Clairol nice'n easy Color Blend Foam disappointing

I color my hair monthly, which is time-consuming and messy. I was very excited when I read that Clairol nice'neasy was coming out with a new drip-free foam hair color. I was evenmore excited when I got a free box of it for liking them on Facebook.

After I received my free coupon, I looked at several stores before I found one that carried nice'n easy Color Blend Foam. I finally located it at Wal-mart. I looked at the shades available on Clairol's web site and there seem to be 18 shades to choose from. My Wal-mart carried about half of those so my color choice was limited. The color I chose was Dark Reddish Brown #4RB.

What's in the box

Inside the box there is 1 bottle of formula, 1 bottle of activator, 1 pump shaped top which they call the foamer cap, 2 packets of conditioning gloss, a pair of gloves and instructions.

Mixing

To mix, put the gloves on, unscrew the caps from the formula andthe activator bottles and pour the formula into the activator. Then putthe original cap back on the activator bottle and shake it well untilthe contents have all foamed up. Once it is completely mixed, replace the regular cap with the foamer cap. It needs to be screwed on tightly or it may not foam properly. Some foam will dissipate in the bottle and become liquid again during use but do not shake it with the foamercap on because it will splatter color everywhere. Trust me on this one:I was stupid enough to do it. The product will foam up as it comes outthe cap even if it has liquefied.

Applying

To dispense the Clairol nice'n easy Color Blend Foam, squeeze the middleof the applicator bottle, which pushes the foam out. Unlike regularcolor that isapplied to roots in small sections, thefoam is placed on the hair and then worked in like shampoo. It stillneeds to get all the way down to the roots for even coverage. Onceit is applied all over the hair, then go back and touch up the hairlineand the temple areas to cover them completely. The wait time is 25minutes with an extra 10 for resistant grays like mine. It is supposedto wash out by simply wetting until the water runs clear. After it isout, then apply 1 packet of the conditioning gloss that was included inthe package.

My Experience

My hair is about 2 inches past my shoulders, thick, and has resistant gray hair most of which is at the hairline around my face. This was one of the reasons I was so excited to try a foam hair color that would stay put and not drip.

The product squeezed out of the bottle easier than I expected, although for anyone who has arthritis or hand problems, this might be hard to do. The foam goes on light and airy as opposed to the heavy wet feeling I normally get when applying color. It was very hard for me to work it all the way through my hair, and down to the roots, and I was afraidI was missing spots. It is not like rubbing in shampoo, as described inthe directions, because you are trying to rub foam around dry hair andnot wet hair like you do with shampoo. I ended up having to push it downand squeeze it into my hair instead of rubbing it around. While thefoam does stay put once it is on, I found it just as messy, if notmore so, than regular hair color. The applicator did sputter a bit whendispensing the foam and the foam did squeeze out between my fingers whenI was applying it and some fell off.

The color has an interesting smell. I would say it smells like peroxidemixed with berries. It is not as bad as some hair colors I have tried,but also not as pleasant as others.

The color is very intense and stains skin quickly. I went back to applyit around my face as directed on the package and by the time I gotdone and went back to clean off extra that got on my face and ears, theywere already stained and it did not wash off. I also noticed there were multiple marks on the back of my neck where my hair was touching it after I applied the color.

I waited the 25 minutes plus the extra 10 since I have resistant graysand went to wash it out. Unlike traditional hair color that you get wetand lather it up to make it easier to wash out, this color does nothingwhen you get it wet. In fact, some of it had dried and left my haircrusty and matted. I rinsed it for a long time and finally resorted toadding shampoo to get it all to wash out, or at least I thought I got itall out. My hair felt terrible at this point. I applied the packet ofconditioning gloss and combed it through like I do when I addconditioner. Not only was there twice as much hair in the comb than normally falls out but there were also flecks of dried color onthe comb like chips of peeling paint.

Next came drying my hair and seeing what the results were. The color isrich and darker than what I expected. It also covered better than Ithought but despite my face and scalp being stained, it still did misssome of the grays along my hairline. There were also a few placeswhere I noticed a difference in color where, I assume, the foam did notpenetrate all the way through.

Conclusion

While I did get pretty good coverage and rich color, I do not think Iwill be purchasing this hair color again. I found it more difficult touse than other color products I have tried, and for me, it was just notworth the effort for the results I got.