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The Ultimate Blonde Thread

jayem

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Chicago
So, I want to try something different and have decided to go blonde. My natural hair color is a very, dark chestnut brown and is pretty long now. I'd like to go to a honey/champaign color... but I'm not sure if it will look okay. My hair is in good condition, but my stylists has already warned me it might take up to 5 processes in order to reach the desired hue. Is it worth it? I'm more than willing to keep up with outgrow if it looks good.

jewleo


The length now is about mid-back.
 

Aorta

Familiar Face
Messages
84
Location
-
You're such a cutie! I can totally understand that sometimes one has a need for change. But honestly, if your hairstylist told you that it would take repeated bleaching to achieve the desired result - in my humble opinion I wouldn't do it. The bleaching process strips moisture off your hair and since you have long hair a long-term effect could be split ends. Plus, I think your current hair colour emphasizes your wonderful blue eyes in a perfect way.
 

anabolina

A-List Customer
Messages
355
Location
Seagoville, TX
I think you would llook really pretty as a blonde, but then you look pretty now too. If you want blonde hair, go for it, you can always take it back to brown if you don't like it. Maybe you should use one of those sites that allow you to try on different hairstyles and hair colors just to see how you would look before spending all that money.

I went from blonde to red last summer and while I really liked the color and the upkeep wasn't too bad, it was still a bit of a headache and I gave up and went back to blonde around Christmas, it still doesn't look normal, but its getting there.
 

i_am_the_scruff

A-List Customer
Messages
365
Location
England.
I think your haircolour is really nice as it is. I wouoldn't do it - because I wouldn't want to bleach so much hair.. but then again I have naturally brown hair and now the majority is pink and that involved bleaching it.. BUT only once and my hair is in good condition. I did that when I was 14 (18 now), I don't know if I would bleach that much hair.
 

Smuterella

One Too Many
Messages
1,776
Location
London
I have my hair bleached every 4 weeks and to be honest, even though my hair is still really soft, its starting to break at the temples (I sleep on my side).

As much as I love being blonde I so sometime swish I hadn't done it...

Could you perhaps try having a streak put in (according to the Turudich book that can be period correct...if you worry about such things)?

also - the combination of dark hair and blue eyes is very attractive, I wouldn't mess with the magic nature gave you, seeing as it was such a great combination in the first place![/
 

Mary

Practically Family
Messages
626
Location
Malmo, Sweden
I want to be blond too!! I don't what to dye my hair but I want to be more blonde than I am. Like I was when I was 5 or so. The sun can make it blonder but can anything else help me? Does putting lemon in it help? Or those shampoos for blondes?

Smuterella. That's my nightmare! But you seem to cope very well.:)

M
 

glamour-girl

One of the Regulars
Messages
152
Location
Israel
jayem said:
So, I want to try something different and have decided to go blonde. My natural hair color is a very, dark chestnut brown and is pretty long now. I'd like to go to a honey/champaign color... but I'm not sure if it will look okay. My hair is in good condition, but my stylists has already warned me it might take up to 5 processes in order to reach the desired hue. Is it worth it? I'm more than willing to keep up with outgrow if it looks good.

jewleo


The length now is about mid-back.

you'r so pretty already, why would you want to change your hair ? if you want a lighter shade, i suggest you start with highlights, brunnetes tend to turn orange when trying to go blond (learned that the hard way lol )
 

texasgirl

One Too Many
Messages
1,423
Location
Dallas, TX
I think the contrast you have now between your dark hair and blue eyes is fantastic. I don't know if they'd have as much of a POP with the blonde. I'd go try on some wigs in the color you're thinking of and see how they look :)
 

NoirDame

One of the Regulars
Messages
291
Location
Ohio
I must be the only natural blonde who doesn't want to be! With my pale skin, it's like everything fades away into nondiscript blah.

I look best as a redhead.
 

Smuterella

One Too Many
Messages
1,776
Location
London
hmmm, I have blonde hair, pale skin and pale eyes and it can make me look washed out, but thats what make up is for!
 

jayem

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Chicago
Smuterella said:
hmmm, I have blonde hair, pale skin and pale eyes and it can make me look washed out, but thats what make up is for!

I am a bit afraid of looking washed out, but since I rarely go anywhere important with a blank pallette... I don't think it would be too big of a problem.

As for breakage... I have hair the god's would be jealous of! My hair has been bleached, dyed, teased, woven about 500 times! I used to bleach my hair constantly to reach my desired pink,blue,or purple shades. The only thing that ever made an impact on my hair was when I glued in extensions and had to wash/comb all the glue out. I must've lost like half my head. Everything grew back, and now my hair is still as thick and strong as it used to be.
 

kamikat

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,794
Location
Maryland
I have similar colored eyes and went blond for a while. It was fun, but when I went back to dark, everyone was constantly remarking on how beautiful my eyes were. My recommendation is to keep your hair dark.
 

lyburnum

Practically Family
Messages
568
Location
London, UK
The 5 process thing is about right. I'm assuming your hair is dyed at the moment, so when the hair is stripped with bleach, the previous dye will leave residue. Add to that the natural tone of your hair and you have a lot of work (and correcting) on your hands.

That said it's very do-able. I went from black to blonde in about 3 stages and my hair was a similar colour to yours.

Your colouring looks (from what I can tell in that photo) similar to mine, so I wouldn't worry about looking washed out at all. I think the nice thing about pale skin is that it actually often looks good with extremes (opposite ends of the colour spectrum). Black gives a sort of alluring 'lady of the night' appeal, whereas blonde gives you the sex bomb look. If anything, black is more likely to give you a washed out look than blonde. The key is getting the shade of blonde right, too much red or too much blue and it will bring out tones in your skin that you never knew existed (for example when my mums hair is too reddy blonde or too light, it makes her nose look bright red!)

It's the upkeep (as Smuterella pointed out) that put me off blonde, I didn't want to do it myself, but it cost a bomb to get it done professionally and consistently.

What is your natural hair colour? That's normally a good indicator of what alternatives will suit you.
 

jayem

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Chicago
3/4 of my hair is virgin... it's just the ends which are dyed a tid bit darker. I had a consultation with a stylist today, and opted for an all-over shade called 'St. Tropaz' and then many highlights in two different, lighter blonde shades. I figure this will mask outgrow so I don't have to go in every month and can wait a few weeks longer. If I hate it, I figured I can dye it back to my chestnut color. It's always a lot easier to go darker than lighter.
I have cool skin undertones... what shade of blonde should I go with?
 

bettybabe

New in Town
Messages
18
Location
Signal Mountain, TN
I think you should totally go for it!!! I dye my hair platinum blonde about once a month to once every 6 weeks and I wouldn't trade it for the world! There's is something just so fun about being blonde. I don't believe in the whole "blondes have more fun thing," but it really is fun. Plus, I think pale skin, blonde hair, and bright blue eyes look fabulous! Even if it fades you out, you can always wear some big fake glasses, or some very black mascara. Trust me, there are ways around it! I have poop-brown eyes and blonde hair. I'd rather have blue eyes!!! I've always been a natural blonde, but as I've gotten older, it's gotten darker so I started dying it platinum. The blonder the better, I say!!!:p
 

Blondie

Practically Family
Messages
724
Location
Nashville
Yes, do it, it is only hair after all.
If you can afford to go to the hairdresser every 4-6 weeks, and can afford good quality shampoo/ conditioners & treatments, then why not ?
If you then decide down the road it's not for you, then you can have it dyed back to brown !
 

jayem

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Chicago
Well, I did it. The hairdresser actually didn't believe my dark hair was my natural color. She thought it was all dyed darker from a lighter brown and when I told her just the ends her, she looked at my like I was a liar!

It's a caramel tone right now, but in a month when I get my roots touched up, I'm going to ask for more lighter blonde to be added in. I want to eventually have a Monroe color.
 

jayem

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Chicago
miss_elise said:
how are you enjoying it so far?

Alright. I think this brassish, caramel tone is drawing out too many red tones from my face, though. Once I get more of a champaign color going, it'll probably look much better.
 

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