This New Ash Range Of Hair Dye Works Well On Dark Asian Hair With No Bleaching Or Damage

By Rachel Yohannan on 29 Dec 2020

Senior Digital Editor

If you’ve tried dyeing your hair before, whether at a salon or through DIY-ing, you’ll know that it isn’t always easy getting colours to show up vividly on dark Asian tresses - especially if it’s “virgin hair” that has not been bleached or chemically treated prior. Achieving that dream hair colour thus takes lots of time, effort, and money - and don’t forget all the maintenance that comes afterwards, ‘cause chances are, your hair will become significantly drier.

But you don’t have to put yourself and your crowning glory through all that trouble with the right products. L’Oreal Paris Singapore has released a new Excellence Fashion Ash range of DIY box dye, which works well on dark hair without bleaching. It causes minimal damage too, as gentle, moisturising ingredients are used. We tried it out for ourselves, and here’s a review with “before” and “after” pictures.

Read on to find out more about L’Oreal Paris Excellence Fashion Ash hair dye in Singapore!

Photo from L'Oreal Paris

L’Oreal Paris Excellence Fashion Ash, as its name suggests, is a series of ash-toned hair colours. Currently, there are 5 shades to pick from, ranging from deeper browns to those with blonde-ish undertones.

Photo from GirlStyle SG

Though ash hair has been around for a couple of years now, it’s something timeless that always looks trendy and fresh. Unlike the regular browns, ash-coloured hair has a cooler tone that gives off an additional edginess, while remaining natural-looking and work-appropriate.

Photo from L'Oreal Paris

Aside from its ability to come through even on dark hair, one thing that sets L’Oreal Paris Excellence Fashion Ash apart from other DIY box dyes is the fact that it is specially formulated to protect and nourish at every stage of the dyeing process - from pre-colouring to during and even post-dyeing. This prevents your tresses from becoming brittle and grassy after it has gotten its new coat of colour.

Photo from GirlStyle SG

L’Oreal Paris Excellence Fashion Ash hair dye review + how-to:

Photo from GirlStyle SG

We tried out the L’Oreal Paris Excellence Fashion Ash hair dye in shade 7.17, and were pleasantly surprised by how simple it was to use - and how the ashy colour with a slight greenish tinge showed up well on our colleague’s dark brown hair. Check out the before and after photos above!

Photo from GirlStyle SG

Only a few steps are needed; All you need to do is combine the colouring cream with the developer and shake thoroughly to mix, swap out the bottle cap for the comb attachment, and you’re all ready to start achieving your dream hair colour!

The developer is infused with pro-keratine, which rebuilds and strengthens hair while the dye does its magic.

Photo from GirlStyle SG

You may think that a bubble dye might be more convenient than this, but the reality is that bubble or foam dye usually does not offer high coverage as their formulas are not as concentrated.

With L’Oreal’s non-drip formula and handy comb nozzle, you can evenly coat your hair without missing while separating your hair strands nicely for quick, fuss-free application. For optimum distribution, massage the dye in using gloved fingers.

Photo from GirlStyle SG

Once done, let your hair rest for 30 to 45 minutes before washing with lukewarm water. While waiting, you might want to put your hair up in a shower cap so that you can sit back and relax fully without dirtying your furniture.

Some other useful hair dyeing tips:

If you have thick or long hair, use 2 boxes of dye and section hair using clips for an easier experience
Put a towel around your neck before starting to prevent clothing stains, or don an old t-shirt you don’t mind soiling.
Work your way from bottom up for a more natural look
Avoid using soap to rinse the dye off as this might strip away some of the pigment

Photo from GirlStyle SG

Because L’Oreal cares about your hair, they’ve also included a protective serum as part of the kit. This is made with ceramide, which hydrates while forming a barrier against the dye chemicals so that your hair can absorb the colour without getting fried.

A special collagen conditioner that deeply repairs hair and helps it maintain a healthy shine is also thoughtfully included. Combine this with other hair care products like serum as part of your daily routine for best results.

Photo from GirlStyle SG

Most hair dye brands don’t provide pre-care or aftercare as part of their box kits, so it’s heartening that L’Oreal has taken this extra step to help ensure that the whole experience is as gentle and damage-free for our precious locks as possible. After all, proper care during all points of the dyeing process is what can make or literally break your hair.

Thanks to their strong professional salon expertise and deep understanding of women's hair, L’Oreal’s dye formulas are superior when it comes to providing not just colour, but also care from the start to the end of the whole dyeing process.

Photo from GirlStyle SG

True enough, our colleague’s tresses remained sleek, shiny, and not at all frizzy after her DIY hair makeover! And despite not having to use bleach, the edgy ashiness was prominent enough, almost like she had gotten it done at a salon. *hair flick*

Photo from L'Oreal Paris

If you’re not too sure of which of the 5 shades of the Excellence Fashion Ash range of dyes to pick, visit L’Oreal’s website for a virtual try-on first, so you can get an idea of how the various colours will look like on you before making the commitment.

Get the L’Oreal Paris Excellence Fashion Ash hair dye at Watsons Singapore for an affordable $19.90 per box.