Raise your hand if the Riot Grrrl chapter of the 1980’s and 1990’s shaped you into the human you are today? Hand raised high.

I met my first Riot sister in the 6th grade, and her name was Therese. She was a Riot Grrrl baby with a weak spot for Gwen Stephani, and I was a Riot Girl Baby with a weak spot for Green Day. We shared our love of chick bands, Hard Candy nail polish, and our Converse sneakers, which turned into Dr. Marten boots by the 7th grade.

Over the years, T and I went to many rock shows together. We saved up our money and bought albums, and we rocked out to them, feeling the angst of the entire world. I became obsessed with Seattle bands like The Fastbacks and Mia Zapata and the Gits. In my mind, Sub Pop was everything. T was partial to L7, Bikini Kill, and Hole.

This is my Riot Grrrl life anthem song, BTW. Thank you Mia Zapata. RIP forever, I can’t wait to die so I can meet you and fan-girl out on you in a big huge way.

 

Photos from Wikipedia.

Imagine my delight to get a text from T the other day, she was all like ‘I’m want to dye my hair Riot Grrrl red, and you can post the process on HTHG’

Then I was all like ‘Heck yeah!!!! when do you want to do it?’ assuming I was going to do her hair for her.

She was like ‘I’m going to color it myself. And document the process.’ Like a true Riot Grrrl. Because we all know that those DIY Riot Grrrl haircuts and colors are the best ones. Just ask Mia, Kathleen, Courtney, Tobey, Kim, Donita, Stephanie and Roisin.

So, Therese went for it, and she nailed it. #riotgrrrlforever

 

 

Here is how T suggests you DIY your hair Riot Grrrl Red.

 

You will need…… Clips, a color bowl and brush, a processing cap, a comb, gloves, Paul Mitchell The Color in 7OR and 8RO (2 parts to 1 part), 20 volume developer, and Paul Mitchell Veggie color in Neon Red and Orange, (2 parts to 1 part.)

 

And, you might want to get a soap dispenser shaped like a pine come;) This color is demonstrated on virgin-ish hair, with some highlights here and there. If you are working with previously colored hair, please refer to this guide to DIY color before you begin.

Mix up your color, 2 parts 7 OR, to 1 part 8 RO and equal parts developer. Put on your gloves, and apply the color to your hair roots to ends, working through it in 4 sections to make it easier. Once you have fully saturated your hair with color, put on your processing cap and allow the color to process according to the directions on your color. When processing is done, shampoo out color and dry hair. NO CONDITIONER! Conditioning the hair now would just close your cuticle back up so the veggie dye coudn’t get in!

Now mix up your Inkworks/Veggie dye. Therese mixed Inkworks 2 parts red, 1 part orange to get that perfect Riot Grrrl Red. Once the color is applied, put your cap on and process for 30 minutes.

Now rinse well, shampoo, and condition. Feel that old power coming back to you from those Riot Grrrl days. The Riot Grrrl never dies.

If you are a DIY hair-cutter who is curious about DIY home-hair coloring, I highly recommend using DIY hair color by Madison Reed, which Resorcinol-Free.

If you purchase a Madison Reed Radiant Color Kit, you will receive not only the colors of hair colors your choice, but also the necessary tools to apply it. The entire line is designed for the DIY hair colorer! And if you need to tone in between coloring, be sure to check out their Color Reviving Gloss to refresh and revive your hair.

Also, I recommend a shopping stop at Beauty Store Depot for all your other DIY hair cutting and coloring tools to fill your toolkit!

Need a custom DIY hair color consultation to help troubleshoot your hair color at home?

$30 buys you a one-on-one online consultation with HTHG regarding your color and how to get it where you want it. Click here.

xoxox, HTHG