“I've got dark hair and have been trying to cover my stubborn greys without the use of chemicals for years. I've tried a few organic hair dyes in the past and have never been happy with the end result until I used desert shadow's red shadow as a base colour (left in my in hair for 2 hours) followed by indigo shadow (left in hair for 3 hours). I was skeptical at first but was pleasantly surprised that it has managed to cover my greys with a slight reddish/brownish tint. So proud that it Aussie made!! The only downside - I had to set aside for almost a whole day to do this.”
“It’s great to have an all natural paste for hair dye. Sadly I lacked the patience to apply and keep it in my hair for the 3 hours needed (for grey cover)”
“Firstly, the customer service from Desert Shadow Au is fabulous. I had never used natural hair colours before this purchase. '
My hair was over-bleached and I wanted to put in a colour to match my regrowth.
I advise this: if you have bleach blonde hair, contact Desert Shadow or F&F prior to your Shadow purchase, as they will help you navigate the best approach to achieve the look your after.
Anyway, its easy to apply, smells earthy and you just chill out for an hour or so. Wash out and wa-la! Done!
Now, my hair was a little partial to the green hue when first rinsed out, but dont worry - as the lovely ladies assured me, this will oxidise and disappear (and it did by the next day). Also, my hair was a little 'dry'to touch for 24 hours but this also went away. I was so happy, I''ve already ordered my next box.”
“Think I've found my holy grail in this. I used it last night and it worked beautifully to cover my bleached ends and dark regrowth. So from both sides of the coin, on blonde hair she's a BRIGHT orange/copper which is hella cute, and on dark brown hair she's a deep chocolatey orange, really brings out the brown tones.
Application is a heck of a mess, so if that's not your thing, henna won't be either, but tbh I really don't mind. Had no problem with this product on chemically processed hair, there are no metallic salts (the bad stuff) so didn't expect any issues. 10/10 good product and will repurchase.”
“Hi Lauren,
I've rambled on a bit here, because I am simply so delighted with this product
I have been looking for a chemical-free,botanical, safe DIY hair dye to cover my greys for years. Throughout that time I have spent a fortune at high-end salons; so you can only imagine my delight when I found Desert Shadow.
At first I was pretty scared of using anything DIY, but Flora and Fauna were amazing to deal with! They answered all my quesitons and even coached me through my attempts at strand testing to make sure I was happy and informed and ready to use their product. Sophie, Lauren and Breanne are wonderful and warm to deal with and extremely knowlegeble with their advice also. I am so delighted with the beautiful colour and the grey covereage of Desert Shadow - this is an excellent product for me!
Preparation and Mixing
Although you have to do some planning to mix coverage for grey hair; it is fairly easy and just requires some arranging of your time. The process for grey has 2 steps: Step 1: mixed the night prior and left in a bowl for 12 hours to process; Step 2: mixed 15 minutes before combining with the Step 1 and applying to hair. I had a bit of practice with this as, I ended up doing two strand tests (because I forgot to add salt on the first test). The videos produced by Flora and Fauna are also fantastic, so if you watch their videos and read the instructions you will be absolutely prepped and you will know exactly what you are doing before you start.
Processed Mixture
Unlike other henna I have tried in the past, this mixture doesn't smell bad at all. They provide a lovely spice sachet also which reduces any botanical smell even further. The interesting thing about this mixture is that by following the directions you get a lovely stiff and workable paste that adheres to your roots and ends very well. It was a very unmessy product, no drips and no stains. Just section your hair with a tint brush, like the Flora and Fauna video shows. I popped on some gladwrap and a beanie and did my housework while it processed. Because I have a lot of grey, I processed for the full four hours.
Wash out
Again, unlike other henna products, this came out pretty easily (although I did do 3 conditioner rinses, one shampoo then final conditioner). Again, it didn't stain the bathroom or skin.
Grey coverage and blendning over existing dye line
This is what I was most concerned with; but I needn't have worried. The greys just sucked this colour up like crazy and the colour gently laid right on top of my existing dye line without making it darker. Really important to strand tests first though. What was also interesting with my hair, is that 3 days after I finished the process, the colour seemed to have deepened to an even lovlier colour (it was a tiny bit red when I first did it; but it settled into this beautiful rich brown colour by the 3 day mark). It's just an absolutely beautiful color, I love it.
Hair Condition
I don't know how, but this process has made my hair so beautiful and soft. I haven't even needed to "style" hair as it brought back my natural wave to my hair that I haven't had in years. This mixture is something that my hair absolutely loves and I can't wait until next time when I have to do my roots again; I can see it is going to make it healthier and healthier with each use.
Summing up
I will be using this product for life. It is natural, safe, covers grey, delivers beautiful rich colour and makes my hair better with each use. THANK YOU Desert Shadow - best dye-job ever....truly better than a salon and with zero chemicals. I will be saving thousands in salon bills over the years thanks to this absolutely divine home botanical dye! THANKYOU! :-) :-) :-)”
“This is a great hair dye! A bit of a process to put on , as the mixture is almost clay-like when applied, but has a lovely earthy smell and feel. I was worried about the colour after first rinsing it out (it was a very bright orange colour) but after 48 hrs it settled down to a lovely auburn red. Will definitely repurchase when the colour fades!”
“I stumbled upon this product through seeing a staff member use it. I've since become quite aware of the products I use and how they affect the environment and animals.
I dont have to cover any gray hair, but left my roots and focused on my ends. My hair is very similar to this color, and the blonde from previous highlights had started to show from my last appointment at the salon. I did the first step and then put the mix in the freezer. I then mixed the 2nd step the next day while the first mix defrosted quickly. It was very similar to applying mud to hair, but I soon figured out how vital it was to add water if I needed to. After that, it seemed to stick to my brush and hair well. I had it all on for 1.5 hours. It was messy getting it out, but the feeling afterwards makes all the difference. I shampooed twice to help with smell, but have also forewarned my husband. Very happy and would buy it again.”
