Lockdown Beauty • DIY Root Touch Ups

Is your lockdown hair driving you bananas?

Mine resembles a scarecrow on a windy day.
My motivation to attempt to style it (and the rest of me) is at rock bottom.

For example, my current "look" (as I type this) is a pair of blue joggers, fluffy socks, a blue jumper, no makeup at all (yikes!) and a bandana.

The bandana is particularly fetching.

The unfortunate bandana situation is covering my desperately-needing-a-cut hair and my (gulp) GREY ROOTS.
Why oh why do I have NO grey roots at the back (where I couldn't see them and couldn't care less about them) and oodles around my face?

I have a feeling that we won't be making it to the salon anytime soon and I can't be bothered going out to buy a home dye OR (even if I had one) putting the home dye kit on.

SO...

I'm touching up my roots with root makeup.

I wanted to share my findings with you just incase you're in the same bandana boat as me!
(See what I did there! 😊)

{DISCLAIMER: I bought all of these products myself with my own money!}

My hair is undeniably a state!
It's in need of a good cut and a colour refresh, but my salon has closed down for the moment and I just need to get on with it.

Normally I'd have the home dye and the scissors out in a flash but I'm not in the mood so it's been a great opportunity to try some new touch up products.

The two liquid Josh wood touch up products are on the top half of this (messy) parting.

One the bottom is Magic Retouch by L'oreal and the re-touch crayon by Josh wood.

Let's break it down...

JOSH WOOD Blending Brush

Darker Blonde (shades 6.5-7.5)... don't go too dark!
20mls
£15
Lasts up to 3 washes

Pros:

Easy to use, especially around the front "halo"
A good colour for light brown to dark blonde hair
Makes it look like your darker roots are growing in and you have NO grey hairs!

Cons:

Expensive
Small volume that only lasts for a few applications

JOSH WOOD Root Smudger

Darker Blonde (shades 6.5-7.5)
38mls
£12
Lasts up to 3 washes

Pros:

Easy to use
Good applicator and delivery system
Good tone of colour

Cons:

Still pricey but better value than the brush

JOSH WOOD Root Marker

Darker Blonde (for shades 6.5-7.5)
2.5g
£8
To colour in stray greys!

Pros:

Convenient to carry in your bag for emergency strays

Cons:

Not a great colour
Waxy which leaves and ugly coating on the hair.
Only suitable for strays, not for touching up sections on the go.

For comparison I sprayed a section of my hair with a spray-on cover-up.

L'OREAL magic retouch instant root concealer spray

Dark Blonde
75mls (up to 25 uses)
£5.29
Lasts until washed out.

Pros:

Cheap
Quick and instantly effective

Cons:

Really messy!
Looks powdery close up
Colours your scalp
The colour isn't great (Not a natural root colour but okay to tie in with processed ends)

This powdery mess below is a closer shot of the Magic retouch powder by L'Oreal.
It looks okay from a distance but not so great close up.
Beware when applying as it goes everywhere and can give you extra age spots on your face!

UPDATE:

"Original result...

In conclusion, the Overall Winner is the Root Smudger.

The biggest volume for the lowest price.
A good colour and stays put... although not for 3 washes as claimed!"

Further use of this root smudge has revealed that the base tone must have a burgundy/pinkish tone because it's been pointed out to me a few times (luckily by family members and not Joe Public) that this product leaves a pink cast on the hair and scalp.

Despite using it carefully and as instructed it seems to migrate onto the scalp slightly leaving an unflattering and obvious cast.

I won't be using it again.