Kevin Murphy Colour Bug Review and Photos

Kevin Murphy Color Bugs are like eyeshadows for your hair. This is a simple, inexpensive, temporary way to play with the ombre/colour-dipped hair trend. 

It's pigment for your hair, a coloured chalk that adheres to your hair and washes out with water. How genius! 

Currently, Color Bugs come in three colours - pink, orange and purple - with more in the works. I was intrigued with them and wondered how they'd work on shorter hair as I'd only seen it applied to long hair.

I did some research (the orange and pink work best on darker hair and apply the colour like a highlight on short hair) and picked up the orange one at my hair salon (Parlour). It cost me $20 CDN. 

Color Bugs are little half circle plastic containers with a cap on one end. 

Once the cap is removed, there is the pigment, stamped with a k. The orange of this Color Bug is distinctly pinkish, it must be noted. I actually wondered if I'd grabbed a pink one by mistake. But no, it's an intense pinky-orange. It'd actually make a pretty blush colour.

Here's what my hand looked like after applying the pigment to my hair. Yup, the Color Bugs are messy. 

To apply, it's recommended that you wear something you don't mind getting dirty or drape a towel around your shoulders. Any chalky residue will wash off, but you don't want to be all dressed up to go out and get orange powder all over yourself. 

You apply the Color Bug to styled hair and what makes the pigment stick is product, such as hair spray, wax, glossing cream. Anything that'll dry after applied. A hair spray will give you a lighter application, while something thicker like a paste or wax will give you a more intense effect. You apply the product to the portion of hair you want to colour and then press and drag the Color Bug along the wet section. You can layer the pigment if you want a more intense effect or you can comb through the section if you want a watercolour effect. 

The Color Bug and my hang after application.

You should top the pigment with a layer of hairspray to lock it down. You don't want to wear anything light coloured on your shoulders as the pigment can come off. Again, it won't stain your clothes but it'll look messy.

And here's what it looked like in my hair.

It'll take a little practice to get the hang of applying it. I've worn the Color Bug a few times, sometimes as above and sometimes in little sections all over my hair. It's totally fun and fantastically non-committal. Sure, it's a little messy to apply but compared to what I go through each time I dye my hair, it's nothing. I can't wait to see what other colours they'll come out with. I'd love to see a blue, a teal, a tomato red, and a green. 

Grade: B+