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Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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I would like to change up my hair color, but am a little confused about how skin tone and hair color work together. I've asked different hair stylists over the years and gotten vastly different answers. My eyes are green with yellow flecks, I tan easily, and I have yellow undertones. I'm caucasian, of German/Irish descent. My hair is graying so it has definitely gotten very blah and mousy looking. I'd like to go for a brown base with highlights. I can't figure out if I should go golden brown or cool brown and if I should go for a medium brown or light brown. I once tried an orange-based brown hair color that was pretty, but entirely too much upkeep to keep everything balanced. I should add that my hair grabs golds/reds like crazy. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Hair colors area based 1-10 (or 10-100, depending on the line) with the lowest number being black and highest number white blonde. Find the orangey brown you used before and see what number it had; it likely would have been followed by an R for red (A is for ash/cool and G for gold/warm). Since that orangey-brown worked for you before, you should go with the same number in a straight brown with a G after it for your base color, and neutral to warm highlights.
Do you prefer and look better in yellow gold? If so -- go warm. Golden browns are your friend. And if you dye your whole head, you will have major upkeep, because your hair keeps growing.
You might ask your hairdresser if it's possible to do multi dimensional highlights -- where they do blondes and browns in foils. That way your grow out won't be as "Oh, look -- roots."
It sounds like you are warm. I'd go with golden or warm-colored browns. I also have yellow undertones, tan easily, green eyes, and hair that has gotten dark brown over the years. I only have some gray on the sides, but my natural color has become very mousy and dull looking. When I was young my hair had natural streaks from the sun ... gold/reddish and was much lighter. When I started getting my hair colored with highlights, my hairstylist began very slowly with a color just a little lighter than my natural color, and then I progressed to where my hair is now light-medium, warm brown with subtle highlights of reddish-light brown/blonde. It makes such a difference!
.... I just read the above comments ... I have my highlights touched up every 3, maybe 4 months so that the roots don't show up so quickly, and when they do, it's not as noticeable.
Last edited by smpliving; 02-08-2014 at 06:28 PM..
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,936,007 times
Reputation: 9885
Quote:
Originally Posted by weezycom
Hair colors area based 1-10 (or 10-100, depending on the line) with the lowest number being black and highest number white blonde. Find the orangey brown you used before and see what number it had; it likely would have been followed by an R for red (A is for ash/cool and G for gold/warm). Since that orangey-brown worked for you before, you should go with the same number in a straight brown with a G after it for your base color, and neutral to warm highlights.
Thank you---I had it professionally done, but I think she may have said something like red-orange-brown. I'll see if I can figure it out.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,936,007 times
Reputation: 9885
Quote:
Originally Posted by rigizug
It sounds like you are warm. I'd go with golden or warm-colored browns. I also have yellow undertones, tan easily, green eyes, and hair that has gotten dark brown over the years. I only have some gray on the sides, but my natural color has become very mousy and dull looking. When I was young my hair had natural streaks from the sun ... gold/reddish and was much lighter. When I started getting my hair colored with highlights, my hairstylist began very slowly with a color just a little lighter than my natural color, and then I progressed to where my hair is now light-medium brown with subtle highlights. It makes such a difference!
That sounds exactly like my hair--even the description of your hair as a child. Are your highlights more of a caramel or dark blonde then?
I suggest doing brown hair with blonde highlights. I have dark hair naturally and it makes me look older. I do the highlight thing and it makes me look 10 years younger.
My eyes are green with yellow flecks, I tan easily, and I have yellow undertones. I'm caucasian, of German/Irish descent. My hair is graying so it has definitely gotten very blah and mousy looking. I'd like to go for a brown base with highlights. I can't figure out if I should go golden brown or cool brown and if I should go for a medium brown or light brown.
I have similar coloring. I think golden brown will work best for you. You should definitely avoid any cool colors though. They will clash with the warm tones of your skin and eyes.
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