questions for leather dyers: Tarrago metallic dyes

So I am thinking I want to turn my brown heeled oxfords bronze or dark gold. The brown is just too flat and boring and the truth is that I kind of just don't like brown. Anyway, I know Rae and Claire and others have mentioned Tarrago dyes. I'm looking at them and am a bit confused about the different products.

So there is something called "metallic self-shine colored dyes"
http://shoeshinekit.com/tamedy.html

And something called "metallic color cream polish"
http://shoeshinekit.com/tameco.html

What I want to do is basically add a bronze or gold coat over the existing brown color to add some depth and shine. Streaky is OK. I don't want the shoe to be sci-fi metallic or anything. Do I need to go for the true dye, or would the polish add enough of a coating? And does the polish rub off with time?

How shiny do they end up?

On a related note, I would also like to polish up my gold Born Arlettas. They are a distressed gold, with areas that are basically undyed which have gotten kind of ugly and darkened over time. So I'd like to basically put a coat of light gold polish over the whole thing. Would the cream polish be sufficient for that?

Any other tips and tricks for dyeing things metallic are welcomed and appreciated!

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11 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

I have only used the metallic cream polish, which was good for a little sheer shimmer. You can't go too thick with it, because you have to wipe off excess to make sure it doesn't come off. It's not a super high shine.

I also tried it on a $1 leather jacket once, and the color was pretty but it turned out a little stiff. For shoes, I think the polish would work nicely for what you want. Plus a little jar goes a long way, and if it starts to fade you can touch up over time.

ETA: do you have a close up of the Arletta texture?

Diana

Thanks, Rae. That's good to hear. The polish seems easier to use and is cheaper too. I don't really want to change the color, just add some metallic texture.
Here is a stock photo of the arlettas. The gold is not so shiny IRL and mine are more beat up looking after a year of wear, and the undyed parts have turned a bit darker in color.

Hm, I think the cream polish would be best for those, too. The self-shine dye is going to be much more opaque and shiny. Here's a good close up of the metallic cream polishes... can you see how it's kind of like a pearlized texture as opposed to a chrome-like texture? When it dries, the milky-ness goes away, but the pearlescence stays to shimmer it up.
http://www.shoecaresupplies.co.....tallic-2.j

Some after shots of the Self Shine Dye from the interwebs - solid, opaque color:
http://prettylittleladythings......-able.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/12.....&sref=

Oh, wow, I didn't realize the self shine dye was so opaque. OK, polish it is then. Do you think the colors are true to the picture you linked? The golds all look very yellow to me, I'm wondering if I actually need platinum to match the pale gold of the Arlettas.

They turn out brighter and shiner than in cream form. I only tried the bronze, and I'd say the resulting color was like a copper penny. The first link above is the platinum color, and it looks very silvery. The color used in the Etsy link is "metallic gold."

Vix

Hi Diana --

The Tarrago metallic leather dyes have changed my shoe life -- no more dependency on manufacturers to give me a comfortable sandal in a color that looks good with my skin tone!

I actually don't like the dye -- too shiny and prone to peeling for me.

Over the last several years I've used many of their cool-toned metallics. The pearlescent line gives a slightly softer look than the metallics, but doesn't look like they have any golds. The polish doesn't rub off, but if you scuff your shoes the base color will show through. Nice thing is it takes just a few minutes to coat a whole shoe, so touch-ups are even quicker.

I actually suggest buying at least 2 shades so you can layer them to tweak the color a bit -- every base color will affect the result differently, and generally you'll need at least 3 coats to see results. [Though wow, the metallics have doubled in price since I started! Still a great deal; a jar lasts and lasts.]

IME the palest shades don't do much at all on their own and even on a bone base color take about 7 (quick) coats to start looking metallic. If I had to pick one for my needs it would be High Silver.

Over the dark brown I think you're going to need a deep gold to see anything remotely golden; with the gold shoes, a lighter shade might be ok. You *may* be able to just add a bit of shine without changing the brown, but generally I find I don't like the way mine look mid-process.

A photo of some 2 year-old, oft-worn DIY'd silver wedges below -- most shots I have involve flash, the c/u might be daylight. Shininess is ~ equivalent to store-bought metallics, but your layering up the color adds control over that.

Some photos and process stuff here (though I've done many shoes since:

http://buildingacolorfullife.w.....pocket-or-

Good luck!

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Anonymous

Hi Diana! Sorry I'm late here....I've used lots of the dye and some polish from Tarrago. The one metallic dye I tried was silver, and it was very, very sheer. I used an entire kit on a buff colored bag and the orange-y color still showed through when I was finished.. So I wouldn't rule out the dye. If you order from shoeshinekit.com, you have to order a $10 minimum, so you may as well get the polish and dye at the same time. That way you have the dye if the polish isn't doing it for you. Good luck!

Thanks for chiming in, Vix and Claire!

Vix, I'm glad to hear that you had good luck mixing colors. I don't think any of the golds match the pale gold of my oxfords, so I was considering mixing the platinum (which looks champagne in most pictures I can find) with old gold (which I was going to get for the brown shoes anyway). Have you ever tried mixing two colors together before applying, or do you always do it like in your link, with multiple coats of different shades?

Claire, that's good to know about the sheerness of the metallics. I will definitely keep that in mind. I think I am actually going to order from Amazon - the price is a little higher but it qualifies for free shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/TRG-One-.....=137943154
(Google tells me that TRG is just the new brand name for tarrago and as far as I can tell it's identical).

I am really tempted to try the cream polish in silver to put over my grey moto boots -- I think it would update them and give them some life!

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