Lush henna

[MeIAm]

Have bought a block of Marron lush henna now I need help!

I asked for one that would not make my hair bright red.

Have I got the right one? What do I do with it? Is my already reddish toned hair going to end up orange?!

[LegoCaltrops]

It won't go pillarbox red. It will likely go a bright chestnut colour (I have dark gold-light brown hair, & mine was a fiery chestnut with the marron). If you want a browner tone, try using some of the caca brun shade in the mix - maybe 50/50 & go from there.

Tip - I only realised recently, henna is easier to remove by washing with conditioner than shampoo. Try a big cheap bottle like Tresemme, massage a generous amount in well, repeat if necessary, then when you're confident you've got it out, use shampoo as normal.

And, get a plastic cap or someone to help you clingfilm it up. The warmth apparently helps the dye transfer. Wear an old t-shirt - I always had a specific one for hair dye day, as the Lush stuff drips like crazy, it's quite oily so a nightmare to get out of fabric... hair feels amazing after though!

[OhFuckOff]

Does the lush henna come with instructions and would anyone recomend different to the pack (leave longer or shorter etc). I've got hair not quite on my shoulder, is it also ok to use on hair that's already coloured with standard permanent hair colour?

[MeIAm]

Thank you Lego
I will probably buy some caca brun to mix and will try the conditioner tip! Is there a way to tell how much to mix? My hair is thick and just past shoulders, half a block of each?

Ohfuckoff I got given the instructions when I paid at till. Think it says leave for 2 hours but reading reviews people seem to leave it on a lot longer.

[Chimchar]

Not sure about the colour....my hair is boring dull brown and I use the brun. It turns a lovely rich glossy brown. It fades then to a more chestnuty colour. My hair is shoulder length and I use 4 blocks.

I'm going to do mine with noir soon.

When you mix it, do it over a Bain Marie to keep it hot. Mix it to the consistency of melted chocolate...it's easier to put on. I do it with my hands. If it's too thick, it's hard to spread.

There was a big lush henna thread on mumsnet a while ago.

Have a look too at YouTube. I got lots of good tips before I did mine for the first time. Good luck!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I bumped the huge Henna Thread

I've been henna-ing since Easter , before I was using a Superdrug dye and highlights (myself) my hair is short , cut every 5-6 weeks and I was box dyed every 3 weeks.
I started as brown and went pretty light coloured.....then I got bored , my hair became very unhappy with box dye so I went out on Easter saturday , had it scalped and hennaed that night .

My Before/After photo is dated 28 March.

I started brun then brun/noire , increasing the noire to 100%

Gradually cropping out the dye now my hair is soft, thick. I don't get the shine that other users get , but I'm 50 so my hair is menopausal with a good % of grey.

It Does intensify with use, I was a bit meh when I used the noire, it went red setter brown but now (I haven't done henna for a while, about 7 weeks) its really dark, Bourneville Chocolate brown.

Heat intensifies red but it needs to be warm to melt it and I really advice lots of clingfilm to contain it. Put some thick cream round your hairline and some cotton wool or tissue under the towel. I use clingfilm and a black hair wrap/turban.

Melt in a pyrex bowl over a pan of boiling water. I don't grate or chop mine, I only use 2 blocks. I keep stirring it with a plastic spoon (no metal with henna) and let it 'cook' for 15-20 minutes.
You want a thin, single cream texture.

I put a huge plastic bowl in the bath, lean my head in, apply (DD points out the missed bits) wear gloves .
Wrap and potter about, I do 4 hours.
I wash in the shower , use cheapie conditioner to remove it , then shampoo, then rinse the shower and put the curtain in the wash.

I love Lush Henna, my hair has improved 1000 times , but it is a faff and like all dyes , a commitment.
Its not as strong as regular henna, more a glaze but it does coat the hair.

It changes over the 48 hours after applying, the colour intensifies.

Always do a strand test. Then no surprises.

Good Luck.

[MeIAm]

I chickened out of doing it this weekend as I feel I may need to mix it with another.

Thank you so much for bumping the other thread, only on p2 so far but am making a note of any hints and tips!