Looking for a winter-blues beauty pick-me-up? If you’re not up for a more drastic (and costly) change, enhancing your natural hair hue is the easiest way to bring a little colour to your life.
Shopping Tips
When trying to choose a does she or doesn’t she colour, think back to your old childhood snaps for clues as to whether you’d like to go lighter, darker, or warmer. That way, you already know that the colour matches your complexion. Most importantly, do not attempt to stray too far from your natural shade without the help of a pro.
If you want to go lighter, highlights may be the way to go. Dark blondes should look for lighter blonde highlights, and brunettes should look for chestnut or caramel tones just a bit lighter than their natural colour. You’ll also have to decide between cool and warm highlights. If you’re blue-eyed and tend to burn in the summer, opt for the cool highlights (look on the box for words like neutral). If you’re green or brown-eyed and tan easily, you’re better off going with warm shades (look for words like golden).
If your base shade seems dull and you want an overall wash of colour, look to the semi-permanent dyes. For brunettes and redheads, they’ll add some depth and richness to your shade, and for blondes, they won’t actually lighten your shade but will clean up any brassiness and add shine. Once you’re sure you’re happy with a shade, you can move on to permanent dyes.
Application Tips
If you’re going with at-home highlights, keep it to some (very small) highlights just around the face. You’ll save time and avoid mistakes, but will still reap the complexion-brightening benefits of a few sun-kissed strands.
It’s hard to go wrong with applying semi-permanent colour, but just make sure the dye stays safely on your hair “ and not all over your bathroom. Throw an old towel around your shoulders and rub a little vaseline around your hairline and ears to make sure you don’t dye your skin. And those plastic gloves that come included in the box? Use ˜em.
Colour Care
Now that you’ve got a more vibrant shade, protect it with a colour-enhancing shampoo. This is crucial if you opted for a warmer, reddish hue, since red dye fades the fastest. And for blondes, the right shampoo will ward off the brassier orange tones that sometimes emerge a few weeks after colouring.
Worried about obvious roots showing through? Try using a dry shampoo spray that’s tailored to your hair colour “ it’ll help to blend in the area between the dyed strands and your natural shade. And never underestimate the power of a pretty headband or a laissez-faire side part to mask roots in between dye jobs.
