Any hair colour experts?

[Zipitydooda]

My natural hair colour is a darkish mousey brown but I have been highlighting it for years. About a month ago I had it dyed (at the hairdressers) to a dark brown with red tinge (permanent colour), it was too too dark and having lived with it for a few weeks I caved in and bought Adee Phelan Hair Colour Remover.

It has worked pretty well; it looks like the hair that had been previously highlighted is back to it's original (highlighted) colour but the top (3") of my head that has never been highlighted but was coloured dark is kind of gingery.

My question is, what semi-permanent colour shade should I use on it to tone down the gingery-ness back to a mousey-brown/dark blonde colour?

Thanks for any tips. My hairdresser would be horrified at the DIY job but I can neither afford the money or time to go back to her at the moment.

[ScaredyDog]

I would go for a colour one to two shades lighter than you want to be. So for a mousey brown/dark blonde, I would go for a dark blonde/very light brown colour. Avoid ash tones as they may leave you with a green-ish tinge.

I've gone from blonde to medium brown myself, I just stuck a semi-permanent red on (to stop it turning green) and then a light brown colour.

Worked great for me, but if your hair is a ginger tone to start with you'll probably be ok to go straight to a dark blonde/light brown colour.

[Zipitydooda]

Thanks!

[Manda472]

What fab timing I too have bought that colour remover too but am a bit nervous about making a complete cock up of it. Mines also too dark and v patchy in places.
I thought I read on a previous thread, about the colour b4 make, you should use an ash but maybe I'm wrong. I bought a dark ash blonde semi- will that go green do u think?

[Zipitydooda]

I think part of my error may have been in not using 2 packs as I have long hair. You only find out that you need 2 packs after opening the instructions.

Manda, my hair is in very good condition afterwards although the colour is not quite right yet.

I also have a dark ash blonde on standby! but now I am not sure whether to use it or buy something different.

Hopefully someone will add to this post!

[Manda472]

Zip I read the instructions in boots and saw about the 2 packs but as my hair is jaw length I only got the one.
Am doing a currently doing a strand test on the worst of the dark hair, did u done one before and how long did u leave it on for? I'm going to go for the full 60 mins

[Zipitydooda]

I did do strand test, left it for 45 mins. I didn't do allergy test, I never do

I did strand test in the ash shade this morning and it didn't go green as far as I could tell so might do that on my whole head tonight.

Hope it works well for you!

[Manda472]

I've rinsed it out of the strand test and it's def ginger! but it said not to use the 3rd bottle so maybe that changes the result.
Good luck with ash blond

[Manda472]

Well the deed is done and I think it might be ok!
When I washed the colour remover out it was a strawberry blond (ginger) but not awful. I put the dark ash blond on straightaway and it's darker than I thought it would be. Not sure if it's green cos I need to see it in its full glory in daylight.

But not a disaster (yet) phew!
Have you put the ash on yet?

[Zipitydooda]

Glad yours has worked too. That colour remover is so clever! Have put the ash colour on and So far success will have a further check in daylight. Mine is also darker than expected but I'm very pleased with my DIY hairdressing efforts! Hopefully DH will stop calling me ginge now! My baby DS is very confused about my constant changes of appearance!

[Manda472]

The ends are still darker and the roots pale but that could be because of the amount of grey I have and that only used a non perm colour. Think I will give it a few washes and put another colour on. Need a haircut desperately so that will prob fix some if it.
Glad yours is going well too