Beauty DIY: How To Dye Hair With Kool-Aid

As a teen in the 90s, in small-town South Georgia, my knowledge of fashion was pretty limited. I LIVED for Style With Elsa Klensch and MTV's House of Style (do you remember those?). And on House of Style, I learned the oh-so important skill of how to dye your hair with Kool-Aid (thanks Todd Oldham). While I was never allowed to dye my own hair, I had plenty of fun dying my friends' hair.

Since the dip-dye trend is still hot, I'm sharing my method. This is great for those who don't want to spend money on all the paraphernalia that you'll never use again (like chalks). It gives a wash of color that only lasts a few shampoos, so no crazy commitment. And in typical ElleSees fashion, it's easy and cheap! Before we begin, know the darker the hair, the harder it will be for color to absorb. 

T O O L S:

• 5 packets of kool-aid for ends of hair. I needed 5 packs for a small section of dark hair.
• bowl
• disposable gloves or paint brush
• conditioner
• tin foil
• spoon
• old shirt (optional)
• comb (optional)
• hair dryer (optional)

M E T H O D:

• Mix a small dollop of conditioner with the kool-aid in the bowl. The kool-aid needs to be sugar-free. If you're using a thicker conditioner, add a few drops of water to further mix the kool-aid.

• Cut out enough pieces of tinfoil needed for each section of hair you're dyeing. Make sure the pieces are long enough as well.
• Place tinfoil underneath the first section. Make sure you have the section long enough to catch drips.

• I used disposable gloves to apply the mixture to my hair. I've used paint brushes (hey, it was the 90s and we made it work!), basting brushes, sponge brushes, or applicator brushes. The applicator brushes, liked used when you're getting highlights, can be bought at beauty supply stores for 50 cents and up.
• Apply the kool-aid evenly and use every bit of mixture. If going for an ombre effect, apply the most mixture where you'd like the most color.

this looks totally gross, but it smells like cherry kool-aid, yay!

• Once distributed, comb through if desired.  
• Wrap the hair in the tin foil until completely sealed. Use additional pieces if needed.
• Repeat these steps on remaining sections of hair. This whole process takes about 5 minutes and up.
• Leave on at least an hour if you have blonde hair. Using the hairdryer will help speed the process. Overnight is best if your hair is super dark, like mine.
• Rinse hair but don't use shampoo. Dry as usual. The dye should last a couple of shampoos or more, depending on the darkness of your hair.

sorry about the quality--this was the only one that the color worked best!

and yes, i finally got to dye my hair!