Bottle-blonde for dummies
September 26, 2013 3:34 AM Subscribe
I have typical Irish colouring (not stereotypical, think The Corrs), healthy brows and very little interest in maintenance. What do I need to know if I want to try going blonde.
I have never coloured my hair and have quite fine, straight hair in a short, asymetrical bob at the moment. This feels like a perfect time to go blonde since if I hate it, I am already short-haired, can easily colour it back to dark etc. Once I've seen what it looks like blonde I will likely try some temporary colours for fun, and then maybe finish up with a proper dye-job of my usual colour plus highlights to see if that's something I would like to do more often in the future. I don't expect to suddenly find I want to be blonde forever. I will be doing this at a salon.
Are there different types of blonde to go? What do I do with my eyebrows? Can they be dark? It would be super-weird with bleached eyebrows surely? Halp!
I have never coloured my hair and have quite fine, straight hair in a short, asymetrical bob at the moment. This feels like a perfect time to go blonde since if I hate it, I am already short-haired, can easily colour it back to dark etc. Once I've seen what it looks like blonde I will likely try some temporary colours for fun, and then maybe finish up with a proper dye-job of my usual colour plus highlights to see if that's something I would like to do more often in the future. I don't expect to suddenly find I want to be blonde forever. I will be doing this at a salon.
Are there different types of blonde to go? What do I do with my eyebrows? Can they be dark? It would be super-weird with bleached eyebrows surely? Halp!
Best answer: Believe it or not, dying eyebrows is totally a thing! And this blonde loves having her eyebrows dyed darker. It makes my eyes a remarkably dominant facial feature. So don't worry about the mismatch - embrace it.
posted by amelioration at 4:44 AM on September 26, 2013
posted by amelioration at 4:44 AM on September 26, 2013
Best answer: Dark eyebrows and blonde hair looks cool. I am naturally mousey and had a few platinum blonde years, now I am brunette again I dye my eyebrows to make them darker to keep up with my hair. I wish I'd know about it years ago. If you go blonde and don't want them dark for whatever reason, you can sneak a little bit of lightening powder in them. I'm told 'brow powder' is a thing.
I had years of black dye stripped out and became a blonde all in one day. My colourist had a look afterwards and told me 'Your hair took that pretty well and doesn't really need any protective product, so don't worry about it'. See what it looks like when it is done and then think about balms, conditioning treatments etc. They will be pushing everything but you can get the run down on what is available.
If your hair is a bit flyaway, you might want to put something in the ends to keep it smooth and togeher. My hair is very curly and the only time it looked crunchy straws was when it was all over the place.
Maintenance: You might want to get some toner shampoo (the purple stuff) to stop your hair turning brassy. If you want brassy hair, that is also cool. You get to pick the shade of blonde you want via toner (ashy vs brassy) and if they over-tone it at the salon and looks a bit grey, it will wash out.
Despite my natural colour being pretty light, the regrowth 'skidmark' down the middle always looks DARK. (Dark regrowth under blonde hair again can look cool. Light regrowth under dark hair just looks like some kind of balding). If you don't like fussing around and have the funds, go to the salon and either have all your roots done, or get just the front and your part done (the T) for less. I am used to home colouring (albeit slapdash) and money-poor so I did most of my maintenance at home. It isn't hard, just get some pointers from someone who knows what they are doing.
Blonde is a great base to try other colours afterwards (I remember you, goldfish orange!) Have fun.
posted by Trivia Newton John at 5:15 AM on September 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
I had years of black dye stripped out and became a blonde all in one day. My colourist had a look afterwards and told me 'Your hair took that pretty well and doesn't really need any protective product, so don't worry about it'. See what it looks like when it is done and then think about balms, conditioning treatments etc. They will be pushing everything but you can get the run down on what is available.
If your hair is a bit flyaway, you might want to put something in the ends to keep it smooth and togeher. My hair is very curly and the only time it looked crunchy straws was when it was all over the place.
Maintenance: You might want to get some toner shampoo (the purple stuff) to stop your hair turning brassy. If you want brassy hair, that is also cool. You get to pick the shade of blonde you want via toner (ashy vs brassy) and if they over-tone it at the salon and looks a bit grey, it will wash out.
Despite my natural colour being pretty light, the regrowth 'skidmark' down the middle always looks DARK. (Dark regrowth under blonde hair again can look cool. Light regrowth under dark hair just looks like some kind of balding). If you don't like fussing around and have the funds, go to the salon and either have all your roots done, or get just the front and your part done (the T) for less. I am used to home colouring (albeit slapdash) and money-poor so I did most of my maintenance at home. It isn't hard, just get some pointers from someone who knows what they are doing.
Blonde is a great base to try other colours afterwards (I remember you, goldfish orange!) Have fun.
posted by Trivia Newton John at 5:15 AM on September 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Temporary hair colour to lighten dark natural colour will give a very limited effect, probably not what you're looking for.
Get recommendations for a good colourist and discuss options with them. If you're unsure you could go lighter over a few applications so it's a less drastic change.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:56 AM on September 26, 2013
Get recommendations for a good colourist and discuss options with them. If you're unsure you could go lighter over a few applications so it's a less drastic change.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:56 AM on September 26, 2013
I would strongly reccomend going to a good colorist to initially get your hair to blonde. If you have naturally dark hair, using just a blonde box dye won't really work because you need to lift out the dark in your hair--you can buy bleach and developer at a beauty supply store and DIY it, but you may end up with orange hair, or seriously damaging your hair. When I went from from my natural dark brown up to nearly platinum blonde, my stylist did it over maybe 3 months to prevent those issues. A colorist will also be able to help you choose the right shade of blonde for your skin tone.
Once you're at the shade of blonde you want, you could theoretically do the roots at home fairly easily. I get them done in the salon because I don't trust myself to not mess it up. Costs me ~$60 in suburban NY.
Dark eyebrows look really good with blonde hair IMO. Go for it, blondes totally have more fun!
posted by msjoannabanana at 7:28 AM on September 26, 2013
Once you're at the shade of blonde you want, you could theoretically do the roots at home fairly easily. I get them done in the salon because I don't trust myself to not mess it up. Costs me ~$60 in suburban NY.
Dark eyebrows look really good with blonde hair IMO. Go for it, blondes totally have more fun!
posted by msjoannabanana at 7:28 AM on September 26, 2013
Just stating that blond-hair-and-black-eyebrows is indeed a combination found in nature.
Yep! I have honey-coloured/dirty blonde hair (very blonde as a child), thick dark brown eyebrows, and brown eyes, and nobody's given me funny looks. I've actually never dyed my hair. It might look a little weird if you're going super-platinum blonde, but on the other hand that could be a really cool look too, especially with short hair.
Since you'll be doing it at a salon, you can just ask them about it - or look at pictures of celebrities, since there are definitely some that don't dye their eyebrows to match.
posted by randomnity at 7:47 AM on September 26, 2013
Yep! I have honey-coloured/dirty blonde hair (very blonde as a child), thick dark brown eyebrows, and brown eyes, and nobody's given me funny looks. I've actually never dyed my hair. It might look a little weird if you're going super-platinum blonde, but on the other hand that could be a really cool look too, especially with short hair.
Since you'll be doing it at a salon, you can just ask them about it - or look at pictures of celebrities, since there are definitely some that don't dye their eyebrows to match.
posted by randomnity at 7:47 AM on September 26, 2013
Seconding going to a good hair salon if you want to drastically change your color. A good colorist (like mine is - she is the BEST, seriously!) not only will know the techniques to get your dark hair to light without destroying it, he or she will know what shade of blonde will look best on you. There are many different types of blonde, depending on the undertones. A bright golden blonde can look brassy on some; others can't take an ash blonde because it looks dull on them. Your colorist should look at your skin tone and eye color to find a good match.
I do not have naturally dark hair, but it is a definite brown, a medium neutral brown (last time I checked, ha!). What my awesome colorist did to turn me blonde: she lightened my whole head to a baseline dark blonde color - I asked for a "caramel" color but she gave me something more neutral, as opposed to yellow-undertoned, because I have very cool blue undertones in my skin. On top of this neutral light caramel brown she painted two different shades of blonde highlights - a medium and a light neutral blonde. Golden blonde is to brassy and ash too gray-toned for me. This layering of two different blonde shades on top of a base color is expensive, I will grant - but it is so much better for my hair, it lasts longer as I can alternate root touch-ups with whole-head highlights, and it looks absolutely natural. I have dark brown eyes and brown (not black) eyebrows and no-one can guess that my hair color isn't natural unless I tell them, or I go too long between root touchups (my hair is now mostly gray! waaaah!).
I will warn you that this is expensive. I think it is worth every last penny. I would not touch drugstore color with a ten-foot pole for a change this drastic.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 9:17 AM on September 26, 2013
I do not have naturally dark hair, but it is a definite brown, a medium neutral brown (last time I checked, ha!). What my awesome colorist did to turn me blonde: she lightened my whole head to a baseline dark blonde color - I asked for a "caramel" color but she gave me something more neutral, as opposed to yellow-undertoned, because I have very cool blue undertones in my skin. On top of this neutral light caramel brown she painted two different shades of blonde highlights - a medium and a light neutral blonde. Golden blonde is to brassy and ash too gray-toned for me. This layering of two different blonde shades on top of a base color is expensive, I will grant - but it is so much better for my hair, it lasts longer as I can alternate root touch-ups with whole-head highlights, and it looks absolutely natural. I have dark brown eyes and brown (not black) eyebrows and no-one can guess that my hair color isn't natural unless I tell them, or I go too long between root touchups (my hair is now mostly gray! waaaah!).
I will warn you that this is expensive. I think it is worth every last penny. I would not touch drugstore color with a ten-foot pole for a change this drastic.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 9:17 AM on September 26, 2013
BE sure to ask the colorist what blonde will go best with your skin. I'm irish with a rosy face and for years I assumed that rosy = warm = warm skin tone, but it turns out i was the opposite (pinkish undertones - cool skin tones) which explained multiple blond attempts thath looked crapola on me.
posted by WeekendJen at 9:57 AM on September 26, 2013
posted by WeekendJen at 9:57 AM on September 26, 2013
Not Irish, but Irish complexion here (black hair white skin), and I'd like to add a warning to the advice here. The one time I tried to go blonde, I sat for two hours with the colorant in my hair, and it still wasn't blonde. The colorist said he didn't dare go further lest my hair would fall out.
The result was a very light red - strawberry blonde - and I had all the fun blondes have for a couple of months. But I won't ever do it again.
posted by mumimor at 11:09 AM on September 26, 2013
The result was a very light red - strawberry blonde - and I had all the fun blondes have for a couple of months. But I won't ever do it again.
posted by mumimor at 11:09 AM on September 26, 2013
Just so you know, this will be a regular and expensive thing to maintain if you decide to keep it, plus chances are it will really damage your hair. When I went from dark to blonde, to maintain my roots (because there's nothing tackier than a line of really dark roots) I was in the hairdresser's chair for 4 hours every 3 weeks. It cost a fortune. One day my friend commented on how damaged my hair was. To demonstrate, she took a piece and literally snapped it off. I was horrified and started to process of going dark again. My hair never recovered from all the chemicals until it all grew out and the blonde was cut out.
They say most of us look the best with our hair one or two shades away from our natural colour at best, and for me this was true. Give it a try, it may be your thing but I wish I'd known all this first, it took about 5 years (I had really long hair) for my hair to recover.
posted by Jubey at 1:44 PM on September 26, 2013
They say most of us look the best with our hair one or two shades away from our natural colour at best, and for me this was true. Give it a try, it may be your thing but I wish I'd known all this first, it took about 5 years (I had really long hair) for my hair to recover.
posted by Jubey at 1:44 PM on September 26, 2013
I bleach + color my hair platinum blonde all the time, but I agree that if it's the first time, you better get a colorist. I have relatively short cropped hair, and I actually think the damage makes the texture of my hair better for styling and I chop it pretty regularly so it doesn't get that bad. A certain amount of dark regrowth looks pretty cool too, so I only color it every two months or so. If you are into keeping your asymmetrical bob and have a bit of a messy/bedhead/punky aesthetic, go for the blonde! If you are interested in growing your hair out long anytime soon, or like your hair perfectly smooth, or can't stand to see dark roots, you'll probably find the blonde more trouble than it's worth. Good luck!
posted by amileighs at 11:02 AM on September 28, 2013
posted by amileighs at 11:02 AM on September 28, 2013
Response by poster: IT IS DONE! I am now roughly the colour of a baby chicken. We went with a "lightening colour" rather than bleach which pulled out pretty much all my colour leaving me a bit orangey and then she put in highlights with bleach and foil as best as I understand things. I think I now understand the "brassy" thing, I feel like I look a bit yellower than many other blonde-haired people about the town. She gave me silver conditioning pack (?) to use to make it more "ashy" if I feel it's still a bit too yellow once it's had a chance to sort of land, have a wash, etc. I don't think it's light enough that it would super easily take extreme colours for play, but I can test a few swatches through my fringe I think just to have a little fun. Thanks for the advice all! If I did this again (and I might) I would go a lot whiter (ashier?!) though.
posted by Iteki at 8:06 AM on October 19, 2013
posted by Iteki at 8:06 AM on October 19, 2013
Awesome to hear you went through with it! The trick to dealing with the yellow is to get a blue/violet toner (dye) that you do as a second step. Usually it's bleaching, then toner, but you could definitely try it over whatever the colorist did too. Everyone has their favorites, I use Preference Les Blondissimes LB01 Extra Light Ash Blonde. I wing it and dye myself, and often end up erring a little on the blue side, like grey/pale violet, but that fades to a nice platinum in a day or two. Basically yellow + blue = white in hair color theory. There are toning shampoos too, like Clairol Shimmer Lights Original Conditioning Shampoo. I tend to think they are better for maintaining it platinum than achieving it in the first place, but if you left them in for like ten minutes everyday you might be able to achieve a whiter look over time. Basically they slowly deposit blue in your hair, but don't go through the chemical process of opening the hair shaft like a dye session. Anyway the blue is key, I had some yellow hair for a long time before I learned about the necessity of toning!
posted by amileighs at 5:27 PM on November 17, 2013
posted by amileighs at 5:27 PM on November 17, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
I've always been blond -- albeit a dishwater dark blond today, but I was towheaded as a child - but my eyebrows have always been black. I did get a few teasing "bottle-blond" comments from people now and then, but most people didn't notice (and I always was able to shut down the more serious "bottle-blond" rumors by innocently doing the "look at this cute picture of me at age two with platinum blond hair" thing).
Just stating that blond-hair-and-black-eyebrows is indeed a combination found in nature. So you can leave the brows alone (probably good, as I don't think they make eyebrow dye).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:39 AM on September 26, 2013