To dye or not to dye

[Fleur de vanité]

That's totally up to you. I wouldn't suggest coloring hair very often,my hair has been every color imaginable.

I've dyed my hair since I was 15 years old,my natural color is what some people call "Dishwater Blond" it's a dark blond/light brown. It's been colored 2 variations of blond,then black,stripped back to blond to create a red shade then back to black and now it's my original color which I intend on keeping.

Did I mention I permed it,too?

When I just let my hair airdry and I don't style it,it looks terrible.

No more chemicals for me!

 

[ShortClara]

I have an appt. for next Saturday! I will call her tomorrow and ask about the Pravana hair color remover! I have blonde roots, so I'll discuss with her maybe not highlighting the roots at all. Thank you so muck Nikki! You all are the best! Fingers crossed it will go well, and I'll post pics!

 

[ShortClara]

'Cause I'm a Blonde Yeah yeah Yeah!

I did it! The look on my husband's face when I came home last night was stupendous! Wide-mouthed gawking!

Nikki, my colorist went out and got the Pravana special for me! It lifted me from the super dark red to apricot - amazing! She loves the stuff now and says because of the way they package it, she'll get a couple more uses out of it and it's more economical that the other brands. So, you have a fan in Encino, CA! Thank you so much for the recommendation!

She took the apricot color and weaved in two parts bleached sections to one part ashy blond to tone down some of the fruit color It's so funky - the ash color oxidized back to red! I hated that look, so we bleached those sections, too. My hair is in remarkably great shape - I'm laying off the heat for a while and doing the heavy-duty mask on it. But it's really soft and looks great. It's multi-colored and funky, but I like it (and ahem, the husband went wild for it!) and am really happy for the change.

I'm taking a beauty field trip to the makeup counter today to re-teach myself how to make-up a blonde self, and then I'll take pics!

 

[~*Red*~]

Short Clara...

Woohoo!! Yipppie!! Happy dance happy dance! I can't wait to see pictures!!

Oh and as a lady that goes back and forth between brown and red... I keep 2 make up sets... one for when *Red* is in all her Red Glory.... and one for when *Red* goes back to being Sarah the chicana... lol
With that said, you still must always go out and buy new "celebratory" make up for the new do...and that goes with any new color, or any cut! ha ha!

 

[ShortClara]

BEFORE:

AFTER!

One time I see it, I think holy cow I'm a fruit! And then another time, I see all the blonde. I think it looks paler indoors, and brighter in the sun. So, viola!

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Very pretty. Apricot is a beautiful shade. Your hair looks so healthy!

 

[ShortClara]

Inside picture

 

[scarlett]

Wow what a change Short Clara. You look great in both the before and after photo. I went from blonde to red - it does take some time to get used to.
Anyway - you look great.

 

[~*Red*~]

I LOVE IT!

It looks awesome!! The craziest thing about a huge color change like that, is when you wake up in the morning and don't recognize yourself in the morning... hee hee!
**edit** Oops! I meant to say when you don't recognize yourself in the mirror.

 

[ohairas]

One time I see it, I think holy cow I'm a fruit! And then another time, I see all the blonde. I think it looks paler indoors, and brighter in the sun. So, viola!

Oh I think it turned out pretty awesome! I thought about you all day, but then couldn't remember if it was this Sat. or next.
I agree witih BtheB, apricot is a nice shade and very 30's! I say enjoy it while you got it! It looks like it is in really good condition, yea!! I love the color of the bangs!
That was so nice (and WORTH IT) for her to get the Pravana. WOOHOO! She's a doll, hope ya tipped her good, :eusa_clap
Here's a few of my favorite apricots to inspire you! Nicole goes thru a wide range of red/blonde, have fun!
Nikki

 

[The Shirt]

New girl crush! You look darling ShortClara as always.
(I so want to do something drastic now)

 

[ShortClara]

Thanks ya'll! Yes, Nikki, I definitely gave her a good tip, and a large chunk of change overall LOL

I'm having fun with it, but an sad that I really can't wear red lips wight now - not true red anyway. Just looks bad!! I have to find a thread to talk about all the awesome makeup I picked up yesterday, too, because it was fun to find new things.

Yay to apricot chickadees!!

 

[ShortClara]

Oh, something else funny. When Lulu asked who my hairdresser friend was, I said she was an internet girlfriend and she was kinda surprised when I said I never met her "really"!

 

[ohairas]

Aw, thanks! That's funny! I'm glad she tried it, I knew she'd be happy with the results.

Have you tried darkening your brows and then doing the red lips? Might do the trick!
Nikki

Oh, something else funny. When Lulu asked who my hairdresser friend was, I said she was an internet girlfriend and she was kinda surprised when I said I never met her "really"!

 

[Miss Cicero]

Beautiful, ShortClara! :eusa_clap And hats off to you for taking the plunge. It actually reminds me of Geena Davis’s hair in A League Of Their Own (love that film!) And I think Ohairas might be right - I’m pretty sure Geena rocks the dark brows/red lips look in some scenes, to great effect.

I got a quote from my hairdresser last night to take me from semi-permanent brunette (I’m naturally dark blonde) to Jean Harlow platinum blonde – not yet sure if I have the nerve (or the funds for the upkeep!)

 

[ohairas]

Hi Miss Cicero, and welcom to the lounge!

Just a note that the Pravana Color Extractor is NOT made to take out SEMI permanant hair dye.
I say if it's semi perm, just let it fade out, then go for the blonde if you still want it!
Nikki

I got a quote from my hairdresser last night to take me from semi-permanent brunette (I’m naturally dark blonde) to Jean Harlow platinum blonde – not yet sure if I have the nerve (or the funds for the upkeep!)

 

[Miss Cicero]

Thanks!

And yup, that's what my hairdresser said too. My hair's bobbed fairly short and grows ridiculously quickly so I shouldn't have to wait too long...

 

[ohairas]

Here are some pictures I took from my TV of the Pravana dvd I have. They used the color extractor to take this gal from a copper color to a cool bleach blonde. Just amazing.
Clara, since your hair is long, I probably wouldn't do these exact steps as it would just take too long to get the product (bleach) on and come out even enough. But I think you could definitely do the highlites now, and if you wanted, tone the rest of the apricot with a color closer to your natural. Tho the blonde would look beautiful over the apricot as well!
Anyhoo, here ya go,

client is a natural level 6, (dark brown/dishwater)
Had copper color and some highlites,

The used the Pravana color extractor, which took out the permanant color and left it the shade that the color had lifted it too in the beginning, (didn't lift the regrowth)

Then Pravana Pure Light Power Lightener mixed with 30 vol. was applied one inch from regrowth to ends first. Then another mixture with 20 vol. was made for the regrowth. Processed to a pale yellow.

Then a toner of Pravana 902 (ultra violet blonde) was mixed with Zero developer and left on for 20 mins. (dvd says 20 mins, but book says 10-12)
Isn't it gorgeous!!
Nikki

 

[~*Red*~]

That's amazing!!! I love how it really didn't change the regrowth!!

 

[ohairas]

That's amazing!!! I love how it really didn't change the regrowth!!

YEP! There's not a good pic of it, but on the dvd you can totally see how the regrowth is not changed at all, and there are like 3 color extractions on the dvd.
Nikki