 Pink dip-dye inspiration: Abbey Lee |  Turquoise dip-dye inspiration: Kate Bosworth |
I consider myself to be somewhat of a beauty daredevil. Bright lipstick? Sign me up. Bold brows? Done. Ombré ends? Yes, please. Lately I've loved the dip-dyed hair trend (see flawless examples above), but the permanence of it totally scares me off - not to mention that I would never be able to decide on just one color. That's why hair chalking is such a great option for those of us who want to explore the trend without having to commit to it for longer than a day or two. The best part is that it's also insanely easy.
Here's how to do it:
Step 1: Choose your tool. Make sure you're using a "soft chalk pastel," which you can find at any craft or art supply store for a few dollars. Make sure you aren't using an oil pastel! It's best to stick with bright colors, especially if you have darker hair.
Step 2: Select a 1-inch section of hair to work with.
Step 3: Wet chalk (or hair) if you have dark hair. Skip this part if you have light hair, or you run the risk of staining your strands. The Beauty Department recommends spraying hair with water before chalking, but I found it a bit more useful to simply run the end of the pastel under the faucet every so often to intensify the pigment.
Here's how to do it:
Step 1: Choose your tool. Make sure you're using a "soft chalk pastel," which you can find at any craft or art supply store for a few dollars. Make sure you aren't using an oil pastel! It's best to stick with bright colors, especially if you have darker hair.
Step 2: Select a 1-inch section of hair to work with.
Step 3: Wet chalk (or hair) if you have dark hair. Skip this part if you have light hair, or you run the risk of staining your strands. The Beauty Department recommends spraying hair with water before chalking, but I found it a bit more useful to simply run the end of the pastel under the faucet every so often to intensify the pigment.
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Step 4: Twist hair between fingers and start chalking, working your way down and building color until you have reached the desired look.
Step 5: Continue on the rest of your hair.
Step 6: Brush out excess chalk and rub in the color a little with your fingers if it seems necessary.
Step 7: Avoid brushing or combing hair after the chalking is complete, as it will remove most of the color (I styled my hair before chalking so it was totally done once I finished with the color).
Step 5: Continue on the rest of your hair.
Step 6: Brush out excess chalk and rub in the color a little with your fingers if it seems necessary.
Step 7: Avoid brushing or combing hair after the chalking is complete, as it will remove most of the color (I styled my hair before chalking so it was totally done once I finished with the color).
The result isn't quite as dip-dye-looking as the inspiration photographs above, but the subtle kick of color is definitely there!
A few extra tips:
- You may want to put a towel on your shoulders to keep the pigment from rubbing off onto clothing. The same goes for the floor and counter, just in case you end up making a bit of a mess.
- The chalk should wash out easily with one shampoo.
