Home Hair Color Advice

If you go to a Sally Beauty Supply or Ulta, the staff there is usually good at giving advice on which products will work for you. They can even help you pick out the correct colors. Good luck!

I am a professional hairstylist. Do not attempt at home hair highlights unless you want to go to the salon to pay big bucks to get it fixed, or if you are alright with looking like a tiger. You can do all over haoir color on the roots and get good results. Only, the grow out will be more obvious and you will not have multi-dimensional hair with the benefit of tonal lighting and lo-light effects.

Your hair is turning brassy b/c you are not using a high enough developer and choosing a color with too much reddish underlying pigment. Even in the salon highlights turn brassy, but we have special toners to counteract that.

As for ash, neutral, golden... you use what your hair needs. If your hair tends to go brass, then you need an ash. If it goes ash, then your need a golden. Be careful with ash though, especially if pulling it through to your ends at the end b/c it has a tendency to go muddy/bluish/green.

Your best bet is to go to Sally's and choose a color there. I recommend the Clariol base clear, it is in a brown 2 oz bottle. You will need a to purchase a developer separately, I am guessing a 30 volume. You can purchase a add in toner, or even a toning shampoo, the people at Sally's can help with that. You mix 2 oz of color and 2 oz of developer. You paint it on your regrowth (roots area) only, then you develop it for the recommended time, minus 10 minutes. Then, lightly mist your hair with a water bottle and comb any excess color through to refresh the ends. I usually add some conditioner to the left over color at this point to make it stretch and to dilute the developer. Process for about 8 minutes. Rinse thoroughly, shampoo and condition.

You cannot use a demi for this, demis are deposit only colors, meaning they only go darker than your natural color, they do not provide lift.

When I decided to switch to home coloring I asked my hair dresser what she recommended that I use to get a similar affect. What she recommended worked fine. Ask your hairdresser for help.

I use Sally Beauty Supply. They are super helpful and you mix your own color (super easy) at home so you end up using the proper formula.

Careful with the ash, I did it once and was greyheaded!!!
I use Chamapgne Blond, after much trial and error. It seems to be the most natural looking blond with highlights and tones without eing brassy, orange, or red. If you go to Sally you can also buy a little pillow pouch of anti-brass that will help. They also sell toners that will tone the color you put in. The regular old box of 81/2A gives me perfect color on top of my way over highlighted hair.

http://www.beautante.com/excellence-creme-keratine-champa...

you need to find an ahs undertone color or you will go brassy. Ash blonde would be a good place to start honestly, start with a demi to make sure it is the "right tone" and go from there.
here is an image of a nice ashe blonde color ... I think it is very attractive for adult blondes ... I do not think any blonde over 30 should be platinum it actually ages them in the wrong direction
never used that product, just wanted you to see the color - L'oreal is my go to at home product.
http://vitanetonline.com/description/TI0015/vitamins/Lite...

My old stylist asked me which brand I used, and when I said L'Oreal she said that all the home dye jobs that she has seen look good were L'Oreal. And she said they use the professional version of that in the salon. Her words were "how different can it really be?"

I seemed to end up with reddish highlights no matter what color blond I chose, and I was told to steer clear of any golden color - my hair just pulled out the red. I liked L'Oreal Feria Light Champagne Cocktail. The Feria line has nice multitonal highlights in it so the color doesn't look so flat and fake. I used it until I started going a bit darker as I've gotten older.

I agree with Marda. Ask your colorist for advice. I have hair just like yours - fine and light blond (going toward dishwatery though) and have it highlighted for color and texture. A single-process hair color will give you hair that is the same color all over, and it's tricky to get the right shade. Highlights tend to give better results because they look more natural. Tell your colorist that you can only afford to go once every 6 months and have your hair professionally highlighted, and ask what she would recommend that you do in between times to keep your roots from showing so much. She can tell you the right color and product to choose - stylists understand that times are tough, and she wants you to look your best too.

I have natural blond hair and all I can say for "ash" is the it equals green.
That's what it did to my hair anyway.

I would go to a beauty supply store that also has a salon and ask them for some tips. You can mix things yourself as opposed to just finding something in a box.

Good luck!

I have never been to a salon to get my hair colored or have highlights put in. My hair has never turned out anything but the way I wanted it.

I would suggest getting a frosting kit, they are less than $10, but make sure the color is not a yellowish color. The only thing I dislike is a yellow blonde. But pulling strips of hair out the cap you control how much blonde is added. This way your hair still has some of the darker color and that adds depth and life to it. The total blonde dye job just looks old fashioned and cheap. Adding highlights makes the hair look more natural and not so all one color.

I get what ever color I want the follow the directions. Since your hair is already light I would say look for colors that say ash or platinum. The golden is usually the yellow blonde color.

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This image is like what I end up with when I do a light frost.

http://www.womanlypage.com/highlighting-highlights-highli...
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Here are some celebrities different styles that show how different hair styles can look different.
http://www.haironthebrain.com/2010/06/in-depth-guide-to-h...