Sunday 16 May 2010

Virgin Snow


This weekend I touched up the roots in my hair with bleach and gave my hair a long needed trim! (I wanna thank my boyfriend for being a trooper and holding up a mirror so I could see the back of my hair while bleaching.. So, if anyone is in need of a pro 'mirror-holder', I can hook you up!) It's been over a year since my hair has felt the serious touch of sharp scissors, so to save money, I took matters into my own hands. Spoken like a true cheap ass SoB. Before I cut it, my hair was shorter in the back, and longer on the sides. This is the curse and after effects of cutting a bob hairstyle. Also, it was all in one length, no layers, which makes it difficult to get the desired effect - especially with vintage hairstyles! I like to think of this bob style as an 'n-shape' - which I then cut into a 'u-shape.' Right? U-shape; Longest point in the back, gradually getting shorter towards the sides and shortest in the front. So, now my hair looks significantly shorter, but oh so worth it! After the cut I felt I was in kind of a daring mood.. So I chopped some layers into it as well! Maybe it was the bleach seeping into my brain, or just plain craziness - but it actually didn't turn out too shabby! (Or did it..?) At least not with curled hair. Unstyled it looks a little.. well, chopped. After butchering my hair, I was ready for Manic Panic amplified Virgin Snow toner! Or, two days later I was ready - after giving my hair a break from chemicals.



















Here's what my hair looked liked after I had saturated each individual section with the toner. I used big hair clips and sectioned of small sections (total of 12, I think) and rubbed it really well with the toner. I started in the back, since this was the area where the yellow really got to shine. After going over my entire hair, I took whatever was left on my hands ran it over the roots - since that area didn't require that much attention because of recent bleaching. I'd made sure that I still had some toner left, and I went over each section one more time, to make sure I got the toner everywhere. I waited about an hour before I rinsed my hair, making sure that the water ran clear before I considered myself done. As I got my hair wet, the color of my hair looked grey or silver-ish. I panicked. Eventhough I know, that the color your hair is when it's wet is not what it's going to look like dry. I also could see a little bit of orange still clinging to my hair in certain areas. So to quickly get rid of my worries I got my blow dryer and ---


















-- after five minutes of apprehensive blow drying, still not completely dry, I could see the color better. And, as you can see, it's not silver, nor is it grey! Hurray! I think I actually stood in front of the mirror for about ten minutes just staring at my hair.. running my fingers through it and smiling. Yepp, I'm that vain.























In these pictures I just wanted to compare the before and after.. Hopefully it'll be obvious which is the before and which one's the after. Even though the Virgin Snow didn't quite take in some areas, (I suspect this happend as a result of too little toner) like my bangs and certain patches that look a little weird with hints of yellow - it's certainly MUCH lighter and 'cooler' than what it was. Now I'll just have to see how it fades, and if it'll be worth a second buy. But the way things are looking this far, I'll most definitely be back for more! - and probably getting two jars of toner. Eventhough my hair is really fine, there's still quite a lot of it, so with two jars I'll avoid not having to 'ration' the toner like I did this time. I wish the color was permanent and not just a toner! Dang it! Anyway, my overall conclusion: Success!

22 comments:

Candace Lynn Grubbs said...

hi! i just found your you tube videos and i love them and then i found your blog which i'm following. i also just did a toner in my hair from sally's.. my hair turned greyish! i had to do a lemon juice and conditioner mix 2 days in a row. its still not looking white like i want it. my hair is naturally dirty blonde but i lighten my roots. i also use this shampoo and conditioner called simmer lights to get the brassiness out it works so good! do you think the manic panic one would work or will my hair get grey again?

said...

Hei, min kjære søte kommentator!

Jeg tror jeg må få ta på håret ditt når vi møtes. No kidding. Det ser bra ut! Forresten, så er håret mitt tilnærmet u-fasong etter at jeg klipte det. Men ingen lag. Hadde ikkje speil bak heller.

jewlover2 said...

lOVE THE RESULTS. And yeah, as far as I know, the only way to get that platinum is w/ a toner. But I believe a toner is pretty much permanant on bleached hair...until time for root touch up, anyway.

Classic Retro Glamour said...

I sure hope it's going to be more permanent! But I've heard several say that it fades quickly.. Anyway, I guess time will tell. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm SO envious! I wish I could bleach, but I have naturally curly hair that would never forgive me. A friend of my mom's always had perfectly platinum hair over super dark brown. Under her sink was a lifetime supply of FanciFull in some violet color. Maybe if the Violet Snow doesn't work the Fanci Full will?

Classic Retro Glamour said...

I don't know much about Fanci Full.. But since it's not a permanent color as well (like the Virgin snow) I would imagine that you would need somewhat of a lighter hair color to get the full effect of the lightest toner. That's how it works with Manic Panic Virgin Snow anyway.. But like I said, I'm not sure! Ask your mom's friend! ;)

Lexy Mademyday said...

Just to say that you look amazing, I would love to be as brave as you; my blond is far from platinum!

MANIC PANIC NYC said...

Your Virgin Snow blog is fantastic! Tish and Snooky would like to give you some product in appreciation - contact us at MANIC PANIC.

Candace Lynn Grubbs said...

aww thats so awesome they are going to give you products! i love my mystic heather manic panic!

Classic Retro Glamour said...

Oh wow.. that's awesome! :)

mama grubbs: I would actually love to try mystic heather! I just found out that it might be the perfect color for what I'm wanting to try out. (not on my whole hair though, no way, just something.. fun:))

Candace Lynn Grubbs said...

aw yay! ya i didnt want it all over either. i just wanted it where the color would swirl in my vic rolls. oh i did the dita manicure! i used a pearly white on the half moons.

MANIC PANIC NYC said...

We will send you some Mystic Heather! Please write to us at: manic_dyehards@yahoo.com with your information for shipping

Candace Lynn Grubbs said...

you lucky lady!

Classic Retro Glamour said...

You can say that again!

Betty Rocker said...

I just stumbled across your videos on youtube and adore your tutorials on pincurls and retro hair styling. Having since gone to your blog, I couldn't help but add my two cents in to your bleaching post since I have been bleaching/toning my hair platinum off and on for the past 15 years.

Ways to improve the bleaching/toning process based on personal trial/error and talking with my stylist. One of the things I have found is that my hair doesn't grab toner as well if I haven't left the bleach on my roots long enough. The brassiness comes from not lifting the hair to a pale pale yellow. Also, when you apply toner, only apply it to the roots and then pull it through the ends after a few minutes (that way it doesn't get too gray/green). If it does, either rinse with tomato juice to neutralize the color or use a little Dawn dish soap. You would be amazed at how quickly the color tones down to a prettier white! ;-)

If you want to strengthen the hair cuticle, start working morroccan argan oil into your bleaching process, as well as when you shampoo. Bleaching opens up the hair cuticle so the oil gets soaked up into the hair shaft. It also cuts the drying time down by 30-40% and prevents the hair from "frying". You only need to work in about a dime size into bleach, shampoo and especially towel dried hair and it helps hold down the frizzies in higher humidity. Trust me, living in Savannah I could use all the help I can get keeping the hair down to a dull roar in this swamp.

Keep up the amazing tutorials!

Classic Retro Glamour said...

When I apply the toner on my recently bleached roots, they turn blue. I concentrate it on the areas that really need it (evenhtough I put it all over), and it works for me :)

Thanks for all the great tips! :) I'm glad you like my videos!

Colleen said...

the new color really makes your whole look pop. i'd love to bleach my hair but i don't think i can pull it off :(

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Mim said...

Hullo! so I have been searching about for tips on platinum lately...
I just finished chemotherapy for breast cancer in December 2010, and my hair finally started to grow back in late Feb. 2011. While I haven't been light blonde since childhood I used to be dark blonde/light brown. And I was a bleach girl!!! But while others grow back curls or red hair or something neat-o, I got lots of grey with nasty dark mousey blah. Yuck! (but any hair is better than no hair!)
So naturally I began a search to reclaim some glamour!
And you are the queen!
So I have bleached to a lemon yellow, used Brass Out, was sad...
Found you thru Manic Panic...
So I toned and was pretty happy. I don't look like a lemonade stand anymore. In fact I have gotten more compliments on my hair than I ever had! And I love the cool Pixie look I have! People think it's a haircut on purpose!
Do you have any tips for me to get an even result... to do my roots... and to keep my hair happy(conditioner?)
thanks so much!
hugs

- said...

Hello! I just discovered this whole Virgin Snow thing...I want to dye my hair in silver, and it's orange now (like a very light redhead, even though my real hair is black, but I've been dying it for three years now in the same color). I really want it silver, but I have never bleached my hair and I am so scared that it might break and burn (not like a ball of fire, I think you know what I mean). So, isn't it too agressive to hair? I am A little concern about this..thanks for reading :) and congrats from Spain, your blog is great!

Feisty Foxx said...

In response to the fanci-full in the violet color, it's great! I use it right after bleaching or just anytime I'm looking a titch brassy. The color is called white minx. It's not permanent but definitely worth a buy for in betweens or if your hair isn't healthy enough to use something on it right away!

Irene Ciencia de ti said...

Your white hair is perfect! <3

Mi blog: www.cienciadeti.com