REVIEW: Hortaleza Hair Color: Light Havana

Feeling adventurous? Want to revamp your look? why not try to dye your hair?

A colleague of mine introduced me to the line of  Hortaleza hair dye last year and since then I always go back to Hortaleza. (Especially when I don't have much to spend :p ) 

Products:
Hair Dye- Light Havana 8.5 – P105/60ml tube

12% Oxidizing Lotion – P30/60ml bottle

Total: P 135

Hair Dye-Light Havana 8.5

Chemicals that can cause allergies: Ammonia, phenylenediamine, resorcinol, aminophenol

Consistency: Cream

Smell: strong (not for people with sensitive noses and could last up to a week)

Size: 60ml

Others:

Hair dye brush – P19

Clips – P26

Mixing bowl – P22

Teasing comb- P25

Over gloves – P48.50

Total: 323.50 (w/ dye & oxidizing lotion)

Hortaleza Light Havana is a really cheap product but VERY risky DIY activity. (It would be best to have someone color your hair if you're doing this for the first time or just follow instructions and you'll be fine)

It's quite easy to use, what I found difficult was applying color evenly because it’s hard to put even coats especially on the back part and my hair having been dried out by the product doesn’t help.

Packaging: 4/10

The packaging is not very eye catching, looks plain and generic. Although I should say, it has a vibe of only for professional use which would make first time buyers hesitate. Maybe the original target market were parlors and not DIY type of individuals.

Instructions are printed on the inner surface of the box and instructions are very brief and straight to the point. Not very DIY user-friendly.

Instructions!

Color: 7/10

As expected the color I wanted  was not achieved simply because I hadn’t bleached my hair as I did before, but nonetheless I still like the color, though I prefer my previous bleached hair.

This might be a safe choice for people who wants to deviate from dark brown, black, red. and would want to try something a little bit different that would soften the features.

 According to the salesman who sold me this dye, it's one of the best sellers in their line. I woudn't wonder why because other darker shades that they have gives only subtle color change (since asian hair is black and thick and really difficult to lighten)

Highlights were due to my previous hair color

Soft color

Lasting effect

It does last long and doesn't fade to the point that my roots are about 3 inches long and the color is still there, although not as vibrant as before. 

Cons: 

My hair felt REALLY REALLY DRY during the process and I had to soak my hair with hair spa product. A week after, my hair hasn't recovered from the harsh chemicals. A month later it still feels dry.

The dye doesn’t really smell nice and stings my eyes due to ammonia. This is not for people with sensitive noses

Overall: 7/10

One of my favorite after having tried other brands, mainly because of the vibrant color and for it’s price. It’s actually a good buy, not to mention that you can actually get your desired shade by using bleach (I tried this before and really loved the result).

I’m not sure if I’d recommend this product because it dries up hair  and you need to use bleach to achieve a lighter color, but if you’re on a tight budget, want to revamp your look and feeling adventurous then you might want to try this one out J

Update: 1 month after I dyed my hair it still feels dry. I tried using a combi of Dove nourishing oil shampoo, schwarzkopf extra care conditioner and cream silk vitamin treatment and somehow my hair is starting to recover. 

*Eyebrow pencil: San san 03 Dark brown