To think my hair is nothing like I asked for and be crying about it?

[CrazyDogLady2022]

I changed my hair colour quite substantially today. I had a full head bleach/platinum blonde before and wanted something like the colour in the second photo shown. The first photo is what I have. I specifically mentioned that I didn’t want it to ‘just’ look highlighted and not frumpy.

it’s a big change and I know my hair is shorter than the picture, but I feel it doesn’t look anything like I asked for and I feel really upset about it and keep crying. Not least as I suspect the condition of my hair means it may not be possible to correct it.

I know I need to message the stylist. I feel awful as she is SO lovely. I’m also not sure I now trust her to correct it however.

AIBU? (I’m thinking it’s not like the photo and for crying like a wally)

the first photograph is taken in a car so plenty of light - the second photograph is taken in a studio and there will be bright shining lights on the head of hair and thus the difference in colour will different.

yours is the reality and the second isn't really as bright as that.

if you want brighter highlights then go and ask for more

Your hair is very short too. Is it shorter than expected ?

The colour is similar but your hair looks more grey. I wouldn't be happy with it, but I don't like that hair colour (I know it's popular at the moment) or the hair in the photo.

I think it’s very similar esp in colour. It’s just the styling is different- the length and the fact that the photo has the hair curled in separate sections.

The lighting in the second photo is also making a difference to how it appears

Your hair colour is much prettier than those chunky highlights. I'd be happy!

Yes. That’s the issue I have. It was a full head bleach before, so it’s a big change and I knew it would be, but I feel she’s put too much dark in and too finely, so there’s not so much definition as in the inspo pic

I agree with PP - the model has much longer hair which is professionally staged with excellent lighting. You've posted a picture of your much shorter hair from inside your car. So it was never going to match up perfectly. But, the styles and colours are pretty similar.

You could go back and tell the hairdresser that you're not too happy because it's not what you were expecting. She might run more colour at the ends. But I think this is a case of building up the colour/tone over time and getting used to the change.

I think it’s pretty close to the picture, given that she was working with different hair. If you had all the professional lighting, curls and product applied to make the example photo what it is, I think you’d look very similar.

I didn’t have a cut today. I do understand the length of mine will make it look different and tbh, I never like it curled unless I do it myself, so maybe restyling it will help.

but yes, I do feel it looks grey and is therefore quite ageing.

There's no blonde/silver that I can see in your photo, having looked again. You just have a full head of grey. Is that your natural colour?

The lighting in the photo is much brighter
There is a lot more styling going on
I don't think your colour is actually that far off

Always remember these are carefully styled and staged magazine shoots and it takes hours to get that perfect shot. Also everyone's hair is different and styles will not hold or look the same on everyone

I think yours looks beautiful. I am not keen on the inspiration photo at all.

Thanks. I do think it needs more blonde on the ends. But I also think the condition means more bleach on the ends is too damaging.

Sorry, cross post.

Yes it does look grey. I would go back or somewhere else and have the blonde sections added.

That picture is very bright and high contrast. If you edit your photo in the same way it looks the same.

Your hair looks great in terms of the actual colour job. This model has extentions clearly, and the photo has been done as part of what is obviously a professional photoshoot. A photo sitting in a car is not going to look the same.

I don't think it's the colour that's the problem - unless you want to ask for a purple toner to make the blonde look brighter? You have mentioned the condition of your hair is not great, so you would never have been able to match the blonde blocky look of high grade hair extentions as per the photo. But I think some good quality styling products would really help here? I'm not a hairdresser but something to give really good reflection and shine? Also, have a proper look at it in a brightly lit environment, your colour will change depending on the light x

I agree with you OP, yours looks grey and a lot older than the pic on the right (sorry). Ask her to put some chunky blonde in to fix it.

I swear we must all be looking at different photos. On my phone you can see the colour is pretty much the same, her hairs just less glossy and photo not taken in front of a ring light which is glowing up the blonde.

Your hair looks in nice condition though. Worried I've been too negative. I hope you can fix the colour.

Girl stahhhpppp! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I think it looks like a good tonal match to be honest. Your hair is slightly greyer than the model, but not far off.

I'm not sure you can always just select a models photo and get the exact same end result. As you've said yourself, the condition of the ends of your hair may have limited how much bleach she could put in. And like others have said, you haven't styled it in the same way, your hair isn't the same length and you're in a dark car on a cloudy autumn day, not Infront of bright lights in a photo studio.

I think youe expectations were too high. That's not to say you can't adjust it if you don't like it, but I think that's more on your than the hairdresser tbh. I think they did a good job.

This, I’m seeing more blonde in the op’s hair than in the model pic, just differently styled and in a different light. Plus the models hair looks in fab condition, but as pp said she’s likely got extensions. Maybe the hairdresser can do something with it as the op’s not happy with it, but I’m wondering if it’s just a bit of a shock if the ops used to being platinum.
Op have you got a couple friends who will give you honest opinions, I can only imagine the colour is showing up differently on different peoples devices

My hairdresser always says nothing is ever going to look exactly the same as a photo. They all use different brands of hair colour, skills are different, people's hair is different, the starting colour is different. So it's always a guide.
I think your hair looks nice!!

It is a shame that you did have a full head of blonde before, so I understand you're not trying to build the blonde up - you were very light blonde anyway! The hairdresser has just slightly overdone the brown lowlights. These might calm down over time anyway, with washing you might find you go slightly blonder x

Dammit the previous photo cropped itself for some reason. Hopefully this is clearer. If you turn up the brightness and contrast of the pic to match the inspo pic it’s the exact same. Did you expect your hair to look like an edited photo in real life?

They look the same to me and I assume it's the nearest the hairdresser could get go to the photo given your hair is shorter and not as wavy and the photo lit better.