Method for Colouring Hair

1 . A method for colouring hair, wherein the method comprises:

(i) the formation of a first plurality of coated hair fibre portions, by applying a first composition to a first plurality of hair fibre portions;

wherein the first composition comprises a first hair colouring agent;

and subsequently

(ii) styling the hair wherein the first plurality of coated hair fibre portions is contacted with a second plurality of coated hair fibre portions;

wherein the second plurality of coated hair fibre portions are coated with a second composition;

wherein the second composition comprises a second hair colouring agent;

wherein the method does not comprise the application of a solid barrier means in order to separate the first plurality of coated hair fibre portions from the second plurality of coated hair fibre portions;

wherein the first composition and the second composition are substantially free of persulfate;

and wherein the first composition and the second composition comprise from about 0.2% to about 20% of viscosity-increasing agent, by total weight of the respective composition;

and wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is selected from the group consisting of: clays; polysaccharides; silicas; block copolymers of polypropylene oxide (PPO) and polyethylene oxide (PEO); and mixtures thereof.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second hair colouring agent is different from the first hair colouring agent.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is a hydrosoluble thermosensitive polymer which comprises polyoxyalkylene triblock linear chains in more than 80% by weight of said thermosensitive polymer, said linear chains consisting of blocks of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and of blocks of poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) in the form of PEO-PPO-PEO and conforming to Formula 1:

wherein 20<x<120, 20<y<120, 20<z<120, and m>0; said linear chains are linked together by one or more organic linking groups which are bonded to said linear chains by either a carbamate bond or a urea bond; and both said carbamate bond and urea bond are present in said polymer.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first composition and the second composition comprise from about 0.4% to about 3% of viscosity-increasing agent, by total weight of the respective composition.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second hair colouring agents are oxidative dye compounds; and wherein the first and/or second composition comprises an oxidising agent.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first composition and the second composition respectively have a lamellar structure; wherein the lamellar structure is sandwich of a hydrophobic phase and a hydrophilic phase; and wherein the hydrophilic phase comprises the viscosity-increasing agent; wherein the wherein the lamellar structure has a d-spacing; wherein the d-spacing is the total thickness of a hydrophobic layer and a hydrophilic layer; wherein the d-spacing is from about 12 nm to about 40 nm.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is a clay and the clay is selected from the group consisting of: laponite clays, bentonite clays, and mixtures thereof and the first composition and the second composition respectively comprise from about 2% to about 7% clay.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is a polysaccharide and the polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of: hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, starch compounds, xanthan gum, carrageenans, and mixtures thereof.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first hair colouring agent and/or second hair colouring agent is a mixture of at least one primary intermediate and at least one coupler, wherein the primary intermediate is 2-methoxymethyl-1,4-diaminobenzene and wherein the coupler is selected from the group consisting of: 5-amino-4-chloro-o-cresol, 2,6-diaminopyridine, 2,6-dihydroxyethylaminotoluene, and mixtures thereof.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second composition comprises the alkalising agent monoethanolamine (MEA).

11 . A hair colouring composition being in ready to use form;

wherein the composition comprises a hair colouring agent, an oxidising agent, a viscosity-increasing agent, water, and a fatty alcohol; wherein the hair colouring agent is a mixture of at least one primary intermediate and at least one coupler;

and wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is selected from the group consisting of: clays; polysaccharides; silicas; block copolymers of polypropylene oxide (PPO) and polyethylene oxide (PEO); and mixtures thereof;

and wherein the composition comprises from about 0.2% to about 20% of viscosity-increasing agent.

12 . The composition according to claim 11 , wherein the composition comprises from about 1.0% to about 2.0% of viscosity-increasing agent.

13 . The composition according to claim 11 , wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is a clay.

14 . The composition according to claim 11 , wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is a silica.

15 . The composition according to claim 11 , wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is a polysaccharide.

16 . The composition according to claim 11 , wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is a block copolymer of polypropylene oxide (PPO) and polyethylene oxide (PEO).

17 . A developing formulation comprising:

(i) from about 0.5% to about 10% viscosity-increasing agent and wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is selected from the group consisting of: clays; polysaccharides; silicas; block copolymers of polypropylene oxide (PPO) and polyethylene oxide (PEO); and mixtures thereof;

(ii) from about 1% to about 15% of an oxidising agent;

(iii) from about 1% to about 10% of a fatty alcohol;

(iv) from about 0.1% to about 2% of a surfactant;

(v) water.

18 . The formulation according to claim 17 , wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is a polysaccharide.

19 . The formulation according to claim 17 , wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is a block copolymer of polypropylene oxide (PPO) and polyethylene oxide (PEO).

20 . A process for creating a hair colouring composition comprising mixing:

(i) a developing formulation according to claim 17 ;

(ii) a hair colour formulation comprising a hair colouring agent wherein the hair colouring agent is a mixture of at least one primary intermediate and at least one coupler.