The Secret to Lasting Pink Hair

Having been a true blonde, a grey granny, a bleach blonde, a silver fox and a lilac violet, I have finally settled on pink hair. After years of admiring stunning bloggers like Honey Pop Kisses (hair goals!) and trawling through Tumblr and Pinterest for inspiration, I bit the bullet and got my hair dyed a dusty rose shade at cult Glasgow salon, Blow (read about my experience here!), but unfortunately this kind of 'fashion colour' never lasts more than a few weeks, and is generally quite high maintenance.However, I am proud to claim I have discovered the answer to (semi) permanent pastel pink hair! Read on to find out the two miracle products you will need to stay pretty in pink for months after your salon treatment! The best part? You can do it all for under £10! Perfect for my new student budget!

So the first of the two solutions I've discovered for anyone looking to maintain that baby pink glow is by cruelty-free, fun loving hair care brand Lee Stafford. The product is called Kiss of Colour: Playful Pink and is available at Boots for just £5.99, and currently on a 3 for 2 offer, from their 'Bleach Blondes' range.It's essentially a shampoo that temporarily tops up your hair with pink dye, lasting for a few washes. Personally, I've been using it every time I wash my hair, only leaving it in for a few seconds, as otherwise it comes out really bright, and I prefer a paler shade. The results are totally instant, and it keeps your colour vibrant and hair healthy when followed with any conditioner (I tend to use Aussie, Lee Stafford or Herbal Essences). The 150ml bottle has lasted me about a month, so its definately got great value for money. A miracle product in my eyes!

Next up, we have cult New York fashion colour brand , Manic Panic. I have been using the shade 'Fleurs Du Mal' (French for Flowers of Evil!) in the 'Creamtone Perfect Pastel' range, which is specially designed for subtle muted tones. I bought this from Blow, the aforementioned Glasgow hair salon, and you can shop online at www.manicpanic.com as well for about £10.Instead of applying this hair colour cream as a traditional semi-permanent dye, I have been mixing a dollop (about how much ketchup you would put on a plate of chips!) of the product into my normal conditioner, or if my hair is feeling a little dry, I combine it with a deep conditioning treatment or hair mask. I leave it in for about 5 or 10 minutes and it works perfectly to even out all the pink tones and correct any areas that have faded or become brassy.

Remember, pastel pink will not work unless you have light blonde hair as a blank canvas to begin with. You can bleach using shop-bought peroxide kits, but I would definately recommend getting it done professionally to avoid hair damage and ensure you don't end up with yellow or orange locks!