Home hair dye help

[Whitershadeofpale]

I’ve always had blonde hair and although it got slightly darker as I got older it was still always firmly blonde. Over the past 10 years or so I’d have highlights once or twice a year just to brighten it a little. Usually just a top box. They’d fade out nicely and naturally.

However, since I’ve had my DCs my hair has got noticeably darker (and wavy from poker straight!) and I’m having to alternate full and half head highlights. My hair is thick so every time I go to the hairdressers it takes 4-5hrs. I haven’t got the time or money to do this every 6-8 weeks so feel like most if the time my hair just look shit with dark roots.

I’m considering sticking a box dye on to make it my new natural colour (a 7-8) but am worried it will just look shit. Theoretically I could pay a hairdresser to do it but I think I’m going to dislike it and feel drab and I’d rather do that after spending £10 than after spending £150. I suppose I could always find a hairdresser to fix it if I really hated it.

I bought a garnier one in sweet latte as I liked it on the try it on feature on their website and it looked foolproof and I’ve done a patch test but I’ve been too scared to use it. Help
please!

Well I've never been brave enough to do it at home but why don't you just get your roots done at the hairdressers? Doesn't have to be every time, could be every other time. It's what I do & saves masses of time & money

Is your photo your current hair?

I see some bright areas from the highlights. The box dye will do away with those and make it more ‘all one colour’. Fine if it’s a colour you like.

I would Google some reviews for your chosen colour. I’ve just looked and TikTok reckons Sweet Latte is a good ‘old money blonde’ which is not as bright as your highlights.

Box dye doesn’t lift. It doesn’t contain enough bleach. Colour cannot lift colour.

Try a stand test. I’m sure it won’t look shit but I would not expect it to be BRIGHT.

Because at the moment I have highlights as I don’t want a blocky look. It takes too much time and money to get it done as often as it needs.

Sorry maybe I wasn’t clear. I’m not expecting it to be bright I’m thinking of embracing the colour my hair actually is now. I was hoping to dye it once and then just let my natural colour come through.

Pic is of my hair now (just out of bed so not brushed or styled).

You can still just get your roots done with highlights

@Whitershadeofpale ahhh then it sounds a good match for your natural colour. Go for it!

@Funkyslippers OP already gets her roots done and that's what is taking hours each time even just for the roots as the foils take the same amount of time as doing all the hair.

She now wants to make all of her hair slightly darker to match her roots rather than making her roots match the ends

@Whitershadeofpale did you say you'd done a strand test to see how the colour would develop on your highlights?

I didn't get that from what the OP said. When I get just my roots done it's about 45 mins quicker & £10 less, but it is cheap as chips to begin with so I'm v lucky 😊

Thank you.

No not yet, maybe I’ll try it later. It’s a bit of a patchwork of colour at the moment so it could vary.

if I understand correctly, you want to make your blonde hair darker to match your roots, using the box dye.

The only issue I would flag is that the colour may end up being quite flat. I have gone from blonde to brunette (in a salon) years ago, and they had to put an undertone on first, like a reddy-orange colour to give the depth of tone.

Otherwise, as blonde hair has the redness lifted out of it by the bleach, it may end up looking quite flat and fading out quite quickly.

Maybe try a test patch on the underneath section of your hair to see how it would turn out.

But really I would get it done at a salon so they could match your natural colour and tone...then you could just leave it to grow out.

I’ve done this at home before. I’m lucky that my hair has different tones including some auburn so it doesn’t look too flat as per pp. The only thing I’d say is in my experience always go for a lighter shade than you think you need as the colour always comes out darker than the picture on the box suggests. Maybe slightly warmer too.

I definitely wouldn’t waste money in a hairdresser for this. I also do highlights sometimes, there are some really good home kits available now.

Thank you. It’s interesting as my hair is quite ashy with no red and has never gone ginger-y but obviously I’ve no idea how a box dye would take. I was hoping that as it’s highlighted and has different tones in it wouldn’t look too flat, but maybe not…

Now seriously invested in this as I want to do exactly the same thing! Just want to go back to my natural colour and not pay a fortune. Let us know how you get on?

Might be worth trying a (wash out) brunette toned shampoo first? It should help keep the shades and tones in your hair, and is reversible if you don't like it? Something like this:
John Frieda shampoo

If anything you do ends up too brassy, Scott Cornwall Colour Restore Cool Ash Toner is brilliant, and doesn't leave your whole bathroom purple.

So an update. I did a strand test the other day and decided to go for it. I think it looks ok, not as dark as I’d feared and no red.

Hair is just washed and blasted with the hairdryer, not styled at all.

That looks great!

For a box kit I recommend eSalon to use at home - hairdressers quality but we can select from a huge range of shades. Ordered online.

It looks good, an ashier blond now. I would give it a really good mask conditioner and keep up with regular trims now.

Thanks. I’ve already ordered a mask and will sort out a cut. Just wanted to wait to see if the colour needed rescuing too!

Looks really good! Great job 👏