Summer is the perfect time to make a major hair change. And if you're anything like me, you want your hair to be as bold and dramatic as your life is — and that means rainbow hair.
But if you're also LAZY like me, you might be put off by the time, damage, and expense of bleaching-toning-dyeing-keeping up super-bright unicorn hair. But never fear — there's literally NO reason that lazy girls can't rock rainbow hair with the best of them.
Here are 13 hacks that will let even the laziest babe get rainbow hair QUICKLY this summer — no bleach or upkeep required.
Cream eye shadow.
TRUTH. This revelist-tested, Alle-approved hair hack will let you get — and keep — rainbow hair with zero damage. I used four shades of Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hr eye shadow ($4, Target) to turn Jess' hair into a glorious mermaid mane. Simply pick out 1" sections of hair, rub your chosen eye shadow onto your fingers, then allow the section to dry. You can layer the shadows for extra payoff, but the green and blue I used here was opaque on black hair with one single coat.
But, warning: This hack isn't waterproof. Take an umbrella.
Powder eye shadows.
NaturallyTash is the queen of hair shadowing — a technique where powder eye shadow is used to temporarily color hair, with zero damage. Tash told The Huffington Post that she used to use hair chalk to color her hair, but one day inspiration struck. “I was cleaning out an old makeup box when I came across some powdered eyeshadow and noticed it was very similar to the hair chalk,” she said. “I decided to give it a try and thus hair shadowing was born.”
A boldly colored, matte shadow will likely give you the best results — but to shadow your own hair, use a broken eye shadow and a synthetic brush to slowly and carefully brush the color in. You can also use your fingers if you don't mind making a mess!
Crown Paint.
Created by NaturallyTash, Crown Paint is a line of "makeup for hair" that is temporary, damage-free, and TOTALLY vibrant. Available in 30 amazing shades, each pot of Crown Paint is $15 (or $60 for 6 shades) and works on all hair colors, lengths, and textures.
The best thing about Crown Paint is how easy it is to apply. Tash writes "Simply dip some of the product out with your pointer finger and rub it between your pointer and thumb. Next grab a section of hair between those two fingers and rub it in, in a doward motion. Rubbing the product in is key and if you see any clumps of color/product in the hair continue to rub it in. […] It should be the “last” product you apply to your hair and your hair should be completely dry before application. If the color isn’t as vibrant as you desire you can reapply more to that same section of hair."
L'Oreal Colorista spray.
L'Oreal's bestselling Colorista temporary spray-in color is unicorn hair in a can.
Like hairspray — already lazy girl-approved — but with color, shimmer, and shine. The shade range of nine glorious colors ($8, Target) means that you can switch up your rainbow streaks with your mood… whatever that mood may be.
Manic Panic Glam Strips.
Three words: clip-in extensions. OK, so one of those is a hyphenate, but you get the idea. Manic Panic's life-changing Glam Strip extensions are exactly the rainbow hair hack you've been looking for this summer.
Available in Manic Panic's iconic colors, you literally clip the streaks into your hair, hide with some clever styling, and go about your life. It could not be easier to get unicorn hair exactly when you want! And when you decide you're over having Pretty Flamingo streaks? Clip 'em out.
I must also mention that these extensions cost from $5 to $7, depending on length. Read my review right here.
IGK Foamo holographic hair foam.
IGK's magical, iridescent hair foam ($22, Sephora) is a lazy girl's dream: it's easy to apply, lasts a long time (I've gone five full days with the blue still in my hair), AND contains sparkle!
Available in two sparkly shades — Meteor (blue) and Moon Rock (pink) — you simple squirt a blob of Foamo into your palm, then work through your hair wherever you want mermaid color. Voila! Delicious pastel hair color AND sparkle. What's not to love?
Wigs.
Wig life is the best life — and you don't have to spend a fortune to get the glorious, brightly-colored hair of your dreams! The ombre blue wig pictured above was under $50 and is available on Amazon, because beauty may be pain, but amazing blue hair doesn't have to be.
Hair chalk.
Though it's a little more messy than eye shadow, hair chalk — specifically formulated not to stain your hair — does tend to be a little cheaper, not to mention easier on your makeup. Splat's wash-out hair chalk ($6, Ulta) comes in a range of shades, comes out with shampoo, and works on every hair texture.
Joico Color Shimmer Spray.
For high-end oil slick hair, all you need is this spray-in color from Joico ($10, Ulta). Simply section out the pieces of hair that you want to color, spritz lightly with this spray-in tinted hair spray, then live your best life! I used Orchid all over my head when my hair was black, and it gave me the most radiant violet glow.
Clairol Color Crave.
This is a really unique, press-in color mousse ($10, Ulta) that gives you bright, realistic hair color that REALLY lasts. Use the sponge-tipped applicator to apply concentrated streaks of (temporary) color to your hair, or pop on a pair of gloves and smooth through larger pieces of your hair for an all-over look!
Hush prism airbrush color.
Another colored hairspray? Groundbreaking! But Hush's line of shimmering prismatic hairsprays ($24, Sephora) excel by being long-lasting and *completely* beautiful. It's tough to make a pastel pink hairspray that doesn't get streaky or globby, but Hush has done the impossible. Best of all, you can get a head full of rainbows in under five minutes. A true Lazy Girl dream.
Redken metallic pomade.
Rainbow hair not your thing? Try ROBOT hair with Redken's liquid metallic pomade. Easy to add a teeny hint of silver or gold to your lovely locks — it looks especially stunning in braids — it dries quick, and, bonus, gives stellar hold all day. Available at Redken salons only.
Which of these rainbow mermaid hair hacks will YOU be trying this summer?
Rest assured, none will take more than 10 minutes to accomplish.
