L'Oreal Feria

[Lissy]

Hi! So, I've been looking at topics all day, and I can't really decide what I should do, I am hoping someone else can help me. I have long, dark brown hair, probably twice as long as when I last updated my profile. lol

Recently I was reading an article on job interviews and hair color, how they perceive you. Now, I have been out of medical school for a few years now, and no job. My license is almost expired, so I really need a job soon to renew it. I figured, hey, why don't I just try a different color and drop off my resume with a different color hair, and style it different then normal and see what happens. Please bear in mind that I graduated top of my class, and am WAY MORE then qualified for the positions I am applying for, so education and experience wise, there shouldn't be any issues. But I figure there's no harm in trying something different, maybe they just think brown hair is boring. *shrug*

Right now I have virgin hair (Oh my!). I don't want to damage it a lot, so I was planning on only dying my hair the once for the drop off/interviews and letting it fade out.

I bought a box of L'Oreal Feria #R48 Intense Deep Auburn/Red Velvet this morning. I am aware that with such dark hair it wont likely be the box color, I was hoping just for a nice burgundy color or something similar. I figure black is too close to my normal color, and I don't want to bleach it to be blonde, so a nice burgundy red would be pretty and different enough.

I've heard some not-so-great things about this brand after I bought it (I was going in looking for a different L'Oreal, but none of the shops in my town sell it, and this one had the closest color). I just want to know if it would do a lot of damage if I only use it the once, and how well it comes out. Their website says it fades out evenly over time, which I'm fine with. Just want to make sure. I don't mind having red hair for like 6 months if that's how long it's gonna stay in, I just want to know.

I was hoping to dye it tomorrow and pass out my resumes on Thursday morning, so if you would like to make an alternate suggestion, please make it something I could get at like Walmart or Target. :D

[FrozenBritannia]

Féria is a permanent hair colour, so no, it won't wash out or even really fade all that much, even six months later. To get rid of it you will have to grow it out. (Roots!)

That being said, if it is close to your natural, or you're not worried about dealing with roots, then I have heard good things about their reds. (Wouldn't go near the blondes if you've dark hair though, I've seen green!) I have used their browns in the past and liked them as well as anything else.

If you are looking for just a one time bit of colour though, I'd try and find a foam 6-8 shampoo out type.

[Salmonberry]

In my opinion, there's nothing boring about brown hair. Unless you are bored with it yourself, then I don't see any reason to change it because you think the people who are interviewing you will like another color more. I think, in an interview the goal is to show the best version of yourself. They're also going to be more interested in whether you're a good fit for the job and have the necessary qualifications. I don't think the decision making process includes any conversations like this: "I really liked her and she really is the most qualified, but she had brown hair, let's go with the redhead instead." But hey, I've never hired anyone so I could be wrong. :) Now I have heard that it's harder to get ahead in the workforce as a woman with greying hair (which I think is unfortunate) but I don't think anyone will perceive well styled natural brown hair in a negative way.

Now, if you really want to dye it because it's what you want for yourself, then keep in mind that some dyes are permanent, some contain bleach and will remove your natural color and some are deposit only dyes. Make sure you get a temporary deposit only dye if you plan to let it fade out. As far as fading times, it depends on the permanence of the type of dye you choose. I think there are temporary, semi-permanent and demi-permanent. I'm not expert, but I know that temporary is the most temporary. But, I've heard of people who use a temporary dye and can never quite get back to their original color.

Something else to keep in mind, if you've never dyed your hair before and it doesn't turn out the way you want, then it's just one more thing to be stressed out about before the interview.

[arcane]

It's permanent so it won't fade out. Also even though it's dark box dyes do have some bleach and will lift your colour to deposit the dye. You won't get your natural hair colour back. Just something to think about. I used that brand a lot when I was dying my hair because it didn't fade as weirdly for me as other box dyes did.

I don't know your natural shade but you may be able to get a nice slight colour from brands such as manic panic or adore or any other deposit only dye. Whatever you decide to use (if you decide to do it) do a strand test first, so you can get an idea of what to expect.

[patienceneeded]

IMO Feria is awful - it has some metallic salts in it or something and it reacts BADLY to pretty much everything. This is JUST my opinion. I used Feria once when I was in college and it was terrible. Of course, I had dyed my hair with other box-dyes prior to using Feria many times and after Feria many times. However, none of the other box dyes reacted the way Feria did on my head. All other dye experiences were positive (I was having fun and did not care about damage). It may have worked well for some, but I will never, ever, touch it again. It is permanent and will not wash out, so if it's too far off your root color you will have noticeable grow-out.

[feb26]

I used this brand 8 years ago for 3yrs -the color i chose to use was a pretty copper color. Like you, I've very dark (almost black hair)-it DOES show up, I recieved the nicest compliments & loved my new hair shade. Problem was, over time it goes brassy--my hair started to go rather orange. I had to cut to above shoulders & grow all new. That said, it's just hair--but it does take a v long time to grow back! I'd use a temporary wash out color & if you really like it, then go for it when you return to the store to buy another box.

[jillosity]

I used feria a few times back when it came out and it dried my hair out worse than anything I've ever used, and I've used everything on my hair at one time or another, it was worse than bleach! Brassiness happens when the deposited dye washes out and leaves you with only the "lifted" color. I had better luck with Natural Instincts and my hair liked it better too, if you really must color.

[akilina]

Eeeeek....I wouldn't do it.
If you must dye, go to a beauty supply store. Pick out a color you like (in DEMI permanent) and 10 vol developer only. If you have a scale at home it would be best to put the color in the bowl, tare it, and put twice the amount of developer:color. The box around the tube should say weather the mix is 1:1 or 1:2. Generally all Demis are 1:2 though.

I don't think I need to elaborate much on anything else about the permanent color because others already have covered that.

Feria is particularly damaging in my experiences, the metallic salts, and also usually permanent box color uses developer SOOO much higher than you really even need and that is why they can be so darn damaging. That is the reason why I do not like box dyes and am not an advocate. Its much cheaper (or about the same) to go buy yourself a tube of color that is usually 4 dollars, and a small bottle of developer that is not much more than 1 dollar. In doing this you have so much more control of the result and health of your hair when its all done.
Even if you had to buy a color bowl and brush or even just a color applicator bottle(because they have measurements on the side)..Neither of those things will cost more than .50 cents to $1.

[long&blonde]

Ferria is permanent haircolor.
It doesn't wash out.
I have dyed my hair myself,from 15 to 54,using single process drugstore permanent dyes,such as Feria. I got a lot of compliments on their shade called candlelight. Also they had a light golden caramel brown I liked a lot.
What my years of drugstore dyes taught me, overall, Clairol Nice & Easy is the best product out there, imho.
Nice & easy colors don't fade out to brassy/something other than what you first get, which has been my experience with all Loreal products and other clairol/revlon products. Nice and easy also "agreed" with my hair. Don't know how many times I deep conditioned my hair back from a rubbery textured mess after a L'oreal product ended up way too harsh for my 40 years of being dyed,tb length hair. Lol. But, me & my hair are still here.
That said, I don't think brown hair is boring either.
I'd maybe put together a new outfit for the resume pass outs and interviews. Hang in there and good luck!

[door72067]

I was red for many years and Feria was among the worst box dye I ever used, imho

I'm curious why you think it is your hair color that is keeping you from getting a job?

[ghost]

I used to use Feria, and I never had any of the horrible results that some people have reported, but it really wasn't better than anything else out there, either. Their blue-black dye worked pretty well for me at first (it faded like crazy though, to a more "natural" brown-black, which I have never ever seen in a blue-black hair dye before), but based on other people's experiences with them I don't think I would use them for any color other than black...too many wonky results. I second akilina's advice about going to a beauty supply store and looking for a hair color there. Especially a beauty supply store that also has a salon, if you can find one -the cosmetologists can help you pick a color and developer if there's anything you're not sure about. I like Sally's, but I'm not sure their employees are required to hold a license or even attend cosmetology school.
I highly recommend Wella hair color :)

[MonaMayfair]

I've never used permanent dye, apart from henna, but I've read more bad things about Feria than any other brand.

To change up the color of your hair most safely, you want a semi that lasts "up to 8 washes" Look for "no peroxide and no ammonia"
The dyes that last "up to 28 washes" DO have peroxide in them (a smaller amount than permanent dyes have) so you'd probably find your natural color had lightened a bit when they finally washed out.
Peroxide in hair dye isn't just there in blonde shades, it's to open up the hair shaft to deposit the color, so even black dye will contain peroxide.