Those of you with gorgeous, subtle highlights. What do you ask for at the hairdressers please?

[thatsnotmyfruitshoot]

Because whatever I say, and whoever I use, I still always end up with brassy stripes which are too thick. They fade after a few weeks and I like the colour in the end, by which time I have roots and have to go through the whole thing again.

Hair naturally light brown, dark blonde in summer. Usually have the lightest blonde I can get without bleaching, and lowlights in my natural colour.

What do I need to ask for to get the naturally sunkissed look?

Try taking in a picture, and ask for them to be woven really fine, you could also ask for the top section to be left in your natural hair colour so you wont get the striped effect along your parting, I always think hi lights look better when they have 'worn' in a bit.hth

I get beige blond highlights so that they always end up looking cream and not ever yellow

yes you need to ask them to weave it really finely, takes ages but worth it

(er not that mine are gorgeous or anything)

I know that people are deeply sceptical about this but I get much better results on my mid/dark blonde hair with a home kit

I use the palest one (as Ronaldinhio says you want creamy not yellowy)

and only do a very few bits mostly around the front - far fewer than you think you need

this is the only way I've ever had highlights that really look like my hair when it has bleached in the sun

but it wouldn't work if you wanted to use highlights to change the overall colour your hair appears to be

agree fine highlights take ages to do. i have quite fine mid length hair ( just touching my shoulders ) and it takes an hour for the colour to be put on and 45 minutes to develop ( because its organic colour)

i have two shades of blond and low lights

they need to mix the colour in two batches as it takes so long to put in

aquavit - can i ask what product you use - am contemplating the same.

Also use a purple/silver shampoo they make your hi lights look really fresh and remove all the brassy tones, my hair used to be really blonde (naturally dark) and i used one of these once a week,

very very fine, and three slightly different colours, one fair, one a little warmer and one almost same colour as mine really is (mousey brown)

very fine
three colours
natural looking
foils not cap

Hi im a colour technician and i agree -

Fine weaved foils, in 3 shades, 1 warm, 1 cool and 1 neutral blonde - The best way to achieve this is using a salon which uses Loreal Majiblond - their products really are top of the range - its the only one i use where i work.

IME, you get what you pay for with colour. Go to the hairdresser with the BEST reputation and expect to pay a lot of money. It's the only way.

Also Mummy2monkeys may be able to help here
But i have had a "reverse" put on by the hairdresser when it gets a bit Geri Halliwell

thanks everyone, I think I am getting what I pay for (which isn't much!) I'm back, and it's blonder than I meant it to be. Hopefully it will settle if I blast it with Aveda neutraliser shampoo every morning!! Otherwise I'll need that "reverse!"

Am going to ask around and treat myself next time.

aquavit, also curious what you use?

Could try fine capped highlights? Ask for the blondet tint which has an ashy tone, shouldn't go a yellow a neautralising shampoo can't fix.

Ask for only one shade different from your natural colour -- they should be able to grade your natural colour on their scale and then stay close to that.

sorry got distracted by RL! I have used all kinds of kits (Boots, Clairol, Garnier something or other), always the palest blonde one, basically just bleach I think! - don't think it makes much difference but I like the ones that you apply with a little plastic brush best. I just splodge it all down the front bits and then pick out a few strands from the top to do as well.

I vastly prefer it to salon-done highlights - I don't like to look too 'done' and this just makes it look as though I've been in the sun.