Caca Marron Mama

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

-The smell wasnt bad. It smelled like Earl Grey with Coffee and plants.
-Very messy but easy enough to clean.
-It's best to wash up with soap around hairline and ears and all that as soon as you can do not miss any spots on you skin.
-If you have thick hair, you need at least 2 bars|
-And make sure you realize that henna is fairly permanent and pretty much only fades or grows out.
My hair was a dirty blonde/brown hair with naturally light highlights. The end result I did not initially like it was very red to me and my roots were somewhat orange. But i slept on it and my highlights are a beautiful color and the the overall color of my hair is very rich. Hair is incredibly soft too.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I love this stuff. I can't imagine ever using nasty chemical hair dye again. So there are a lot of negative reviews written about the cacas and the smell - no, it doesn't smell like roses and bubblegum. It smells very earthy. I didn't mind the smell one bit, so to each his own I suppose. Chemical hair dyes smell horrific as well!

It's messy. Yep, it's *really* messy. You're not going to get this done in 15 minutes like hair dye from a box. You need to plan out the day/night you dye your hair, and it requires effort, just like other henna hair dyes. I rather enjoyed the entire process, from melting it down, to applying, to washing it out. It's not *that* hard to wash out, just use some cheap conditioner and it'll come out.

My hair was medium/dark brown to begin with, and I was left with a very pretty auburn color. I'm probably going to mix the Caca Noir and Caca Marron together next time to get a deeper color. I used coffee instead of water and added some cinnamon, which probably helped with the smell. Everyone's hair is different and will respond differently to the color they select, so you may have to play with it 1-2 times before you find the color that takes to your hair the best.

I didn't add enough liquid the first time and had a hard time getting it to spread through my hair. Lesson learned. You may not get it 100% right the first time, but by the second time, you'll have it down to a science.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I loved this product! I have "virgin" hair-I never dye or chemically harm my hair at all. I also have slightly ethnic (arabic) hair that is fine and curly. My hair is naturally dark auburn, but I wanted it darker brown. I talked to the wonderful people at lush (I'm already totally committed to many of their products so I figured it was a good place to start) and they told me Caca Marron was the best bet. My hair retained it's natural hue, but was a deeper chestnut. More importantly, it was so incredibly healty for several months following the henna and softer than ever. It is AMAZING as a product. To apply, I put it in my rice cooker which has a keep warm setting. DO NOT microwave or it will be messier/harder to use.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I used this product boiled black tea and added it into the henna. I added papika, cinnamon and olive oil to the mixture covered it with 2 shower caps and left it in for 8 hours. My hair has a nice hint of auburn/red in it. Overall i'm very happy with the results. I may do another coat just to see how it turns out. The product is messy but lay some news paper down and you will be fine.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

Having used plenty of henna in powder form before, I was used to the time commitment and the mess, and even then I didn't mind since it was a more natural and safer way of getting some gorgeous color to my frizzy, voluminous, dry, thin, mousy brown hair. At best, the powder henna would leave my hair feeling somewhat straw-y; at worst, it would give me ocular migraines that would last 3 days. I usually never leave reviews, but after trying caca marron, I an HOOKED FOR LIFE. It is easy to get to consistency, it hydrates hair and leaves it insanely shiny, the color is long lasting and natural looking and it is one of the least messy henna preparations I have used. I did grate it with a knife before using, and added a tad more water as it dried out while I was applying. The smell was that of green tea, and when it dripped it was in tiny little clusters that were super easy to clean up. I had on a shower cap and left it on for 3 hours while I had a heat hair cap. Just have conditioner handy when you wash it off. My hair is so dry that I did not need to shampoo after rinsing off the henna, but it has made my hair simply gorgeous. The price was very fair, as my past shoulder lenght hair needed only half of the block. This is more hydrating than kerastase hair masks. Can't wait to try the other colors!

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I wear my hair natural and had read recommendations for this product on several blogs and web sites for those of us who wanted to try henna, so basically a henna for beginners. The preparation wasn't that difficult but while applying it I kept noticing grains and balls of something hitting the paper I had placed on the floor. I left it on for about 3hrs and washed it out. So the horror began here!!! I washed and washed and my hair still felt like i had coffee grounds all in my hair! I left conditioner in it about 30min hoping it would pull it out but it was still full of grains. I rinsed until the water ran cold and it was STILL in my hair! I began to worry that these grains were cutting my hair by remaining so close to my scalp and held my head over the sink, grabbing sections of hair shaking the grains out and hoping my hair didn't go with it! I finally had to sit down, section my hair and brush out the grains!!! Im ok with the color due to the fact that I wear my hair darker in the fall/winter but my roots weren't dyed at all. It conditioned my hair good but defiantly wasn't what I expected. I was so hyped to try it but im totally discouraged and disappointed.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I had my Henna put on in a LUSH store( less for me to screw up, right?) and went home to wait out the dye time. Although it was a little messy washing out, the henna didn't leave my hair with that straw, just been dyed feel. I had dark hair with blonde highlights, which turned an AWESOME auburn with brighter red highlights color. I have gotten a ton of complements and my hairs feels soft and healthy! I would definately recommend this Henna and ask if your LUSH will put it on for you!!

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I recently got a haircut and I decided that I would like to change up my color a bit too. I haven't dyed my hair since high school, so I wanted something natural that would fade naturally and not need a ton of maintenance.

I have chin-length medium brown hair and went with Caca Marron and the result is a beautiful dark chestnut. I couldn't be happier with the result. The color is amazing and my hair is super soft.

The only draw back is that I wish I had more specifics on how much caca to use and how much water to add. I found the smell alternated between a pleasant citrusy-grassy smell and strong coffee. I started with four pieces that I grated into a glass 4-cup measure. I filled it about halfway with the henna and then added about 2 cups of boiling water. I then put the cup into a pot with hot water. The mixture seemed too liquidy, so I added a 5th piece. It was still not as thick as it should have been, but I was anxious to get started.

I poured about half the henna into a 12oz squeeze bottle and let it sit until it had cooled slightly. I applied Ultrabalm to my forehead, ears and neck. Since my hair is short, I did 4 sections: back, sides and top. I started in the back, putting the henna in my hand, then rubbing into the roots. Bits of ground coffee fell out as I worked the henna into my hair. I then started to squeeze the henna directly on my hair. I used about 3/4 of the squeeze bottle.

I wrapped my hair in cling wrap then covered that with a couple of conditioning caps then wrapped a towel around my head to keep things warm. I left to henna on for 5 hours. I did have a little leak out the back, but the towel caught it.

I rinsed most of the henna out before shampooing twice and then conditioning. I did not have any henna stains on my skin. The red in my hair seemed brighter after I dried it the first time. The next day it had taken on a dark brown chestnut/auburn color. I noticed some color bleeding during my shower that day, but no color had rubbed off on my pillow case or clothes. Some of the henna had gotten on my bathroom sink and floor and I didn't notice till the next day, but there were no stains after I cleaned it up.

Next time I do this, I'm going to start with 3 pieces and add a 1/4 cup of water at a time until I get the yogurt texture.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

This product is one where you kind of learn what works best for your hair and for you. Preparation was a little time consuming, because I thought chopping it up was necessary, when it is not. The only reason I would say its messy is because even though you wrap it, and the henna concoction is pretty thick, the oils would tend to drip down my neck quite often.
It IS a bit smelly, but most hair products (dyes, relaxers, perms) normally do anyway...and this one actually mostly smells like coffee and cocoa butter.

Other than that, I absolutely LOVE THIS PRODUCT. I really like going for a vibrant shade so I put it on before bed, wrapped it and rinsed it out in the morning. The resulting shade is gorgeous and looks incredibly natural. And the MAIN reason I wanted to start using henna is because I have fried and processed my hair for the past 9 years. My hair isn't as thick anymore or as soft as a result to that & WELL... because of the mixture LUSH has created with henna, my hair is baby soft today and very very shiny.

LOVE this product :)

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I did my cousins chemical treated hair with this product. We left it on an hour. We tested on small area underneath for 30 min and could not see any change. After one hour on all hair out went to a very red red. her dark brown roos however remained the same. we would like to know if we can use the Brun over it to tone down red.

Service and delivery comments:

Great service at north park in Dallas

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I waited 3 months from my last store bought color application before using this product. I combined one square of the caca marron with one square of the brown and had great results. The odor is like a very strong green tea smell - my daughter hated the smell, but it was better than the chemical smell, and didn't burn my scalp. The color has lasted great and it's been 6 weeks. It also conditioned my hair.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

The ONLY con is that it is messy... but really, what color (salon, box, or otherwise) isn't?!?

The pros: it is so natural! The smell is natural(like a very strong tea), the color looks just wonderful, and as it fades (yes it does, but better than any salon or box color I've ever used) my grays are a bright, shiny copper color.

Details: I have a fairly good amount of middle back length, fine, naturally light to medium brown hair (with scattered grays, hooray genetics). I have previously colored (professionally, box permanent and demi-permanent), but wanted something different. I will never go back. This was not much more difficult, and I'm so much more satisfied with the results.

Here's my how to:

1. I used a stainless steel knife to cut three blocks into a pyrex bowl. Next time I plan to use my food processor (knife and bowl cleaned up with no residue or color) to speed it up a bit and perhaps get a finer texture.

2. Poured some boiling water into the shaved henna in the pyrex, which was sitting over a sauce pan of boiling water (double boiler).

3. Stir. I used a rubber spatula, it was stained in the process so now has a dedicated use.

4. Repeat 2 & 3. Slowly add boiling water and mix it with the henna. Amount of water is hard to gauge. It will melt, soak up some of the water, and hopefully come together nicely. Mine was eventually about the consistency of thick brownie batter.

5. At this point I turned off the heat and began to prep my area (newspaper all over the floor, shampoo cape, gloves, and shower cap at the ready, and ultrabland for my ears and hairline). The mix formed a cool dark layer on top, simply stir to evenly cool it so you can put it on your head.

6. While still warm, I began to apply it from the back to the front, roots to ends. It fell off as I put it on (interesting consistency), so it really helps to have an assistant (especially with long hair).

7. Tied up in a bun, put on a shower cap, put on another, and went to bed with an old towel over my pillow. Fortunately nothing was on the towel the next morning, nothing dripped out of the shower caps, and my hairline was not stained. My scalp did take some color, but it washed out by my second shampoo.

8. I didn't shampoo at first. I just rinsed it out in the shower. It left my hair just a little too heavy/oily due to the cocoa butter, so I shampooed that afternoon (I was going to try to wait until the next morning for extra color and conditioning).

Anyway, I love my results. Sorry this was so long, but hopefully it helps if you are thinking about doing it yourself.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I just finished using Caca Marron for the second time, and I have to say, I love this product! I bought a block about 3 weeks ago, and used ½ of it on my fine, shoulder-length hair. My natural color is an espresso-ish brown-almost-black; however, the bottom half was dry and brassy from previous chemical dying.

For my first use, I left the mixture on my hair for about 5 hours. The results were hair that was shinier and healthier-looking, but not drastically different in color. I wasn't sure if I would be purchasing this product again.

However, I just used up the remainder for a second application; this time, I applied the night before, and washed it out when I got up this morning, about 11 hours later. The results this time around are a much richer reddish-brown; my brassy ends are toned down substantially, and the whole length of my hair has a natural reddish tint. I love it!

My mixing process for both applications was the same. I placed the blocks in a plastic bag and broke them down into a powder using a hammer. I then put the powder in a very large mug and mixed it with boiling coffee. I used a bit less than 3 cups of liquid.

I then moved to my bathroom, where I put the mug of henna on a coffee mug warmer to keep it warm while I applied it. I dipped gloved fingers in the mixture and applied it to my hair. After all my hair had been coated, I piled it on top of my head and took another handful of the henna and sort of lathered it into the hair like I would do with shampoo. I tied a bandana around my hairline, and covered my head with a plastic shower cap.

The process for me was no messier than chemical hair color; I actually found that the henna stained surfaces less because it takes longer for the color to "stick." I would recommend that you keep a towel around your neck as you apply; this keeps your neck and your clothes from being covered in the drops that drip out as you are coloring your hair. Also, try to lean over a sink or bathtub (which is more stain-resistant than, say, your flooring) while you apply; the drips will be pretty easy to just rinse out. Rubbing alcohol helps on residue that soap and water won't remove from skin or household surfaces.

As for the smell, it was only very strong the first day after coloring. I still noticed it for about a week when my hair was wet or I sweated, but no one around me seemed to really be able to smell it.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I was sick of spending loads of cash at the salon every 2 months and also wary of the stinging loads of chemicals on my scalp. I started getting gray hair pretty early in life and really need to dye frequently.
I waited 6 months after my last chemical hair dye (probably not necessary), and had about 3 inches of light brown graying roots and faded red-brown below the shoulder hair for the rest.
prepped as instructed, adding a little olive oil for conditioning and some cinnamon for good smells. It takes some experimentation to get the mixture right, but it all went well. My boyfriend applied for me, just picking up the product in his gloved hands, rubbing into the roots and spreading down the hair. It didn't take long. It was a bit messy, but we had news papered the whole floor/bathroom vanity and when done, just rolled it up and threw it. I plastic wrapped my hair covered with a towel and killed time for 8 hours. Thought it smelled nice, though other reviewers dislike it. Did take about 3 shampoos to get out all the grittiness, but I don't understand why people make a big deal out of that. It's washing your hair, not that hard to do. I conditioned it a few times as well.

Results now 3 days later-- a beautiful brown /deep vibrant red. My grays are a lighter red, that look like highlights. I notice the grays texture has softened remarkably losing some of that annoying wiriness. In the sun, my hair is so bright and shiny it is ridiculous. The day after I dyed it, my boyfriend swore he could see my jacket reflected in my hair! Admittedly this is more red then I wanted but I can chalk that up to wrapping it in plastic and the old dye job. Next time I will mix with half and half with Brun I think. In the meantime, it is a gorgeous red to have.

It was a somewhat drippy, but I kept some baby wipes on hand. Next time I will also cover my pillows with old towels and sleep in it overnight for convenience. I will probably keep plastic wrapping, just because it keeps it more contained.

Of course this is a messy process, it doesn't have all the noxious chemicals that make it easy! It is a small price to pay for a fabulous product!!!!!

Love it! I am a Lush Henna convert! I will never go back to the salon for color.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I have tried henna many years ago and thought to give it another try. I have grey/white hair been coloring it for a while wanted to transition away from the chemical options. Note: for full grey coverage you may wish to do two coats or leave your primary coat on for over 4 hours. Not only is this time consuming (put the better part of a day aside) it is VERY VERY VERY messy, make sure you cover your floor with newspaper and wear a t-shirt you aren't overly fond of. I also added coffee with water to my henna. I loved the results! Some of my grey still look a little "hot" very red but that does seem to be fading. The shine and feel of my hair are great and no residual chemical smell.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

After years of dyeing my hair with permanent dye, I began to notice a lot of breakage and tangles. I had eyed this product for a year when I made my soap and shampoo runs, but wasn't willing to make room in my Lush budget to buy it. I'm so glad I did. Mixing the dye was easy and fast. I cut three of the cubes into fourths and ground it up in my food processor. I used a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water to melt it with hibiscus tea as my liquid (an Indian friend told me it would make the red pop). I added a tablespoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of vanilla extract to balance the strong coffee smell (it smelled divine after that). My fiancee applied it for me with a large paintbrush in about twenty minutes, then we wrapped my head in a saran wrap turban. (By the way, the heat will make the dye run down your neck if you wrap your head, unless you tie an old towel around the base of the plastic wrap) I recommend that you wrap your head, unless you want little pieces of dried henna to fall off all over your house! I left the dye in place for 6 hours, then saturated my hair with conditioner to loosen the dried coffee grounds and henna. It rinsed right out. I did shampoo to get the grease off my scalp immediately, and it didn't hurt my color at all... it is a gorgeous rich, vibrant bronze with deep reds, rusts, and a dark golden shine. My fiancee can't stop touching it! It is shiny and soft and has more movement and a thicker feel with no fly-aways. Also, I have just below the shoulder fine, straight hair and I had dye left over after using half the block, just so you know. I will be a lifelong user of this product!

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

As a total hair dye virgin, lets just say when I ordered a lump of brown stuff to smear over my head it was very, very late at night. Never the less, it showed up at my door and hating to waste money, I started mixing. Only one comment on making the stuff: do not add too much water, its so hard to put it on hair and you end up using the whole bar. Over all it smelt really nice, not as much like coffee as everyone says, and while my bathroom was a mess nothing got stained. Left on for two hours, on medium brown hair, and ended up with a lovely subtle copper color. Just what I wanted!

Service and delivery comments:

Took almost two weeks, ehh.

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I tried this product because I don't want to dye my hair anymore. My natural color is almost black/dark brown but I had recently had blonde highlights put in (which were more on the dark blonde side). I took the risk and tried the Marron with the highlights and it looks amazing! Everyone thinks I use the Rouge because of it. Well, I'm going to go without highlights (tired of the money and chemicals) and see how it will do with my natural highlights/grays for awhile. The look is natural- I just wish it came in a bottle pre-mixed- just heat and apply because it's really messy. It's time consuming too but it's worth it. It looked amazing for my wedding day!

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

When I got this, i did not plan to buy it again because it's really expensive! But I used it the next day and fell in love with it. It's really messy and taked the whole day to soak in, but it leaves your hair amazing!
My hair is healthy, shiny and soft and has a great auburn color. However, In the sunlight it looks really red, so if you just want a tinge, use only 3 blocks and leave it in for four hours max. i used all six and it was way to much for my hair, but i left it in for 5 and a half hours and it looks great!

Comments about LUSH Caca Marron Mama:

I, like many others, was looking for a product less harsh and more safe to use than conventional store hair dyes. While at the moment I'm conflicted as to what to use next, I wasn't disappointed with Lush's henna.

I did a strand test because I've been dying my hair with the "chemical" stuff for years. Nothing drastic happened, so the next day I went for it.

I will say this, it takes awhile to grate the henna. For about two and a half blocks it took me maybe 30 minutes. Not too terrible, just pop on some tunes, whatever. Be sure to lay down some old news paper and wear a set of gloves while grating. (Also, every time I've henna'd I've used a metal grater and boiled my H20 in a metal pot with NO adverse reactions. I'd just make sure your mixing bowl is pyrex or something along those lines.)

It smells but it wasn't bothersome. It's messy, so lay down a lot of towels. If you're relatively careful, it's not too bad but I could see how it could cause a disaster for many. I also rubbed Vaseline around my hair line, neck and ears to prevent skin dying.

Anyway, it took two applications before I saw a difference. It's really subtle but I love it. However, I have VERY dark brown hair and you couldn't even begin to tell if it even took to my roots. Right now I have pretty henna colored hair and my dark roots. I'm debating going to the Brun to make it less obvious or going with the Rouge or if I want to let it grow out. I'm apprehensive to dye over it with chemical dye. I don't want green hair. Or fried hair. Luckily I'm broke so I have some time to debate with myself.

Overall, if you want to try this, do it! It's fun, relaxing, and even if you don't see much of a difference your hair will look and feel MUCH HEALTHIER. If you're afraid, STRAND TEST it's so easy with this henna.

MORE TIPS: The second application I left on for 7-8 hours and the color was much more noticeable. Buy shower caps. I put two on at a time and then wrapped a babuska around my head. Easier than saran wrap. Buy a cheap bottle of conditioner. I used probably 2/3 of a bottle of conditioner washing the henna out of my hair. (I used V05 or w/e. It's less than a dollar). Use this when your tub needs cleaned because it will need it when you are done. I've never had an issue with it dying the tub, but I've always cleaned it right after I washed the henna out of my hair.

Service and delivery comments:

I had a gift card and could only use it online. The Lush stand by me is in Macy's and doesn't accept Lush gift cards. I ordered this probably in May/June. Nothing adverse happened to the block. No signs of melting or anything. A little soft, but usable.

Also, I'm stupid and couldn't figure out how to use the g/c online. Customer Service was amazing and redeemed the $10 to my account.

Product arrived probably within about a week of ordering it. I wish it has arrived sooner but that had more to do with my impatience than anything else. It shipped from somewhere on the West Coast, so arrival time was appropriate.