Considering a Temporary Hair Color? This Product Transformed Me With Very Little Commitment

My natural hair color is a mystery (dishwater brown, perhaps?), but my color of choice is a natural red that has fooled many a new acquaintance over the years. While I can appreciate fun colors on others, I don’t love the look of artificial color on my own hair – but we’re months into a pandemic, so bring on the temporary aesthetic upgrades.

Winter hair colors are trending bold, so I jumped at the chance to try a shade that would intensify my “natural” look. Having never attempted box dye at home, I was relieved to find that KMS Style Color is a temporary spray-on color. In fact, the instructions were so easy, I was concerned I was missing something: “Place a towel around your shoulders. Shake well and spray 6″/15 cm from the head onto dry hair. Washes out easily with shampoo.”

So just . . . spray paint my head, then? That seemed doable. Here’s what happened when I went outside of my color box and gave it a whirl.

POPSUGAR Photography / Maggie Panos

Before KMS Style Color Real Red

Before, my hair was bland and boring! Terrible! (Just kidding, my stylist does a great job.)

POPSUGAR Photography / Maggie Panos

Before KMS Style Color Real Red

Here’s a good side view for you.

POPSUGAR Photography / Maggie Panos

After KMS Style Color Real Red

Rather than spraying my hair all at once, I pulled sections of it up, spraying the bottom first and gradually letting more hair down until I was at the crown of my head. Immediately after the spraying was complete, my hair looked and felt like that of a Princess Ariel doll.

POPSUGAR Photography / Maggie Panos

After KMS Style Color Real Red

There were a few strands that I missed, even after I had my spouse come do a touch-up, but the overall color was vibrant.

POPSUGAR Photography / Maggie Panos

Before and After KMS Style Color Real Red

From copper to fire-engine red in 10 minutes.

POPSUGAR Photography / Maggie Panos

Before and After KMS Style Color Real Red

The color only took a few minutes to dry, and after I combed it out, my hair looked much more manageable. I did have to start from the bottom, because the strands were basically grafted together by the spray.

POPSUGAR Photography / Maggie Panos

After KMS Style Color Real Red

Here I am, about to go out and paint the town red! (That was a joke – I watched Catfish: The TV Show and ate a brownie.) After I combed my hair out, I did notice that a bit of the vibrance was gone. The color was still in place, but the shine had dulled. I would recommend spraying your hair, brushing it, stylnding it, a then giving it a final spray before you go out.

POPSUGAR Photography / Maggie Panos

The Day After Using KMS Style Color Real Red

Here we are the next day. The color was still there and my pillowcases remained white (my primary area of concern with this test). If you’re in the market for a temporary dye, I would absolutely recommend KMS Style Color – with a few caveats.

  1. Most of the spray landed on my head, but my bathroom sink was tinged with red. It’s tough to get out because once water hits the color, it suddenly transforms into a stain the likes of which Sharpie would be jealous. Soap, hot water, and lots of scrubbing will get it out.
  2. If you opt for Real Red, your shower will look like a crime scene. Also, that staining I mentioned? It’s 10 times worse in the shower when the color runs down and you step on it, grinding the particles into the floor.
  3. While the spray doesn’t stain your scalp the way some box dyes do, it will low-key stain your skin when you shampoo it out. I shampooed twice and by the time I exfoliated my skin, my sponge was pink. I got most of it off my arms and legs, but there’s a faint triangle of color on my back where I couldn’t reach.
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Buy KMS Style Color Real Red

Real Red is a new color, so it’s not yet available on Amazon – though you can buy the other KMS Style Color shades ($26) there. If you’d like to try Real Red, find a salon in your area that carries KMS Hair products.

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