Remember how I said I would never dye my hair red again? Well… I lied. Although to be fair, I really didn’t think I was ever going to dye my hair again after having it dyed every 5 weeks for 10 years. But at the end of May, I began to consider going back to being a redhead again. I had stopped dyeing my hair for 5 years, so my hair had returned to it’s natural hair color (dirty blonde) and grew really fast. But as I remain in Hong Kong during the pandemic, I thought about doing something exciting, and my beau encouraged me to think about returning to red hair for a little bit. One reason why I stopped dyeing my hair red after 10 years was because the maintenance can be a bit much, especially for my hair since my hair grows really fast here in Hong Kong (apparently humidity and my hair are BFFs when it comes to hair growth), but I was ready for something new.
I was pretty nervous before my hair appointment (I see Kirsty at Love Hair in Central HK), but my stylist made me feel pretty confident about my decision to go back to red after we decided on what shade of red to go with. I won’t lie, watching WandaVision definitely influenced my choice of color. As I sat in my chair as the dye was first placed on my head, it brought back so many memories of all the other times I anxiously awaited to see my new red hair after every salon appointment. As soon as I saw my new color after 5 long years, there was one feeling I had that outdid every other possible feeling I could feel – I felt like myself again. It was this indescribable release that I felt in that first moment seeing myself as a redhead again.
But with red hair comes maintenance duties to keep my hair color fresh and keep my hair itself healthy and continuing to grow out. Some products that I used before coloring my hair have stayed the same, but others have changed. Even with the hair color change, I am still loyal to Christophe Robin products (I’ve been using this brand since 2017) because my hair has always looked the best whenever I apply them to my hair – red or not. However, I have stopped using my beloved sea salt scrub shampoo because it stripped some of my color when I used it after dyeing my hair red again, so I switched to this cleansing mask with lemon because it preserves color and cleanses my hair at the same time. After I shampoo my hair, I use this deep moisturizing mask and leave it on for about 5 minutes while I shave and wash my body. After I rinse off the mask, I alternate between these two conditioners – a volumizing one and a detangling one – before rinsing through. Every week, after I shampoo my hair, I get out of the shower and towel dry my hair before applying this color mask. The mask helps boost my red color, especially if I notice it starting to fade before my next hair appointment.
When it comes to styling my hair, I am still relying on products I used before my hair color change but I’ve added a few new ones to my routine. Since my hair is shorter now, I like to use a volumizing mousse before blow drying my hair so it has a bit more fullness to it. I also add a weightless spray from Kevin Murphy as well as a shine spray (note: do not buy Kevin Murphy products from Amazon as they are not an authorized retailer. You can find Kevin Murphy products at Cult Beauty or a salon). I still use my usual protectant spray (available in the US here) before applying heat products to it (I love the smell). As for styling my hair, I primarily use the Dyson Airwrap. Full disclosure – it’s a splurge. I researched the pros and cons for a while before pulling the trigger on it because of its price, but after a year and a half of use I can tell you it is absolutely worth it. My hair styles last for a few days after styling, even with Hong Kong’s humidity, so I don’t have to wash my hair as often.
I have missed being a redhead and I’m so glad to be back. I’m feeling a bit more motivated and I’ve been brainstorming fall fashion looks that’ll compliment my new hair color. I’m not sure if this will be long term or temporary, but for now I am enjoying the red again.
Outfit Details
Happy to see you happy and thriving! Truthfully, I missed your red hair ;P God bless you! Hugs