31 Days Closer to a Cuter You! "Hair Color Me Beautiful"

My boy, Andrew, and me ~ same color

 (I want this day back!)

Brown

Brown w/highlights

My "natural" color at 5 - 6 yrs. old ~

My beautiful friend & hair stylist, Michelle w/her lovely daughter, Mia ~

 Hair color ~ whaddya gonna do? 

I've had lots of colors: ranging from my natural medium blonde as a child to natural light brown as I got older, strawberry blonde (bad, very bad), dark brown (darker than natural and another bad color on me), light brown with highlights (very good), dark blonde with low lights and highlights (again very good) and saving money and doing it myself blonde that gets too brassy (not so good).

My opinion on hair color if you are in your 40's and beyond:

1. As you get older (40's and on), you NEED some! (My PERSONAL opinion. Feel free to disagree.)
2. Many celebrities who are in the business of looking good go lighter as they get older.
3. Even naturally dark (dark brown/black) hair benefits from some highlights in a color appropriate to hair and skin tone. Michelle (above pic) has naturally very dark brown hair but still likes to add a few highlights to keep her hair from looking like "a blanket on my head."
4. Some women look great with gray hair. I'm not ready to see if I'll be one of them! Check out this link if you are considering going gray. Click HERE.
5. I think that since skin tone (even w/a tan) and eye color do not change, if you stick with a hair color you had as a child (or within a shade or two), you should be able to pull that off. If it looked good then, why not now? 
6. Hair color from a box even if it's as close as possible to your "natural" hair color is still going to be flatter than your natural color before any gray appeared. So, you might look "more natural" with your base close to "natural" and a few highlights for dimension. 
7. When I have gone with dark hair, I never get complimented on my hair but as soon as I lighten the base and/or add some highlights, I get great feedback. Even my dad will ask me when I'm going to add some blonde back in. Of course your opinion is the most important but pay attention to feedback from people who love you! My husband prefers some highlights in my hair. Maybe this is because when we first met, I had blonde hair.
8. Once you get some gray in there, your "natural" hair color gets a little muddied up. Did I mention that I am not a hair color professional? These are my opinions after years of experimentation! And I say, experience counts!
   

 And this advice from my friend, Michelle ~

Advice:
1. See a professional.
( I used to specialize in color correction) 
2. Start out with a subtle approach, maybe a few highlights around the face.

Now if you are going for a new all over color, the first thing to know is your NL- natural level. Then the DL - desired level.
Always realize when lifting occurs -it will always produce warmth. At this point, your stylist will know from your CONSULTATION ( of utmost importance) if she should enhance the warmth and add to that or counterbalance that.
It is my professional opinion that cool undertones in the skin call for cool neutral tones in the hair.

Warm undertones in the skin can usually wear golds and warm hues very well.
Eye color plays a part but not nearly as important as skin tones.
The most important thing to note is this: Haircolor can ALWAYS be corrected.
And very few people can go to the drugstore and know what they should get.
Consider this: a salon professional is usually pretty confident of what the product used can or will produce.
Find your personal haircare provider and be loyal. Let her learn your hair and your personality.

Michelle "color corrected" my hair. I had gotten it too brassy. She added my "natural" darker color underneath and toned down some of the warm/golden highlights with a "sandy" tone.

Color correction - mid April

Current ~ May 29, 2011, per Michelle's instructions, I colored my roots myself.

Jennifer Aniston (obviously years ago, looks like her "natural" color)

See how highlights brighten her up?

Even lighter

(both pics from Spring '11 ~ See how much younger Julia Roberts looks with lighter hair?)

Susan Lucci ~ Dark hair

Susan Lucci ~ Dark but with a few highlights

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