Kristin Ess Signature Hair Gloss - Bittersweet: Dark Neutral Brown

GOT ORANGE HAIR? GREAT HAIR DYE FAIL SOLUTION! Love this gloss. I plan to buy it every month for the next two years while I grow out a hair dye fail. I have orangey hair that can't be bleached because my strand test turns green, gets hot, and smokes... My only choice is to cover it up, grow it out, and cut it off incrementally. I wanted something that would cover up the orange and not dye the roots. I saw this in a Brad Mondo video, so I decided to give it a try: - Before photo: My hair fail... I have level 8 blonde hair which I accidentally dyed orange, then had to cover up with black for a couple of years. I got the black out during quarantine using Metally B + 10 peroxide and washing with Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo over and over again. I then covered it up with level 8 Clairol Natural Instincts, but it grabbed an uneven level 4, lifted my hair too much, and turned the new growth orange too. - Round 1 - Middle photo - I did an intermediary step of using the Smokey Topaz color to tame the orange. It did a little.. but still looked orange in the sun. I let it wash out and was relieved to find that my roots had not lifted to the point they were orange. The roots stayed the same color and washed out completely in about 3 weeks. The rest of my hair was back to orange in about 6 weeks. So it basically went back to the before photo. It is important to note that they have a video online on how to apply this gloss... Watch very carefully exactly how they handle the hair while it is applied and how they let it sit. I had a hard time getting started the first time and wasn't careful enough on the first section... There was a considerable amount of mid-strand breakage there. Not a big deal since I was planning on cutting it off anyway... But if you are trying to save the length, have a friend help you. It might even be worth getting it cut first so none of the dead dry ends tangle and cause breakage further up the strands. - Round 2 - No photo - This time I used Bittersweet (I knew from the Brad Mondo video it wouldn't be black... it's a really pretty ash blonde color... but it will take the brass out of anything which is probably why the model is black... that hair type has a lot of orange hair issues.) I loved it as soon as I saw it, even when it was wet. It evenly coated the roots and the new growth. I also loved it when it washed out 4 weeks later and left my roots unlifted. I almost thought about just leaving it and not dying it, but it would have probably kept washing out and I wanted what was left to be filler for the next layer. I will say that the dyed part I cut off looked very "flat" once the gloss part was gone. I had so much mid-strand breakage round 1, I decided to cut off as much as I could first, then apply the gloss. When I cut off 4 inches at the salon yesterday, I looked at it on the floor and the color was so flat and even I had a hard time seeing the individual strands on top of each other. The roots I had covered up were still "normal" though... So once the dyed part is all gone, flat color won't be an issue. I did notice that the color was a little streaky in spots the first week. Probably needed a second coat. - Round 3: After photo. 3 weeks in on Round 2, so the first box of Bittersweet was a good primer for the second box. No streakiness. I applied the gloss 2 days ago and took a shower yesterday. This is my result. I have about 3 inches of the old hair color that can't be bleached left to grow out. I have a few strands of grey here and there that the dye doesn't stick to, but not a big deal. I don't see any of the streakiness this time around... Probably because I did the second box 3 weeks after the first box so it was a primer. Also, it came off my bathtub very easily with Comet.

Unfortunately this product did not change the colour or tone of my hair. I was expecting it to cancel out the brassy tones and be overall a darker shade of brown but it almost looks more red than before. What a waste and it wasnt cheap. I paid almost $60 for this product.

My natural hair his dark brown, almost black. I had 2 rounds of blonde highlights done and used this in color bittersweet when I was tired of them. This achieved the desired effect of darkening my hair to my natural color. It was easy to apply and looked very good when styled. It darkened my money pieces and made the texture of my hair very smooth and silky, similar to before I dyed my hair. I would recommend!

This gloss makes my hair feel like I just left the salon. It adds such a rich tone and insane shine without damaging or drying my ends — my hair literally glows in the light. The color isn’t overly dark or flat — it gives that natural, deep brown look with dimension. The process is super easy and the formula doesn’t have that harsh chemical smell most dyes do. My hair feels softer afterward — like freshly conditioned soft — and it even smells like I just came from the salon (in a good way). It did stain my shower because I applied it in my shower, but I’ve seen some people apply it outside of the shower so I’ll try that next time. I honestly don’t even have to get my hair done professionally anymore. Definitely one of those products that actually does what it says — glossy, soft, rich color that lasts.

This gloss left my hair looking so shiny and refreshed! The Bittersweet Dark Brunette shade gave my dark brown hair a rich, even tone without feeling heavy or damaging. It made my color look salon-fresh in just one use and added a soft, healthy feel to my hair. Easy to apply, smells great, and perfect for in-between color appointments.