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Color Me Rad

Painted Ladies: Fudge's Paintbox picks up where Manic Panic left off. Candy-Ass Colors from Down Under By Dara Colwell For those mousy-brown types looking for adventure in the hair department, Fudge's Paintbox home kits are dangerously accessible. This collection of 16 semi-permanent psychedelic colors from Down Under produces over-the-top results. Forget muted professional tones--Fudge shades are brilliantly bold colors suitable for teenagers who missed the whole punk scene. And with names such as Strawberry Fields, Cherry Bomb and Lime Spyder, the products could probably get together and form an all-girl band. Each Paintbox home kit comes with three colors that last anywhere from five to 40 washes. Kit One: Blue Velvet, Red Corvette and Lime Spyder; Kit Two: Blueberry Hill, Pretty Flamingo and Cherry Bomb; and Kit Three: Raspberry Beret, Hot Chili and Blue Hawaii. Each kit comes with a minibrush, an applicator tray, foil and gloves, and although I read the directions, I had no idea what to do with any of it. I just mixed away like I was back in art class listening to A Flock of Seagulls and sniffing glue. As a brunette with occasional auburn aspirations, I have always liked fiery shades, but I decided to do a strand test just in case. After coating my tress with a smudge from Kit Two, I waited the obligatory 15-30 minutes and witnessed my bathroom sink turn a beautiful shade of fuchsia. My hair wasn't as successful. It looked rather grape-ish but was definitely funky. For best results, bleach your hair first to help the color take--or you'll end up like me, squinting in the bathroom mirror, searching for clues. You can pick up a home kit at a salon for $10 or over the phone (1-888-FUDGE US) for $19.95 (or shoplift a tube, as most teenagers do, according to my local beauty supplier). The company also has a website: www.fudge.com featuring its products--not to mention odd, Blade Runner-inspired art and loopy children's stories. What the connection is between these things utterly escapes me, but I guess it's just "an Australian Thing," as the site professes. Either that or too many Fosters, mate. [ San Francisco | MetroActive Central | Archives ]