I purchased this temporary hair chalk for my daughter. It's very easy to use. You just open the compact and slide from top to bottom on the selected lock of hair. You then spray on hairspray to seal and bind the chalk to your hair. It comes out when you wash your hair. It's a fun temporary styling option where you can use a single or multiple colours. I did not find it to be messy and the compact kept the product from shattering into a million pieces.