For all the dark blondes / golden browns

[invisiblebabe]

So, I was browsing a model site today (I've done a tiny bit of modeling, and I love fashion), and I saw that one of the girls' hair was described as "cendre." I looked it up, and it meant "ash." Her hair was hair-colored, dark blonde, golden brown, tawny, whatever you want to call it. :) This is the first time I've ever seen that hair color described "officially." Haha.

Now we have another new word for that color! Yay!

[Phalaenopsis]

How cool :)
So my hair is "cendre" :D

[GlassEyes]

There's also 'tawny', which I thought was an official term.

*flees thread*

[invisiblebabe]

There's also 'tawny', which I thought was an official term.

*flees thread*

Yah, tawny works too, I've just never seen it describing a model's hair on an official site :D

[invisiblebabe]

How cool :)
So my hair is "cendre" :D

Mine is too :thumbsup:

[florenonite]

How is it pronounced? I look at it and think French, so something like SAUN-druh, so that's my new name for my hair colour :p

Although if it means "ash" I don't know that it applies to me, I think my hair colour's too warm to be described as ash.

[MadHatter]

Although if it means "ash" I don't know that it applies to me, I think my hair colour's too warm to be described as ash.

I was thinking this too. But I do like the descriptor "cendre"
Of course since I henna, I shouldn't worry about it.

[Morningglory]

;) I think it is like the name Cinderella.

[invisiblebabe]

How is it pronounced? I look at it and think French, so something like SAUN-druh, so that's my new name for my hair colour :p

Although if it means "ash" I don't know that it applies to me, I think my hair colour's too warm to be described as ash.

I took French, and that sounds about right. It does appear to be of French origin :)

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cendre Here's the dictionary entry I found for it.

[dearladydisdain]

That's my natural hair color, and to me 'cendre' sounds MUCH better than 'ash.' ;) Who came up with 'ash,' anyway? I was always peeved by that descriptor for some reason.

[Sha-na-na]

"Retuuurn to cendre! That address unknown."

They have a new name for everything eventually. I like to call mine honeylicious bloneberry.

[SchnauzerMom]

So my hair was cendre before it turned gray.

[Helen Baq]

That's my natural hair color, and to me 'cendre' sounds MUCH better than 'ash.' ;) Who came up with 'ash,' anyway? I was always peeved by that descriptor for some reason.

Ash is much better than "dishwater blond" which is how mine's been so lovingly described before. :rolleyes: I'll take cendre! :p

[Feline]

"La Cendrillon", literally the "ash-maid", is the French name for Cinderella, and if you go to the ballet version, it is likely what it will be called. I have a lot of ash in my hair, and I personally prefer "ash" to "dishwater blonde", "dirty blonde", or "mousy blonde", all of which I have heard it called. Which is a lot of why I usually call it "lt. brown" :rolleyes:. Actually, "cendre" is rather nice. I think I like it :thumbsup:.

[florenonite]

That's my natural hair color, and to me 'cendre' sounds MUCH better than 'ash.' ;) Who came up with 'ash,' anyway? I was always peeved by that descriptor for some reason.

It still means the same thing, though ;) I looked up cendre and it just means 'ash'.


"La Cendrillon", literally the "ash-maid", is the French name for Cinderella, and if you go to the ballet version, it is likely what it will be called. I have a lot of ash in my hair, and I personally prefer "ash" to "dishwater blonde", "dirty blonde", or "mousy blonde", all of which I have heard it called. Which is a lot of why I usually call it "lt. brown" :rolleyes:. Actually, "cendre" is rather nice. I think I like it :thumbsup:.

Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten about that! I used to do French immersion and we knew the names for all sorts of fairytales in French. La belle et la bête, Cendrillon, and more I can't think of right now :p

[Katze]

IMO there is a big difference between ash or cendre, which is a shade with a cool tone, and golden shades of hair. One is cool, or bluish-toned, the other is warm, or golden-toned.

My hair is tawny, or as I like to say puma colored. I think its natural shade is more bluish, i.e. cool-toned, but I do seem to have some golden, i.e. warm tones. Overall, my coloration is cool-toned, so 'cendre' is a good description for my hair color. (my profile pic shows how this looks on very 'dirty', darker hair) My BF, on the other hand, has almost the exact same hair color, though he is blessed with natural light blonde streaks from the sun, but his overall hair color is golden and warm. People have said we look a lot alike because we both have longish, messy, dark blonde wavy hair, but his coloration is entirely warm, whereas mine is cool. Even his bright blue eyes are 'warm' (I think of tropical blue waters) whereas my hazel eyes tend towards grey - 'cool.'

I would describe golden blonde as the warmer shades of blonde, even dark blonde like my sweetie has, but 'cendre' as all shades of ash, including ash brown. But I think WAY too much about hair color...

[aisling]

Cendré is often used in Swedish to describe this kind of hair colour.

[vampodrama]

well, we estonians call it 'potato peel colour'.

cos it's our national pride. which we are desperate to cover up with whatever dye available - this is why you so rarely see an estonian with their natural hair colour. myself being no exception :D

[Chamy]

Thats like the swedish word, it´s called sandre! =D

[Chamy]

hehe, i had´nt read the answers!

[Oskimosa]

I guess no one uses the terms "sandy blonde" or "dirty blonde" anymore like I was always told I had growing up??

[Helen Baq]

I guess no one uses the terms "sandy blonde" or "dirty blonde" anymore like I was always told I had growing up??

To me sandy blond describes a more golden blond and dirty blond is a term I've always hated. My hair isn't dirty! :mad: I've always hoped for a more attractive descriptor. :)

[MadHatter]

How about dishwater blonde? LOL. That sounds ugly.
I always preferred honey blonde or caramel blonde.

[JessicaVonMaim]

My natural hair color is "dishwater blonde". As mean as it sounds, I always thought it fit my color well. I like the sound of ash blonde better though, it makes it sound pretty, not dingy :p

[Unofficial_Rose]

well, we estonians call it 'potato peel colour'.

cos it's our national pride. which we are desperate to cover up with whatever dye available - this is why you so rarely see an estonian with their natural hair colour. myself being no exception :D

We Brits call it "mousy". Most people in the UK are blessed with something in this ashy colour range, and we mainly tend to dye ours too. Me, I alternate between lighter or darker.

I think "mousy" is the cruellest term of all, for something that can be very pretty! It implies a slur on one's personality too. :rolleyes:

I'll be tawny or "chatain clair" then please, as I'm a little too dark for cendre. (Avatar is hendigo'ed)

[GlassEyes]

well, we estonians call it 'potato peel colour'.

cos it's our national pride. which we are desperate to cover up with whatever dye available - this is why you so rarely see an estonian with their natural hair colour. myself being no exception :D

Which explains Kerli, really...

We cal it any number of things, but I've heard 'mousey', 'ash', 'dirty blonde' (which is mostly in reference to this kind of hair with highlights, I think), and tawny.

...none of which even come close to describing me, since my hair is nearly black with red sheen thanks to henna. Why am I here? xD :p

[sagebabies]

my husband calls me a dirty blond but I can't figure out if he means my hair color of something else ;)

[CaliRose]

Ash is much better than "dishwater blond" which is how mine's been so lovingly described before. :rolleyes: I'll take cendre! :p

Haha, agreed- Who decided THAT was a good description? I think this shade of blonde is lovely, and I would never tell someone that their hair resembles murky sink water.

Mine might be dishwater blonde when I experiment by making masks with too many food items, though... :P

[rhubarbarin]

I think hair that could be described as 'sandy', 'mousy', 'dishwater', 'cendre' (which is a very pretty word), 'ash-blonde', 'tawny', 'bronze' etc are all very similar in degree of lightness (and confusion of classification!), but can be very, very different in tone.

I am blondy-browny, but my hair is extremely warm. Someone whose hair is cendre (cool ashy blonde or brown - my sister has hair like this) could look similar to mine in certain lights, but it wouldn't be the same color.

[Arctic_Mama]

well, we estonians call it 'potato peel colour'.

cos it's our national pride. which we are desperate to cover up with whatever dye available - this is why you so rarely see an estonian with their natural hair colour. myself being no exception :D


Potato peel! That is definitely my natural shade... Too dark to be blonde anymore but too light and ashy to be brown. Perfect descriptor for my shade.

[Absinthegelatin]

Man I have been searching everywhere for a description like this. My hair was white blonde as a child and then became golden blonde later on. I don't remember what happened after that because I did terrible terrible things to it during my adolescence (bleached it white TWICE *shudders*, dyed over the bleach, shaved parts of it off, etc...)

I don't regret being adventurous with it because I feel like I can settle down with it now and learn to love it the way it grows in naturally.

So now I have several weeks of growth and I can see the light grey color coming in already. Sweet!!
Thanks for giving me a word for my hair that doesn't involve me having to say it is "dirty" or has been sitting in the dishwater for too long. Ewwww....

[angelakeats]

aha! 'cinder'ella
cinders - ash
wow you really do learn something new each day.
Never really thought about it that much.

[Lioness]

Isn't it funny how the french translation of the same word sounds so much better?
I'd ban dirty/dishwater/mousy blonde if i could, those terms only make our colour sound ugly and dull

[Absinthegelatin]

*bump*

I was going to create a social group entitled "Cendres" for all of the ashen-headed members of the LHC but I don't have enough posts to do so. If any of you are interested and have enough posts you should create a group for all of us "cendrerellas"...
:3

[Unofficial_Rose]

Isn't it funny how the french translation of the same word sounds so much better?
I'd ban dirty/dishwater/mousy blonde if i could, those terms only make our colour sound ugly and dull

I certainly noticed when I lived in France in the 80's that the dark blondes didn't tend to highlight - indeed there were far fewer bleached heads than in the UK or Germany. Possibly they didn't feel they had to dye it because it doesn't have an ugly name or be considered a "non-colour" by people?

[Quixii]

Huh, I wonder if that's what I am? I was never sure what to classify my hair as, though I liked to think of it as golden. ^-^

[Absinthegelatin]

I certainly noticed when I lived in France in the 80's that the dark blondes didn't tend to highlight - indeed there were far fewer bleached heads than in the UK or Germany. Possibly they didn't feel they had to dye it because it doesn't have an ugly name or be considered a "non-colour" by people?

Yes, this is a very interesting concept- one that I think about a lot.
I have yet to see someone walking around my part of town with a full head of long "ash/cendre" colored hair. The most I ever see of this color is a couple of inches of roots growing in on top of bright bleached blonde hair. I want to start an ash revival! Lol...

[Magdalene]

Huh, I wonder if that's what I am? I was never sure what to classify my hair as, though I liked to think of it as golden. ^-^


I like to call mine rose-gold, though I usually get labelled strawberry.

[WritingPrincess]

I'm not a cendre, but I do have enough posts. Want me to try?

[Absinthegelatin]

I'm not a cendre, but I do have enough posts. Want me to try?

Yes, that would be great!

[Neddy]

Oh oh oh I found my color! I've never know what to call my hair before.... I need to get some pictures up so you can see but it's this very dark blonde, almost brown with lots of different tones in it. The top is fairly light and highlighted in some spots naturally, and the underlayers are so much darker it is ridiculous! People never believe me when I tell them it's blonde, not brown, but when I hold the strands up to the light they are indeed blonde.
Cendre... so much more elegant then my usual "dirrrty ash blonde" descriptor! I like it.

[Absinthegelatin]

Oh oh oh I found my color! I've never know what to call my hair before.... I need to get some pictures up so you can see but it's this very dark blonde, almost brown with lots of different tones in it. The top is fairly light and highlighted in some spots naturally, and the underlayers are so much darker it is ridiculous! People never believe me when I tell them it's blonde, not brown, but when I hold the strands up to the light they are indeed blonde.
Cendre... so much more elegant then my usual "dirrrty ash blonde" descriptor! I like it.

I totally had this reaction when I found this thread. I was looking around online through all the "color-charts" that are available to the public and I kept seeing the same browns and blondes popping up but nothing looked like my color. Then I searched here on the LHC and found this thread.

I finally found a color chart that has my color on it as well (I think it came from France...)
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q114/absinthegelatin/goodcolorchart.jpg

[Debra83]

I took French, and that sounds about right. It does appear to be of French origin :)




Yup, that's right. (my dad is french, and I grew up in Quebec.) (but the colour shouldn't have any gold in it at all).

[WritingPrincess]

Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/group.php?groupid=185) you go!

[Absinthegelatin]

Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/group.php?groupid=185) you go!

WritingPrincess has done us the favor of creating a group called "Cendre" for anyone who might be interested. She has provided a link to the group in her above post. Thankyou WritingPrincess... c:

[Katze]

Yes, this is a very interesting concept- one that I think about a lot.
I have yet to see someone walking around my part of town with a full head of long "ash/cendre" colored hair. The most I ever see of this color is a couple of inches of roots growing in on top of bright bleached blonde hair. I want to start an ash revival! Lol...

I walked around town all day yesterday with my cendre colored hair down my back, carrying my baby. I have heavy taper and many layers, so my hair hangs from shoulder down to almost waist (!) and I felt really nice wearing it down on a warm day.

today I have it in a half up since it is still looking good on the ends/length. I love that it is not bleached anymore (I have about 2 inches left) and looks healthy, if wild.

Oh and I just got dark red glasses which really look good with my natural hair color.

[Phalaenopsis]

Yup, that's right. (my dad is french, and I grew up in Quebec.) (but the colour shouldn't have any gold in it at all).

Oops, so no gold in the colour?

Then I'm not cendre-coloured after all. I have quite some gold in my hair. :o

[Saisaisayonara]

I think my natural hair colour is cendre. Much nicer than when I try to explain it as luight goldeny brown colour that no one can really put their finger on.

[jivete]

I wonder if any gold comes from sun though? Mine is quite ash-y, but seems to get golden highlights from the sun.

[florenonite]

I wonder if any gold comes from sun though? Mine is quite ash-y, but seems to get golden highlights from the sun.

I think my hair's like that. I always thought it was golden brown (I get mad blonde highlights because I spend loads of time outside in the summer), but lately looking at my roots I think they might be more ashy than golden.

[FullMoonTrim]

So, I was browsing a model site today (I've done a tiny bit of modeling, and I love fashion), and I saw that one of the girls' hair was described as "cendre." I looked it up, and it meant "ash." Her hair was hair-colored, dark blonde, golden brown, tawny, whatever you want to call it. :) This is the first time I've ever seen that hair color described "officially." Haha.

Now we have another new word for that color! Yay!
I will look up that color online to get the exact definition. According to my hairstylist my natural color is a '7N' if you look at the color charts. It's a very dark blond. It has a few highlights in it now. Thanks for the thead...interesting! I like the sound of the color
'cendre' and it's different.

[Unnamed]

Well, for cendre I'd definitely apply (I'd think). And definitely in the dark blonde/light brown range.

My undertones seem to be in the blue or blue-violet area, and I've called it a dark ash blonde for a long while now, as it seems the best descriptor (minus dirty dishwater blonde, which sadly is a good descriptor, but ash sounds a ton better). I don't know if my sun-lightened section is golden or not...more so than the rest, but it might sill be on the ash side.

Tawny, honey, golden (blonde or brown) aren't good descriptors...unless I'm in indoor incandesent lighting, then one might apply, although it does depend on the lighting. Outside either it doesn't know what colour it wants to be, it's clearly an ash of some sort, or it's a solid ash (as in solid silver/grey/charcoal).

[naomimcc]

Cendré is often used in Swedish to describe this kind of hair colour.

First...I like cendre...I'll go with it. I wonder if they would let me put that on my driver's license? LOL!

Two...Hi Aisling...my hairtwin!:cheese:

[FullMoonTrim]

"cendrerellas"...

That's a cute way to put it. I like that! :)
I don't know if I 'fit' because I am not ashy, I have golden and reddish tones to my hair. When I get highlights I ask for extra ash to cool it down a bit.

[invisiblebabe]

I will look up that color online to get the exact definition. According to my hairstylist my natural color is a '7N' if you look at the color charts. It's a very dark blond. It has a few highlights in it now. Thanks for the thead...interesting! I like the sound of the color
'cendre' and it's different.

Mine is a 7, too! :)

Aisling, thanks for the Swedish reference. I actually just met some of my husband's relatives from Sweden, and they're moving to the USA this summer! They are awesome people, and we had a ton of fun at dinner together. :)

[Katze]

That's a cute way to put it. I like that! :)
I don't know if I 'fit' because I am not ashy, I have golden and reddish tones to my hair. When I get highlights I ask for extra ash to cool it down a bit.

It is a really fine line, I think.

My sweetie and I almost have the exact same hair color. His is lighter, though, and his coloration definitely golden, whereas mine is bluish. I think of us as both being "hair colored" or "tawny" but his hair isn't really cendre or ash, more amber or dark gold. Here is a pic where you can clearly see that he has darker skin and lighter hair - so not "ash", IMO: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1353/850688752_8eec4a64f7_o.jpg

Whenever I had highlights they would always fade away from ash to golden/orange/ruddy which, in larger amounts, look bad with my complexion. I see so many women, though, with ashy colored roots and bleached/highlighted/dyed hair...

[Melisande]

In German, the word for this colour is Straßenköterblond. A Straßenköter is a homeless dog of mixed heritage... poor dogs, and poor hair. I never liked that word, mutt blonde, and try to convince newbies on the German board to get rid of that description. When you denigrate your haircolor by the word you use for it, it leads you too look for change. But many people look so lovely with their ash blonde or medium ash brown, much better than with warmer colors. their eyes and complexion demand a cool, gentle hair color. Otherwise they look pale.

I have a neutral dark blonde/medium brown natural color. I'm one of the people who can wear warm and cool colors - warm green/brown and cool purple/gray combos are my staples in clothing and make up. So I can get away with a warm colored plant dye. But I was afraid at first it would be too warm for me.

[FullMoonTrim]

My sweetie and I almost have the exact same hair color. His is lighter, though, and his coloration definitely golden, whereas mine is bluish. I think of us as both being "hair colored" or "tawny" but his hair isn't really cendre or ash, more amber or dark gold. Here is a pic where you can clearly see that he has darker skin and lighter hair - so not "ash",

Well, I had lots of fun looking at all of your pictures. I think my hair is similar to yours and your boyfriends. It's hard to tell since I have high lights put in. I will start taking some 'hair' pictures soon so I can get some feedback on the color etc.
I do think this is the right thread for me!! :)

[Absinthegelatin]

In German, the word for this colour is Straßenköterblond. A Straßenköter is a homeless dog of mixed heritage... poor dogs, and poor hair. I never liked that word, mutt blonde, and try to convince newbies on the German board to get rid of that description. When you denigrate your haircolor by the word you use for it, it leads you too look for change. But many people look so lovely with their ash blonde or medium ash brown, much better than with warmer colors. their eyes and complexion demand a cool, gentle hair color. Otherwise they look pale.

I have a neutral dark blonde/medium brown natural color. I'm one of the people who can wear warm and cool colors - warm green/brown and cool purple/gray combos are my staples in clothing and make up. So I can get away with a warm colored plant dye. But I was afraid at first it would be too warm for me.

You are so right about how powerful words can be when determining a person's acceptance of their haircolor. This word "Straßenköterblond" is a perfect example of why so many women would bleach their lovely ash color out to something lighter... who wants to be called a "mutt-blonde?" Not me!

We now have a group called cendre for this haircolor to hopefully help increase our (and others) acceptance of it.

[Absinthegelatin]

That's a cute way to put it. I like that! :)
I don't know if I 'fit' because I am not ashy, I have golden and reddish tones to my hair. When I get highlights I ask for extra ash to cool it down a bit.

Yes, I am a fan of the puns. haha...