Lush Henna - any advice?

[Kraggle]

I’ve just had my hair cut and am now thinking of getting it coloured to disguise the greys, I’ve been looking at the lush henna bars and am tempted to try caca rouge. Has anyone used them? Is it a real faff and pain in the arse for someone who’s never coloured their own hair before?

I use caca rouge, amazing colour and lasts for ages! Henna can be a bit of a faff to put on but the advantage is you can leave it on for ages- even overnight

O and mix strawberries/coffee or something in for a nicer scent

It smells utter shit. Essential oils help

Colour is beautiful and 3 dimensional and last a while.

The preparing it is a faff but just pretend to be a mad scientist. Always look on the bright side lol.

Also its messy as hell and if you wrap it in clingfilm it makes the colour redder.

The greys will be orange. Unlikely to be red. Vinegar (though makes it smell even worse) is meant to help it stick to the greys

I regularly colour my hair, used this once and never again.
Was an absolute pain in the arse to prepare and apply and wash out and it blocked my shower drain. I have bought some other preprepared henna stuff off amazon and will give that a try.
Oh and the lush henna is fucking expensive and it didn't have any affect on my hair!

I’ve just done mine this weekend caca marron. Grate the bar first then add boiling water and keep the bowl in a sink of hot water. Also, as this cools, the lumps tend to fall as you’re still doing the rest of your head, so put something down on the floor! Also Vaseline your hairline. And a fresh clingfilm roll to wrap your head once done. Colour is amazing despite faff, I’ve not been able to replicate it from boxes.

Good luck!!

Wrap in old carrier bag then shower cap. My greys went orangy red but I liked it.
Remember you can’t dye over henna so it’s a commitment. It’s easier to grow out though as the line is less harsh due to fading.

Vaseline round your hairline and ears.
Um...
Will make your hair lovely and shiny.
Takes ages to shower off - rinse for ages, shampoo, rinse again etc. Will still smell slightly henna-ey but not awful.
It’s great stuff! Enjoy!

Don't do it! I just use henna powder, far less of a faff!

Why cant you dye over henna? I use the caca brun henna from lush amd a month later dyed over it red from arctic fox and the colour is vibrant and even.

The colour is really great, & totally works with any natural highlights you have.
It does make hair appear thicker.
It doesn't damage the hair.

BUT...

It takes literally hours to do. I used to keep mine on for 4 hours.
It doesn't fully fade out, ever - you have to grow it out. Big commitment.
It smells pretty rank when you use it, and for a couple of days after.
It drips. A lot. I used to keep a top just for henna day. You need to keep a wad of tissues handy, & a bin close by.
(That's right, you need a day to do it.)
It takes a while to apply as it's pretty thick.
If it starts to dry before you get it all on, it sort of forms little balls which fall off & stain everything. Everything.
It takes ages to wash out. Conditioner is more useful than shampoo at this stage, TBH.
If you use clingfilm, the reds are more intense.
If you don't use clingfilm... bye bye nice furnishings.

It's crap. If you have thick hair, it's a nightmare. You'll never get it on evenly enough.

I use henna powder, it's so much easier to use.

I had mid brown hair and ended up ginger.

I actually love the smell! It's a bit faffy and messy so best done naked. When done wrap well in cling film and it'll be fine. I do mine in the evening then go to bed so don't have to wait all day. Jus put a towel down on pillow.

Definitely grate it to help it dissolve.

I'd recommend this www.henna-boy.co.uk/henna-powders/organic-henna-powder-oct-2017-crop for covering greys. The Lush henna just never really did it for me whereas the henna boy henna covered every single grey. It was horrifyingly orange when I first washed it off but darkened over the next few days and got darker with further applications.

I use my nutribullet (other blenders available) less of a Pita than grating and better than breaking not chunks.

It's a mess and smelly but god it made my hair so gorgeous and shiny!!

I've used this and pure henna powder and I find pure henna powder is much easier to use and better colour. I get mine off amazon.

I don't grate it, just break it into big lumps, pour on hot water and break it up with a fork. I've got the hang of applying it with my head upside down over the bathroom basin (hair is only shoulder length but very thick) so the mess is contained. Shower cap, tight towelling turban, no mess while wearing it, I usually sleep with it on. Shower it off.

I've used it on and off for years. No need to grate / chop - just break off a few squares (3 is enough for my bra-strap length average thickness hair), put in a deep bowl and pour boiling water over. It'll soften in a few mins (I go and prepare the bathroom while it does its stuff), so you can then scrape away the top of the blocks and mix, then add a bit more water to the solid bits of the blocks left and repeat.

I have dyed over it with no ill effects. The dye (supposedly permanent) did fade out though after 8-12 weeks. I've decided to go back to henna as I miss it. It's worth the hoo-ha.

@MeetOnTheLedge - that's a genius idea about doing it over the basin. My hair is a little longer than yours so I will try it over the bath instead.
I do mine in the evening before bed. I wrap in cling-film and then pop an old beanie hat over it to sleep in. I find that the weight of the henna means that my head is too heavy to do it during the day - it hurts my neck to stay upright