Monday 24 January 2011

Clairol Nice'n Easy Foam Dye

When I switched from using semi-permanent to permanent hair dyes my dye of choice quickly became Nice'n Easy in Medium Ash Brown (5A). I think I first found the recommendation on a forum and despite the occasional dalliance with other brands, I have pretty much stuck to this one. So, when I spotted that they had brought out a new foam formula I was keen to give it a try, especially after my success with the other foam dye.

I picked my usual colour, Medium Ash Brown and you probably already know about what happened in terms of the colour from my other post. I don't want to dwell on that here, as a seasoned home dye-er it's happened before and I wouldn't necessarily dismiss a colourant because of this. I'd just be more careful with colour choice in future. What I wanted to talk about here is my experience with the application. In particular, in comparison to the original non-foam formula and the John Frieda foam I have used before.

Before




First of all, the instructions in the packet are not as thorough as I have to come to expect from home dyes. There was no mention of how to use it to colour roots only or different times for stubborn greys. The foam was easy to prepare but I found that it didn't seem to mix very well. The foam isn't very stable and dissipates quickly. As a result the dye didn't mix evenly within the foam. Also, because the foam dissipated quickly, it was tricky to apply and tiny splatters went everywhere as the bubbles burst. I hadn't covered my bathroom as I was expecting it not to be messy and I quickly regretted this. A week on and there are still signs of my escapades!

Although the foam didn't remain foam for long, I experienced no problems with drips once it was applied. I have never experienced drips though with the original Nice'n Easy formula though and to be honest I prefer the original formula for easy of application. I didn't feel confident enough to comb my hair through with the foam, especially as it seemed to knot my hair up as I applied it.

It didn't have some of the nice extra that I liked about the John Frieda foam. It had the usual unpleasant dye smell and the gloves were the regular cream variety. These are not deal breakers of course but worthy of note. The other thing that I noticed was the usual tube of ColourSeal Gloss conditioner was absent and had been replaced by two sachets. Again, not a major deal in the grand scheme of things. I would assume that the Clairol ColourSeal Gloss conditioner that you can buy separately is suitable for use with these dyes.

I left the dye on for the recommended time and then started rinsing. I found my hair felt strange and was very tangled. This was sorted once I applied the conditioner but it did make it difficult to rinse my hair thoroughly and I found that a lot of hair broke off whilst I was trying to rinse. I also discovered afterwards that a lot of dye had remained on my scalp. It took several washes to remove this.

After





As you already know my hair came out much darker than anticipated. I did find that my greys were covered well and my hair looks glossy and in good condition. Though it's not quite a soft as it normally is with the non-foam version. When taking the 'After' photographs from the side I thought that the colour looked a little uneven. I had already quizzed my husband about whether it looks patchy but he's says not and I cannot see it myself so I'm hoping that this is just an artifact of the photographs.

My overall experience of this dye has been disappointing. I was especially disappointed as I have always got on well with the original formula. I think the foam still needs a bit of tweaking and I hope Clairol will reformulate this one. For now, I will stick to the regular Nice'n Easy formula or use the John Frieda foam. I am aware that hair dye is a bit like marmite though and I would recommend looking at other reviews before you make a decision. I would also be really interested to hear if you've used this foam dye and how you've found it?


Disclosure: This was sent to me without payment for review purposes.

41 comments:

  1. I think that is really bad that it ended up breaking some of the hair and also leaving dye on the scalp. When I go grey (which I am sure is looming) I'll be staying far away from that. My mother always says that you can't beat getting your hair coloured at a salon and nothing you buy would give the same results, do you think thats the case?
    When I had a lot of breakage that more intense Shu range Silk Bloom (the green one) was good, quite heavy but made my hair a lot better x

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  2. Nice 'N Easy is my favorite hair dye, and I couldn't wait to try the new foam formula. Sorry it disappointed )=

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  3. @Replica: The breakage isn't great. I lots such a lot of hair which is a nuisance. Thanks for the suggestion of the Silk Bloom. Ironically I got some colour protecting products to try. I'm definitely going strip it out as it's just making me miserable. I think I might get it coloured by a hairdresser then.

    I think your Mum is probably right that the home dyes are as good as a salon trip but I think you need a good colourist. With moving about so much, I never really know the good places to go. I saw a salon was offering a 'colour sale'. I can't decide if this is a good or bad thing!!

    @GABY: Have you tried the foam already? How did you get on with it?

    Jane x

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  4. smells disgusting compared to other dyes! it was on offer in superdrug so thought id try it out! was terrible!! faded quick and snapped loads of my hair at the back.....great!!!

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  5. Hi Emma, that's really interesting that it caused your hair to break too. I think this formula really needs some tweeking. Sadly mine isn't fading quickly at all. It's always the way when you want it to, I suppose!

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  6. I just tried the Nice 'n Easy foam this weekend as I have used the traditional Nice 'n Easy formula in the past and have been satisfied. I experienced similar disappointment that you did. The product was messy and not easy to apply. I was surprised with how dark my hair came out as well. I used the medium golden brown and my hair is now as dark as yours with a reddish tint - not what I was expecting. I still have dye on my scalp and a spot on my arm where I dripped during application. Usually I am not in a rush to rinse my skin since a few minutes wasn't a big deal with the old formula. Big mistake with the foam! I won't be buying this again.

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  7. Disappointed...your review was spot on. Messy, doesn't perform as foam...don't they test this stuff before it goes on the market?

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  8. Hi wish i had read this before using the nice and easy foam. The colour was much darker than before but the worst bit is the staining! All around my hairline i have a very dark brown "tide mark" and if i scratch my head my nails are black. I only used it last night but i am going to have to wash my hair loads today not to mention the exfoliating i'm going to have to do on my hairlilne and neck where it dripped!!

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  9. I'm sorry that you both had bad experiences too. I still have stains in my bathroom from the episode.

    It's funny you should mention the black under your nails because that was the same for me and I still had dye coming off my scalp a week later. In the end I used ColourB4 to get rid the dye as it showed very little fading 4 weeks on. I hope you manage to get the colour off your hairline ok.

    Jane x

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  10. I just tried the dark brown formula for the first time today and my hair came out black... Not only that but my skin is now dyed black and on a person with really light skin well... Also like many of you I have some dye that is stuck under my nails.. Luckily i saved the floor where some of the formula feel to the ground... I wish that would have fallen on my hair instead because I have a lot of places where my old hair colour is coming through...

    Needless to say I won't ever be using this product again.....

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  11. I am totally UNIMPRESSED! Messy is the understatement, in all the years I have been self colouring this is the first time I have ended up looking like some kind of patchwork quilt!! I have it everywhere! I used no 7, dark blonde. The foam is nowhere near as it appears on the box pictures, it is sloppy and splats out everywhere as soon as you touch it. There is no way you can control where it goes or ensure you have as complete a coverage deep down by the roots where you need it most as with the old applicator. I have it on my walls, sink, look seat cover and floor... at least I match my bathroom though as I also have purple patches down the side of my face, across my ears, down my arm, over my shoulders etc etc. As for the 'soft damp towel' to remove it from your skin, ha ha, believe that and you believe anything! Oh, and in case there is any doubt, I will NEVER use this product again!! Pity there is no direct contact to Clairol on the box but perhaps it is no wonder!

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  12. I had pretty much the same experience with the foam this morning. I like how it covered the grays, I think that was better than the regular nice and easy, but it was not worth the complete drippy mess all over me and my bathroom. Also I have pretty fair skin and used medium golden brown-I now have brown stains all around my hairline and ears-NOT attractive. Also it did not rinse off well and it still all over my scalp. Definitely disappointed and will not use again.

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  13. I had similar experiences - on the TV advert, the foam looks thick and creamy - in reality it was sloppy and difficult to apply evenly - it went EVERYWHERE and my bathroom is still showing the evidence. Also I had to use both sachets of conditioner as 1 was not enough for my mid-length hair. I certainly won't be using this one again - will return to my regular brand.

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  14. Same thing - tried it because it looked like it would be easier but was a real mess. I did manage to get it off my new floor tiles when it splashed all over, but I am still stained from my head to my toes! Also, I agree that it covered the grays pretty well but is not worth the mess. One last thing - on me, it shines orange in the sun which I can't stand.

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  15. I WISH I READ THIS BEFORE STARTING! sitting here waiting for development time to be up! What as mess I have so far! Will never buy this again.

    Sue

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  16. I wish I had seen this before I made the mistake of trying the Nice and Easy Foam. I too am a Medium Ash Brown that is now shoe polish black!!! It's by far the worst product I have ever used from Nice and Easy. It was the first and last time I will ever use it.

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  17. OMG! this was a disaster! I too wish I had read this before spending the money on this product! I used dark brown after reading last post scared to leave it in for full time! Praying roots won't be darker also as I found out also that there is no way to do root touch up! Sorry nice and easy this is a bad product!! Going back to the old fashion product that left more on my hair and less on my counter top...OH and anyone with arthritis in your hands forget it bigger mess!

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  18. The commercial made it look so easy. I used the light golden brown and it came out closer to dark brown. It left spots on my scalp that took days to fade and my hair still has that strange, beer-like odor even after almost 2 weeks. I will never use this product again.

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  19. I saw several coupons for this and figured I'd check it out before buying and trying, even at a discount. Thanks so much for your review and pictures! I used to use Nice n' Easy all the time, then started using Perfect 10 with the idea it was healthier for my hair, but it doesn't last nearly as well. I wanted something better at covering grays longer, so I was going to go with Nice n' Easy again. I'll stick to the regular formula! I'm curious how long and well the John Frieda foam worked for you, though---is this the first time you colored it since that November JF dye?

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  20. Hi blue, yes this was the first colourant I'd used since the JF. The John Frieda worked well for me, although some of the greys popped back up after 2 or 3 weeks, the main colour lasted very well with minimal fading and no brassiness (a pet hate). I was really pleased with it. The foam formula is world's apart between these two which I was really surprised about. I hope that helps.

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  21. I have been using Nice'n easy for years. Today was my first experience with the Nice'n easy Foam and I HATED IT!! It was sooooo messy. I had foam everywhere, and it dripped and dripped. My bathroom was a total disaster. My skin was stained from the hair color, I never had this problem before!! And believe me; I know what I am doing when I color my hair. No mess no problems until now! I like nice'n easy hair color but I will NEVER use the foam or recommend it to anyone.

    Tips for Foam hair color. Stand in your shower naked to apply, be prepared to stand there for 25 minutes. Otherwise you will drip on your smock or floor. The whole idea about squeezing bottle for the foam to go in your hand is a joke. This is a watery mess, not thick foam like a mousse. This is flimsy watery foam. I ended up just squeezing the foam directly onto my hair to avoid the drips from hand to head. UGH!!!! HATED IT!!!

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  22. Hi, I was just looking at reviews for this product and this is the first site I've seen with so many negative reviews O.O" I'm starting to wonder if the product is a huge DUD. I would just like to ask a Q. for everyone who used this product, how many times did you shake the bottle ? And did you shake it whilst using it ?

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  23. Hi Annie, it's been a while since I used it so I can't remember the exact number of times that I shook it. It would have been in line with the instructions. I don't think I shook again during application, I can't really recall. The problem with this formula is that the foam isn't stable. I've used other foams and they were totally different. Once dispensed it starts breaking back down to solution, hence the mess!

    I'm hoping that they re-formulate this one.

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  24. I too wish I had read this before using. Has anyone spoken with Clairol? I phoned today. So far refund for the $8. Recommended using 2 more products to get it stripped and begin moving back to brown. Problem is waiting weeks in between treatments. I emailed also and will keep you posted.

    NQ

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  25. Just my two cents, but I had the same experience Modesty Brown had. Messy, thin foam (that actually did drip for me), more skin dying than normal, too dark for what it should have been, and the roughest texture that I have ever had with a home dye. I'll definitely need to condition my hair with leftovers from my prior dye kits. Plus, it smells like rotten fruit and did not rinse out well, never was able to make it rinse clear. I would definitely recommend using the regular formula, the foam did not make the process any easier, actually worse.

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  26. Lol at all the reviews, I came online to see if I had done something wrong when using this product.
    I have been home colouring for years and this is the worst colour I have ever used. I am smothered in hair dye, up my arms, my scalp my hairline my ears, you name it I got it there lol.

    I agree about the instructions as well, no use if you are just doing your roots.
    I am wondering if they rushed this product out to compete with John Frede.
    Just to add it made my scalp tingle? I normally use Garnier Nutrisse in Med Brown, I am going to return back to that as soon as this colour fades, I sued Dark brown and my hair is nearly jet black!!

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  27. I totally agree with the comments about nice and easy. I used medium ash brown and my hair was practically black! I managed to pick up a product that night from asda called colour b4 and this worked a treat. Although I'm not the colour I was prior to dying it, it lightened my hair but still kept my grey covered and you can apply a colour straight afterwards

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  28. Firstly use the gloves to those with stains. I think this product is great. I've had no problemsand I've used it for months, I agree the smell is terrible but not everything is perfect. I wiped away the marks on my hairline when the dye ws setting in my hair = perfect results! I rrccomend this product.

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  29. This product is terrible. I used the medium brown and my hair is jet black. I've used nice and easy for years so I assumed the color would be close to the original, but this is a terrible step backwards for clairol. Its dull, flat and black, not at all what was advertised. The foam did break down to liquid when applied, but I didn't find it any different to apply than the original formula. My hair did feel more damaged after using it. My hand could not move down my hair when I was rinsing. Don't buy this!

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  30. how long do you leave in the dye?
    instructions and box savagely destroyed by kids......:(

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  31. I found their instructions online here. It says 25 mins, add 10 more mins for resistant grey hairs.

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  32. I just trashed my own hair last night with this nice 'n easy color foam. I have successfully dyed my own hair many times with other brands, using basic "medium brown" colors to get close to my natural shade. After using the nice 'n easy "medium brown," my hair is literally black, the color is uneven, some of my gray still shows and I can't get the stains off my face! I will never use this product again and I am trying right now to figure out how to lighten the color without damaging my hair.

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  33. I used this product tonight and my hair looks fine. I did not have any issues with it dripping. It came out thick and I even tilted my hand to see if it would drip, it did not. My hair turned out the same color it does when I use other brands. I didn't leave it in for the whole 25 minutes. I only left it in for 15 minutes. It did smell like old beer and my scalp did feel hot after. But other than that it is a ok product but not amazing. Oh and I used Medium Ash Brown.

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  34. Interesting, I wonder if this indicates that they have reformulated it now. I anticipated that they would improve on it, I tried it back in January when it had first been released. I'm pleased to hear you got on with it ok.

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  35. Hi, I just used this product two days ago, and I still have crap coming out of my hair and have black crap under my nails. It made a huge mess on my skin and we had to use nail polish remover and tooth paste to get it off my skin. My ears continue to get brown dye on them two days later. I feel like this stuff is going to continue to rinse out of my hair. It even stained the bottom of my tub from rinsing it out. My hair was rinsed 4 separate times and still had brown stuff coming out of my hair. Now I am wondering, if I color over it with something else, is this stuff still going to be coming out of my hair?

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  36. I used the same 5a colour as you and had the exact same experience and result. My hair went black after 18 mins, knotted, broke and came out in clumps. It was impossible to apply evenly and the colour didn't mix well despite repeated shaking of the bottle. My bathroom counter is covered in dots and blobs. The result is an overall disaster. I'm writing to Clairol to tell them how badly this product performs.

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  37. I liked the foam application and thought it wasn't as messy but my skin is stained and I can't get it off. I will try the toothpaste and nail polish idea but it sounds dangerous. Does Clairol recommend anything else to remove the skin stains?

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  38. Hi Anon. I would NOT recommend using nail polish remover at all. I shouldn't think it would help to remove it as the dye stains the skin cells and acetone isn't a stain remover particularly. You could always try calling the advice line that they have in the instructions. To be honest, I think you just have to leave it and it will disappear of it's own accord. Anything else is likely to make your skin sore. I hope it fades quickly for you.

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  39. Wow. So wish I had read all of this before using Light Golden Brown Foam. Had used light golden brown nice'n'easy before and came out with a nice color with reddish highlights since my hair grabs the reds. Well, needless to say this product sucks. They should this beautiful foam, when in fact, it's runny and smelly. My hairline looks like I have fleas, or at least the dirt from fleas. And it's soooo dark. I'm very fair skinned and look ridiculous. I'm going to call Clairol tomorrow to complain but that doesn't help that I look awful. Thanks for letting me vent.

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  40. sturmo - lincolnshire28 March 2012 at 20:39

    I have used this foam on three separate occasions (Light Auburn 6r) I am very satisfied with the colour. I think you have to apply the foam to your hair fairly quickly before it starts dissipating. I didn't apply it into the palm of my hand, but directly on to the roots of my hair. No tangling of my hair was experienced and I sectioned it with a tail comb. I have very thick hair and I would say it's a little bit longer than short, but definitely not shouler length. I made sure most of the surfaces in the immediate vicinity were covered as I would with any hair colour. I had a wodge of wet toilet paper handy and wiped away spills immediately and didn't experience any staining. A tip I received from my hairdresser when I used to have my hair coloured professionally - to remove dye from round the hairline, neck etc. - spray some hairspray on a ball of cotton wool and rub gently. I have found this to be successful. I can't say I noticed the foul smell. Perhaps it's not the most convenient hair colour I have used, but generally speaking I would give this produce 7 out of 10.

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  41. I would give this product a minus 10. I have used the Nice 'n Easy medium brown regular formula with great results. I used the foam last week and my hair turned almost black. I went to a hair salon within 2 hours. They did something called a varnish and toned the color, but now 3 washings later the black is quickly reappearing. What a disaster!!!

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