Schwarzkopf Ultimate Colour 499 Dark Cherry review

TDLR Review: 

I would not recommend this hair colour product at all, because the shade turned out nothing like the box. Also it is difficult to wash off. 

NOTE: I have dark Asian hair, which might be the reason why it's not suitable for this product.

So I'm back with another hair dye review! I've raved about the Liese hair dyes before (Cassis Berry, Sweet Apricot, Antique Rose), because those are super easy to use (I've appreciated that even more after finding out how difficult some at-home hair dye kits can be to apply). But I got suckered into getting a box of Schwarzkopf Ultimate Colour hair dye, because the models on Schwarzkopf hair dye boxes always have gorgeous shades of hair!

I've used Schwarzkopf before, I've bought the Palette in Magical Blue Black (no review, only a haul). But I was disappointed with it, because there was only a faint sheen of blue, and the black faded from my hair quite quickly. The trouble with Schwarzkopf also is that there aren't many reviews out there, so it's a bit of trial and error on my own.

So the shade I got is 499 Dark Cherry. What's cool about this is that it already comes premixed, and you can use this multiple times to touch up your roots. So after using it the first time, you don't have to throw it away, you can still use it after about 4 weeks when your roots are showing!

Tip for anyone who wants to dye their hair at home: Every time before I dye my hair, I'll rub Vaseline around my forehead, ears, neck and back so that the hair dye won't stick to my skin. It's very unsightly when some hair dye sticks to your skin and you have to explain it to your friends! I'll also use an old towel and a hair clip to keep it in place.

This hair dye actually comes in two cans, so when I pumped out the mixture, it's white on one side and purple (the shade that I picked) on the other, so I have to mix it in my gloved hands. The pictures in the instruction manual showed that there was a lot of lather, but when I dyed my hair, there was hardly any lather at all. I'm not sure if I did it correctly? After waiting for 30 minutes, I washed the product off. By the way, the instruction manual is in English and comes with pictures so it's supposedly pretty easy.

What I don't like is that I found it difficult to wash off. The Liese hair dyes especially, are really easy to wash off. But this one clung to my hair while I was shampooing, and I was worried if I lathered my shampoo too hard on my head, some of my hair roots might weaken. It came with a conditioner sachet but I used some more of my own conditioner, although I do have long hair so maybe it's just a habit of my own.

And as some reviews that I read online mentioned, there's only 1 set of gloves, so if I wanted to touch up my roots, I actually have to go and get another pair of gloves just to use the hair dye. It's a bit inconvenient, if they could just put 2 sets of gloves in, that would be very considerate especially since this is not just a one-use product.

But the good thing is that the dyes doesn't stick to your skin. I had some dye on the toilet sink and on my forehead, but that washed off very easily. I hate how some hair dyes stick to my skin and won't come off for a couple of days. Also there isn't a strong smell of ammonia, so I'm glad for that. There is a smell obviously, but it's not overpowering (I did this in a windowless bathroom and had no problem).

But after all that, I have to admit that I was not happy with the results. My hair was brown and now it has a reddish tinge, but it is nowhere near the shade from the box. Not only that, my roots were black, and it still looks black. The dye hasn't had much effect at all.

I dyed my hair a second time with the second half of this dye. VERY unhappy with the results. Firstly, there was very little left, but that makes sense because it's just meant to be a root touch up. Still, there was barely enough to cover my roots. Secondly, when I washed it off, there was no difference. I'm very unhappy with the end results both times, so I won't be buying this range again.