Color Bugs by Kevin Murphy • Product Review

The first time I was introduced to hair chalk, I was still in college. It was during the week I had agreed to let my friend host two of her friends at my apartment. What could have been a nightmare with three girls sleeping in my living room ended up being a really great time.

One of the girls who was crashing by me is a makeup artist, so we immediately started bonding over makeup and hair products. There was one product that particularly stood out: Color Bugs by Kevin Murphy. I'm not sure if they were even in stores at the time, but she told us that companies typically sent her products to test in the hopes that she would then order more to use on her clients.

I immediately went for the pink one; however, I'm not sure I knew exactly what I was doing. I loved the result, but I think I got more on my hands than on my hair. It's guaranteed to get all over your hands during the application, but what I didn't realize was that you need to put hairspray or some sort of hair product in your hair first to make the color stick. Knowing that, I am really excited to try these out again. You can find a step-by-step Color Bug video tutorial on Kevin Murphy's site here.

I could not decide which colors I wanted to play around with, so I narrowed my choices down to four and let Kevin Murphy surprise me.

My package arrived yesterday and I was very happy with the color selection - I received pink, purple, and shimmer.

I grabbed the pink Color Bug and a bottle of hairspray, and got to work. The application was so simple. I sprayed hairspray on a section of hair and then smothered the area with hair chalk. The effect -  vibrant pink highlights. I had to force myself to stop after a while since I was getting way too color happy watching my brunette locks transform into pink ones.

Hands down, the best part about this product is that it doesn't come out streaky. No matter how high up or low down you start the color, the effect is gradual. The colors are also so pigmented that you can get that pretty pastel look or really go for it and give yourself a deep shade of whatever color you are using. 

Things to note: Wear a towel around your neck when using the Color Bug. It is bound to get all over your hands and anywhere your hair touches. I'm not sure exactly how much time to give your hair after the application before it's safe to throw on a shirt (I was a bit too hasty, waiting only two minutes), but I don't think it should take too long.

The color comes out with a shower, so these Color Bugs are perfect for switching up your day to day look, no commitment necessary.

Thank you Kevin Murphy!

xx Esther

Disclosure: I was sent the product(s) in discussion for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.