by Rebecca Mackinnon

Created on: June 10, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

I stare at the brightly coloured box in the middle of the packed supermarket full of hope as I prepare to change my brown come red come mousey roots current hair colour to the sumptous dark brown on the box. I read the instructions and find myself popping the little box of promises into my basket and virtually skipping home.
Once home I run into the bathroom and as advised cover anything I don't want to possibly dye brown, pop moisturiser around my hairline and slip on and old shirt. I read the instructions glad I picked the hair dye that promises not to drip anywhere - not the floor, down my back or onto my ears. Carefully I mix the dye and apply following the idiot proof instructions before sitting on the side of the bath and reading for the 25 minutes I'm required to wait.

It's only whilst sitting do I notice a great blob of brown merrily sitting on my white tiles; so I lean forward and begin to wipe away only to notice as I lean forward that the none drip formuler is merrily dripping from my forhead onto my floor tiles. I'm now in a vicious circle. Do I stop wiping and hope it doesn't stain or do I wipe and hope it doesn't run down my face? My solution is to wipe round keeping my head and neck perfectly straight and still, it's the longest 25 minutes of my life as I keep finding new spots and as time goes on they are less and less eager to be lifted away and seem to bed down resulting of course in my nice clean tiles becoming stained. I also notice I have a lovely and might I say impressive set of brown streaks running down my back and collecting on my towel - all this from a brand which promises not to drip.
I try not to panic when I glance in the mirror the fact the colour sat on my head is nearer to black rather than dark brown but I realise now is not the time to panic as I have to rince it off.
Carefully I lather and rince watching as dark black water is collecting in the bath tub and splashing everywhere. Finally I finish and survey my ruined tiles and wonder how I will get the stains off the bath tub - all I might add before my husband gets home and notices I've ruined the bathroom in our nice new flat.
I stand and peer at the instructions trying to work out if and where I went wrong with the mixing or application which would explain why I was looking at my dot to dot bathroom, still non plussed I quickly clean up I rush into the bedroom and blow dry my hair, in the mirror my hair is not dark brown but in fact black and fluffy.

Needless to say it took 3 applications of hair colour remover and blonde highlights to rid me of my colour disaster.

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