Henna + olive skin tone = ??

[czech it out]

I'm thinking of trying henna for my (dark brown) hair. I'm very drawn in by the promise of shinier and stronger hair. In fact, if anyone could speak to the quality improvements in their hair when using henna, I'd love to hear that too. Sometimes the results seem quite miraculous! Anyhow, I have a fair but still yellow/olive complexion. Conventionally, a red tone wouldn't be suggested for my hair because it might clash with my skin tone. So I wondered - are there's any henna heads here with a similar complexion? What has your experience been? I also wonder if maybe I could henna subtly enough that the reddish hues would only really pop out in sunlight. Is that an unrealistic idea? Thanks for your help all!

[parkmikii]

I'm yellowy as well and I henna. I'm using a henna/cassia mix because I don't want burgundy hair, though.
You can strand test and see if you like it.

[czech it out]

I'm yellowy as well and I henna. I'm using a henna/cassia mix because I don't want burgundy hair, though.
You can strand test and see if you like it.

Thanks, parkmikii! What is your natural hair color? And - do you think the burgundy would be particularly unflattering to our skin tone? I guess it would make sense, being a cooler toned red.

[parkmikii]

Thanks, parkmikii! What is your natural hair color? And - do you think the burgundy would be particularly unflattering to our skin tone? I guess it would make sense, being a cooler toned red.

I'm chestnut brown naturally. No idea how burgundy would look on me, never tried it, I am a copper fan :D

[lapushka]

I have F hair, and what was great about it was that it thickened up my strands to a N strand of hair. What wasn't so much fun was that I felt it roughened up the cuticle which would explain why to me bleach damage felt about the same. This was from 30 min. henna applications! Could you imagine what it would have been like if I would have left that on much longer!

I wouldn't look at your complexion too much, because on hair that dark it will be hard to tell. Besides you can not leave the paste on as long if you are worried about the color pay-off, but I have to say, with those 30 min., I got a vibrant red!

[Dragoness]

I worry about that too.. I don't know how to tell my complexion, is there any helpful guide? All the ones I followed left me confused.. I'm white but not that white, you know? Brunette white.

When I look at my veins I see colors from almost blue or green and sometimes even purple (lol) its really confusing.

BTW if you hair is naturally very dark I think it will suit you anyway, from coppery to burgundy it will probably give a warm tone that suits yellowish skin imo...

[MidnightMoon]

I think it will look ok, judging by your pictures. Not even natural redheads are all pasty or pinkish white. Maybe up north, or something, but I've met and seen a fair share of naturally redheaded people with a yellowish olive complexion. It's common in Latin America (not having red hair, but for naturally redheaded people to not be pasty white)
Not dark, but tan, like these people:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kda-WjUXTUg/U5CpO5R8oWI/AAAAAAAAC2A/5WZIDdDIFLY/s1600/benito05+-+copia2.jpg
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3344556/thumbs/o-REDHEAD-900.jpg?7
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1a/a4/06/1aa40696b48ebbd252cfbeadf6585379.jpg

I've met chileans, dominicans and mexicans with red hair, and none of them had light eyes. They were darker than me, and didn't have typical "uber nordic" features.
And yeah, most were men, and one little girl, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't dyed. Can't really hide a red beard, eyebrows and all the combo.

[school of fish]

I'm naturally very light-skinned but very yellowy toned, and henna does well by me. I'm not classically olive, just a very warm-toned kind of light-complexioned. I also tan (both sunless tanner and with the sun - light as I am, I do take a tan well) and the henna actually looks even better the deeper my skintone gets.

Only way to know for sure is to try, but do be aware that henna is a commitment, not only for the permanency of colour but also the roots reapplications. It can also be hard to achieve and/or a specific tone of red if you have a specific colour in mind. Henna's worth it for me, but I'd advise you to read heavily through the henna threads and collect much pro and con info first before making the leap :)

[CoveredByLove]

I henndigoed my hair a few years ago. My natural color is darkest, neutral brown. Almost black but not quite. Also, I have a neutral leaning warm skin tone. (I'm a Dark Autumn in color analysis) It didn't change my color at all...other than this red glow in the sun...which I didn't like. I felt it clashed with the golden undertones I have, making me appear sallow. I've been reading up on amla lately though...sounds like it neutralizes the red! I remember the henndigo treatment gave my hair a lot of shine and it felt thicker. :) Awesome for fine haired gals! :) If I had known about alma reducing the red, I would have use it back then! Got me wanting to try it again myself. :hmm: My sister in law has your same coloring....fair with olive undertone and dark brown hair. I don't know if you have a cool olive or a warm olive complexion....but I imagine she would actually look great with a deep,red shine + her cool-olive complexion. Like a cherry-cola color :cool: I hope this helps with your decision! :flower:

[Nightshade]

If what you're after is shine and strength, you should consider cassia or sedr instead of henna :)

Amla doesn't neutralize red. It can, at best, mute it, but that can also be variable. I'm generally of the opinion that if you're adverse to red/orange, you're not a good henna canidate.:twocents: There's just too much that can go awry without an easy way to fix it.

[CoveredByLove]

If what you're after is shine and strength, you should consider cassia or sedr instead of henna :)

Amla doesn't neutralize red. It can, at best, mute it, but that can also be variable. I'm generally of the opinion that if you're adverse to red/orange, you're not a good henna canidate.:twocents: There's just too much that can go awry without an easy way to fix it.

Good to know, Nightshade! :) I was under the impression that it did. Thank you!

[Nightshade]

Good to know, Nightshade! :) I was under the impression that it did. Thank you!

It does a better job of it in henndigo mixes than with straight henna :) But it's not one of those "add amla an no more orange" deals :lol:

[lapushka]

For me, cassia never got my strands thicker the way henna did. In fact, I never saw a difference when using cassia. But that's me. I loved henna because it got rid of my F hair, but overall it made my whole hair thicker (and that maybe wasn't as great).

You could try this first, though, and it is nice that it won't make a color change!

[Anje]

If what you're after is shine and strength, you should consider cassia or sedr instead of henna :)

Amla doesn't neutralize red. It can, at best, mute it, but that can also be variable. I'm generally of the opinion that if you're adverse to red/orange, you're not a good henna canidate.:twocents: There's just too much that can go awry without an easy way to fix it.

All this. If you don't want red, don't henna. Even on black hair, you'll get some red flare in sunlight and it's just not worth it if you don't want that.

That said, I'm a formerly-natural redhead (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=8614&d=1389288409) (it turned brown in my late 20s or early 30s, and right now it's purple, LOL) with pale golden-toned skin, darker features, and loads of freckles. I'm still often a standard for paleness ("I'm as pale as Anje during the winter.") among white people, but my skin is a shade or two darker than most redheads, to the point where stores actually stock the makeup light enough for me, but it's usually way too pink compared to my phaeomelanin-tinted skin. Henna orange worked great for me. I'll also point out that hennaed hair is common in middle-eastern cultures, among people who largely have dark hair and various shades of olive skin, and it seems like it works just fine for them. I tend to think that warm skin tones and warm hair belong together.

[CoveredByLove]

All this....I tend to think that warm skin tones and warm hair belong together.

I agree, Anje. I have a light complexion with neutral leaning warm (yellow/golden) skin tone. Henna + Indigo did not work well with my particular skin tone, because the red turned out a cool, dark, burgundy red on my hair. I loved the color, but I didn't love it up next to my warmer skin! In order for me to look good with red hair, it would have to be more orange-y (more yellow). Auburn would be perfect for me I think... But since I am not willing to lighten my hair to achieve that, I'll skip on henna. :o I love my natural color...I just like how henna made my hair feel. So, it gets tempting to do it again at times. :o

[samanthaa]

Only way to know for sure is to try, but do be aware that henna is a commitment, not only for the permanency of colour but also the roots reapplications. It can also be hard to achieve and/or a specific tone of red if you have a specific colour in mind. Henna's worth it for me, but I'd advise you to read heavily through the henna threads and collect much pro and con info first before making the leap :)

Seconding this comment. It wasn't worth it for me, and I got tired of the root touch-ups after two years. I've been growing out my henna for a year now.

No regrets, though. I needed to henna to get it out of my system. If I hadn't, I'm sure even to this day I'd be curious and on the fence about whether or not to take the plunge. The whole process has definitely given me an appreciation for my natural hair color, which I didn't have before. I feel like I have a mixture of both yellow and pink undertones, if such is a thing, and I didn't really feel that my henna looked natural on me, especially when it got to burgundy.

I do love cassia. I never got the thickening benefits from henna (gah, I wished for it so badly!), even using pure BAQ powder, but a cassia treatment is a favorite for shine and temporary thickness.

[littlestarface]

I don't recommend it. I have olive, yellow skin and my hairs natural highlights are golden in the sun, so big difference with henna especially after so many applications. It doesnt look so nice with my skin tone but it does make eyes look warmer.

[Dendra]

I find yellow skin tones and red hair to be a very pretty combination; I'm always stunned when I see an olive natural redhead.

[czech it out]

Thanks so much to all who responded! I feel like I had a celebrity sighting with Nightshade responding to my thread. :) I love your products! And I'm definitely taking the cassia advice to start - I've got a batch heading to me in the mail. Thanks again!

[Nightshade]

Thanks so much to all who responded! I feel like I had a celebrity sighting with Nightshade responding to my thread. :) I love your products! And I'm definitely taking the cassia advice to start - I've got a batch heading to me in the mail. Thanks again!

Aw you're so sweet :) I'm so glad you feel like you have some direction and look forward to hearing how you take to cassia!