Ion brights semi permanent creme hair color directions

As some of you know, I’ve been stuck with this brown hair of mine ever since I had experimented with a series of honey treatments back in 2012. Periodically, I’d play around with semi-permanent dye to add some colour to my hair, one of them being Ion Color Brilliance Brights. I picked up this dye on a whim at Sally’s Beauty Supply in December 2013, and so far, I’ve tried 2 colours from the line: Fuschia and Magenta.

The Promise

Ion Color Brilliance Brights promises to produce vivid, boldly intense results. However, the vibrancy of the final results will directly depend on the degree of lift achieved with pre-lightening. In addition, it promises to deposit colour in 20-40 minutes on pre-lightened hair, and natural or colored hair.

How did it work?

First off, I didn’t pre-lighten my hair. The lady at Sally’s Beauty Supply was actually reluctant to sell me this product without a hair lightener because she thought my hair would be too dark for the true colour to show at all. This was true, but I wasn’t aiming for my hair to be the exact same colour of the box anyway.

The consistency of the dye was really thick, so I mixed it with a little conditioner and then applied it to slightly damp hair which was sectioned off into four quadrants. I started out using gloves but later ditched them, because I found that using my bare hands made it easier for me to coat each strand (#curlyhairdontcare lol). After applying the dye, I covered my hair with a plastic cap and left it on for about 2 hours. I also blow-dried my hair for the last 20 minutes. Finally, I washed it out, conditioned and styled. I probably should have used an after colour treatment to close the cuticle, but I didn’t bother with it.

I thought my hair came out pretty well, considering that I didn’t follow the instructions to a T. Since my hair wasn’t pre-lightened, I was pleasantly surprised that the colour turned out to be as intense as it was. After the 3rd week, the colour started to fade, but it lasted for about 6 weeks before I had to repeat the whole dying process again. I think 6 weeks is a pretty long time considering that I wash my hair every week.

Although the hair dye colours are very potent/pigmented, the dyes are also very thick! I definitely recommend using a dye brush and/or mixing it with conditioner first, so that it’s easier to apply to the hair. The smell is not everyone’s favourite, but I personally liked its soapy scent which lingered on the hair for a while.

Special Ingredients:

To my knowledge, there are no special ingredients. However I will say that this product doesn’t contain ammonia or peroxide. The product was also said to be formulated in Italy.

Full ingredient list:

Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Ceteareth-50, Lauryl Alcohol, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dimethicone Peg-8 Meadowfoamate, Myristyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Cocamidopropyl Betaine ,Imidazolidinyl Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Basic Yellow 57, Lactic Acid, HC Blue No. 15, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool.

Other Details:

The Ion Color Brilliance Brights dyes are fairly cheap. I bought them for around $8 each at Sally’s Beauty Supply. They are equipped with instructions, and do not need to be mixed with a developer. I recommend buying a tint/dye brush to apply it to the hair for easier application. Also, there’s not much in a tube. I believe you get around 2.05 oz of dye which is not enough for long hair. So, if your hair is thick and/or longer than shoulder length, I suggest getting at least two boxes. I’ve had no experience with the dye transferring to my clothes or bed sheets and thankfully it didn’t stain the shower!

Would I buy it again?

Yes! Although I am looking at other dyes at the moment, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy this dye if I’m ever in Sally’s Beauty Supply again.

If you’ve tried this dye before, what were your thoughts?

Do you mix ion brights semi permanent creme hair color with developer?

How long leave ion brights semi permanent?

Do I apply ion brights to wet or dry hair?

Do I mix ion brights with developer?