I've gone brunette after being blondish for 10 years. Was worried I was looking a bit too Judy Finnegan but now am scared I look too Arlene Phillips

[Oovavu]

Don't know what made me do it really... just kept catching sight of myself in shop mirrors and looking/feeling a bit non-descript and bland. I'm quite pale and my colouring should be blonde really (I have fair eyelashes and eyebrows) but hair is naturally brown.

My eyes look nicer I think and it suits the colours I've been wearing recently (teals & purples) but am suddenly frightened I look a bit baggish and haggard. Not that I think Arlene looks bad - for her age - but she's got 25 years on me...

Going back to work on Monday and people will comment. Dh and friends who came round last night said they like it (but they would say that wouldn't they?). Have the urge to put some streaks in and lighten it up again but will this be too chicken?

Hi, I am in exactly your situation.

I had been putting blonde highlights in my hair for 20+ yrs. My hair is mousey brown naturally, with fair skin and blue eyes.

However, the bleach was seriously wrecking my hair, losing its shine and I felt that it wasn't doing me any favours at my age (40+).

So, I have gone darker ( a nutty, shiny, browny, reddy colour). The actual condition of my hair is fab, but over Xmas people have been "tactfully" telling me they prefer it lighter. I think they are saying that cos they are used to me blonde.

I can see that it does drain your face of colour a bit, and cos I need to cover grey it might look a bit "matte" but i use false tan on my face for a bit of colour.

I say stick it out for a bit and see how you get used to it.

btw, do you know shooting Stars is on bbc2 right now ? lol

Aren't you supposed to go lighter the older you go?

Don't mind me-last time i had my hair cut i looked in the mirror and saw Sandi Toksvig.

Was devaSTATED.

I am naturally brunette, been blonde for eons and went brunette a couple of months back. I love it but i do have the eyebrows to match.

Why not try an eyebrow pencil to darken brows (slightly) and stronger eye make up. Experiment with new colours and I'm sure you'll end up happy.

Can you post before and after pics?

Most love mine dark but my mum doesn't. Can't win 'em all though eh?

You're supposed to have a few shades in your hair so I'd say having a few highlights is a good idea. One tone isn't very flattering.
I'm a hairdresser and mainly did colouring when I was in a salon.

I did mine myself so it didn't look too flat as I pre-pigmented it.

eyebrow pencil???

Oh good god I've turned into my gran, who dyed her hair black into her 80s and drew her eyebrows on. She thought she looked like Jackie Onasis but she looked like Coco the Clown.

Yes I know you're "supposed" to go lighter, but I just felt all bland and washed out before. I feel a bit more dramatic now at least (for 'dramatic', read 'fecking scary)

Wot's pre-pigmented?

and wot colour highlights do you think would work?

lol moondog

i dyed my eyebrows rcently and suddenly looked like a much older more haggard kate winslet

musy check up next time i see a pic of her if she has blonde hair ad dark eyebrows

my hairdresser told me to use eyebrow pencil ooovavu

I'll swap you a haggard Kate Winslet for a tired old Goth/Arlene Phillips anyday

It depends on the colour you have, your skin tone etc.. but I'd go to a salon.
caramel tones will work. I wouldn't go too light against dark or it could look stripey. Again, depends on tone and the hairstylist. Have a free consultation first you'll soon know if she/he's confident. Run if not

Pre-pigmented is putting back the undertones that lightening takes out. All hair apart from white has them. Blonde=yellow etc.. dark=red. I put a medium brown with red tones on (semi) before my permanent.

well no oovavu maybe kates gran once removed

going to look up arlene....

Eyebrow pencil is just to lightly make brows more defined, not to draw brows on.

Yes there's an art to it isn't there Tinker
Feather strokes not lines like Barbara Cartland Even I with my dark brown brows look better with a little pencilling. They thin as you age anyway

ok will bow to mn better judgments and fill mine out

ooovavu hecked oout arlene and nooooooo! you will not be

i am 40 and at 30 decided to go darker ( amwas naturally blonde once) i only lasted a few weeks before lightening up!

Isn't Arlene about 65? she looks good for that.

I'm 40 too but am naturally dark so am staying this way until I start to look daft then will have some hightlights in ( I'll do them no doubt)

I bet your hair looks healthier.

I have lots and lots of very fine high and low lights which cover my grey (I'm older than you and naturally mousey with, fortunately, not a lot of grey hairs) and make the colour look more exciting. I have 3 colours put in and in the winter have it a little bit darker and redder and in the summer more caramel & blonde. If you do it this way you can change the colour slightly each time by changing the shades used a little and then you don't have to deal with the comments you get with a more dramatic change.

Can't afford salon at the moment

will try a little lightening i think, although the darker does help clear some of the 'brassiness'.

at thought of having to pencil in thinning eyebrows. Being 40 completely SUCKS. I didn't think it would bother me at all but I am on such a downer about it at the moment.

We need photos and we shall tell the truth

higgle - your hair sounds lush. Is it from a salon?

Before

After

(God isn't the DM vile)

I have a similar dilemma. I recently went darker for credit crunch purposes. My friend said it looked 'very goth' which I took not to be a compliment exactly! DH hates it. It looks ok in the mirror and has brought out the colour of my eyes, but in photos I look like death warmed up.

Back to the salon in January I think.

Oops, it IS January. Will try to wake up properly before MNing in future.