Friday, February 17, 2012

ETUDE HOUSE Bubble Hair Coloring in Natural Brown Review

I have been coloring my own hair for more than 5 years already. This is the first time I have ever encountered hair color like this! This folks, is ETUDE HOUSE's Bubble Hair Coloring in Natural Brown.


I first heard about this hair color from my sister, who purchased a box and tried it. She had never colored her hair on her own before, (always with my help, meaning I would apply it) and she successfully applied the color by her self. She was quite pleased with the result which convinced me to try it myself.

ETUDE HOUSE says:
Macro bubble booster helps your hair to absorb contents more efficiently so that quality of your hair and color will be better.
I got NATURAL BROWN, as the only shades available in the Etude House store I went to was that, Black and Dark Brown. I really wanted the Sweet Orange shade! Oh well, maybe next time. Here are the other shades:


Here are the contents of the box:

It consists of the following:
1) Hair dye

2) Color developer
3) Plastic wrap and some plastic gloves (very pleased that the box included these!)

4) Silky Perfumed Hair Treatment -- which I totally forgot to take a photo of, but its that purple sachet on the set photo.

The box is completely in Korean, but there are a few helpful illustrations to guide you on the box and inside a pamphlet:

Now here is a translation of how to use it:

Now these instructions are pretty vague, and of course you don't want to ruin your hair, right? Nor do you even want to botch the entire process--so I turn to my trusty friend (YOUTUBE) and found a video of how to apply bubble hair color:

So here are the simplified steps: (note some steps I added as my usual way of applying hair color)

1) Apply cold cream to your forehead and around the edges of your face to prevent color from seeping through.


The cold cream I'm using is Etude House's Happy Teatime milk tea cleansing cream. Review is posted HERE.

2) Remove #2's cap, and pour in #1.

3) Screw the lid back in.

4) Put on the plastic cape. Its an open sheet of plastic so I suggest pinning it with a hair clip to keep it in place. Put the gloves on as well. 

By the way, the gloves are kinda old looking, and is very difficult to put on. What I suggest you should do is blow into the hole to un-coil the glove.

5) Tilt the bottle sideways and back upright (please refer to the video HOW TO DO THIS!) a couple of times to mix the contents. It's very important that you don't simply shake the bottle. You will feel the pump bottle heat up as you do this.

6) Take off the stopper of the pump bottle so you can get the product out. Here's the bottle WITH the stopper:

Then just pull that extended tab to remove the lock:

7) Before applying the foam, comb your hair first so there are no tangles.

8) Unlike the usual hair dyes where you have to section your hair into quadrants, you start to apply the foam to the outside of your hair FIRST. So pump out the foam (the photo is below is ONE pump) with two pumps and apply to the outside of your hair.


Make sure the entire outside of your hair is entirely wet. Start from your roots to the tip, completely saturating each part. Don't scimp on the hair dye! Remember its only good for ONE USE so use it generously.

9) After your done with the outside of your hair, get more foam and run it through the inside of your hair. Do it until every strand is completely saturated with the dye.

10) If your hair is now covered entirely with the dye, pile the rest of your hair on top of your head and massage it in. Do this a couple of times and just let the dye go through. (its incredibly hard to take a photo of yourself while doing this!!!) Apply more foam to the hair near your crown.

11) After you're done, you can either pin up your hair or put on a shower cap for the waiting time. The box says you have to wait for 30 minutes before washing it off, but I waited for an hour (I don't really recommend this if your hair is sensitive and its the first time you're coloring you hair) because this is the usual waiting time I do whenever I color my hair.

Did the dye hurt? I have to admit I felt a slight tingly sensation

12) Remove the shower cap and go rinse it off! You will definitely feel that your hair is super crusty. And waaaay tangled. No worries though! That's what the hair treatment is for. Remember to use the ENTIRE SACHET to remove the dryness. Then ta-da! Good as new, plus it smells good too!

Here is a photo of how my hair looked like after the waiting time:

And now...the ULTIMATE TEST: did it color my hair?!
The BEFORE photo:
If you guys have read my previous hair color post, this hair has been dyed SUPER BLACK way back when I was in my depressed stage. That's why I have such a hard time coloring it.

The AFTER photo:

A MIRACLE! IT COLORED!!! Just a note though, this was an especially bright and sunny day. My hair definitely lightened up, on those parts that I had "virgin hair" (meaning it hadn't been subjected to the brutal torture of being dyed a squid ink black), and lightened those that had been previously dyed.

I was satisfied with the result. I do wish it colored my hair equally, but that part is mostly my fault because my hair isn't color-balanced to begin with.

I also have to admit that I had a harder time using this than ordinary hair dyes. Its probably because I'm used to brush-application where I can estimate if I'm applying it evenly. But as they say, practice makes perfect--and I'm looking forward to more experience with this hair dye by trying out other shades!

The hair dye is also quite affordable! Most drugstore brands cost more than P400 in the market but this is relatively cheaper. 


ETUDE HOUSE Bubble Hair Coloring is available in any Etude House branch (SM Megamall, SM The Block, Market Market!) for only P378.00!


80 comments:

  1. ate, sa tingin ko okay lang to sa rebonded/relaxed hair?

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  2. when was the last time you had it rebonded/relaxed? i think you should wait after 6 mos so your hair doesn't get too damaged especially if this is the first time you're coloring it :)

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  3. is the color really visible on virgin black hair? :O

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  4. hmm..im not sure with virgin black hair. i think my hair was in a worse position to be dyed because they used PERMANENT squid ink dye on me (it was a korean salon hehe!). i think that if you've never colored your hair, its best to try these easy-application hair dyes so the results don't come out too drastic and its not heavy on the pocket.

    i hope i was able to help!

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  5. Thank you for the review ;) im now quite convinced i should try it, seeing how easy and effective it is. But may i just ask if the color hasnt faded yet?

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  6. no, the hair color actually lightens your hair more with each passing week :)

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  7. can i use this on 2 persons?

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  8. if you both have short hair, then yes i think you can.

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  9. Ang galing ng reviews mo :) *claps* I think I'll be lurking on ur blog. ^^ Nakita ko rin yan sa Etude house pero when i saw na hindi permanent di ko na binili. Bumili ako kahapon ng hortaleza hair dye & oxidizing lotion (12%). Hazel brown ang color. Do you think tatalab to sa makapal kong black hair? THANKS ^__^

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  10. awww thanks and hope to read more of your comments soon!:)
    hmm the bubble color is actually permanent hair dye :) go and try it if you have the chance especially if you're a newbie to hair coloring.

    hazel brown--it might come off a bit darker. i suggest if you have virgin hair (never been colored), you got for a light shade.
    good luck!

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  11. kaya ba ng isang box ang long hair? as in like waist length, and visible ba siya?? i want something visible talaga kasi..

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  12. yup its visible! but as i said before if you have virgin hair, the color might not be as vibrant. if you saw my after photo, that's really how the color came out!

    hmmm i think its best to ask the SAs if 1 box is enough if your hair is that long.

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  13. hey, im trying the bubble hair color. Hope it will turn out ok!

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  14. How Long po ang Tagal? Wala bang Permanent Color? Sabi po kasi nung iba 5 months lang daw ang itatagal? Nakakita din po ako niyan sa Etude eh.

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  15. its permanent dye. although its really a must to update your color after 4-5 months because its bound to fade.

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  16. hi sis question. ok lang ba dry ang hair pr kelangan wet pag apply ng foam?

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  17. you apply it on dry hair, not wet hair! there's nothing in the instructions that says you have to wet your hair first :)

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  18. hi po :)) ask lang,

    kapag indi po naubos lahat pwede pa ba gamitin in the next few days?

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  19. hi! no, sadly you can't use it again. as long as you open it you have to finish the entire thing. i really do recommend using everything to ensure that the color will come out. if you have short hair, share it with a friend!:)

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  20. Safe po ba siya and non allergic? :))

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  21. the hair dye is safe, for allergies, i think if you have a tendency to be allergic against hair color you should do a patch test first. here's how you do it:

    1) select an area, best choices are inside of your elbow or behind your ear, size should be as small as a peso coin
    2) clean and dry the area using soap
    3) mix a small portion of the dye according to the box's instructions
    4) using a cotton swab, apply to the test area
    5) leave it like this for 24 hrs
    6) check the area, if there are any redness or irritations, don't use the dye! but if there aren't any, go ahead and color!:D

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  22. did you test it before you apply it?

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  23. i didnt because i've been coloring my home at home for a very long time, and so far i've never had a bad reaction to anything i've used :)

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  24. Hello sis.... u look cool with that brown color :)
    may i ask u, did u shampooing your hair after the coloring process or did u just wash it with water n just using the conditioner?thanks....

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  25. Hello sis.... u look cool with that brown color :)
    may i ask u, did u shampooing your hair after the coloring process or did u just wash it with water n just using the conditioner?thanks....

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  26. thanks dear!
    its an absolute NO-NO to shampoo your hair after you apply your hair color! just wash it all off with water, then put tons of conditioner afterwards. don't shampoo for the next 2 days :)

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  27. Hi sweetie, just colored my hair 2 months ago. can i color my hair with that product? coz the outcome of my last hair coloring was not pretty good. the color was not equal and some were still left black coz i also dyed my hair black. so can this product equally cover my hair brown?

    Hoping for your response. Thanks :)

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  28. hey there! hmm from what i understand, you first colored your hair black then re-colored it to brown which left your hair uneven?:)

    if you want your hair evenly colored, i suggest going to a professional and getting the black parts of your hair lightened first. even if you use this hair dye, it wont cover your hair equally because there are darker parts of your hair. this will be more expensive of course but if you want to prevent uneven hair color in the future, its a necessary step! :)

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  29. Can this color my eyebrow also?

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  30. i don't suggest doing that, you should leave dyeing your brows to the professionals! :D

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  31. Hi,

    what if my hair has been dyed into black, do you suggest the color natural brown or the dark brown from etude? i want it to have a natural brown color, plain black is too boring, but don't want a lighter brown either coz of my work. is the natural brown really light when applied to black hair?

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  32. i'm assuming you're not a hair color virgin anymore since you said your hair was dyed black. if you get the dark brown shade, i'm afraid it won't color that much unless the look you're going for is super subtle. if you want a real change, go for the light brown, i don't think it will make your hair too light since your hair has been colored black :D

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  33. hey, :)

    does it make your hair dry after a couple of days?

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  34. its a bit drying, but this can be easily solved by applying conditioner everyday :D

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  35. hi I'd like to ask if you know whether these products work well on caucasian hair :) cuz I'm not Asian but I'd like to try any of these, thank you~

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  36. im sure this would work well with caucasian hair, and would have even color your better! it works just like any hair dye except its in foam form so its more fun to apply :D

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  37. Hi, bea. I find your blog about etude house's hair dye informative. I want to dye my hair for a change. I have black to dark brown hair (color changes under the sun) due maybe to a bench fix cellophane last march. What color should i buy if i want people to notice my hair color? Btw, my skin color is fair but yellow. Hope you could help out. Thanks!

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  38. wow thank you so much! :D
    i think since you're fair-skinned, most colors would work for you. natural brown actually works pretty well with ANY skin tone, and i love the hair color because it really changes your shade without it being too drastic.
    if you want to go for a bolder color, i do suggest trying the sweet orange or the wine red shade! i've been dying to try those shades out :D

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  39. Thanks, bea! I went to etude house megamall but all colors were out of stock! Stock replenishment is schedule this coming thursday so i have to wait for another week again to have my hair dyed. The excitement is so killing me. I think i'll go for the natural brown color unless I see how nice wine red looks on my friend tomorrow. I just can't wait! :-)

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  40. they are ALWAYS out of stock, lol everytime i pay a visit to etude house its very rare that they have it. good luck! :D

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  41. hi bea! im looking forward to dye my hair. im in my first year of senior high and my school doesnt allow students to dye their hair. i am planning to have dark brown. btw, i have never dyed my hair and it was black. what color do you suggest? i am planning to do it in my 2 weeks holiday

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  42. well since your school doesn't allow dyed hair, just go with your original plan! :) at least the effect won't be that drastic for a first dye job and you can always adjust next time you color your hair. good luck and i hope the results turn out well!

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  43. Hi! nagpacolor kasi ako ng dark blonde last week lang pero yung lumabas na color sa hair ko naging light blonde tapos yung babang part ng hair ko dun lumabas yung dark blonde shade sobrang frustrated ako :'( ang pangit ng hair ko. ang naisip ko lang na solution is yung etude bubble hair okay lang ba if gagamitan ko ng etude DARK BROWN bubble hair color tong hair ko para mag tone down yung color? Please I really need your help i think you're an expert on this thing :(

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  44. hi there! yeah that's a good solution! if your hair is a lot lighter now putting on a darker color will be nice bet. although from your story, the dark blonde made your hair uneven. putting on another color might still give your hair an uneven shade, but since its darker, it might not be that noticeable. :)

    my best suggestion for you is to go to a salon and have your hair color corrected though, if you have the cash to have it done. i suggest going to creations by lourd de ramos because they do an EXCELLENT job in color without being too expensive.

    good luck!

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  45. Your hair is so pretty! The directions seem simple enough.

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  46. aww thanks dear! the bubble hair coloring by etude house is very easy to use! :)

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  47. so can i still use this bc i have virgin hair? i want it to be a bit of a natural brown, but not too vibrant. is it okay to use this? thank you ^_^

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  48. of course you can! but if you want a more subtler color i suggest going for the dark brown because this shade lightens up your hair a lot.

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  49. Hi., i just had my hair rebonded and got a cellophane last july. Is it ok na magcolor ako? Thanks

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  50. oh i'm not so sure you should do that. since you chemically treated your hair, you should let it rest for awhile (rebonding is extremely tough on your hair too), maybe wait it out for 2 months.

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  51. Hi bea! Thanks for the review of Etude Bubbling Hair Coloring. Actually I've seen it last 2 months in SM Malls but when I asked the sales lady from etude if it's permanent dye, they told that washable DAW meaning after applying it and rinse my hair on the following day it would fade away. Is that true? Or how long it would stay on hair? I had my hair ordinary permed 1 week ago. Do you think can I use that product?

    I was convinced anyway to use that kasi that NATURAL BROWN was my choice.

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  52. Well from my experience,it took 2 months for this particular shade to fade. I do advice that you don't wash your hair for at least 2 days after you color it. I think its more of semi-permanent dye. My experience with the red shade was a lot more different,it faded after a month which is expected since red fades faster than other shades.

    I don't recommend coloring your hair so soon after you got it permed though,maybe wait it out for at least a month?

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  53. hi bea...have youu tried dyeing your hair red with this?if yes,do you have a picture with your red hair?i really wanted to know the effect of it because i wanted to dye my hair with that color and i have never tried dyeing my black hair..help please?

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  54. Yes i have! Its a really vibrant red BUT the thing is the color fades super quickly. Sorry i wasnt able to take a pic of myself :(

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  55. oh my gosh bea, haha.. i was looking for a hair color that wud look nice on me.. haha.. tpos pagscroll down ko sbi ko nlng c bea to ah.. hahahaha la lng ;) -Cory B.I.

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  56. hi ...plz tell me is it amonia free?am looking for a gentle yet effective hair dye for my mom..she is using loreal amonia free but not convinced with the results ..she is much prone to allergies

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  57. hi cory! yup its me! hahaha some stuff i do when im bored :)

    hi nami! i'm not so sure if its ammonia-free, try asking the SAs in etude house if it is. i've read in other blogs though that it is.

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  58. ate bea, this october 2012 ko lang na-dye ng mocha pink yung virgin hair ko, tapos nahahalata lang yung kulay pag nasisikatan ng araw..hindi talaga obvious, parang natural lng daw.. ang sabi naman ngayon ng isang SA sakin, yung natural brown daw yung piliin ko para mukhang tisay daw, babagay daw talaga sakin.. pero mukha kasi akong Arabian sa black hair eh. Ano sa tingin mo ate? Kung gagamit ako ng natural brown, sobrang tingkad ba ng kulay kasi hindi na virgin yung hair ko?natatakot ako baka kasi hindi bumagay sakin. Hahaha.

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  59. hey there! the mocha pink shade is really very very light so it won't be noticeable even if you apply it. hmmm i can't really judge what shade you should get because i haven't seen you, but the natural brown shade does lighten up your hair. try it out and if it sucks, well you can always dye your hair black again! :)

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  60. Hi, Bea! I want to try this product, but im wondering if it would be ok to dye my hair after permanent straightened it (with a non formol product). I mean, a week after the process would be ok, so my hair might rest of the other treatment?
    Thank you so much for the review, it helped me a lot. Greetings from Peru.

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  61. hi!
    I find your blog very helpful..I'm planning to dye my hair myself because going to salon is quite pricey since I have long hair but after I read your blog,I would definitely go for this one. Hope this would be available since it's always out of stock as you mentioned. Thanks for this review..more power!

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  62. ate, may tanong ulit ako. i dyed my hair dark brown kagabi lang, at dark brown tlga yung lumabas na color. uhm after a few months, pag lumabas n yung roots at kukulayan ko sya ulit ng dark brown, yung original na dark brown pa rin ba yung lalabas o lighter shade na since dark brown din yung kulay na papatungan nya?

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  63. Hi Andrea! Hmm...I don't think a week is enough of letting your straightened hair rest. I think you should wait at least 2 months before putting anything on your hair, or else you risk ruining it.

    Hi Jorgina! They usually restock at the beginning of the month just in case you go to Etude and they don't have it. Good luck and here's to cheap finds! :)

    Hi Anthea! When you dye your hair the same shade, its going to come out as the same shade. Your base before was black, and when you colored it, its still dark, so it won't lighten that much. Your hair becomes lighter over time if you use different shades. To maintain your color, I suggest coloring after every 2 months. I usually do it more oftener if my hair color is already uneven.

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  64. Hi i love this review
    I have searched about this.wow thats color really came out and so suit on you!! Looks so pretty
    So i just wondering ,should i use a whole bottle (i had a long hair) or i can use in a twice? Because i heard u can use twice an the color will more came out..i told that we shouldnt do anything after 2 months.. Its really confused me ;( i had color my hair about 6months ago and now dark roots just came out so i want to dye up my hair..what do u think?;)

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  65. Thanks! Im glad I was able to help :)
    Yes you should definitely use the entire bottle! You CANNOT re-use hair dye after its been opened.
    I think I understand why you're confused. Eventually your roots will grow and generate "virgin hair",which is why when you dye it again the color is uneven from root to tip. So what most people do is they do a first color,which is you apply the dye to your entire head. You'll notice that your roots will be lighter than the rest of your hair. to even out the color,they'll do a 2nd coloring after a day or two.
    I personally don't think you can use this technique with a bubble hair dye,since the way you apply it covers your entire head and not just a part. If you want to try this process,use other hair dye formulas where you can apply it sparingly.
    i hope I was able to help. good luck! :)

    Btw you can definitely dye your hair again after 6 months,you're only required to wait for 2 months.

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  66. i love your blog, it served its purpose for being very informative! im so excited to dye my hair tomorrow. :)

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  67. Wow thanks dear! :) good luck!

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  68. Ate bea auburn yung color ng buhok ko now. Parang red na brown. Pwede ko bang gamitin yung natural brown pang patong kasi gusto ko na ng bagong shade. And morena po ako. Bagay po kaya sakin? And kukulay po kaya?

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  69. bea, ive been wanting to try eh bubble hair dye. Im thinking if i should get dark brown or natural brown. Nagkulay kc ako ng dark brown a month ago pero mas umitim p ung hair ko.. Wat do u suggest??

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  70. Hi anonymous! Yes you can use natural brown, what it will do most probably is take out the redness of your former auburn shade. Hmm, how morena are you? If you're just on the Shamcey Supsup morena side, I think natural brown would suit you.

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  71. Hi Charisse! Any shade with the name "dark" on it can only do 2 things to black hair: it will either not have any effect or make your hair darker. So if you're going for a lighter shade get the Natural Brown so it will show. Good luck!

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  72. hi there. gumamit ako nito pero hindi talaga nag-effect sa akin. i have dyed my hair dark brown semi-permanent sa salon pero walang effect din and that was my first time. second itong etude house natural brown. wala talaga, unfortunately. hindi pa kasi naka-try ng bleach ang hair ko. what to do?

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  73. I dyed my hair and it was uneven... Can I use this twice in a day?

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  74. @jessa - i think the fact that you dyed your hair a "darker" color before is preventing the dye to color your hair. i suggest just using a lighter dye next time, like a light brown or something close to blonde to lighten up your hair.

    @anonymous - no, its really not advisable to re-use the dye. wait it out for at least 2 weeks then just dye your hair again.

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  75. hi, i just colored my hair with this yesterday Oct 20. but i am not satisfied with the result because it is not so visible. I used mocha pink and my hair is previously colored with chesnut brown. I want to color it again with natural brown as it comes out lighter like yours. How long will I wait before I can dye it again using bubble dyes?

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  76. hi eimareaj31! yes, the mocha pink really doesn't come out well even if you colored your hair. wait at least a month since your hair might be damaged.

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  77. Hii unni.. this might be a bit late but your review has helped greatly and it's pretty clear and concise, one of the best review I've read actually. I'm going to try the dye
    since it lookes amazing in your hair..xxxxx will this work on greying hair since my mum also wanted to try it?

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  78. Hi dear, wow thanks! I appreciate all the lovely comments and I'm still working on updating this thing because my sched is hard to work with. But thank you for the compliment :)

    I'm not so sure on the grey hair part, what I do suggest is for your mom to get the darker shade unless she wants to go light. Try asking the salesgirls as well if they know if the dye works on grey hair. Good luck! :)

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  79. hi po pwede po kaya to gamitin after rebond?

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Anything on your mind? Let me know!:)