I Achieved Cherry Red Hair With This £12 Box Dye
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I don't know about you, but I've been seeing the cherry red hair colour trend everywhere — on the red carpet, styled by my favourite celebrities like Dua Lipa and Jorja Douglas from FLO and across TikTok, of course.
Hair experts claim that cherry red is the trending colour of 2024, with House of Keune by Bloom hair stylist Sophie Cabell telling POPSUGAR UK: "Unlike some brighter shades that can come across as too flashy, cherry red exudes richness and depth, enhancing [your] overall look."
Despite its sudden popularity meaning it's popped up everywhere, the cherry red hair colour isn't easy to achieve given its bright tones, and it's a colour many of us will feel like we need to take to the salon. But Bleach London's new No Bleach permanent vegan dye range is here to claim the look can be done at home on a budget.
Image Source: Getty Images/Samir Hussein Image Source: Getty Images/Marc Piasecki
About Bleach London's No Bleach Box Dye
What I Liked About Bleach London's No Bleach Box Dye
Before trying the colour, I was really impressed with the price of the box dye, retailing at just £12, meaning your hair colour transformation is affordable and accessible, as you can find Bleach London's products stocked in Boots and Superdrug as well as online. After consulting with the Bleach London team, using Dua Lipa's hair colour as a reference and keeping the natural black colour of my hair in mind, I was recommended Bleach London's No Bleach Vivid Red Permanent Kit (£12) to best achieve the look.
Don't get me wrong, I was slightly nervous, worried that my hair would lift to the bright red shade on the box, but since I was using the colour on my extensions, rather than my natural hair, the colour took longer to have an effect.
As per the instructions on the leaflet, you mix the formulas in the developer bottle provided and give it a good shake. This results in a creamy, strong-smelling, bright red substance which, luckily for me, didn't spill or splatter too much, making for a neat experience and less clean-up than I expected. As with any dye job, you should wear the gloves provided and use a salon cape or old towel to protect your clothes.
I let the colour sit for an hour and 15 minutes, checking my hair every 15 minutes to ensure the colour would take — this is purely because I was using the dye on my extensions, not my natural hair. If you're using the dye on your natural hair, you're advised to follow the instructions and the guide time on the leaflet provided. Then, I washed out the colour using the Keep It Sealed conditioner to protect my hair's cuticles. After a blow dry and styling session, I was beyond happy with the results — I finally had vibrant, healthy, cherry red hair.
What To Consider About Bleach London's No Bleach Box Dye
You'll need two boxes for a full head of colour, but since I only used the box dye for highlights, one was more than enough. They do recommend using the dye on virgin, natural hair, but I carefully used the dye on my extensions and was pleasantly surprised that the even colour took. In fact it lifted my hair to a cherry, wine shade after letting it sit for an extended amount of time.
For context, it's rare for box dyes to have an effect on human hair extensions without bleach, so this felt groundbreaking.
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Lauren Gordon is the editorial coordinator at POPSUGAR UK, where she creates lifestyle and identity content. Lauren has a degree in journalism from University of the Arts London and previously worked as a showbiz and TV reporter at The Mirror US. Lauren specialises in pop culture, hair and beauty, focusing on trends, sharing in-depth tutorials, and highlighting hidden gems in the beauty industry.
