A nice brown hair colour - why is it so hard to achieve?!

[roastednut]

I have naturally brown hair but whenever I get my roots done they seem to 'glow' quite red/auburn especially in the sun. I feel like no matter how much I explain what I want I just don't quite get it. All I want is a nice mid or light brown colour and maybe a few highlights near my face but I just don't even seem to get near the light brown colour as it always looks so warm!

Are there any hairdressers on here that could give me that magic answer for what I need to ask for next time I go?

Ps I know that my base colour is 6. I've had all sorts recommended from a 6.3 (for a rich colour) and 6.1 which I think is more ash.

Just keep asking for an ash colour. And change hairdressers if they won’t listen.

Yep you need an ash base. Insist on that. Maybe a dark ash blonde which is basically a cool light brown anyway

I have dark brown hair i dye it dark ash blond which comes out dark brown no red tones

I have this issue too! I always stipulate I want my hair cool toned and no red but yet when I'm in the sun I always seem to see flashes of red. My hair is very dark brown so not sure if that's the problem 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you all for replying. Yes I always have 'red' glint especially when I've just had my roots done. My natural colour is also dark brown and I was never a red head as a child. I was just quite taken aback by a new hairdresser last week suggesting a warm colour - this was immediately after saying I have a lot of natural warmth in my hair. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. Luckily that was just a quick consultation so for the actual appointment I am now more armed with info!

@AllThatGlistensIs

Yep you need an ash base. Insist on that. Maybe a dark ash blonde which is basically a cool light brown anyway

Thanks I think this is what I pointed to on the colour chart (might have been 6.1) and she kept pointing to 6.3 which is warm! I'll be firm

I have no advice - but I have the same problem. I keep saying cool. They keep saying 'rich' looks better (which I suspect is hairdresser code for warm).

Yes I know the problem OP very frustrating..

all above are correct you need cool brown not warm.. 🌸

I hate this too. It is like the middle-age version of a blue rinse. I don't want a red tinge to my hair either.

I have a great hairdresser and I take pictures of the colour I want, specify that I absolutely do not want a red or auburn tinge and she usually listens. Mine is a chocolatey colour.

Thanks again for replying I wonder why there is insistance on 'warm' hair from some hairdressers?! Or is it more just inexperience or lack of understanding of just how much natural red will affect the colour outcome. I'm so glad I posted this thread and get others advice/opinion - I think I'm just so excited about getting it cut and coloured next week but I just don't want it auburn

If you are naturally dark brown, why are you dying it dark brown? Do you mean you are dyeing it to cover up grey, but dark brown was your natural colour before going grey, or is the colour of your non-grey hairs?

Hi stylist here !
I’ve just gone back natural myself I have level 6/7 mousy hair and I wanting to stay natural but blend out greys .
Put my research hat on over lockdown and I’m now using majirel glow that’s what u need it’s only 1/4 base colour and 3/4 tone so it won’t change your natural much but adds the correct tone where a normal colour will have 3/4 base and only a 1/4 of time so when washing ect it will appear warm also
If your roots are blowing her peroxide is maybe 2 high if your not lifting colour u only need 10 vol xx

I've had the same problem with blonde highlights in the past, OP. Hairdressers seem to want to give me warm, goldenish and caramel ones, but they really don't suit my skin tone. I need ash blonde. You need to be insistent!

I find blue shampoo sorts this out to be honest. I don't actually colour my hair but it's light/medium brunette and pulls very red in the sun somehow. I'm not keen on it so periodically use blue shampoo which does seem to reduce it nicely to a cooler tone in the light, suits my tone far better.

I have this problem too but as I just use a box dye to cover greys I’ll probably never solve it
Or maybe I should just switch to a cooler shade.

It's tricky. I'm don't think I'm a natural redhead, more of a light mousy brown but whenever I have my hair coloured it always develops into coppery tones after about 6 weeks. A few years ago I put my foot down with my colourist and insisted on a cool base and highlights.

I bloody hated it. After years of warm caramel/honey colour and lights the cooler tones looked really flat on me. I didn't have any grey at the time but it gave my hair a grey cast. I've gone back to the warmer spectrum but lighter shades than before and these lighter colours don't seem to get the same orange glow as before.

I have very dark brown hair. The only colour that's worked for me is Inoa. My hairdresser does it brilliantly but I've bought it online for in-between appointments ( had to get the big activator, brush and pot etc). I used various different shades but 5.0 works best for me. It's deep cover light brown but I'm not light brown in any way, any other shades leaves me with gold/red/burgundy roots. The hairdresser mixes 5.0 and 6.0 and that's good too.

Great info thanks everyone! For the poster asking why am I dyeing it - I'm late 40s and roots very grey! Wouldn't bother otherwise!

I will take this info with me and see how I get on!

Get yourself a green shampoo. I used to struggle with red undertones, the green counteracts the red and leaves you with cool tones. Matrix do one, you only need to use it once or twice a week.

I have this exact problem. No matter what I ask for I always end up with hair warmer than I want it and bright orange within 4 weeks. I'm also in my 40s with grey hair. I've also got really resistant hair so it takes ages to cover the grey

I now can't get another appointment until June so have had to buy something to use at home. I've just bought schwartzkopf Igora mousse which I believe is a ready made professional product. It's on Amazon. That's knocked out the brassiness a lot.

@Hairobsessed123

Hi stylist here ! I’ve just gone back natural myself I have level 6/7 mousy hair and I wanting to stay natural but blend out greys . Put my research hat on over lockdown and I’m now using majirel glow that’s what u need it’s only 1/4 base colour and 3/4 tone so it won’t change your natural much but adds the correct tone where a normal colour will have 3/4 base and only a 1/4 of time so when washing ect it will appear warm also If your roots are blowing her peroxide is maybe 2 high if your not lifting colour u only need 10 vol xx

Hi Hairobsessed! Ok so that's really interesting. I do know the details from my previous salon (I've moved house so need to go to new hairdresser next week). They've told me they that on my roots they use half 6.0 and half 6.1, 6% (whatever that means? Is that peroxide level?). They also use a toner with 6 vol. I don't know why they use that regime - they don't usually do more than my roots so the toner is to tone down the gingery non root area! I'm not always sure why they don't just use the root colour and put it all the way through. Knowing the previous colour helps a bit but it's never been quite right so would still like a cooler colour than that

I get this. I dye my own hair with majirel and use the cool cover ash blonde shade on my roots, 7.1 I think. For the lengths I squirt in a bit of blue majirel dye and it tones away the brassiness to make it ashy.

@roastednut
Right well they have the correct colour but 6% vol is 20 peroxide and this will lift the natural one shade which will cause warmth a lot of hairdressers doing it because 20 Vol is standard 3 % is a deposit only so it only adds no lift ! And with toners u are only supposed to mix 5vol which is 1.5 % hope this info helps xxx

@MolotovMocktail
The cool cover is fab but the marijirel glow is even better I have mousy hair and use the L 18 with pastel developer my hair looks very very natural but soft x

@Hairobsessed123 Sounds great, I might give that one a try next!