Frederic Fekkai is my go-to hair care line when I do something naughty to my hair. I became a full fledged beauty editor when his salon really hit big and his product line was first launched, so perhaps I have a soft spot for anything Fekkai related. But nostalgia aside, his Protein Rx
So, when finances began to get tight, I decided to try my hand, once again, with at-home color. This time, however, I was going to spend a little more and go for the good stuff. I was going to go with Fekkai. It’s a bit of a financial commitment $30 a pop, but I’m still saving coin.
Frederic Fekkai’s color system
But–and this is a big but–it’s hard to manage the brush-and-bowl application on your own, particularly when trying to reach the back. To ensure even coverage, I recommend partnering up with a pal for a hair color party. Or, you can have your significant other do the work. Manly Man Husband could have quite a career as a Fekkai colorist.
The scent of the color is much milder than the usual at-home suspects, and the color definitely did less damage to my hair–no breakage or dry, split ends in sight after use.
However, after about four weeks, it seemed like the blond color I chose was turning brassy. Another color application (roots for 30 minutes, whole head for 5) seemed to remedy the situation, but once again, at the end of 4 weeks, the color went back to the brass. So, I decided to switch my color from blond to red because the brassiness was getting on my nerves.
I have to preface this with a disclaimer–red refuses to stay in my hair. Even when I have it salon done, permanent red will simply wash right out. When I was in college, my stylist gave me a gorgeous red color that promptly turned pink after a week.
So armed with my hard-knock red-head knowledge, I decided that I would not wash my hair for FIVE days to try to let the color set. I bought his at-home glaze to use to try to keep the color vibrant and protected. I even left the color on for 15 minutes longer than the directions recommend (based on the helpful advice from the Bloomingdale’s sales woman).
But after simply rinsing the color out of my hair, I had a strawberry streak in the front right section as the blond peeked through. Poor Manly Man Husband thought he missed a pretty big spot, but the next hair wash was even more telling–more strawberry streaks, even after waiting FIVE days to wash it. However, the good news is, after about three weeks, it’s not pink. It actually looks almost natural. I am curious to see if the color rinses out in the next go-around.
For the price, it’s quite a financial commitment compared to the drug store colors out there, but I am still saving money with the DIY process. Even though I seem to be having some problems with the color at the end of 4 weeks (and I wonder if the brassiness of the blond had to do with the color rinsing out), it’s around the time that I should be re-coloring anyway, so it’s something I can live with.
The lack of damage to my hair is what blows his cheaper competition completely away. For this alone, I think it’s worth the significantly higher price point.
