Going gray if you need warm tones?

[Nifty50something]

Hi, any advice for those of us who want to stop spending squillions on highlights at the hairdresser but who have Springs/Autumn colouring? My hair has gone mostly gray and my natural colour is mousy anyway and neither suit my colouring at all. I look much better with warm tones like honey, caramel, auburn etc around my face.

Any tips, please? My hairdresser has said at our next appointment she can match up my gray with the highlights so basically I'll be able to grow it out naturally. However she doesn't recommend any semi-permanent dye as she says I'll end up with stripes. She did say a glaze would be ok. Has anyone else been through this and how have you solved it please? I'd be ok with gray but would like to look like I belong in the land of the living. Thank you.

Eagerly awaiting your replies, OP, but I a slightly puzzled.

Will this change of plan shift you to a more-or-less single process colour instead of highlights?

I am in the same boat. Highlights and balyage (sp?) always leave me with a skunk stripe regardless of promises made. It takes longer to appear than with single process, but not long enough.

Now that I am getting so grey I am wondering if there is a unicorn blonde that won’t need touching up after every meal. Or, ideally, as you say, the perfect grey.

@poetryandwine Balayage shouldn't leave you with a central stripe. How close to your scalp are they taking the colour? Mine doesn't go anywhere near, it's a good 4-5 inches before the colour starts and it comes out looking completely natural (and is super low maintenance). I'm naturally blonde with some grey now and balayage works so well on my hair.

Thanks, @AndeanFlamingo

I wonder if she takes the balayage closer to my scalp to conceal more grey? I will ask.

@poetryandwine Perhaps but then it's not really balayage! For years I was paying for what I thought was balayage (it was advertised and charged as balayage) but turned out to just be subtle highlights that created a softer line when they grew out. I've now changed to a hairdresser who does actual balayage and I'm so much happier with my hair.