i need help with a new hair color (attn: picture heavy)

[Katie-Gaslight]

OH NOES DOUBLE POST!

 

[Katie-Gaslight]

hey ladies,

so.. first of all... i have been blond for about 5 years now (can't believe it's been that long). i used to have very long and healthy - first red, and later - black hair. one day i "snapped" and gave myself a few too many bleaches in order to become platinum. my hair has since been coarse, dry, gross and well, short.

i WANT to go light, but it's

a) too much upkeep

B) would ruin my just recovered hair again

c) see above

my current hair color is just BLEH. it looks alright in the picture but it's soooooooo boring in person and just screams wallflower. 

i used taaz to color my current hair and i ask you... which one would you say looks best?

i'm not as pale as in the picture (sorry folks, HD powder.. we all know it.. hahaha), but pretty close, and i (think i) have a neutral skin tone. 

help a friend out, would you?! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

right now - this looks about 1-1.5 shades lighter than what my hair actually is.. if it was this actual color i'd be happy, lol!



auburn



mahagony



reddish brown



golden brown (though this looks more like "dark honey" (or something like that) blonde to me)



ash brown



and, again, for reference:

copper - this is what i had 15 to 16.5 or so



black - came after copper, except it was a crazy black that looks like a helmet. people sometimes thought i'm a goth wannabe, but i just really liked bettie page. lasted only for 1/2 a year though.



then came... BLEACH BLOND. and it ruined my hair. and even "photoshopped" it looks like the hair is gross and dry.. hahaha.



if you're wondering about my actual, natural hair color... it is.. well... a gray-ish ash blonde? i'm not kidding, it's actually such a dirty blonde it looks GRAY. welp. or maybe i worry too much and am graying already? who knows! i had a phase were i would dye my hair silver/gray on purpose - that was at the peak of it's coarseness when i had to bleach and and THEN dye over it with gray. it's a miracle i wans't completely bald.

HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEE.... i can't decide!

 

[Stemarber]

I'm torn between two: reddish brown and ash brown. Both look awesome on you!

Good luck on your decision!

 

[Fairest of all]

i LOVE the copper on you!!!! It really makes your blues eyes pop and i think its bold, yet tasteful. Not a lot of people can pull it off  

I myself had my hair fried from my waist to my chin at a salon, and started using semi permanent dyes. My hair was like dishwater bleck looking after all the damage and those dyes held the pigment SO well. Just something to consider if you like the brighter colors, but want to avoid the same level of damage.

 

[Katie-Gaslight]

Originally Posted by Amber Blevins /img/forum/go_quote.gif

i LOVE the copper on you!!!! It really makes your blues eyes pop and i think its bold, yet tasteful. Not a lot of people can pull it off  

I myself had my hair fried from my waist to my chin at a salon, and started using semi permanent dyes. My hair was like dishwater bleck looking after all the damage and those dyes held the pigment SO well. Just something to consider if you like the brighter colors, but want to avoid the same level of damage.

awww, thank you!

i definitely would go for a semi-permanent color! do you remember what brand you used? some of them can hold quite well, others not so much... in germany i worked with a brand called igora (schwazkopf) and their semi-perm. colors are great, but they're very hard to find here and i'm i could find a brand just as good or better here. hahaha. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Quote: Originally Posted by Stemarber /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I'm torn between two: reddish brown and ash brown. Both look awesome on you! 

Good luck on your decision!


and thanks to you too, lady!!! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> 

but now i can't decide again! lol! 

 

[BreAnnNicole]

I really like the ash brown or the copper. They look so good on you and as someone else said above, make your eyes pop!

P.S. I swear from the way you described it we have the exact same hair color!!! That is crazy, i thought I was the only person in the world who had naturally "gray blonde hair" it sucks! 

 

[Katie-Gaslight]

thanks to you too, breann!! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> really appreciate any input! 

now i have that tickling in my fingers & feet and really want to head to sally's to pick up some dye... gahh! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Fairest of all]

I've used both manic panic and Jerome russell brands and both have worked very well in my opinion. The salon brand demi colors and all never held at all in my hair for some reason. I am VERY light blonde naturally where I dont have to pre lighten, but I've found that the colors work very well on medium colored hair as well to give a nice pop to them. I tried to find a few pics of colors to show the results ive had.

Manic panic Rock n roll red on my natural platinum blonde hair, light brown hair, and dark brown hair. You can see how the color looks totally unique depending on what you have underneath.



My favorite orange color is manic panic electric lava. I don't have pics but i have used it on a bit darker hair and it gave a nice tint to it. the second pic is a mix of rock n roll red and electric lava

 

I just started using Jerome russell dyes I found at Ulta and so far I'm really impressed. This is flamingo pink. I found the color payoff to be better than MP's hot hot pink 



The only downside is that they usually only come in unnatural colors. I believe Jerome russell has one brown color. But if your putting them over your natural medium colored hair that would tone down the color quite a bit. It might be something to try just until your hair is healthy enough to withstand salon color again =)

 

[Johnnie]

I like the golden brown or copper.

 

[katana]

I like the copper too! It looks fierce! You can totally pull it off!

I also like the auburn, as it looks pretty on you too.

 

[GirlyEnthusiast]

I think you would be a freaking knock out (more than you already are) with dark brown hair and honey golden highlights.

Kinda like this...

 

[Dragonfly]

I don't think that red/auburn shades suit you at all. And the blond looks a bit washed out.

I'd love to see you as a medium brown with defined highlights.

Gurly Enthusiastic's picture is fabulous!

 

[Katie-Gaslight]

aw, thanks for the suggestion ladies  but unfortunately i HATE highlights (on myself). i just don't like having multiple shades of hair colors, though i was considering it for a while. 

mhhhhhh. gah /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> and girlyenthusiast, thanks so much for the compliment too! you're all too sweet here /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

dragonfly, do you mean the "blonde" which is actually a brown or do you mean the first picture ooooor the blonde? because i could seem all three of them looking washed out, lol! i don't know what i was thinking with that bleach blonde, honestly. most terrible idea i've ever had, i think!

le sigh... still can't decide!

 

[Dragonfly]

I really like the colour of your hair in the profile. Not big on the platinum blond you had with the photoshop.

I think you need a lot of depth and richness in your hair to match your beautiful complexion.

 

[chandrika]

I was going to say that ash tones would suit your skin color, and then I read that your natural color hair is ash blonde, so it probably would.

However, looking at the pictures, I definitely think you look the best with the dark hair! It totally brings out your beautiful blue eyes and looks good with your complexion. I wouldnt go black, but a dark brown, chocolate and caramel tones are very on trend colors for 2012 hairstyles, I would steer away from the warmer shades and stick to the cooler.

Another hot hair color technique for this year is dip dying and so if you cant make up your mind, you could always have a bit of both, deep brown for the main and then dip dyed lighter sections towards the ends. I personally love dip dyed hair, as long as the colors are not too contrasting and blend well.

 

[DreamWarrior]

Hi Katie!!

I like the black, copper, and golden brown - in that order! LOL! Im bias to black, so if you want to knock that one out, then copper would be my first choice.

 

[xlisaa]

I like the reddish brown! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Jholub]

I think you look amazing with dark hair. I honestly looked at all of your pictures, and BAM! That one stuck out immensly. I would say try a dark chocolate brown with  very blond and noticeable thick highlights just in the front, but not right next to your face as again, the dark really looks good next to it... That way you'll look more like you're trying to be stylish and not goth. I think that would look a-m-a-z-i-n-g on you. It's a tad more expensive, and the stylist needs to be a good one, (ask for recommendations from people who's hair look colored very well). If you get the highlights starting probably 2 inches from your scalp and down to the bottom, just in the front.. you won't have to get the highlights re-done so many times. Also, I would only do the front with the highlights. But, I tell you, the dark makes a huge different.

(I get called Elvira all the time, so I'm doing the same, haha. But I have bangs, and it is very dark brown, not black. So I get a little slack!)

Sorry so long...

Jess

 

[Jholub]

I forgot, the highlights - not the teeny tiny ones. Thick ones. Like 1/2 inch closer to face, then an inch a bit farther back. I'm just saying keep the dark, but the highlights should take the 'goth' away. I'm serious, that dark color really, really makes a huge difference with your face.

Jess