Tempted to experiment with dip die on your hair but worried it could backfire into a discoloured, over-bleached mess? You need to try ‘Chalking’ – a DIY beauty trend that requires one thing only – a humble piece of chalk.

Yes, chalk, that childhood essential for drawing hopscotch grids in the playground, once beloved of school teachers (they all use marker pens and white boards now) is being tipped as the easiest way to colour your hair for Autumn.

Katie Mulcahy, Creative Director at award-winning salon group Lisa Shepherd recommends applying chalk to the tips of your hair instead of dye for a temporary splash of bold colour that can be washed out:

“As hair professionals we wouldn’t normally recommend our clients colour their hair themselves but this very cool chalk technique is totally temporary and after just a few shampoo’s there will be no trace, ideal for the weekend, a festival or a big night out!”

ABOVE: An example of chalking as an alternative to dip dye.

Chalk isn’t a new beauty tool - the ancient Romans lightened their skin with it and Regency aristocrats powdered their wigs with chalk to keep them bright white. It’s cheap too (about a couple of pounds from an arts and craft shop), and available in a rainbow of colours, so you can try all sorts of crazy combinations. After honing her ‘chalking skills’ backstage at fashion shows and experimenting on shoots, Katie has created a guide for first time ‘chalkers’, so if you fancy trying the look yourself, here’s what to do:

Step 1: Choose good quality wax chalk available in art supply and craft shop. Every colour and shade of the rainbow is available, so get creative!

Step 2: This technique works on any length or depth of base hair colour. If applying the chalk to darker shades then spray the hair down with a little water first as this will allow the colour to show through with greater intensity. For light base shades the chalk can be applied to dry hair. Use your imagination...deeper colours on the mid lengths fading to lighter ends creates a VERY cool result.

Step 3: Once the hair is completely dry seal the colour in with a curling iron, straighteners, or hold hair momentarily in the diffuser cup of your hairdryer.

Would you try chalking at home? Let us know on Facebook and twitter.