Toning darker hair

[MoonLightFairy]

Hi! I am trying to find out how to tone the gold-y-ness out of my hair. I'd like it to be a cool tone. I'm having a hard time finding something that isn't for bleach blonde hair. I watched some videos with girls with close to my hair color using ion titanium semi permanent hair dye but it didn't do anything at all for me. Maybe I need something with a different undertone to cancel out the color? Not the best lighting in the picture sorry it's night time 😬
Appreciate any help!
Thanks!
https://i.postimg.cc/w3TFg2kX/IMG-20200503-042302.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w3TFg2kX)

[lapushka]

Toners come in all shapes and sizes, I think, I mean you don't have to go too too light. :hmm:

[Bri-Chan]

Did you watch to some Wella toners? I heard a lot of good things about Wella's toners.
Of course, a relatively dark shade (a 7 maybe) and ash.

[Obsidian]

You need the same toner gals are using on their platinum and white hair. The toner will not lighten your hair, all it does is deposit a layer of color, in the case if ashy hair its purple to counter the brassy.

If you are wanting to use a long lasting toner, you can use wella T18 or T14, it needs to be mixed with developer just like hair dye. You can get it all at sallys.

The other less damaging option is to use a purple conditioner but it will fade after a few washes. You coat your hair in the purple and let is sit for at least 15 min, some hair needs even longer.

Using direct deposit dyes is also a option. Manic panic makes one called virgin snow that is a pale purple, its designed specifically for toning. I've never used it myself.

I got some splat midnight amethyst and mixed it with a cheap conditioner and made my own toner. Its a ton cheaper and I could make it as strong or weak as needed. You want a pastel purple mix.
It might take a bit of experimenting to get the exact shade you want but at least its not permanent and is non damaging.

[Ylva]

If you are wanting to use a long lasting toner, you can use wella T18 or T14, it needs to be mixed with developer just like hair dye. You can get it all at sallys.

I don't know about T14 but T18 is a level 10 toner and won't do much if anything to hair that is darker than level 10 (super light). Using it on brown hair would be a complete waste of money.

[Aerya]

What Ylva says is true. Using a toner meant for level 10 hair won't do anything for hair that dark.

Additionally I'd suggest trying a toning shampoo/conditioner as they will be less damaging. For brown hair, try a blue shampoo instead of purple - think opposite colours, blue neutralizes orange while purple neutralizes yellow. The blue ones are a bit more difficult to come by but you could search online.

[Bri-Chan]

Mh I think blue shampoo cannot do that difference, because it is supposed to work on red/orange shades instead of gold. I tried Fanola no-orange shampoo (one of the best brand for this kind of product). My starting point was similar to the OP's for darkness,but a lot more orange. It gives my hair a more golden shade instead of the orange. Also, everyone's hair is different but I don't think this is the best way to act.

[sumidha]

Oh hey, I just did this like three days ago. :)

First I tried Fanola blue shampoo which has a ton of positive reviews on Amazon, but I found that it left a very slight tint for me after repeated applications, which is not too surprising, as I have natural sun-lightened hair, not bleached.

Then I moved on to what I kind of figured I would have to do all along, which is tone with deposit only dye and conditioner. I used Arctic Fox because I'd had a really good experience with it sticking around a long time in my hair in the past, but you could use whatever deposit only dye you prefer. I picked the Blue Jeans color by them because it looked like a very ashy purple blue, not aqua-ish. Mixed about 1:3 dye to conditioner ratio and let it sit on my head under saran wrap for 6 hours.

Starting color: https://i.imgur.com/oOlp3t2.jpg?2

End results: https://i.imgur.com/769Vn0F.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mnKUx29.jpg

[MoonLightFairy]

The ones meant to tone bleached blonde hair won't work. I know from experience. I have my bangs white and I wasn't doing the bleaching properly and wasn't getting it light enough and it didn't do anything. I didn't even realize it was the bleaching I was doing wrong at first and kept buying all kind of toners. Has to be very very light for those to work.

[MoonLightFairy]

I have tried both blue and purple shampoos a while back too. My hair never budged. Even when I got highlights and used purple shampoo for some reason it didn't seem to do anything :(
Do you think my hair is more yellow or orange?? I know purple is supposed to neutralize the yellow and blue the orange.

[MoonLightFairy]

That seems like what I tried to do! That's what I had been seeing online. Maybe I did it wrong? I first I mixed with conditioner and it was too light and nothing happened so I put it on with no dilution. Maybe I need one with a stronger color base and less grey? I don't know if I need more blue or purple hmm I find my hair color confusing

[sumidha]

According to the color wheel the opposite of yellow is violet, so you'd need something purple based. I would suggest finding a cool toned purple deposit only dye and just do a ton of strand tests with it at different dilutions until you find the right mix.

[geenie]

I don't agree with everyone else. A purple shampoo for blondes is just as effective of taking out the brassy/orangyness out of your hair for a brunette. It is a 'toning' shampoo. It won't change the colour but the warmth/coolness of you hair colour. I've used them when I've had blonde hair and brunette. The purple toning shampoo also has a cumulative effect; the more you use it, the tone of your hair will become cooler.

[lapushka]

I don't know about T14 but T18 is a level 10 toner and won't do much if anything to hair that is darker than level 10 (super light). Using it on brown hair would be a complete waste of money.

Everyone and their momma gets T14 and T18 and they do not realize that you have to go by how light or dark the hair is. These truly, like you say, only tone really really light hair. It would be a waste of money!

[ExpectoPatronum]

I agree with others that a deposit dye like manic panic diluted with some conditioner might give you the results you're looking for.