Wednesday 28 November 2012

Review // Garnier Olia Hair Dye







As someone who has been dying my hair myself since I was about 16 years old, I am very conscious of the affect it may have.  I am aware it’s not good to be using DIY kits for this long but lets face it, its so cheap and when your like me and want to try every hair colour under the sun in your lifetime, it’s the easiest option.

Trust me, I have probably tried every colour, and every brand you can think of and to be honest, in all my experimenting I have never been overly impressed with Garnier colourants, the one Davina McCall promotes has always made my hair a shade darker than I wanted it to, for this reason I was sceptical of trying their new creation ‘Olia’ but like the sucker I am, I was sucked in by the marketing wizardry that calls it a “breakthrough in home hair colouring”, so I just had to try it, and I am glad I did.

Most people think all DIY hair dye must be the same, it does the same thing at the end of the day, but that’s not true, many of them have very different affects on the health and nutrition of your hair, I have used some in the past that dried my hair out so much it looked like straw after one use.

What is different about Olia is that it is the first home colourant that ‘contains 60% oils with natural flower oils and no amonia’, now if your not a scientist, that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but basically with this product, oil is now used instead of other chemicals to boost the colouring process rather than just condition the hair.  To have oils in the colouring means it is a lot more gentle and protecting of your hair.

So, I was sold, off I went with my little towel around my neck and sexy gloves on ready to apply.  This product has a uniquely shaped application bottle which I absolutely loved, its like a little rain drop and its really soft and fits perfectly into your hand, this also makes applying the dye very easy.

The actual liquid itself wasn’t too thick (I hate when it looks and feels really thick, it makes it hard to spread through the hair evenly) and although it was thin ad smooth it still did not run or drip.  It had a very glossy appearance to it which just gives you the sense that your hair is being covered in silk and who doesn’t want that.  Once I applied it to my roots, I then just used my fingers to run it through my hair and it glides through much easier than most other products.

I kept mine on for about 20 minutes, truth be told this was because I wanted to shower during a break in ‘I’m a Celebrity Get me out of Here’ before they announced who was leaving (I’m sad).  The dye washed out so easily, again in a gliding manner, the conditioner that they provided with it was fantastic, and I didn’t need to use it all so I have kept it in the shower for another time.

The finished result was pleasing to say the least.  My hair felt soft and shiny and I didn’t feel like I may have done it any harm, the colour was the exact match that the box said it would be and blended perfectly with my roots in a non-harsh looking way.

All in all, I am so happy I have discovered this product, I think it s gentle while still getting the job done, in a better way than most other hair dye’s have in the past.  I am no scientist, but if this is what using an oil-based hair colourant does to my hair then I am going to continue to do so.  It gives a more natural feel and look to your colour and I am just in love.

Olia is just £6.99 and I used the light brown shade 6.0.  To read more on it click here.

PS. I didn't put up before and after pics because you really can't tell any difference in a photo as it was just a touch up but you can see the colour it gives in the pics on my in my 'Contents: My Face' post below.

20 comments:

  1. Hi Nicky, thanks :) Defo try this out you won't be sorry, if your hair is longer than shoulder length and thick it may be worth buying two lots for your first time just to make sure your are not caught short but I'm pretty sure you get the same amout of product as you do with all hair dyes, enjoy x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your very thorough review. I thought I might want to try the new hair color, but wanted to read some reviews first. Your review told me everything I need to know. And your hair looks really good - nice and shiny! Being able to see photos really helps to understand how well the product will work. I will need to wait a few weeks until I am do for a touch up, but will definitely try this the next time.
    Mary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Mary, I hope you like it as much as i do :) x

      Delete
  3. OMG where do you get it in canada I've been looking everywhere for it! i live in ontario btw. Please help thanks <3

    ReplyDelete
  4. Purchased this during the week put the 10.0 color in as I am bright blonde and turned my hair SILVER DO NOT BUY THIS SHADE A DISGRACE!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh No, very sorry this happened to you, When I was blonde I was too afraid to try DIY

      Delete
    2. It would have gone grey because you used an ash colour. You need something with a red base as a blond to put the pigment back into your hair.

      That is not an issue with a specific brand, it's an issue with buying the wrong colour.


      Thanks for the review....looking forward to trying this!!!

      Delete
  5. Shoppers Drug Mart has it on sale for $12.99 (reg. $13.99). They had display up, but if you can't find it ask; the product may be in the back as they are re-arranging the displays. I am trying it today.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I tried this this weekened and my experance did not go as well as you. Like you ive been dying my hair by the box for over 30 years. All i wanted ti do wad my roots and lighten my hair up. Its a blond so pale its almost platinum. Not my roots though. And what did i get you ask. Dark ash blonde. Not my fav color. And no i did not like the year drop shaped bottle. It was slick in my hands. Aldo the gloves were way to small. Had to use a pair of my own. This is what i get for trying this. Noe i have to wait to correct my color. What shade did i get ypu ask.#9.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I purchased this, excited to try a new dye. I dye my hair very often and am always eager to try new products. This product was a disappointment. I purchased the 6.60 auburn. My first issue was the bottle shape, i myself did not like. Once the oily hair dye got on my hands the bottle was impossible to hold. The dye was a stretch to cover all of my hair which was a surprise to me because i have never had a problem with one box. Washing it out, it felt like it was never going to rinse clear. Once i got out of the shower, before i even dried my hair i was very unhappy, it was uneven and blotchy. Drying my hair only made it worse! It looks so bad! My roots are bright red, with blotches of dark. Putting my hair in a pony tail makes me cry. I emailed the company asking about their money back policy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good that you liked the applicator.... I put the gloves on, popped a hole in them immediately and then couldn't hold onto anything. I bought it as I love the oil and that it is better for my hair with no offensive odor but my counter sure took a beating from the bottle popping out of my grip right from the opening of the colour and developer and having to pour them both into the applicator bottle (lose quite a bit when transferring from the tube). I for one will not buy this product again due to the extra bottle and the design/slippery aspect of it... lost so much product when it flew that one box took a lot of stretching to get enough coverage.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am so glad that I was not the only one that had a problem with the applicator it is a nightmare one it's odd shaped like a tear drop and impossible to hold on to. and trying to the developer and color into the bottle was not easy to say the lease The gloves are black and have strange odor I also popped a hole in mine I couldn't hold the bottle with my finger over the hole because I have lady hands and not man hands! the whole process just putting it all together what a joke and the color well I always have had beautiful blonde hair till now one thing is for sure I will never use this again!!! now I will have to bleach the red out so I can get it back blonde just wish I could charge Gernier for this!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Glad to read the comments, looks like this is a product to avoid. I have learned to really research comments and weigh what is more likely to happen to me.

    I have had the best result with Wella Color charm colors and am sticking with it until I am convinced by comments to try others.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I used it for the first time today and I really liked it. I haven't shampooed my hair yet, but it's very smooth and shiny. The tear drop shaped bottle was a little awkward, but it worked for me. It definitely wasn't as stinky as other hair color products!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I tried it & LOVED IT! I have been coloring my hair for 15 years and this by far was my favorite. From mixing to the rinsing it all went great. My hair feels great and didn't have that straw like feel while i rinsed it out. I have waist length hair & have sometimes get the spots where no color gets even though i use two kits and make sure to soak it. I had color left with this one (used 2) and no splotchy areas, it just covered beautifully. My hair is normaly dry but this feels amazing, very silky. And the smell is soooo much better.
    If you have really oily hair this may not be the one for you though.
    Thank you for the reveue, it is why i tried it & i love this one.

    ReplyDelete
  13. i just tried this product for the first time (4.0) and hated it. the containers for mixing the were awkward and i found the applicator very difficult to hold and consequently have to buy a new bath math as mine now has big, dark brown streaks in it. as someone with long, think hair i found it very difficult to get to apply evenly. by the time came to rinse it out my hair was a tangled mess and it took a lot of extra effort to rinse it out. the texture of my hair now seems very frizzy and rough. not what i was expecting at all. i have been colouring my own hair for over 15 years, so i'm not exactly a rookie at this. i'm very dissapointed in this product and will be returning to feria, in my opinion the best colour i've ever used (i've also had compliments from several hairdressers over the years - including a colourist - at the quality of the job feria did)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I can say the color was beautiful. I chose dark auburn. What I didn't like was that took me double the time to wash my hair the first 2 weeks. Red foamall over my shower more than 2 weeks later. Faded fast. I couldn't wear light colors after washing my hair, is understandable the first day but not almost 3 weeks later. Is time to retouching it and I'm still battling if I will use it again. I need 3 bottles (more than 30.00 dollars), no clue if is worth the cost and adjustments.

    I did have problems with the applicator. Unfortunately I need it help with some areas and passing the bottle it flew staining my wall when bounced in the floor. My fiancée had saved paint. Doesn't sound like a big issue but it was.

    Best of luck,

    Travi

    ReplyDelete
  15. I tried it last month and fell in love! Great coverage, great feeling soft hair! I've been coloring dark brown hair to light blonde for 25 years myself. Got better results from this than I did from the salon color I had done for the first. . And last time ..several months ago! My hair actually improved in feel after one use of this. Feels so soft and healthy! Very accurate color results. Used 9.3 and love the color. Doesn't look flat at all. I can see how some with smaller hands may have issue with the bottle size. . I'm 5'10 so I don't have tiny hand but, if you have issues with the bottle shape or size, just buy a color bottle. It's like a buck and reusable, problem solved!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm 26 years old and had never dyed my hair. I received a coupon for free Garnier Olia and hesitantly, I decided to give it a shot. I was even more hesitant after reading many many bad reviews for the product but decided to use it anyway and I'm glad I did.

    My hair is light to medium brown, long with layers, and very healthy. I rarely blow dry or use a straightener on it. It is also curly, thicker than average, and I have no grey.

    I researched some tips on dying your hair before I did anything. With that being said: I waited 24 hours after washing my hair to dye it, I applied Vaseline around my hairline, wore an old t-shirt, used another pair of gloves with the ones provided in the Olia box (they seemed pretty thin), and after I washed the dye out and used the leave- in conditioner I didn't wash my hair for 24 hours.

    I dyed my hair myself. I had no problems with the packaging (other than the gloves, I used an additional pair because they seemed thin). I didn't have trouble with the bottle being slippery like in other reviews. The smell was not unpleasant at all. It was easy to get all the dye out of the bottle because the opening was so big. I wasn't sure that one box would cover well because my hair is long/thick, but I defintely had enough dye. I left the dye in as long as the box said and rinsed my hair by dipping my head under the faucet over the edge of the bathtub. I didn't have any problems with staining. I used a third of leave-in conditioner (and the rest 2 times after washing in the next few days). My hair felt soft right after I rinsed the conditioner out.

    I used the Olia color, 6.0, light brown. The color is close to my natural color but I could still tell that the color made a difference. It definitely brightened my natural color and after 7 weeks I can tell now that my roots are growing out, my hair actually went a half shade lighter.

    Clearly my experience was magnitudes better than a lot of other people's. I will be buying this product again.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I tried Oila in Light blue-black, and it turned my hair completely navy blue. I hate it and I will never use it again.

    ReplyDelete