ionSmokey Amethyst Semi Permanent Hair Color Smokey Amethyst

The color was perfect

I've been experimenting with bright colors for a while now, doing greens and teals in Special Effects and Splash brands. All of these washed almost completely out in under two weeks, even using recommended care instructions. I decided to try one more time using Ion and I'm blown away! The color is absolutely gorgeous, and while it's only been two weeks, it hasn't faded at all! I will update again later to report how long it lasts. Note that I was doing greens before, and this time I did blue - blues and darker colors in general last longer than greens and lighter colors, so keep that in mind if you're trying other colors. I haven't tried the green in this brand, though.This is the process I followed to do the initial dye job:1. I bleached my hair nearly white, although there was a section around the middle that didn't bleach as white.2. I shampooed (but NOT conditioned) my hair before dying.3. I used a combination of Sky Blue & Sapphire colors and applied it to damp hair. We started with a base of sky blue, then did sapphire on the ends and randomly throughout the rest to give the color more depth. Since my hair wasn't bleached as much in the middle, and my hair bleaches into yellow-tones, that blended with the blue to create a greenish blue to create a beautiful effect (see the picture!)4. I covered my head with a plastic bag and a shower cap, covered my pillow in an old towel, and left the dye in my hair OVERNIGHT.5. I washed the dye out in the morning with COLD water. If you're like me and you can't handle cold showers, try rinsing out over the sink instead of in the shower. It's much easier to handle when you don't have freezing water running down your back. The initial rinse is the most important to do in cold water - I go back to hot showers after that.6. I immediately treated the hair with  Ion Color Defense After-Color Sealer , left it in for several minutes, then rinsed again in cold water.This is how I maintain the color:1. I still shower in hot water every day, however I only shampoo twice a week (I do Wednesdays and Sundays to keep track). I can't stand having oily hair, which is why I still shower every day - the water by itself strips out quite a bit of the oil.2. I use  L'Oreal EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care System Smooth Shampoo , but you can use whatever brand you want as long as it's sulfate-free3. I use the Ion Color Defense again in place of conditioner, being sure to leave it in for a couple of minutes before rinsing.4. Afterward, whether or not I shampooed, I use  Ion Color Defense Leave-in Protector  on towel-dried hair5. After blow drying, if I didn't shampoo in the shower, I use dry shampoo to help keep the oiliness under controlUPDATE:This color never seems to fade! I died it in July, and it stayed just as bright and vibrant until October, at which point I decided to switch to a different color. I only touched up the color once in 4 months! It's amazing that it never faded at all!

I use this when im in-between dying my hair and it lasts a lot longer than Manic Panic! I have medium long hair and I mix about 2 tablespoons with 1/2 cup of my hair conditioner and it's enough for me to cover my hair. Its super red and vibrant and always get complements on it!

I can't get over how accurate the swatch/pictures were for my chosen color! (Radiant Orchid) I used  Neutral Protein Filler  as a post-bleaching, pre-color treatment per a recommendation I found researching my color choices. I will never color without it again! I left it in for 20-25 minutes by itself before applying the Ion Color Brights as opposed to mixing it with my color, as a few reviewers suggested. I didn't find the cream to be too thick to use, as some others have complained, so decided to just do it as a pre-treatment. I applied Radiant Orchird immediately thereafter, without rinsing. I squeezed 25 gm (about half a tube. Bonus: 2 applications for my short hair!) in a tint bowl and swirled it around a bit with my tint brush and found it perfectly manageable and easy to apply without adding anything. I was surprised at how rich and pigmented it was and how far a small amount on my brush went. With further research, I found that like some other contemporary dyes, this can be left in much longer than the recommended 20-40 minutes. I opted not to leave overnight, but just over an hour. I am thrilled with my color result! This is the best result I've ever had from a contemporary color of any brand, and I've tried many, and I can't get over how similar to the swatch/product pictures it came out. In addition, not sure if it was the protein filler or the dye itself, but when I rinsed it, my hair felt uncannily slick, soft, and smooth, not at all fried as I was expecting from my multiple corrective bleach processes. I did follow with  Ion Color Brilliance After Color Treatment 3oz Ion After Color treatment. For reference, before applying Radiant Orchid, the top of my hair was pre-lightened to a 9-10, virgin growth on sides and back to an 8-ish. It's only the first day, so I can't speak yet on color retention, but I am SO pleased with my result and looking forward to trying more colors!

So I have a few things I want to mention about this product. I read the reviews prior to purchasing and wanted to purchase anyway because I know everyone's hair is different and sometimes, let's be honest, people don't read directions.1. This is a semi permanent dye. Which means it will not last long and that's exactly what I wanted. It will only last for about 6 to 10 washes.2. You do not need developer with this product. It only deposits color; which means you cannot apply this gray/silver color to dark hair and expect it to "change" or do anything to lift color. Color does not lift color.3. Your hair has to be a high level of blonde to have good/decent results. Level 8 to 10 range.As for my rating, I feel as though 3 stars is adequate. The deposit of color was great from my level 10 hair (before and after pics) and the vibrancy was very good for being a semi permanent dye. Where the star deduction is coming from is the feel of the dye and amount that needed to be used. My hair is thin, but long. I'm 5'4 and it goes halfway down my back. I usually only need one box or tube of hair dye to cover every strand of hair; thank goodness I ordered two of these because I had to use them both. One only "covered" half of my head. The dye itself is gummy or like a very thick gel or wax. You have to really work the product into a tiny section of hair to make sure it is covered. Even then it is extremely hard to spread.It works, but just buy enough to cover your hard. Don't buy one box thinking "I usually only need one" because the consistency of this dye is NOT like other dyes. Be prepared for your arms to be sore halfway through because you have to work hard to cover each strand of hair. Have your hair prelightened to a level 8, 9, or 10 blonde before trying to achieve gray/silver hair with this product. :)

Love the color!

Pleased with purchase.

Non l’ho ancora provato ma da quello che vedo su YouTube e dalla scatoletta è un colore davvero perfetto, dicono sia uno dei migliori grigi sul mercato, sono molto curiosa di provarlo

Il neutralise pas le jaune au orange. ça marche que sur des cheveux blonds platine

Need to have bleach blonde hair, turned my ash blonde !