A Better Way To Go Darker With Your Hair

Want to get away from the up keep of super blonde hair, but afraid to go too dark? It’s difficult to get used to being darker or all one color when you have been highlighted for so long. Often colorists will go with color all over, leaving you feeling drab and ashy. Adding depth to hair that has becoming too blonde is one of the bigger trouble points we see int the salon. I get several calls a month to fix green or grey hair resulting from bad tint backs or low-lights.

Other times they will color all over and then go back and highlight again. Not a bad way to go, but labor intensive and potentially damaging if your hair is already sensitive. If condition is an issue, I don’t recommend going this route.

Tint the first 2-4 inches close to the natural level. Preserve some of the blonde on the ends by leaving them out, or by wrapping them in conditioner, foil, or plastic. Bring a slightly lighter and warmer color through the ends. The result is a better than natural look with a subtle ombre effect, done in a gentle economical way.

Foil low-lights throughout the hair will add depth and tend to cool  the palette. It’s a great way to add dimension and eliminate excess warmth without making a drab color. Sometimes a color just needs to be tied together a bit. We still see some rather aggressive ombre attempts that get too blonde on the ends and two toned. The best approach is to tie it together with a combination of balayage and low-lights, or use some foil highlights with some color between to bring it together.

Here are some suggestions to make your seasonal transition a successful one.

1.  Before you worry about the tone of your new color, discuss with your stylist how dark you will actually be. No matter what tones you choose, the color level, meaning the overall lightness or darkness, is going to be one of the biggest factors in how much you enjoy it.

2.  When it comes tone picking the tone of your new color, remember darker colors should be a bit warmer than the blonde tones your used to. Unless you have an extremely cool color palette, warm browns generally look best. Ashy tones feel dark and make you look old.

3. Don’t fear reds and golds. Lot’s of women have been brainwashed into thinking anything red is bad. While brassy, orange tones are unattractive, brunette shades with reds and golds look beautiful when they are done correctly. Your skin will look much nicer against the right color hair.

4. If cool tones suit you better, don’t just go with a boring neutral color. enhance it with a taupe, violet, silver, or mauve tone to make it stand out more.

5. If you go darker, some balayage highlights will give the hair dimension without the harsh grow out of foil. Ask for highlights two shades lighter than the base color.

6. If you are very blonde, a filler will help your new color look shinier, richer, and last longer. This extra step usually only needs to be done once, but its worth the extra time and money to do it right.

7. If your happy being somewhat blonde, but want to change it up for fall, ask for a few highlights and lots of lowlights. Keep the lowlights warm or neutral, not ashy.

8. Don’t limit yourself to brunette shades. Many blondes make great red heads, and it’s a sure way to turn a lot of heads.

9. Don’t forget to consult with a makeup artist to tweak your makeup palette to go with your fall hair color.

Done right, a deep, rich new hair color for fall can be your best accessory of the season. Come in for a consultation and let me show you your best look.