Ombré .. It was time

So you DO know what ombre is.. If you don't, please let me know how you escaped the hype of this trend. Anyway, it is a graduated color change from your roots to the tip of your hair.  I went back and forth about it.. Mostly, I thought I would kill my hair or screw up very badly.  But this week I REALLY wanted to cut all my hair off.. like Carey Mulligan short. Unfortunately, the hubby is NOT in love with that idea. So.. I figured if I messed up ombre, I would cut it.. not quite as short as I want, but at least it would be a change either way.  

So today I had free time and a sudden surge of confidence so I ventured to Harmon and picked up my supplies.

What I bought:

 L'Oreal Super Blond Lightening Kit

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Pure Strength Conditioning Treatment (this line of products has saved my hair on multiple occasions)

I anticipated needing to tone down the brassiness so I bought 

L'Oreal Brass Banisher Color Balancing Gloss Treatment - but I liked the result so I didn't use it. 

I also bought Clairol Natural Instincts Shine Happy Clear Shine Treatment but before using it I read the instructions which say not to use it on bleached hair for 3-4 weeks after bleaching. So I will use this but don't want to put anymore stress on my hair yet. (P.S. I have used this product before and LOVE it.)

So anyway.. this is what I did.. maybe not exactly how everyone else does it.

Step 1:

Mix Bleach

Stick to the package instructions and combine bleaching solutions.

 Apply to unwashed dry hair. (I don't know why it has to be dry but I wasn't fooling with bleaching.)

Step 2:

Apply to lower half of your hair (or wherever you want the HIGHEST point of color to be) and drag through to the ends.  I also took random strands and held them closer to the root and pulled bleach down them. The idea is to be somewhat messy with your application to achieve the "natural" look.  When you are happy, let sit for 20-30 minutes. You should be able to judge how much color has been lifted (unlike dye). Rinse hair and blow-dry on low heat.

Step 3:

Apply bleach again, concentrating on the ends.  Don't let the bleach come up as high as your did last time.  This is how you acheive the graduated effect. 

Let sit for 30 minutes and rinse again. Blow dry on low again.

Step 4: 

If you like your result, stop now.  If not, repeat Step 3. Keep in mind bleach does dry out your hair.. Don't create unneeded stress on your hair. 

Step 5: 

Condition. Condition. Condition!! Use a hair mask, the conditioning treatments all over Pinterest, or your usual deep conditioner but anticipate dryness. 

Ta- da!