Most people think of the classic long blonde hair
flowing down the mermaids back as she sings softly to herself, but would it
surprise you that most Mermaids don't have blonde hair? Legends from all over
the world say a mermaids hair can range from Blonde to Black and in some
places, blue, green and purple are the common colors. In Australia the mermaids
are known as the Yawkyawks, they have long green hair that resembles algae and
can turn into dragonflies and fly away at night. The Greek Tritons had green hair and tales
from Ireland and the British Isle talk of green haired mermaids. In
Scandinavia, however, mermaids are predominantly blonde, but other tales of
close encounters say a mermaid’s hair can range from the palest blonde to the
blackest black.
“Siren Sighting!”
“In 1614, American
explorer John Smith (Pocahontas) stated he’d seen a mermaid off the coast of
Massachusetts. He described her as having long green hair and she was “by no
means Unattractive.”
~Skye Alexander
“Mermaids. The Myths, Legends & Lore
One of my favorite pastimes is to dye my hair
outrageous colors, from blue to green, from red to purple then pink and
orange! As much as I enjoy my brightly
colored hair, it is damaged and brittle from all the chemical dyes and
bleaches. I stop coloring my hair for a
while and give my hair a chance to breath. Most people can’t have brightly
colored because of work or social constraints, some people have hair that won't
take another dye job and other people want colored hair but don’t want it to be
permanent. Coloring your hair and
maintaining the color is a time consuming process, but there is something new taking
hold in the beauty world….HAIR CHALK!!!
What is Hair Chalk?
Hair Chalk is cosmetic grade chalk. It is temporary Hair Color that leaves little
to no damage to your hair! You can buy Hair Chalk handmade on Etsy or cosmetic
grade Hair Chalk from nearly any trending website! My warnings to you, when
purchasing hair chalk, make sure it isn’t sidewalk chalk or artist chalk. While
you can use these types of chalk, they will dry out your hair and the color
will be dull or grey after a few minutes.
Hair Chalk: Meridian’s Process
I use a wet paste like application for the chalk. The
colors are brighter, it saturates the hair, and frankly, it is easier than
using dry chalk. This is to be done on DRY hair.
To begin: Do your hair BEFORE you do your makeup or get
dressed! Pick out the colors you want use; cover yourself and your work space
with towels. The chalk is messy and will get all over your tools, your work
space, and yourself. Fortunately, makeup remover cloths clean it right up! The
chalk does not stain so if you get it on something, just use warm water and a
little soap to clean it.
You will need:
Chalk
Water and Eyedropper
Mixing bowls and Grater
Heat Styling Tools and Hair Spray
Towels and gloves (I never use gloves; it washes right
off my hands)
Brushes, combs, bobby pins
Make-Up Remover Cloths or a damp cloth for cleaning up
1.
Grate down the chalk into a fine powder. I use a
garlic grater, you can also use a mortar and pestle.
2.
Add a few drops of water at a time to the chalk
powder. You want a semi-loose paste. If it gets too watery add more chalk powder.
3.
Decide on the style for your hair and separate
the pieces you want to chalk. It is important to choose a hairstyle that won’t
take much fuse. The more you have to mess with your chalked hair, the more
color you will lose. So make sure your hair style is set in place before
leaving the house!
4.
On DRY hair spread the chalk paste on the hair
that you sectioned off. Once the hair is
good and covered, spray with hair spray. The Hair spray will help hold the
chalk to your hair as it dries.
5.
Use a flat iron to heat set the chalk on the
hair, alternating with heat and hair spray a few times.
6.
Once you have chalked and heat set your hair you
can begin to style it. Remember the more Hair Spray, the better! Your hair will be sticky and hard to comb. I
recommend a hair pick to loosen and chalk from your hair. You won’t want to
actually comb through your hair, you just want to fluff and loosen the hair.
It is only 6 steps to colored hair, but it will take some
time to do, especially your first try. It took me two hours from start to
finish the first time I tried hair chalk!
Clean-up
The make-up cloths will clean off any chalk dust on your
styling tools and combs. Make sure to give everything a rise with a damp cloth
to all the soap and chalk residue.
Washing out the Chalk
Shampoo as normal, with blue tones you may have to
shampoo more than once. I use Mermaid Minerals, Nutra Peptide Shampoo. It has
Sea Buckthorn seed oil which is really good for protect hair against protein
loss and damage. Plus, Nutra Peptide is infused with an acid called Alpha-Linolenic
Acid which is a very important nutrient for healthy shiny hair! Use a good
conditioner and let it set in your hair for a little longer than you normally
would. Try the Peppermint Conditioner from Mermaid Minerals for refreshing way
to finish your hair care routine! If you still see colored water when you
rinse, repeat washing. If you are worried about the chalk drying out your hair,
all you need is coconut oil. Warm a little coconut oil in your hands and comb
it through the area of your hair that had the chalk. I like to leave the oil in
overnight; I cover my hair before bed and wash it out in the morning, but you
only need to leave in for about an hour.
I hope you find this tutorial fun and easy to follow. If
you try it out, send me pictures and leave a comment letting me know your
reviews, tips, or tricks.
Melody’s Review:
“Hair Chalk was a new experience for me as far as
coloring products go. I wasn't sure how well the colors would turn out since my
hair is fairly dark, but I was pleasantly surprised. The yellow and light
greens were incredibly vibrant when dried and set. Cleanup was also relatively
easy, even if it left the shower floor looking a little green. While it was fun,
I would have to say that the biggest drawback was the amount of chalk residue
that seemed to scatter everywhere once it was dry. This problem might be solved
with a lighter application (though that may reduce color saturation), or
possibly with use of other styling products to set the chalk. I would need to
experiment with it more before using it on a regular basis, but it was
definitely a fun and safe way to play with color.”
Love, Peace, & Mermaids,
Meridian
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