I'm having that issue a bit with the dye I'm using right now. I think I need to get a darker version. :/ Do you use a box or mix it yourself? Might be the brand.

Usually I can set a story aside and come back to it, renewed, later on. And it's a good thing to do when it fights you! But I hate it when you put them away and they bury themselves so far into the sand they don't want to come back out. Bugger them! That's why I'm kind of working on an F/M one. Or will be after I read this booklet. xD