Okay, here goes. Shall I dye my hair? (With pic, arrghhh)

[ShouldIdyemyhair]

NC obviously

Before I start, I should say that the dying will be done at home with a box, and I know it would look a hundred times better done professionally, but I can't afford that so box dye will have to do.

I'm wondering whether to go a bit darker now summer is on the way out, and I'm wondering whether the blonde is making me look a bit....I don't know. I don't think I feel very classy. I am naturally blonde, but more a mousey/ashy colour. I was thinking of going more a caramel/warm light brown. A bit like Rachel Green in Friends maybe? I will tint eyebrows too.

What do you think, is blonde not working for me anymore? I think I prefer my face with a darker eyebrow and colour, but I always seem to end up going back to blonde, and I wonder if it's a sign I should just stay blonde. Brunettes always catch my eye, but that's more dark brown hair, which I can't carry off despite trying numerous times

Please help! and be nice

Oooo that's a lovely colour

A long bob maybe? One that sits collar bone length

Ahhh I don't know. It's taken me years to get it this length and only in the last few months has it been nice to tie back. I'm not sure I could cope going too much shorter again. Although my mother always says it 'drowns me' being past shoulders.

A couple inches off the bottom and maybe a long fringe?

Lovely hair colour but yes a bit shorter just to make the ends nicer, especially if you swim

I also am in favour of a long fringe to frame your face more.

Not layers in your hair though. It's too fine and unless you're a really good blow drier I don't think it wouldn't look good.
We have similar hair but I'm not a natural blonde. Still have a lot of brown and a fair bit of grey coming through.

It would look good

I second the John frieda colour.

I think it would really suit you.

I think you're right that you would suit more of a caramel shade. The blonde now looks good but I can see the lengths are over bleached and have that yellow colour that blonde can go. I'm glad you don't want to go dark but that picture you showed would be great.

I would go for caramel blonde all over and then something i found which changed my life was those Loreal ombre kits - using one of those to give highlights. Instead of brushing the colour just on the ends like you're supposed to do I brushed it all the way through the length of a few bits and pieces especially around the face for highlights and it was the best looking hair colour I ever had. Please post an after picture!

What about if I dyed it the John freida colour but left a few bits out so they stay light? Rather than buying something else to dye a few bits the colour it was before? Not sure how possible that would be though, maybe a bit of Vaseline on the strands to stay highlighted?

I do agree with those saying fringe, as my forehead is a little on the long side, but they just really annoy me. I only wash it once a week and then you have to do fringe washes every few days which I will never do, and I play with my hair pushing it back a lot which would make the fringe a bit pointless. I like low maintenance ;)

you are very pretty and I think you are actually one of the few people who can pull off that fabulous bright icy blonde. if you wanted to change it up a bit how about a semi permanent slightly darker ashy blonde tone over the top to add a few darker tones without looking too flat?

If you put the John frieda over it should leave natural highlights and lowlights because it's made up of Different shades. I've used the lighter blonde (I think it was extra light beige blonde) and a darker chocolate shade and it is one of the best. It is very easy to use, quite hard to miss places due to the nature of being foam and you can usually get it half price (£5) in either boots, super drug or one of the supermarkets, so worth checking online first. It's also pretty kind to hair, I've used most on the market and it doesn't sting the scalp like some can

Your hair colour is lovely! I think it suits your colouring. Please don't put a box of hair dye on it! Perhaps a little trim/restyle and/or a new lipstick or something if you feel like you need a change. Your hair is fab I think.

Your hair is a gorgeous colour, don't dye it! Maybe a couple of inches off might be a nice change? Although actually I really like the length too!

Another who thinks your hair colour is great as it is. Jealous!

Ah thank you all for being so kind. It seems to be a 50/50 divide on colour now though!

I've got a wedding and a weekend away coming up so I think I'll get those out of the way first, and maybe wait till the sunny days have finished (hair would probably just go straight back to blonde after a sunny day!) and then think about going a bit darker like the John Frieda colour.

It would be nice if I didn't have to do it myself, so I'll get saving or request it for November birthday present maybe.

Leave it, it's gorgeous!

So, after a long weekend next to the sea and spending what feels like an entire day trying to brush out the knots, I've committed two major MN sins and attacked my hair with a pair of scissors and a box dye
I like it! Certainly feels healthier anyway. I think this is my natural colour also, which will start coming through in the colder months, so less worry about roots.

Thank you everyone for the tips and advice, now you can critique the 'after' photo

I love the length, but I think you should a go either lighter or darker with the colour.
It's probably the photo but it looks like no red caramel tone so erring on the side of silver/grey

I like the silver grey tone to it I think it looks cool. It's very flattering! Well done it's a big improvement.

I dyed it with the ash blonde you suggested Improbable! I decided it was best to embrace my natural ashy colour if I was going to do it myself, rather than forcing it to be caramel incase it didn't suit my colouring. I think the silver-y tone will dye down after a few washes, but I like it.
I'll take a pic when I next wash it to show what it is like normally (as in, not blow dried) to see what you guys think. I'm worried I cut it a bit too short!

It looks lovely and really suits your skin colouring!

I think you'd really suit a half fringe.

I pay my hairdresser for that colour. I'm a dark blonde. Personally if I was changing colours I would have it professionally done to start with. It really suits you though the colour.

Haha! Just shows my sense of style I've gone back to your first photo and actually I think it is much better, I just thought it would have a caramel tone as the base with ash influences rather than the other way round.

I personally think that it makes you look much younger and healthier/warmer. A really good dye job too!