Winter colouring - how to do blonder hair?

[WhatColoursNow]

Name changed as I've asked a couple of friends about this IRL.

My natural colouring is very much in the winter palette: very pale skin, never tans, blue eyes which occasionally look grey and brunette hair (which on closer inspection has some red/auburn tones).

I started going grey a couple of years ago and initially used a semi permanent ashy brown. however I had silver regrowth after a 4 weeks and over time, the colour started to feel too dark.

Hairdresser suggested highlights, so had them, and my hair on its own looks good, however it just doesn't go with any of my winter palette clothes. All of my navys, whites, greys, cerise pinks, purples, burgundies, greens etc look odd with this lighter hair. Has anyone with winter colouring successfully made the transition from brunette to blonde and been able to work out which colours look good on them?

I’ve had this problem. There are two issues for me. One is that winter is all about contrast so lighter hair doesn’t provide the same contrast with the skin. Secondly blonde is often too warm for a winter. The answer is to go cool steely grey but I’m not ready for that so I’m in the same predicament to you I’m afraid

You're right @Teddybearen there's no real contrast now, it's as though my face and hair sort of blend in to one, whereas before they were quite distinct entities! I think that steely, all over grey looks good. Unfortunately mine is all concentrated at the front in a sort of grey cloud - it's not even as though it's a distinct Mallen streak which I think would work.

I was very Irish looking with very dark hair, green eyes and very very pale skin, so full of contract. I’m so pale that I just can’t cope with having grey or white hair as I feel I’d look like a ghost, but I also can’t cope with dying my hair every 2 weeks to keep it dark so my hair is now lighter. But it doesn’t suit me so well and I have the issue you describe with clothing colour. I wish I knew the answer

If you look at various colour websites you'll probably see you've transitioned to a summer because of the lower contrast. So just adapt your palette accordingly, it's probably about wearing slightly less saturated colours. Or, colour your hair differently!

@intheblightgarden

If you look at various colour websites you'll probably see you've transitioned to a summer because of the lower contrast. So just adapt your palette accordingly, it's probably about wearing slightly less saturated colours. Or, colour your hair differently!

You could be right. I remember when I had my colours done, the consultant was v clear that you stay in your season forever but I wonder if that’s true for high contrast winters when hair goes lighter

That's interesting re transitioning to summer colours. I've noticed that the only 2 colours in my existing wardrobe which still really look good are pale grey and pale blue.

I'm the same, I have a blonde Demi colour all over to mask the greys but not darken my brown hair. Also helps with the condition. A brown all over us too dark. Anyway, adding blonde is effectively putting "summer" round your face so I'm moving more to summer colours even tho probably not the best thing to do!

www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk/blog/jo has some interesting info

I agree with the PP, I think the contrast is very important and going yellow/blonde doesn't suit winters - people I know who are winter (and I include my dd in that) who've gone blond, look more sallow and it doesn't suit them.

I agree that steely grey is the way forward and I'll embrace that I think when I need to.

Thanks for that link @Tatapie - the section on colouring your hair was really helpful.

www.headcovers.com/resources/beauty/how-to-find-your-color-season/

There's quite a nice flow chart at the bottom of this

And a quiz here! 30somethingurbangirl.com/free-quiz-what-is-your-seasonal-color/#

Oh and this seems useful elementalcolour.com.au/blog/choose-your-flattering-hair-colour

I’m the same, very white at the front, but my natural colour is more of an ash blonde. I’ve gone slightly darker at the back with a root tint (ash tone), and then accentuated the white at the front with white blonde highlights. I’m really pleased with it and think it will grow out well. I think with pale skin a more ashy tone works well, but if you’re more red based you could embrace that, so have larger sections of the red and become more of a strawberry blonde - that would add the contrast you’re looking for.

Oh excellent, thanks for the links @intheblightgarden !

I have the same problem, but with blue eyes and very dark brown hair. Ive had a balayage with root stretch and kept dark roots next to my face snd lighter ends. But the lighter ends aren’t strictly ‘winter’ now.

I’m a Personsl Stylist who provides Colour Analysus sessions as our. As our colouring changes so do the colours that suit us. We lose pigmentation in our hair, skin and eyes over time, and with that cooler, softer and/or lighter colours tend to become more flattering. It sounds as though you would really benefit from getting your colours re-done.

Excuse all those typos!

It’s one thing doing colour analysis again, but I think the real problem is that dying hair blonde means your hair is not a winter colour anymore, but your skin and eyes still be. (Taking into account possible summer from contrast lowering) Blonde hair is generally reasonably warm and so will jar with the skin tone of a winter. Doing analysis won’t change this, it will just line the pockets of the consultant
I do get it though, as the temptation is strong to go blonde as we go greyer but it just doesn’t work well for winters.

Those links suggest you either go grey or dye your hair to your natural colour. Can you do that? Most winters don't look good blonde. How old are you? is grey an option?

@itsnotdeep when the grey first appeared, I started dying my hair my natural colour (brown). However, you could see silver regrowth after 4 weeks and after a while it was starting to look too dark next to my face - as a PP says, your overall colouring fades as well. It's as though my natural (dyed) colour was becoming too dark for my fading face . I'm 48 and don't really feel ready to go grey yet.

Presumably an ash blonde would most closely fit a cool palette?

@intheblightgarden

Presumably an ash blonde would most closely fit a cool palette?

Yes ash blonde is the best blonde but in my experience it’s pretty impossible to achieve. I’m being such a negative Nelly on this thread, sorry! It’s just my experience

There used to be a very long running and brilliant winter thread in here years ago but it faded away. It’s a shame as I’m sure that would have been useful here, there was always lots of chat about winter clothes, makeup and hair

I agree ash blonde might be the solution but it looks very light! I'm so used to being a brunette

I tried to get ash blond highlights in my hair to blend in the grey and they were always too warm. I was constantly toning them to try and get them more ashy and eventually I realised I was spending money to try and achieve almost white highlights which my hair was doing naturally by itself as I was going grey! Anyway I didn’t love the grey on me as I’m too pale and So I still haven’t found the answer I’m afraid