Directions/Manic Panic dye at home - help pls!

[SilkStalkings]

I have a hankering to put silver streaks at my temples (I have mousey cool-toned hair.) I was thinking of chunkily highlighting the temples then handpainting them with Directions or Manic Panic dye. I am aware that silver is about the hardest colour to achieve and that conditioner will affect take up.
My question is at which points in the process do you use conditioner? Can I do the one that comes with the highlighting kit without it affecting the dye take up? Should I wait a day or so before dyeing? If so, should I wash it in between? Would I use conditioner then? Also the dyes say to use pH balanced shampoo - what for this actually mean?
TIA for any advice.

I haven't used manic panic so I don't know about that but I've used directions loads. After highlighting, once your hair is dry, you can use directions, it doesn't take especially well to wet hair in my experience. I personally wouldn't use conditioner on the bit your wanting to dye as the direction dye is conditioning itself so will still leave your hair feeling nice. Silver is very hard to achieve so good luck!

I have been trying for ever to get silver/grey in my bleached-white hair and have failed miserably using both directions and crazy colour. The closest I've come was a sort of Daz whiter than white blue tint... I've now given up and am sticking to blues, greens and lavenders

Thanks. If course, it all depends on how co-operative DH is feeling as he would be doing all the work!

I've only ever done directions in purple but I always bleach it, rinse and then put the directions straight on after a towel dry (using foil if streaking as the 'plum' is evil and colours anything and everything it can possibly touch bright purple). I condition after rinsing that.

I was thinking about doing my fringe for a while, but chickened out because my hair is very fine and flimsy.

I wouldn't bother with directions - I'd just hit it up with various home bleaching kits (it may take a few goes, you will need nerves of steel and hair of steel too) and overlay with the palest ashy blonde I could get. Alternatively you could overlay with a temporary pale ashy toner or semi permanent.

Your hair will be fucked eventually regardless of how strong it is, so do make sure you hit it up with some hefty conditioners.

Have you seen Bleach London? They now have a range in Boots that is surprisingly affordable. Have been dyeing to ask someone what it does on white hair.

bleachlondon.co.uk/shop

I had silver hair, and used directions to achieve it. Bleached it white, then put silver over the top- it's navy in the pot- don't panic that washes out! I never used a fancy shampoo.

Rinse and dry as usual.

You can also use lilac/violet mixed with white conditioner to put a tint in. I find that helped it look more silvery :)

I've had to go back to my natural colour now, the constant lightening to keep up with roots ruined it in the end :(

Catswiththumbs you and your hair look beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Cats, very jealous of your hair colour . No idea why my hairdresser and I haven't been able to achieve it

Thanks all. Spent a fun afternoon/ evening with DH on highlighting and silver-painting duty but couldn't get them light enough for the silver to show up much. However, they are definitely not gold so that is better than nothing.
Next job will be for DH (who throughly enjoyed himself it has to be said!) to lowlight the rest of the hair with a permanent cool dark brown to draw the eye to the lighter sides. Can wait til after Crimbo for that though.
Have a good week folks x