THE REMIX: HAIR CHALK

We put commitment-free coloring to the test.

Like tattoos, dyeing your hair is something that requires some commitment. Which is cool if you're ready for bright pink--at least, for a few days. But if you're anything like me, the thought of bleaching and then coloring tresses can be a daunting one. So when I heard that Free People began stocking Kisspat's hair chalk kit this month, this hair dye virgin decided it was the only chance to test out brights on my dark brown locks. The rest of the NYLON digital team decided to test them out, too; we each have very different hair, which meant that it was easy to put the hair chalk to the remix test. Here are our results.
REBECCA WILLA DAVIS

The Editor: Ali Hoffman, web editor
The Look: Charlotte Free goes to Cali
The Products: Kisspat Hair Chalk in pastel pink, Sultra Blow Dryer
The Process: First, I blew out my hair straight before applying the pink chalk without any water. (I had been warned that blonde hair picks up the pigment super easily and, well, I'm not ready to commit to pink full-time.) But then as I got more into the chalking experience, I decided to go for it and wet my piece of pink chalk to get a little extra color. I blended the pink in by my roots for a reverse-ombre look--the goal was a hazy pink, rather than a streaky pink. Think Charlotte Free if she packed up and moved to Santa Cruz.

The Editor: Rebecca Willa Davis, executive web editor
The Look: '90s Alterna-Streaks
The Products: Kisspat Hair Chalk in cobalt blue, Ouidad Climate Control gel
The Process: My hair is both dark and curly, so rubbing some pastel shade on my tips wasn't an option. Instead, I decided to go for '90s-inspired streaks. After washing my hair, I applied my usual frizz protector--Ouidad's Climate Control Gel. From there, I would pull out a single ringlet at a time and rub the hair chalk from root to end…over and over again, until the strands were completely covered. I repeated this a few times on each side, making sure to pull out curls that were well defined so that the streak become a solid shot of color. The easiest part? Then letting my hair air-dry.

The Editor: Ray Siegel, senior web editor
The Look: My Little Pony
The Products: Kisspat Hair Chalk in purple, pink, and blue, a comb, and Sally Hershberger Genius Spray Wax.
The Process: First, I wet my hair and the hair chalk because my dark hair color needed extra pigment. Then I separated my hair into thick sections. I made each section of my hair as taut as possible before applying the chalk in a downward motion, alternating colors along the way for optimal "pony hair" stripes. Next I combed my hair to smooth out any extra frizz from all of that chalking and finished it off the way I finish every hairstyle: with gratuitous amounts of spray.

This story was published on November 9, 2012.