Elumen?

**dropinthebucket** · July 23rd, 2010, 08:54 AM

Will post more detail soon, but my latest experiment was interesting/weird! dunno if this is any help loviatar - i went too dark with my first Elumen combo - it did shampoo out gradually (shampoo 12 and it was still sticking awesome over henna, only a half shade lighter than first app) - but then i got this idea to go over it with just a little of the one shade and some clear, to add gloss - and guess what? it displaced the previous elumen color! for some reason, the clear acted like return! could just be my hair... guess i don't need that return i ordered!

**Rini** · July 23rd, 2010, 11:13 PM

That is so weird!! What colour did you use with the clear? I would have expected it to deposit over the top of what you had and therefore go darker/change shade slightly.

Loviatar, yes, it would fade gradually but start off quite dark. Could be good if you want to see how your hair looks much darker and not have it permanently that way.

**dropinthebucket** · July 24th, 2010, 06:00 AM

just a quick note guys - i posted pics to my album finally! most of them are of Elumen - or maybe half of them - and i posted a detailed note about processes, colour combos i used, the texture after Elumen, how long it lasted, etc. as a thread - i think a mod moved it over to the Recipes and Henna section 'cause the first few are about henna, which i was covering over with the Elumen! anyway, just to let you know, pics are finally up and there are some strand test notes as well. thanks to everyone in this thread, especially IRIS and RINI, for their detailed posts and generosity in sharing their experiences!!!!! you girls rock!

**Marjolein** · July 25th, 2010, 06:27 AM

Thanks for the pictures dropinthebucket! Those are a real help!

I'm thinking of going back to my natural color, which is a medium to dark blond, but I don't think it is possible to get that somewhat yellowish color once you did henna right? I can probably only go sort of light ashy brown? I'd love to hear from you experts!!

**earthymamawitch** · July 25th, 2010, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by Rini

Hi guys! Update, all of the Elumen is gone from my hair now and I haven't done any colouring at all yet (still intending on using Redken though). My hair is looking and feeling really good actually, so I'm going to wait a while.

If anyone is interested, I have some Elumen available for sale. I've got FULL bottles of Clear (2 full bottles), Lock, BB@all, KK@all, NB@5, AB@6 as well as a bottle of Clean (a tiny bit used once), about 1/3 bottle of KB@7, 1/3 bottle of Return, 1/2 bottle of Prepare.

I really enjoyed the Elumen experiment and got some lovely results with ZERO damage to my hair. If you're interested in having a play with it, then send me a message

I'm happy to help with mix recommendations too.

dropinthebucket: How is your colour going?

I'm interested in getting some of the lock, return and prepare if you still have it.

Also does anyone have any RV@all they don't want, or has anyone tried this and have feedback on the shade??? Thinking of using some over my henna to bring out cool red tones.

Jenn

**Rini** · July 25th, 2010, 06:07 PM

Thanks dropinthebucket

....for everything! Your photos are great and very helpful. Such shiny hair!!

Marjolein, I think you could definitely get a dark blonde colour. You have henna now right? You'd need to counteract that with maybe some BB, Gn depending on how much orange you have. Then you'd want to mix in a bit of GB@9 for the gold tones. You could do it in two stages, or mix altogether. Either way, do hair ball tests first! I really do think that any hair colour is possible with Elumen (that's if it does not require lightening).

earthymamawitch, I think I might still have some lock and prepare. I will have to check.

I'm thinking of doing some more experimenting actually

I have some pure white parts in my hair (natural) which I'd like to blend a bit. I'm gradually letting the whites grow in, but would like to blend a bit with my blonde hair. I'm going to try some AB@6 and NB@5 mixed with LOTS of conditioner (like a dilution of 1:20). I just want a very light neutral stain on the whites. I'm going to do some tests today. Will update on the results here soon

**Rini** · July 25th, 2010, 11:12 PM

Well I've just finished the experiment. I mixed about 40-50ml of cone-free condish with one "dot" of AB6 and three "dots" of NB5. I left it on for an hour and then washed out. The result? Nothing!

Well, there's a reason for my tentative start here. I realised that I could not get a hair ball that is pure white to test this on. My hair is only pure white in patches, so when I shed, it's all the shades of white and blonde. I decided I'd test directly on my head and just up the dilution gradually. Hey no problem, it's not damaging!

So next time, I'm going to increase the amount of Elumen maybe 5 or 10 fold. I'm adding more NB than AB as I want a fairly neutral shade with no warmth and maybe a tiny bit of coolness (to blend with my ash blonde hair). I'll try this again tomorrow

**Marjolein** · July 26th, 2010, 04:00 AM

Woohoo! Thanks Rini!!

**Rini** · July 26th, 2010, 07:28 PM

Today's update: this time I mixed 1 part AB6, 2 parts NB5 and 6 parts CO. I put it on my roots for just 10 minutes (much stronger mix and I didn't want it to go brown!). The result is almost perfect!!

I got a lovely beige stain on my white hair, no hint of warmth at all, but it's also not too cool so as to look grey. I'm really pleased with it! It looks like a total natural pale blonde colour and blends beautifully with the rest of my hair.

Yay Elumen!!

**earthymamawitch** · July 27th, 2010, 07:02 AM

Ok from what I gather it is a good idea to do the Lock, so I am getting that... but from you guy's experience, is it necessary to also use the Prepare? Does it make a difference in the dye uptake and lasting power, or could I get away with a clarifying shampoo and citric acid or vinegar rinse beforehand? It's jsut that it's so expensive & I dont think I can afford all 3 pieces ya know?