Woman attempts to cut her hair with a kitchen knife in lieu of scissors

After going 8 weeks without getting my coiffe touched up, I began to resemble one of those chicks you see in the slammer on “Lockup: Tampa.” You know, the gal who rocks like 2+ inches of gray roots that horrifically collide with messy dark brown strands? A.K.A. “skunk chic.”

Clearly, I needed to take matters in to my own hands, but how? And with what? I hadn’t used the boxed hair color that they sell at the drugstore since I was in high school and I figured that, at my ripe age, it was time to “graduate” to a more mature product. Something modern with a splashy online presence. Something like Madsion Reed: it’s the hair color company you’ve no doubt been seeing everywhere that delivers their product to your door. So that you, not your stylist, can do your color - in the privacy of your own home - in under an hour. And for a HELLUVA lot cheaper. Cool, right? No, haters, I did not receive free product and they are not paying me a goddamn dime to write this review.

The 4-11:

I went to the MR (Madison Reed) website and took their color quiz, which led me to the following result based on my answers: “Tuscany Brown” permanent hair color, shown below.

I proceeded with the purchase and spent about $30, which included tax and delivery. Hey, compared to the $100+ I shell out every 3 weeks at the salon, this was highway robbery!

Due to the pandemic, delivery was slower than “normal,” but I received my shipment from MR approximately 10’ish days after I initially placed my order. And here’s what arrived in the box:

Instruction manual
Gloves
Barrier cream (to prevent staining on forehead, ears, and neck - although I still managed to get the stuff ALL OVER ME)
Tube containing the Radiant Cream Color (a fancy phrase for “hair dye”)
Conditioning Color Activator bottle
Hair cap
Color removal towelette for skin (and, boy, did I need that!)
Trial-size shampoo and conditioner for post-color cleansing/conditioning that smelled f’ing amazing

What isn’t included in the box that you should have on-hand prior to coloring:

4 banana clips
Comb and brush that you can rinse off w/ water
Timer
Full-length mirror plus a handheld mirror (so you can see what the hell is happening on the back of your head)
At least 2 old beach towels that you don’t care about ruining
Paper towels (to clean up the potential mess that you’ll make)
The ability to clone yourself so that you can have 8 more arms (…it ain’t easy coloring the back of your hair BY YOURSELF, folks!)

I stripped down to my undies, wrapped an old towel around myself (from my armpits to my knees), cleared off the bathroom floor, plopped my booty atop another old towel that I positioned in front of a full-length mirror, and got down to business.

The application:

I was SO DESPERATE to get rid of my grays, that I didn’t do the suggested “sensitivity test” or the “strand test.” Bring on the hives and the purple hair, baby!! Following the remainder of the application instructions to a “t,” I began with my roots, doing the best I could with only one set of hands and not too much arm strength or flexibility. Once that area was completed, I proceeded to color the rest of my mane with the remainder of the product before combing it through and piling my hair in to a bun. I gently put the cap on my head and set the timer for 50 minutes, 5 more than they recommend for “stubborn grays.”

It wasn’t until I stood up that I realized I had gotten color EVERYWHERE. Some of the stuff even made its way to my feet, which was funny, plus random splatters across my back. You can’t help but laugh!

…it took me nearly the entire 50 minutes to remove all of the hair color that had made its way on to parts of my body nowhere near my head (the fault of my own klutzy and anxious self). When the timer finally went off, I hopped in the shower and let the water run nearly clear before proceeding with shampoo and conditioner, as per the instructions.

Because of the Texas heat (I’m currently staying with my folks), I let my ‘do air-dry before taking the below “after” photo. Looks pretty good, eh?

Verdict:

I would definitely recommend MR to anyone out there who a) doesn’t have access to their stylist during the pandemic, b) is trying to save some serious moolah, or c) wants to learn something new and become more “self sufficient.” I was pretty impressed that the box I received in the mail included everything I needed, save for a few old beach towels and some banana clips. The instructions were very easy to follow, and the products both smelled great and continue to feel wonderful on my hair. Speaking of, the MR shampoo/conditioner samples are outstanding, and I will definitely buy full-size versions of them with my next hair color order.

My only complaint? The fact that I don’t have 8 more sets of arms to aid me in perfectly applying/painting every last strand of hair.

Next up: How to cut my own hair without using a butcher knife! Stay tuned and stay safe…

…

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

#StayHome2020: Stomping out the gray with 'Madison Reed'