [I never use any form of enhancement software on any of my photos].

Before application

Freshly applied

After 1 wash

 After 2 washes

For the first 2 washes I skipped conditioner, as I though that rinsing my hair twice each wash might cause the colour to fade faster. 

[I don't know how accurate my worry was, but the colour did last longer than the 4 to 8 washes guidelines that the bottle gave]

After 3 washes

After 4 washes

After 4 washes I noticed the odd bit of brown emerging from the unbleached portion of my hair. Even though I noticed it at this point it evidently wasn't strong enough for the camera to pick up on for the most part. 

After 5 washes

After 6 washes

After 7 washes

It took 7 washes before I began to notice the odd blonde hair poking through the bleached portion of my hair.

From hair wash 8 onward I began to shampoo my hair twice [my new puppy has started sleeping on my pillow and chewing my hair], so I guess technically washes 8, 9, 10 and 11 count as two washes each...

After 8 washes

After 9 washes

After 10 washes

After 11 washes

I stopped taking photos after wash 11, because that was the point where the colour would need refreshing as the blonde was starting to noticeably stand out from the pink strands. It took another several washes [where I would shampoo my hair three times per wash] for me to reach this point:

I know, from having tried a La Riche Directions dye in the past, that vegetable hair colourants stain skin - I myself had a purple forehead [plus shoulders and boobs from using the shower to rinse the dye from my hair] for three days after application, no matter how much I scrubbed my skin. I was put of trying a similar dye again, but now that I've taken the plunge I can confirm that the Crazy Color dye doesn't stain as badly - it will wash straight off skin with warm water and soap.

Another plus point with this dye is that when I was caught out in the rain the colour didn't run - last time the rain caused the dye to run and stain my skin again & ruin my top...

So would I recommend trying out the Renbow Crazy Color semi-permanent hair dyes before you try their competitors? Heck yes! 

Based on my results with the Cyclamen shade I've been inspired and have already ordered a Manic Panic Flashlightening bleaching kit to lighten all of my hair, and - as the different colours in the Renbow range are all so tempting right now - I went a little crazy and have ordered six different shades to try out...

[via Ms.Venusflower @ Ebay]

RRP: £4 for 100ml

I bought mine from Amazon UK as nowhere stocks Renbow near me, it was £2.55 + £1.50. Amazon [and a dozen different third-party sellers on the site] stock all of the colours, including shades that are no longer in production, by Renbow. Some of the most popular shades are also sold in packs of three and four, for further savings.

Sites such as Ebay, Blue Banana and Crazy Color also sell it, as do many beauty supply stores and alternative fashion stores.