Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Yes, It's Brown. No, I Didn't Mean To.

It was an accident, and as soon as I can be sure that I won't fry my hair off, I'll be fixing it. (How is still somewhat up in the air . . .)

Until a couple of years ago, I'd never, ever colored my hair. Then I finally decided to join the rest of the adult female world and try to lighten up my darkening, used-to-be-blonde hair. I liked it, but I couldn't afford to keep it up at the salon, even at Fantastic Sam's prices.

Over the last while, I've been using a bottle at home. My first attempt went fine for the most part, but the color turned out slightly too reddish and light for my taste. I have nothing against natural red hair (I gave birth to three of the most adorable red heads EVER!), but dyed red hair doesn't usually look natural. And it didn't look that good; it looked kinda brassy on top of being too light.

Not wanting to risk a total disaster, I stuck with the color for awhile, but eventually tried another one. I went with a "neutral" version of the same color, having learned that on my hair, "warmer" translates to "brassy," "too light," and "funky reddish."

It still turned out too red/brassy and too blonde. (Neutral? Riiiiiiight . . .)

At this point, I was seriously annoyed, because the model's hair color on the front of the boxes and the sample colors on the back were always, always, way darker than my hair ever turned out.

Fine, I figured. I'll go "cooler" and a single shade darker than before. That should get rid of the red, brassy look, and get me a little less hyper blonde.

For once, the box told the truth, and my hair is now the exact brown on the box.

Crap and oops. People, ONE shade darker doesn't equal ten shades. Right? One would think.

#3 has been rubbing it in. "It's brown! It's brown! It's brown!" she cries. I've had neighbors give me funny looks, tilt their heads, and go, "I thought it was the light, but . . ."

Yes, I know I look weird. I know it's brown. Enough of the commentary. Please?

(No, I won't be posting a picture, in case you were wondering. I'm not that masochistic.)

15 comments:

Lyon Pride said...

But you can email a picture to a curious sister-in-law, right?

Lara Neves said...

And that is why I don't dare to do anything to my hair by myself. My hair is super dark, and I always feel like I want to lighten it a tad, or at least get some cool highlights, but I don't dare see what will happen if I do it myself! And I can't afford to go to the salon, either.

Good luck with your new do, maybe it will fade quickly to be the shade you'd like. :)

Kristina P. said...

I had a horrible experience dying my own hair once. And by once, I mean from 2000-2005.

Melanie Jacobson said...

How can you tell this story and not leave a picture? It seems unfair and not right that we shouldn't get to mock you fully by getting the visual ourselves.

Sher said...

How can you post about dying your hair and NOT post a picture! Come on!!!
My natural color has darkened, too, but I like it. I do color it darker, though, and I go as close to black as possible, becaues the thing about brown/dark hair color is that is fades. Really fast. Just wash your hair a lot over the next couple weeks, and it'll lighten up.

Josi said...

Post a picture! Post a picture! Post a picture! Post a picture!

That's me chanting. See, I've actually had thoughts of going brown, since I hate doing highlights and I could do brown at home, right? but I have a mortal fear of ruining my hair and never being able to fix it. But if I saw your picture, then I wouldn't have to practice on myself :-) You'd be doing it for the good of all women that were once blonde and are now not sure what to do!!

Randi said...

Pic-ture! Pic-ture!
I hate when stuff like that happens to me. Though I think it's funky and fun when other people change their hair color!!

Sandra said...

I have been lucky. I was born a redhead but my hair turned darker brown as I got older, until my teenagers started driving and I started having what I call "grandma hairs". Herbal Essence makes a color that is my exact natural birth color red and it looks natural and no one needs to know that it is not. (except for you, now)

*MARY* said...

What's so bad about brown hair?

My favorite word verification word so far: minglamu

Why Not? Because I Said So! said...

Don't be shy? No one likes a tease...post a picture!! You do know that it always looks better to everyone else than how we see it ourself? I will sit here patiently until you post a picture......

LisAway said...

I've been debating lightening my hair up a bit because I know it would do wonders for making me look more made up. Unfortunately I think I swore never to pretend to be blonder than I am. Oh, but I miss the days of light hair. Maybe next summer I'll try going outside once in a while. Or now that I've read this, maybe I'll give myself th adventure of trying to find the right shade. . .

Luisa Perkins said...

Brown is great! I like brown....

Shauna said...

I want to see a picture :) E-mail me too please! ♥ Hugs!

annie valentine said...

I am feeling you today, sister. I could have an entire blog devoted to the life and times of home hair coloring disasters.

As one who has extensive experience with brassy (and not just where hair is concerned), go to Sally's and get a Toner next time. Ask them how to use it. I would die without a good toner, it takes the glow out (otherwise I could light up the night sky with my neon tresses).

Karlene said...

I randomly color my hair, just for fun, because I get bored easily--I go blond, or brown or reddish.

And picture me standing in front of your house with pitchfork and torch, chanting, "Picture! Picture! Picture!"

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