
01 Aug Arctic Fox Hair Dye Review: Sunset Orange and Cosmic Sunshine
Cadet Carrot Top reporting for duty! I have officially – and voluntarily – joined the ginger club!
This has been a long time coming. I’ve been wanting to dye my hair red since I was a teenager but for some reason never quite mustered up the courage. Which is odd because at university I was perfectly happy to assault my hair with industrial strength bleach, getting it down to the colour of a dirty wall. Lovely, I know.
I’m glad I’ve waited though. Red hair oozes confidence and at 23 I’m only just beginning to feel like I can pull it off. Boudicca. Lucy Burns. Florence Nightingale. I know it’s just a colour but no other shade of hair feels quite as difficult to live up to.
You know what though? So far 2017 has been all about trusting in my ability and embracing the strong woman I know I can be. Trivial as it may sound this hair colour change feels like an integral part of that. Like the whisper of a butterfly’s wings, sometimes a small change can make a big difference.
But that’s enough soul searching for now. Here’s my Arctic Fox hair dye review and my top tips if you decide to use it…
Arctic Fox Hair Dye Review
When I found Arctic Fox hair dye on Instagram a few months ago I knew my ginger time had come. Lots of companies offer fun shades nowadays, but how many can claim to be 100% cruelty free and vegan? Have I mentioned they donate 15% of their profits to help prevent animal abuse? Oh, and Arctic Fox hair colour also contains no drying alcohols, PPDs or harsh chemicals. Win!
Before I continue singing their praises I’d like to point out that this is not a sponsored post. I’m just really in love with my new hair and after receiving a bunch of questions about it on my Instagram I decided it would be unfair to keep this to myself.
The hair dye actually sat unopened in my cupboard for months before I finally decided it was go time. Why? I was convinced it wouldn’t work on my medium brown hair. Every article I read seemed to suggest these colours would only show up on blonde locks and I was really torn about bleaching my hair again. But as you can tell, the dye definitely works on dark hair! The darker your mane the less obvious it will be of course, but the results were pretty vibrant on my virgin auburn hair.
If you’d like a proper before and after, you should definitely watch the video below. You’ll find it really helpful if you a) want to dye your hair read without bleach or b) would like to try non-toxic vegan hair colour. In other words, it’s more than just an Arctic Fox hair dye review. I’ll talk you through the entire hair dyeing process and you’ll also get to watch me attempt one of those slo-mo hair flips – you know, the kind that features in every single hair dye commercial ever made.
If you’d rather read through everything without watching me pull silly faces, here are my detailed instructions in written form…
Arctic Fox Application Instructions
- Arctic Fox Sunset Orange
- Arctic Fox Cosmic Sunshine
- latex gloves
- coconut oil
- bowl for mixing
- old towel
- hair tie
- plastic cap
- colour brush (optional)
Do a patch test the day before. Apply a thin layer of your hair dye to your skin and let dry. Leave uncovered overnight to check for any itching or irritation. If you’re nervous about the way the colour will look, feel free to do a strand test as well.
1. Shampoo your hair, but don’t use conditioner. Dry it thoroughly and divide into smaller sections for easier application.
2. Apply coconut oil or petroleum jelly around your hairline, ears and neck prevent staining your skin. I’d also recommend draping a towel over your shoulders if you have long hair and wearing an old top you don’t mind damaging. I didn’t stain mine at all – and I’m messy! – but better safe than sorry.
3. Put on your protective gloves and mix your hair dye in a bowl. I mixed Arctic Fox Sunset Orange and Arctic Fox Cosmic Sunshine 1:1, but next time I’d use more of the yellow and less of the red to achieve a more convincing ginger colour. Although I find the colour lovely my hair came out a little redder than I would have liked.
4. Apply colour with your fingers or a brush. Start nape of the neck and work upwards through the head. Make sure all your hair is thoroughly and evenly coated.
5. Place a plastic cap over your hair and leave the colour on for at least 30 minutes. I left mine on for about 2 hours and would do even longer next time. Arctic Fox hair dye has added conditioner and will not damage your hair.
6. Rinse your hair thoroughly with cold water until it runs clear. Do not use shampoo. For orange and red shades it will never be completely clear – not even after a few washes. Just make sure you got all the product out.
Et voilà! That’s it! Make sure your hair is completely dry before you go to bed to prevent any colour bleeding. I put a towel over my pillow the first night but it didn’t stain at all, which seemed like a small miracle.
Before
After (next day)
After (two washes)
I hope you enjoyed my Arctic Fox hair dye review. What funky colours would you be tempted to try?