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So this is the question that I probably got asked the most after I started dyeing my hair with Kool-Aid and it's always shocked people how cheap and easy it is.
I had bright red ends in my hair from the time I was 18 until this past year (I'm 22) when I finally decided to let it fade. Let me tell ya, it took MONTHS for it to fade completely because I had done it so often that it lasted forever. If you're just doing it a few times it should fade in 3-4 weeks. It's such a cheap and effective alternative to regular hair dyes, the only drawback is that you can't dye your whole head because you have to use boiling water and idk about you but I'm not about to stick my scalp in scalding hot water. I love the two-toned look, though, and it doesn't last that long unless you're insane like me and do it over and over for years.
I recommend using red Kool-Aid because it shows up the BEST out of all the colors, even if you have super dark hair. I've used blue but it turned a sort of seaweed green on my light brown hair (which I was honestly okay with, very mermaid-esque) and I've heard of people mixing blue and red to make purple but I haven't tried that myself so I can't tell you how that works out. That's what's great about Kool-Aid, though- if you don't like it, you're only out like 50 cents and it fades quickly.
It's not damaging- on my hair or the people that I've personally known that have tried this- but after doing it for years and years the very ends of my hair are dry and slightly lighter than the rest of my hair. This could just be normal damage because ya girl never gets her hair cut, but it's something to keep in mind if you want to do this long term.
After I became a more seasoned Kool-Aid hair dyer, I figured out the best technique for how to make the color POP so if you're interested, keep on reading :)
(also- stay away from white towels for at least a week lol).
This is what it looks like right after you dye it
After it fades for a couple of weeks
Supplies needed-
1- a hair tie
2- a pot to boil water in
3- koolaid obvi, at least 4 packets (seems like a lot, I know, but it'll show up really well!)
4- a plastic cup, it doesn't really matter what size but this is what you'll put your hair in so make sure it can fit your hair.
5- a dark towel
Step one-
Okay, so the first step is to boil the water. I'm not talking a couple little bubbles here. I'm talking a ROLLING boil. The bubblier the better.
Since you're probably super impatient because you're dyeing your hair with Kool-Aid instead of saving up to go to a real salon, while you're waiting you can put your hair in a side ponytail using that hair tie I mentioned earlier.
Step two-
Put your Kool-Aid packets in the water. Sometimes I did 4, sometimes I did 5, if I was feeling really crazy I did like 8. I don't remember noticing a huge difference in the outcome of the color but I did notice that the more I used, the longer it lasted. If you want it to be a super bright red use the cherry flavor, but if you want it to be a little darker mix the cherry with the dark cherry. Make sure you use at least one regular plain ol' cherry packet though- when I only used the dark cherry it didn't show up very well. I don't know what it is about cherry Kool-Aid but that flavor is P I G M E N T E D.
You don't need to let it boil for a long time, just long enough that all of the Kool-Aid is dissolved.
Step three-
Pour your boiling water into a cup and place your hair (which is in a side ponytail by now, right?) into said cup. It's important that your water doesn't cool down too much. You can put the whole ponytail in if you want or just the ends.
Step four-
You have to leave your hair in the water so get used to holding a plastic cup next to your face for the next half hour (#brokegirlprobs). Also, it'll be hot af so make sure you have like, a rag or a shirt or something to hold the cup with. You can do pretty much anything you would normally be able to do one handed, but I recommend chilling because you don't want to spill hot Kool-Aid water all over your carpet.
Step five-
Rinse your hair with cold water until the the water runs clear-ish. Then you're going to towel dry so you're not dripping red water droplets everywhere. After that, I would usually blow dry my hair to lock in the color, but you can let it air dry if you want.
And bam, there you go. Red hair for $1. Not too shabby.
This is post number one in my Cheap Thrills series, so make sure you subscribe so you don't miss out :)