"Why are you not happy with your natural hair colour" - question for those who colour [Archive] - The Long Hair Community Discussion Boards

Evie

August 5th, 2009, 05:32 AM

I have a question for those of you who colour your hair, which arises out of a perennial question I am asked myself.

Let me explain.;)

I am a natural darkish greyish blonde. I dye my hair dark, with henndigo, and some special effects to give the exact tone I want, because I find the darker colour makes my skin look brighter, my eyes more blue, and overall makes me look more vibrant. I can also wear more dramatic makeup, and wear the colour of clothes I like, as they suit the darker colours more.

Yet I am constantly asked "why are you not happy with your natural colour" :rolleyes:, and when I say that I don't think it suits me as well as this one, I get blank incomprehension, and comments like "well it must do, you were born with it". :mad:

Well, no. What I was born with was light blonde, with a real golden warm tint. That did suit me, with the skintone I had as a child. But my skintone has changed as I've got older, it's become less 'peaches and cream', my hair colour changed, and the end result just didn't look as good as this.

:confused: Has anyone else found the same? That in the end, the 'un-natural' colour they dye to achieve suits them much better than their own natural colour?

I'd be very interested in the reasons why some of us choose to colour our hair....:)

Maddy25

August 5th, 2009, 06:31 AM

I have a similar natural colour to you, although I havent had my whole head ash blonde in a long time because Ive coloured it so much.

I find I get very bored and insecure with how I look so when Im feeling down or antsy I would just dye my hair for a temporary confidence boost. I used to have a bad habit of seeing other girls who I think are gorgeous and trying to copy them exactly in attempt to be happy with myself, which pretty much always involved making my hair a different colour, but it never worked because I just never realised that what makes them beautiful was their individuality and copying was just stupid. Ive happily grown up since then and have stopped trying to mimic or do things to make other people happy, but I still have always dyed my hair just because growing it out and seing my roots was a pain! But Im trying really hard and Ive recently given up colouring all together (now I have about 3 months of virgin hair!).

So yes, thats why I coloured and stopped once I accepted who I am and became happy with myself ;)

amaiaisabella

August 5th, 2009, 06:53 AM

I hate my natural brown, because I am not one of those pale girls who looks like a china doll with dark hair/eyes and pale skin. I look like death. I used to "warm" my skin up by lightening to blonde, but found I like red better (and easier to maintain!) I still have some brown in there to match my eyebrows, but the red keeps me from looking like a corpse.

MsBubbles

August 5th, 2009, 06:59 AM

I am a natural darkish greyish blonde.

You put it so well here. This describes my natural hair color also, except mine is devoid of any kind of golden/red tones, so it's really ashy, and not in a good way. Couple that with very flat, straight hair and I just look flat out sinister with my natural haircolor. I don't mean cute-sinister like Lily Munster or Morticia Addams, either, more like sick-sinister, i.e. Mischa Barton under the bed in Sixth Sense. And bangs/fringe don't help one bit.

I lighten my hair around the face once a month or so. Instant facelift and random people stop telling me to 'cheer up' :).

Great thread & question, btw!

ETA: Simulpost, Amaiaisabella!! Ditto the corpse thing.

RavennaNight

August 5th, 2009, 07:09 AM

I'm naturally a dirty ash blonde. It just didn't do anything for me at all. It was just drab. And then when I was 12, mom dumped a bottle of sun-in in my hair and there started the bleaching and frying. It took me a while to realize that color didn't suit me either, and made me look washed out and older. I have pics of being blonde and 20 but looking 25. And I have pics of being black haired and 30 and looking 25. Black hair is just more fun and versatile. I can wear more colors of makeup. And the color compliments my blue eyes and light skin well. I don't know really what my natural color would look like on me now. But I am happy an am not goig through the trouble of being 2toned and chopping off my hair to find out. I am more than content with my color!

Lilli

August 5th, 2009, 07:10 AM

You put it so well here. This describes my natural hair color also, except mine is devoid of any kind of golden/red tones, so it's really ashy, and not in a good way. Couple that with very flat, straight hair and I just look flat out sinister with my natural haircolor. I don't mean cute-sinister like Lily Munster or Morticia Addams, either, more like sick-sinister, i.e. Mischa Barton under the bed in Sixth Sense. And bangs/fringe don't help one bit.

I lighten my hair around the face once a month or so. Instant facelift and random people stop telling me to 'cheer up' :).

Great thread & question, btw!

ETA: Simulpost, Amaiaisabella!! Ditto the corpse thing.

I am afraid this is the way my hair color is going to end up. I used to be a light golden blonde but my mom's hair is olive green. If I get any closer to that I am dyeing it.

amaiaisabella

August 5th, 2009, 07:10 AM

ETA: Simulpost, Amaiaisabella!! Ditto the corpse thing.

Definitely sick-sinister for me as well :) Red it is!

Curlsgirl

August 5th, 2009, 07:13 AM

I think my blond definitely suits me much better. My natural color is a light brown with a lot of gray at the crown. I just feel "bla" with it like that. I FEEL about 20 and I want my hair to match it! Why shouldn't I? I never get anyone asking me why I don't leave it natural though. That's sort of rude if you ask me!

ChrissieM

August 5th, 2009, 07:26 AM

I actually like my natural color, which is a light reddish brownish blondish color (somewhat hard to identify). I just like it better when it is RED. It's just part of who I am. I plan on going back to natural when I start going gray/white, though.

ChocoholicBec

August 5th, 2009, 07:30 AM

Hm. The thing is, I actually don't mind my natural colour. Naturally, my hair's a sort of dark honey colour, a little browner at the crown and a little lighter at the ends, with reddish tints all though it. In the afternoon sun it's quite coppery.

(Skin? Pale peaches-and-cream, pink cheeks, quite red lips, prone to light brown freckles across my nose, cheeks and temples, permanent blue/purple shadows beneath the eyes. Eyes? A dark, warm hazel.)

I looked very nice with my natural colour; very girl-next-door, but perfectly pleasant. But I've always loved red hair. I tried dying my hair red with temporary chemical dyes from the age of about fourteen, and I loved it even then, even though it always looked a little fake.
Then I tried to dye my hair chocolate brown. It, uh... turned auburn. It didn't look quite right, but in retrospect it probably looked better than chocolate. I'm a pale girl, I need warm colours to balance me out.
Then I tried henna. I tried a patch test on some hair from my hairbrush - I was really only meaning to add a warm tint to my hair, not turn it properly red - and it made it the exact colour that I was looking for. However, I'd forgotten that wrapping the hair in plastic - which I'd forgotten to do on the patch test - would make the colour deeper and redder.

When I washed it out, I remember looking at myself in the mirror and thinking, "Wow, that looks very red. I guess it's just because it's wet."
An hour later, I looked at myself in the mirror again and my jaw dropped open.
I looked incredible.
See, with my dark blonde hair, even though it suited me, I never really stood out. In fact, I blended in better than a chameleon.
With red hair - and the henna-red looked natural on me, too - I looked amazing. I looked healthier, more vibrant - more like the girl I'd always wanted to be.

That's why I dye my hair. Not because I'm unhappy with my natural hair colour, but because I'm so much happier with my henna-red hair.

Reptilia

August 5th, 2009, 07:47 AM

I used to do it as a confidence booster. I could be whoever I wanted, I just changed my hair color. I dyed it a LOT. I made it a goal to not use ANYTHING for a year, and now I'm just 2 months away from that. I have a good amount of natural color, and I don't mind it TOO much, but still want it a bit lighter, but this time I'll do it with honey. More blonde just suits me better!

amaiaisabella

August 5th, 2009, 07:57 AM

[...]When I washed it out, I remember looking at myself in the mirror and thinking, "Wow, that looks very red. I guess it's just because it's wet."
An hour later, I looked at myself in the mirror again and my jaw dropped open.
I looked incredible.
See, with my dark blonde hair, even though it suited me, I never really stood out. In fact, I blended in better than a chameleon.
With red hair - and the henna-red looked natural on me, too - I looked amazing. I looked healthier, more vibrant - more like the girl I'd always wanted to be.

That's why I dye my hair. Not because I'm unhappy with my natural hair colour, but because I'm so much happier with my henna-red hair.

*points excitedly* Exactly! When I first rinsed out/dried my hair, and I saw how the red just brightened me up, I knew I was addicted. Yay henna :D

heatherdazy

August 5th, 2009, 08:04 AM

I was naturally blonde for a long time before my color darkened to a light brown, which just didn't feel right. I think most women look better with color... even very subtle color, just to brighten or add richness.

One major exception to this are women who go all silver/white. They often come in asking for very dark lowlights to look more salt and pepper and I tell them they're crazy.

heidihug

August 5th, 2009, 08:14 AM

I don't mean cute-sinister like Lily Munster or Morticia Addams, either, more like sick-sinister, i.e. Mischa Barton under the bed in Sixth Sense.

Hee, MsBubbles, you made me giggle. That's pretty much me, too.

I have naturally dark ash brown hair with lots and lots of gray around my face, especially at the temples. I chemically color it a medium dark auburn, which is really similar to the color that I had when I was in my 20's. I think it suits me much better than gray ashy mousy brown.

I may get some heavy criticism for this, but I also color my hair because it takes years off my age. Some people say you should not be concerned with going gray, but I work in a corporate environment in which how old you look is very important when it comes to getting promotions, etc., especially for women. (Obviously this is not a corporate policy, but something you become very aware of when you work in large companies, as I have.) The people I work with are in their twenties and thirties (everyone's younger than me in my department except for the director), and looking older than I am is simply not an option. I am already 10 years behind in experience for someone my age because I took that much time off to raise my kids before going back to work. I am not going to make things more difficult for myself by looking older than I am.

Cynder

August 5th, 2009, 08:28 AM

My natural color washes out my face to much. Its a dirty blond color that reads the same tone as my skin tone.
Red hair sutes me better, and I feel better with red hair.

cobblersmaid

August 5th, 2009, 08:52 AM

My hair used to be golden blonde, which I loved, but as i have gotten older, it has become this weird light brownish dark blonde colour, which makes me look ill. Lightening is too damaging, so henna red it is.

Heidi_234

August 5th, 2009, 08:57 AM

My natural color is darkish ashy mousy brown. It makes me look so washed out. People around me never question my decision to color it, on the contrary - I once didn't henna for far too long and had about 1"-2" of roots. My friends started calling me an office rat, because my color does look like I nested in some shady office inside a paper cabinet thing for months. :p
My hennaed color looks nothing like my natural color - bright, vivid, healthy!
And just for the sake of it:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2075&pictureid=36954
I think I'll keep on hennaing. :)

redcelticcurls

August 5th, 2009, 08:57 AM

FallenAngel

August 5th, 2009, 09:13 AM

I've dyed my hair since I was allowed to. About 12-13 years old I guess.

I listened to Mötley Crüe, Poison, Guns n' Roses... and later to Sex Pistols, Clash, Nina Hagen and so one... How could I NOT dye my hair? :D It's been mostly black, purple and red. I had a punk period when I tried blue, green and I had the mohawk! :) Not very natural in heart! (This was in the late 80-ties, and my classmates either permed or bleached... or both. Even an asian girl. She did it to look pretty, not to look cool ;) )

Now I dye with henna. I love to be a redhead and I actually have no clue what my original colour is anymore. I'm also full with greys now, and I don't like them. Another reason to dye.

Elphie

August 5th, 2009, 09:22 AM

I went through my "dying" phase in HS. So much so, that there are many comments about it in my yearbook "gee, you look different, did you color your hair?" is spotted frequently! I didn't dislike my own hair color; I was just having fun at my hair's expense.

Then, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction and I didn't color it for about 15 years.

Now, I periodically do a demi in the winter, usually in December when I'm at my palest and that makes my own color a bit richer and makes me feel more balanced. In the summer, I tend to get a bit tan and my hair lightens easily, but the contrast works.

irreverent

August 5th, 2009, 09:26 AM

Because my natural color...really isn't a color. It's the brown of weathered wood before it turns gray. And I've been going gray since I was 19, so I'm fighting that too.:cheese:

I'm just not ready to be a silver!

Darscilla

August 5th, 2009, 09:30 AM

Arielle8960

August 5th, 2009, 10:01 AM

My hair color has gradually changed over time. When I was really young it was a strawberry blond color. By the time I was in junior high, it was honey-brown. Now it is getting much darker, the same kind of decaying wood color someone mentioned. I hate the inconsistency. I want my hair to be the same color for more than a few years. I don't mind brown, but I want it to be a nicer brown. I do semi-permanent color a few times a year. I wish I could wean myself off the chemical dyes, but the resulting chocolate brown color is so pretty, and it does look natural. I really haven't experienced criticism for not liking my natural color. Mostly I hear a lot of "you should dye your hair back to blond!". I don't even consider my natural color to be the color I had when I was four, and who knows what color my hair will naturally be a few years from now. As far as most people know, my "natural color" is what's coming out of the Natural Instincts box.

Evie

August 5th, 2009, 10:41 AM

spidermom

August 5th, 2009, 10:53 AM

Funny how time can change your perspective. In the distant past I considered my dark blonde hair to be too dull and boring as there was little contrast between it and my beige skin. So I colored it red. Now when I look back at pictures of me with red hair, I'm embarrassed at how awful it looks on me. But at the time I thought it was far superior to my natural color.

I've been playing with styles and colors on Taaz lately and am surprised at how much dark colors make my eyes "pop". Too bad I never tried any when I was younger and willing to whack my hair short at a moment's notice. I'm less willing to make a mistake and cut to compensate these days.

redcelticcurls

August 5th, 2009, 10:57 AM

MemSahib

August 5th, 2009, 11:11 AM

The prevalence of natural "dishwater blondes" also intrigues me. In the first Color Me Beautiful book by Carol Jackson she states that this color is the one most likely to feel drab and want to change their natural color. Interesting.

Syaoransbear

August 5th, 2009, 11:59 AM

I dye my hair because I hate how my hair has gone from pretty golden blonde to dirty, mousey blonde. I've tried dark hair before and everyone agreed that my face looked completely washed out and it just didn't look right when my light colored roots came in. Plus my eyebrows were far lighter as well.

I love the blonde, and I don't really have that many people asking about it except for boys. Truthfully I could probably achieve this color just by being in the sun a lot, but the sun doesn't last that long where I live.

sweetnmellow

August 5th, 2009, 12:01 PM

:DWOW, so many replies.

It is interesting that the dishwater colour is the one that most of you mention - I don't think this is an issue with dark blonde, I think that some of us just do have hair that, as it has been so beautifully put, blends into our skintone...

The other thing that has come across, and that I can totally relate to, is the desire to 'stand out' a bit. I know that with darker hair, I feel like I do that far more.

And I am also struck by the number of people who talk of their colour relating to their personality in some way, which I can also totally share! I love the dark, mysterious way I feel with dark hair!

I agree that asking someone why they, in effect, can't just be satisfied with what they've got, is rude...this is why I posted in the first place. I have a few relatives who feel this is a good question to ask, when they see me. I used to look, apparently, 'so pretty' :rolleyes:with blonde hair, and now I look...well, they never really say what they think! :rolleyes:

Thank you to everyone who's posted. Its really interesting to read.
:)

BTW, I looove your hair color the way it is right now don't worry about what other people say... I use henna personally and I was thinking about gettting my hair henndingoed soon... My natural hair color is dark brown, which I dont mind I just love using henna for its strenghtening effects and its beautiful highlights... My aunts have been using henna for over 30 years and they have the most natural, beautiful hair and they always get compliments about it.
There is always gonna be someone who will coment on your hair and wont like it, but it is just like anything else, people might not like the way you dress, or look , etc.. well too bad, the important thing is that you do!
Next time you get this kind of coment dont ever bother explaining yourself, just say my hair color is 100% natural (which is totally true ;)) and if you don't think it suits me thats your opinion, other people (including myself) love my hair color.

plainjanegirl

August 5th, 2009, 12:07 PM

I also feel like my hair is too dark or drab for me. Now if I could have the color my hair naturally was when I was a teenager that would be fine ( it was more of a blonde with alot of red tones in it). I have actually not colored for about a year and a half, but I am thinking about getting it colored this weekend (any advice on what color, I was thinking a blonde or a red).I don't wanna do henna. But I take really good care of my hair so I don't think the chemical coloring if done a few times a year will damage it awfully bad.

florenonite

August 5th, 2009, 12:13 PM

I may get some heavy criticism for this, but I also color my hair because it takes years off my age. Some people say you should not be concerned with going gray, but I work in a corporate environment in which how old you look is very important when it comes to getting promotions, etc., especially for women. (Obviously this is not a corporate policy, but something you become very aware of when you work in large companies, as I have.) The people I work with are in their twenties and thirties (everyone's younger than me in my department except for the director), and looking older than I am is simply not an option. I am already 10 years behind in experience for someone my age because I took that much time off to raise my kids before going back to work. I am not going to make things more difficult for myself by looking older than I am.

This is something that I've thought of for when I'm older. I don't want to be a slave to colouring my hair (and I don't want a sharp demarcation when I stop), but at the same time I don't want my hair to be an impediment to me. I'm hoping that, as I look quite like my mum did at my age, I'll look like she does now when I'm her age. She doesn't have a lot of grey hair (though like my hair, her hair's a light ashy brown, so it doesn't show much), and a friend of hers in my karate class thought they were the same age, when my mum is in fact five years older than her friend! Mum was quite chuffed when I told her that :p I'm hoping I look like her when I'm her age :p I look young for my age at the moment, so hopefully that will continue, as I don't want to have to colour my hair for work-related reasons.

Funny how time can change your perspective. In the distant past I considered my dark blonde hair to be too dull and boring as there was little contrast between it and my beige skin. So I colored it red. Now when I look back at pictures of me with red hair, I'm embarrassed at how awful it looks on me. But at the time I thought it was far superior to my natural color.

I've been playing with styles and colors on Taaz lately and am surprised at how much dark colors make my eyes "pop". Too bad I never tried any when I was younger and willing to whack my hair short at a moment's notice. I'm less willing to make a mistake and cut to compensate these days.

I've got dark blonde hair and skin that's on the dark end of the fair spectrum. The hair coming out of my head is actually an ashy light to medium brown, which I love; unfortunately it bleaches really easily so I end up with blonde that kind of clashes with my skin.

I also find that the darker my hair is the nicer my eyes look. I have very blue eyes, and, on the occasions I've had a fringe, they looked better in the late-winter, early-spring period than they did in the mid-late-summer period, because the fringe was brown in the first instance and blonde in the second.

teela1978

August 5th, 2009, 12:21 PM

I'm naturally a dishwater blonde, or level 7 blonde as my colorist calls it. I feel too blah and monochromatic with my own hair color as it relates to my skin color.

I have the skin tones of a redhead. i have a redheaded father and daughter. I feel like I got left out, lol. So, I've been coloring it red for about 15 years, and I have no plans to quit anytime soon.

I do dislike that whole "you own color is best" philosophy. Admirable philosophy, but, sometimes people do look better with a color they weren't born with.
redcelticcurls isn't a natural redhead????!!!!!!?????!!!!! Call me shocked.

I made myself a redhead for a while, and I did really like the red... but I hated the roots, and covering them monthly was a pain in the... well, you know.

joyellen

August 5th, 2009, 12:21 PM

I'm another former blonde who became dishwater blonde/brown as an adult. It's such a drab color. There are no warm tones in it at all; just ashy, cold blah. It really washes me out and makes me look like one of the undead. I colored it for years, and I still get lowlights to try and brighten it up. I feel like I looked best as a brunette with red undertones.

nienna42

August 5th, 2009, 12:36 PM

My natural color is dark, golden blond. It was closer to pure blond than brown when I was a kid and closer to brown than blond now, but either way, I think it's a pretty color. It just really doesn't flatter me anymore. It looked better when I was a kid, because I played out in the sun alot and stayed very tan for most of the year. Now that I take better care of my skin by staying out of the sun, I'm kind of pale, and the blond hair blends right in with my skin. There's no contrast, and I like how I look best with some darker contrast around my face. With the pale-ish skin and the pale-ish hair, I think my dark eyes and dark eyebrows look really strange. I always felt like I looked sort of like this:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c330/nienna42/yuck.jpg

Roseate

August 5th, 2009, 01:18 PM

I'm a bit the opposite; I stay with my natural color for two reasons:

1) It's a fine color. I don't know if it's the color I would pick out of a catalog; I don't normally notice other people with this haircolor and go "WOW!", but it's fine.

2) If it looks bad on me, it's not my fault. I have nothing to do with it, if anyone doesn't like it they can take it up with the man upstairs, or my DNA.

When I have dyed my hair in the past, I feel like it then becomes my responsibility to have a great haircolor, not just an OK one, since I'm going to all the trouble of dying it. So if it comes out a little too dark, too light, too red, too purple, I feel bad, and like I need to correct it ASAP. My natural color just stresses me out less. If I don't mess with it, it's not my problem.

GlassEyes

August 5th, 2009, 01:35 PM

I've never dyed because I hated my hair color--I dyed because I got bored with it. It seemed a quick way to instantaneously place me as a 'freak' in the minds of others, and I'm perfectly happy with the title.

Hell, I've even been bleached blonde. That was a fiasco.

cakedcake

August 5th, 2009, 02:01 PM

I don't even know what my natural color is! I always thought it was dark brown, which I guess I considered boring, but now my roots are coming in golden brown and contrasting against my henndigo. I'm like, "Hey, I kind of like this color my head is growing." Although, now I don't really know if I'm thrilled about the process of growing out my natural color with dark henndigo at the bottom.

I never felt negatively about my hair color exactly, but I do get bored. (Probably why I have short hair now!) D:

Cherry_Sprinkle

August 5th, 2009, 03:26 PM

The problem I have with mine is that my natural color is very dark brown, almost black and my skin is a translucent pale shade of white and my eyes are a medium hazel which pretty much makes me look washed out and ill ALL of the time. I would rather just be able to henna and be done with it but I can't because it turns into a black cherry color. :( Natural color gives my skin that grayish tone that some seriously ill patients get.. and that's not at all flattering.

Most people don't say anything because they have never seen me with my natural color or they agree its much too dark for me. I'm happy with either a caramel brown w/ highlights or just about any shade of red. I stay with red because I find it far less damaging than the highlight upkeep.

KiwiLiz

August 5th, 2009, 04:22 PM

My hair is dark ash blonde... if I didn't know better I'd say it was grey! I just don't believe that every one's natural colour suits them best, I'm proof of it!

My skin is pale, if my hair has blonde tones and/or red tones put in it it makes my skin look bright and healthy, the best colour is a combination of the blonde and red. The dark ash blonde just washes it out!

masterofmidgets

August 5th, 2009, 04:44 PM

I like my natural color - medium-dark brown with reddish highlights - a lot, actually. I always wanted to be a redhead when I was younger, but now I think my darker hair suits me pretty well.

I started dyeing my hair weird colors (this month is purple!) the last year of high school because I thought it would be fun. I've kept up with it because I like how it looks, I always get a lot of compliments, and it makes me stand out more, which is good for me because I'm a supershy Leo - I want all the attention to be on me in a crowd, but I'm terrified to actually talk to people. I like feeling out of the ordinary.

But since I do like my normal hair color, I compromise by only dyeing the streaks in the front, so I can have blue or purple or pink hair and still show off my natural brunette locks. :D

Isilme

August 5th, 2009, 04:50 PM

well, I don't dislike my natural haircolour, I actually like it a lot. But it's so common and besides, I think I was meant to be a redhad because almost my whole family has red hair. I just love the sparkling intense red of freshly hennaed hair in bright sunlight :)

JamieRose

August 5th, 2009, 04:54 PM

Because my eyebrows are BLACK, my eyelashes are BLACK, I'm TAN, and my hair is.... BLONDE.

Well, really light brown. But you get my point.

pixiedoo

August 5th, 2009, 05:04 PM

Because my eyebrows are BLACK, my eyelashes are BLACK, I'm TAN, and my hair is.... BLONDE.

Well, really light brown. But you get my point.

I'm with you on that one and that's why I dye my hair!!

I have black eyebrows, tan skin and boringly mid brown hair that is now about 30% grey. My natural colour blends in to my skin too much, makes me look washed out, doesn't match my eyebrows and just looks kind of wrong :confused:

I'm now about to do my first henndigo as I've had enough of chemical dyes so I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out :)

invisiblebabe

August 5th, 2009, 05:14 PM

I have a question for those of you who colour your hair, which arises out of a perennial question I am asked myself.

Let me explain.;)

I am a natural darkish greyish blonde. I dye my hair dark, with henndigo, and some special effects to give the exact tone I want, because I find the darker colour makes my skin look brighter, my eyes more blue, and overall makes me look more vibrant. I can also wear more dramatic makeup, and wear the colour of clothes I like, as they suit the darker colours more.

Yet I am constantly asked "why are you not happy with your natural colour" :rolleyes:, and when I say that I don't think it suits me as well as this one, I get blank incomprehension, and comments like "well it must do, you were born with it". :mad:

Well, no. What I was born with was light blonde, with a real golden warm tint. That did suit me, with the skintone I had as a child. But my skintone has changed as I've got older, it's become less 'peaches and cream', my hair colour changed, and the end result just didn't look as good as this.

:confused: Has anyone else found the same? That in the end, the 'un-natural' colour they dye to achieve suits them much better than their own natural colour?

YEP! :) I have found the exact same thing!

Only, my natural color is dark ash blonde / cendre, and I do chunky light blonde highlights on the top layer only. :) It adds a lot of dimension and brightness, and flatters my very pale skin.

IMO a person needs really really awesome perfect skin to pull off cendre colored hair, which I do not have (although I am very happy to say that my skin finally at least looks decent/average. haha).

I was born with light ash blonde hair, it was pretty when I was a baby :)

lundmir

August 5th, 2009, 05:52 PM

I love, absolutely adore my natural bluish black hair. I'm fair skinned, and dark eyed, and it really suits me, plus I'm in love with the goth look, what's not to love?
Then again, I get bored with my appearence a lot. I've had every natural shade and every unnatural one except for green, and I had great fun with that. It has nothing to do with my natural hair color.

Since I experimented a lot, I know now what looks great and awful on me. I'm a hideous blonde but I look amazing with white/silver, light brown, and now bright red. I had always wanted to be a redhead, and now I am.
I actually want to go back to black, but my love for the red and the ton of compliments I get on it have stopped me...

getoffmyskittle

August 5th, 2009, 06:08 PM

I like my natural color, but I've always felt it's not vivid enough.

Lilli

August 5th, 2009, 06:11 PM

rogue_psyche

August 5th, 2009, 06:12 PM

My natural color is rather drab. It has been ever since I started dying and stopped spending so much time outside (high school). I'd like it to be either mor golden or more red, but instead it is a rather light vole brown.

Smokering

August 5th, 2009, 06:35 PM

Another dishwater blonde here. Funnily enough, I like it on other people: it can be subtle and interesting. But I was sick of it on me. I only got into henna by accident though, via my boss: if I hadn't come across it I'd likely still be a dishwater blonde.

I read once that everyone suits best the colour they were born with (as opposed to their "natural colour", which changes over time - obviously a person can't suit black, brown and blonde "best", and many people's hair changes that much). It seems a tad too convenient that that's an absolute rule, though. As far as I know there's no Divine or biological imperative that a person MUST suit her natal hair colour the bestest of all. My daughter's hair was nearly black at birth, and is gorgeous strawberry blonde now - I think the latter looks much better on her. It'll probably darken into dishwater blonde like mine when she gets older.

That said, if I had the hair I had as a baby -not a newborn, but a youngun - which was strawberry blonde, I wouldn't dye it. It did suit me at the time, probably still would. But I like henna. I think I can pull it off - Celtic genes, pale skin, blue eyes, freckles and all that - and enough people assume it's real to make me think it can't look that jarring. I also henna my eyebrows to just a *slight* reddish tinge - they don't take the dye nearly as well as my hair - which helps with the illusion. Plus I think it looks realer if you don't know what henna looks like, and most people don't. :p

Anyway, having been a redhead for a few years now, I think it's all very psychological. I like feeling a little bit Mary-Jane Watson, a little bit Willow, a little bit daring... probably all the more because I'm really not a sassy exciting redhead type. :lol Maybe it just makes me feel more interesting? At any rate, for reasons of sheer practicality I suspect I'm a hennahead for life, or at least until I go grey. I'd love to have long, natural silver hair!

WaimeaWahine

August 5th, 2009, 06:53 PM

Because I began going prematurely gray before the age of 25.

Because my hair is about 90% gray (I checka da roots) and I'm only 40.

Because people think I look twenty-something in the face and the rest of me should match that. I feel twenty-something. :)

That's just me though. I see lots of older women with longer all gray locks and they are gorgeous!

ilovelonghair

August 5th, 2009, 07:04 PM

I'd be very interested in the reasons why some of us choose to colour our hair....:)

I've got the same hair color as you, maybe a bit lighter. It's kind of dull, although it has a bit of copper in it. It's certainly not a bad color, only it just doesn't suit me that well. I used to dye my hair very dark brown, nearly black or like this:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=44&pictureid=17541

and indeed that really brings out the blue-green in my eyes. And it just looks good, but after 10 years I wanted something different and more healthy for my hair, so I henna now. Does the same thing for my eyes and the red hair suits me too because I'm quite pale (look at my hands in this picture!)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=44&pictureid=43630

PhillyGirl1978@

August 5th, 2009, 07:15 PM

Well...I am happy. I mean I was a very dark alburnish brunette for years, I just wanted to change it up some. I mean when I was born my hair was almost black and it has lightened with the sun. The honey I have used gives nice highlights too. I wanted to change the color without damaging and henna was the way to go. I like the brilliance of the red now.

redcelticcurls

August 5th, 2009, 08:24 PM

redcelticcurls isn't a natural redhead????!!!!!!?????!!!!! Call me shocked.

I made myself a redhead for a while, and I did really like the red... but I hated the roots, and covering them monthly was a pain in the... well, you know.

Yeah, roots can be a pain.

I wish I was a real redhead. All the time and money I'd save, lol.

shadowclaw

August 5th, 2009, 09:05 PM

I always liked my old natural hair color, which was a medium blonde. Now that I'm getting older, my family's trait of blonde hair turning to dark blonde/brown is beginning to show up. I had hoped I would take after my mom and keep my blonde locks, but I guess the genes I inherited from my dad are taking over. So I lighten my roots to match the rest of my hair. I suppose I could dye the length to match the roots, but dark blonde is not a color I really want on my head.

I've begun to use henna to brighten and warm up my blonde, and I hope to achieve a color on the whole lighter length with henna that will match my darker roots with henna. It may go red after a while, instead of staying gold, but I don't mind. Red is good.

Backliteyes

August 5th, 2009, 09:33 PM

Nappyme

August 5th, 2009, 09:35 PM

Hmm... I have scattered gray. I hate my gray hair. If I could skip the scatter part and go straight to the mostly gray part, I think I'd be ok with it. Plus, when I wear my hair out in an afro puff, I just can't get used to it cause the scattered gray can look like lint.

Drives me crazy!

Laylah

August 5th, 2009, 10:23 PM

I actually love my natural hair color. It's black, and in the sun, at the right angle it can look red. I used to hate black because it is the most common hair color in the world, and I wanted something unique, like red. But now I'm happy with it. My dad has light/reddish toned caucasian skin and my mother has tan/yellow toned asian skin. I'm a combination of the two with light skin but no red tones. I also have thick eyebrows and dark brown eyes so I like the contrast of my hair/eyes against my skin.

Although, if I could choose to be born with different traits, I'd love to have light green or blue eyes against dark skin. Lol, that would be cool.

ilovelonghair

August 5th, 2009, 11:30 PM

Yeah, roots can be a pain.

I wish I was a real redhead. All the time and money I'd save, lol.

LOL, but red hair doesn't always stay red: for some people it changes into brown hair or it fades when they age.
I don't mind the henna, it's not expensive and it is good for my hair.

pink.sara

August 6th, 2009, 05:34 AM

As a natural black/very dark auburn colour my hair is pretty but it's not particularly exciting!
I started dying it crazy colours and streaking it when I was 13 and have never stopped :o
Unfortunately 15 years of bleach on bleach and white, blue, pink, red and purple hair has finally killed my ends. The dreaded big chop happened just over a month ago... my 42 inch black and fuschia pink mane is a tiny 3 inch blonde bob... and now the growing begins!
I only hope that this time I can resist the urge to dye :rolleyes:

Roll on virgin roots and indigo blue/black :D

Evie

August 6th, 2009, 09:19 AM

To everyone who has posted in this thread, thanks very, very much.

All of the pictures, both of people who dye their hair, and people who don't are also beautiful. I am glad to see that everyone is so very unique, with lovely hair!

Maybe the title of this thread was not the best - it tended to imply that people were not happy with what they had naturally, whereas I was just getting very frustrated with being asked why I coloured....I hope no-one took offence, none was meant.

I would save myself a great deal of time :eyebrows: if I was happy with my natural colour. And I never meant to imply that my natural colour could not look good on someone else. I have seen people with my natural colour who look great, but it just does not work for me.

If only plum / blackcurrant was a natural colour....!!!;)

pink.sara

August 6th, 2009, 09:52 AM

I would save myself a great deal of time :eyebrows: if I was happy with my natural colour. And I never meant to imply that my natural colour could not look good on someone else. I have seen people with my natural colour who look great, but it just does not work for me.

If only plum / blackcurrant was a natural colour....!!!;)

No offense taken by me just thought it was an interesting question ;)
I dye my hair because it's fun... thats it... just because it's fun!

Until a month ago my hair was tailbone and dyed black with a bright fushia pink top section.
Along with the ridiculous "where did you get your extensions done?" comments, people seemed to be 50/50 about dying with lots of longhair purists frowning on me!
I still think that as I could maintain my blunt hemline with no damage, no splits and shiny thick hair... what's the problem?

With alot of care and patience you can colour your hair any colour under the sun and still have a glorious mane!

az_sweetie01

August 6th, 2009, 09:58 AM

I actually like my natural color the best because the sun gives it a lot of nice dimension. However, in the last 5 years or so, I've started going REALLY white in one spot right in the front and it's spreading across my hairline. As beautiful as it is, I'm not yet confident about it so, I color a tad darker than my natural hair color.

Katurday

August 6th, 2009, 10:33 AM

I had BLACK hair as a baby, which lightened to light
brown-blonde, which darkened to medium brown.
I looked good with the black, I looked good with the
brown-blonde (when I was tan) and I look good with
the brown. For now, I let my natural brown grow in
4 inches, and it pretty much matches my old dye color.

I think that eventually I'll just give in and henndigo it
black again. Black suits me better than anything else.

redcelticcurls

August 6th, 2009, 10:46 AM

LOL, but red hair doesn't always stay red: for some people it changes into brown hair or it fades when they age.
I don't mind the henna, it's not expensive and it is good for my hair.

Henna dries me out like nobody's business. Hate the stuff on me, lol.

My Dad has browned out with age, so yes, good point about that.

suicides_eve

August 6th, 2009, 05:23 PM

my natural hair is mousy brown that look great when i was younger but now that i'm in my mid 20's it tend to make me look older and blah looking. I choose highlights as a way to brighten it up and i've been getting nice compliment since

Ice~Cold~Wind

August 6th, 2009, 07:24 PM

My hair is dark brown to almost black at the roots to my chin. I love my natural color and I even love the beautiful new strands of white and grey I'm getting in at a rapid pace! :D In the sunlight it has quite a coppery finish to it. :) I used to always want black hair and hated the way my ends were drastically lighter than my roots(see avatar pic! :)) But I've learned to embrace it and it has helped me grow as a person. I don't dwell on such trivial things anymore. I have strangley tinted hair and I love it! :D:D:D Also, I have never dyed my hair except for my bangs, which I dyed blue just for fun during my freshman year of HS. It looked okay, but I'm glad i grew them out!

GlassEyes

August 6th, 2009, 07:26 PM

No offense taken by me just thought it was an interesting question ;)
I dye my hair because it's fun... thats it... just because it's fun!

Until a month ago my hair was tailbone and dyed black with a bright fushia pink top section.
Along with the ridiculous "where did you get your extensions done?" comments, people seemed to be 50/50 about dying with lots of longhair purists frowning on me!
I still think that as I could maintain my blunt hemline with no damage, no splits and shiny thick hair... what's the problem?

With alot of care and patience you can colour your hair any colour under the sun and still have a glorious mane!
I wish this were true for me. Sadly, I think my little streak is all I can manage for now. :(

I'd kill for the white you have, fyi. xD; Not, kill kill, but still.

ademtce

August 6th, 2009, 09:09 PM

i color my hair is because i like change, and because its very fun to color.
i don't like my natural shade because my hair is thick and looks jet black (although i'm a natural level 2)

RancheroTheBee

August 6th, 2009, 09:55 PM

Because my natural hair color bores the hell out of me.

heatheradair

August 6th, 2009, 09:59 PM

My natural hair color is more like the lack of a color. It's mousy blonde-ish. I like it warmer and more saturated - it looks more vibrant, fun, and noticeable. I feel prettier with more pigment.

ademtce

August 6th, 2009, 10:05 PM

Because my natural hair color bores the hell out of me.

best post in this entire thread

Elanor

August 7th, 2009, 04:56 AM

My hair is naturally chestnut brown and I really like it, but I like it even better with a little warmer tone. I used to color it with coppery box dye every 12 months or so for a change (the dye was supposed to wash out in 3 weeks but the red/coppery tones like to stick to my hair a lot longer).

This summer I tried a henna gloss for the first time and now I can get the same warm shade with no nasty chemicals yay :coolblue:

Flynn

August 7th, 2009, 05:37 AM

I'm naturally a dishwater blonde, or level 7 blonde as my colorist calls it. I feel too blah and monochromatic with my own hair color as it relates to my skin color.

I have the skin tones of a redhead. i have a redheaded father and daughter. I feel like I got left out, lol. So, I've been coloring it red for about 15 years, and I have no plans to quit anytime soon.

I do dislike that whole "you own color is best" philosophy. Admirable philosophy, but, sometimes people do look better with a color they weren't born with.

No way. No way! You're so making that up. You look like a born redhead. I haven't seen you blonde, but I'll definitely go with you look really, really, really good and possibly even better with the colour you weren't born with!

Flynn

August 7th, 2009, 05:49 AM

Interesting how many people are saying their natural colour is dishwater blonde! Same here. I've been every colour, but I dye black because of the Goth thing, and semi-related, a personality thing. I'm just not 'blonde' on the inside :shrug: I've been black so long now, I just wouldn't feel like me with any other colour.

I know another Goth girl who looked so right with black hair, I assumed she was pretty dark underneath, and just pushed it into the black for the sake of the Gothyness of it. Boy was I shocked when I realised that she was actually a very, very light blonde underneath! There was nothing "blonde" about her! (Actually, she showed an old photo of herself with her hair natural, and... oh, can I really say this? It looked... uhm... Oh, let's just say she looked an awful lot better with the black.

Arashi

August 7th, 2009, 06:51 AM

I'm naturally a blond.. extremely light golden blond at that. I also have pale skin and blue eyes, which blond does not flatter for me at all..! I've dyed my hair black for years now, and I really wouldn't give this color up for anything. It makes my skin look like porcelain and my eyes intense. Also, dark hair better suits my.. dare I call it.. "gothy" taste in fashion. It allows me to get away with dramatic makeup and a rainbow of eyeshadow colors.. many of which simply look bad with blond. Like they say, "black goes with everything".
And anyone I've ever pointed out my natural blond hair color to has promptly replied with "I couldn't imagine you with blond hair. It wouldn't suit you at all." Which sums up my thoughts on the subject exactly.

Fethenwen

August 7th, 2009, 07:14 AM

Another dishwater blonde here. Funnily enough, I like it on other people: it can be subtle and interesting.
I also find it very nice on other people. I come to think of one girl at my school who has this lovely long hair which is very dishwater blonde. She looks really fresh and natural with it. I guess it just suits her looks, she wears boho clothes and no makeup.

I know another Goth girl who looked so right with black hair, I assumed she was pretty dark underneath, and just pushed it into the black for the sake of the Gothyness of it. Boy was I shocked when I realised that she was actually a very, very light blonde underneath! There was nothing "blonde" about her! (Actually, she showed an old photo of herself with her hair natural, and... oh, can I really say this? It looked... uhm... Oh, let's just say she looked an awful lot better with the black.
That's something I've encountered too! Seems like goths really can pull off black well, not matter what the original hair color was from before :p
---

Myself I got lovely coppery red as natural color when I was young, I liked my color very much. But as I have grown my color is fading, I haven't seen it for a while really. I've been dying it and hennaing it for many years now. But strangely, these last two/three years it seems to get a bit lighter. It would be interesting to only use cassia and grow some of this color out.

pink.sara

August 7th, 2009, 07:37 AM

Because my natural hair color bores the hell out of me.

:beerchug: Amen to that!

After all I spent the first 13 years of my life looking at it :yawn: can't even sit through an hour TV programme normally!

Gemma

August 7th, 2009, 08:23 AM

I'm like a few others in this thread; my natural colour just doesn't go as well with my colouring as I'd like. My natural colour is a mousy brown, which had some red in it and would get blond streaks if I stayed out in the sun. It was nice but nothing spectacular. I am very pale with extremely dark brown eyes (they looked almost black when I was a kid). Dark shades like blue-black and deep brunette looks great on me, as do reds. I've had my hair be almost every colour imaginable, including hot pink and electro blue, but henna gives my hair the most natural looking colour. Honestly, I think it looks more natural on me than my virgin hair.

MunchkinBubble

August 7th, 2009, 08:32 AM

Like a lot of people have already said, my natural hair color is just kind of blah. Its that inbetween of blonde/brown and kind of mousey.
The other bummer about my natural color is it highlights very easily in the sun and I live in a place with four very distinct seasons (only 1 of which that gets lots of sun). So come fall/winter time when I start to get some post-summer growth everyone starts telling me I need to re-dye my roots when I haven't dyed my hair at all! So coloring helps keep things even from root to tip.
Also since dying my hair most of the available colors I've noticed people take me more seriously as a brunette. (???)

spidermom

August 7th, 2009, 09:08 AM

annuscka

August 7th, 2009, 09:22 AM

I really/truly/sincerely do not understand the statement "my hair color bores me." How much time can you possibly spend looking at your hair color to be bored by it? There are so many things going on in my life that I'd guess I've spent less than 1/10th of 1% of my time looking at or thinking about my hair color, and that's not enough time to bore me.

I can understand it - I would perhaps not say my colour bores ME, but it certainly looks a bit dull. And perhaps not even that, I actually tend to be complimented on my colour, but *I* have always found it dull and a misfit. It doesn't fit in with my other dramatics, and therefore is boring to me ;) I wear very much colour, always cold and bright tones (electric blue, turquoise and bright green being current favourites) - and my goldish brown with a red tint is just...off, in my eyes. I also have very dark and heavy eyebrows and a blueish cold skin tone (or so I think anyway - in photos it looks positively yellow!) - how in the world I got landed with this hair colour, I fail to understand! :D
Not-very convincing evidence (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/annuscka/IMG_4081.jpg?t=1249659931), but at least the magnitude of the Eyebrows show (I like them a lot, but they do tend to make many decisions because of, well looking like that). What bugs is basically what shows poorly there, but the fact that I have natural almost blonde highlights in the front and I do not approve!

I want a colder, darker shade without the annoying gold, or perhaps a burgundy (more for the awesome drama than that it'd fit me or anything), but everyone and their aunt's dog keep telling me that I will look old (... well, at my age, I doubt that's much of a problem, and does it ever have to be?) - harsh, whatever. I have had much darker and colder coloured hair and *I* liked it a lot and my peers did, but not parents etc. Wonder what that means, hah. Amusingly I did the whole makeover-online thing and when the darker colours came, I was all "yes!" while mum actually screamed "no!" :rolleyes:

Yet, I haven't dyed it in over a year. Used to box dye but refuse to now, so it either stays or I dare to henna. At least the golden tones bring the shine! But yes - I would like to and have coloured before, and do/did it because my own colour annoys me, basically. It's not dark enough to fit my other colouring, no matter how natural it might be, and it doesn't really go with my aesthetic.

And my mum, aunt and uncle all were rather light brown when they were my age - maybe I'll get their (cooler, darker) tone in 20 years!

MsBubbles

August 7th, 2009, 09:38 AM

Because my natural hair color bores the hell out of me.

best post in this entire thread

Well for me it's not about boredom, it's about not wanting people (friends and strangers) to come up to me and say "Are you ok?! You look exhausted!", or worse: "Cheer up, it might never happen". Ok yeah ha ha very funny. It's also about not wanting to see photos of myself where I appear to be on death's door.

Same reason I don't stretch my wash days any further than every other day, so that people working on cash registers will stop nodding towards my scalp and asking me "Still raining out there, is it?".

I really wish that A) I didn't care if I walked around looking sick, or B) My skin tone and nat'l hair color looked great together. Boredom's not an issue for me. I think the tawny/ashy/dark blond looks beautiful on some people.

Gemma

August 7th, 2009, 10:26 AM

Tanuki

August 7th, 2009, 10:45 AM

I like my natural hair color, more of a neutral brown with some very unnoticable highlights, but I decided to Henna my hair auburn just because I felt like a change (I'm arbitrary like that) and was pleased with the results. I don't know if or when I'll change it again, or if I'll just grow this out and return to my natural tone. I tend to have reddish skin, so It kind of sticks out as long as I don't go beet red. Otherwise I'll be the amazing tomato man!

ktani

August 7th, 2009, 10:54 AM

There will probably be almost as many answers to that question as there are LHC members, lol.

I love my natural colour but do not love my grey/white. I do not like the idea of roots however, and at first tried shampoos that add colour (they do not cover grey) and conditioners that add colour (they do not cover grey either), in an attempt to cover only the grey, (choosing ones that were the closest to part of my natural colour, which is a mix of dark blonde with a bit of red) lol.

I then started to experiment with plant treatments and eventually wound up using what I use now, catnip tea.

Hair colour and skin tone change as we age, not just going grey for hair but it shade.

I experimented in adding more red and gold to my hair with colour fillers, years ago before going grey (I have been obsessed with my hair's condition since I was 18 ) and wanted to use the least damaging products I could find.

It is a matter of personal preference and taste as to whether someone chooses to colour their hair. I have seen some awesome results with both natural and far from natural hair colours on people.

Heidi_234

August 7th, 2009, 11:14 AM

plaidprincess

August 7th, 2009, 12:56 PM

I don't feel like a mousy girl, I feel like a redhead - Like clothes, my hair is an expression of who I am. And I think red hair suits all my clothes better than mousy brown ever would :)

missfortune9335

August 7th, 2009, 01:11 PM

why because we want what we don't have of course! lol ;) My hair is also naturally an ash blonde which I find to be boring for me personally.

SimplyLonghair

August 7th, 2009, 02:28 PM

LOL, but red hair doesn't always stay red: for some people it changes into brown hair or it fades when they age.
I don't mind the henna, it's not expensive and it is good for my hair.
Red hair fading with age is why I henna. My hair never was THIS red but it was a nice strawberry blonde, but over the years it faded and then the silver started in and I had spent years trying to lighten it back to the strawberry blonde and I decided that I wanted the red. Not just strawberry but RED so I went red using henna. No one knew that it wasn't my "Natural" color. lol All of my family has red hair, my dad and mom and my sister.
Henna gives me vibrant hair that matches what most of my family have and makes me feel young again. :D

I don't feel like a mousy girl, I feel like a redhead - Like clothes, my hair is an expression of who I am. And I think red hair suits all my clothes better than mousy brown ever would :)
Mousy was what my hair was becoming and I didn't like it either, because it washed me out too much. I pick henna, I don't want to fade away with age and blend into the wall. ;)

Nevermore

August 7th, 2009, 03:26 PM

I'm on the fence about my natural color. I do alter it a bit with honey, but it mostly brings out the natural highlights. I've been (naturally) white blonde, strawberry blonde, dark brown, auburn and the current blondeish reddish not really a color color. I wonder if there's some truth in the idea that your natal hair color suits you best or better at least than what it is later in life. I looked fake with the super light blonde hair, absolutely adorable as a strawberry blonde, and I did like the dark brown and auburn. The current color...eh, not so much. It blends too much with my skin, I think.

I'd like to put some red in it and see if it looks better. If I could get the strawberry blonde of my elementary school days, I think it would look really good with the length I have now.

Additionally, I think some people look best in totally unnatural colors, like pink and purple. I knew a girl who had teal/purple/purpleish pink hair all at once and the slightly faded end result was AWESOME on her and suited her better than her natural color. It sounds like it would be horrible, but it's like fairy hair or something.

spidermom

August 7th, 2009, 04:02 PM

For those who addressed the boring issue for me - thanks. I thought later that I was probably putting too fine a point on it. Boring to me is more about repetition, as in "my job bores me" because I do the same thing over and over again (listen and type). But reading what was said and thinking about it, yes - I could certainly say I'm bored with my clothes or even my hair color.

Roseate

August 7th, 2009, 04:02 PM

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3531/3798622041_56b6a55687_m.jpg

"I'm kinda bored with this mousy color....
maybe I'll try henna."

RedStripe

August 7th, 2009, 04:35 PM

I'm another one who colors because I find my natural hair boring -- not boring as in, just plain uninteresting. When I was growing up I always thought it was so boring to have just plain old brown hair. I got over the desire for blonde that I had when I was a kid (never tried it, but through the eyes of maturity I don't think it would suit me), but when a friend of mine who was a hairdresser gave me a bit of red vegetable-dye tint, I knew I was on the right track. Didn't start hennaing until years later (did have it chemically dyed for a while), but when I did I knew I had found my true hair-color love.

prettigurl

August 7th, 2009, 04:36 PM

My hair is a dull, ash brown color and it lacks shine unless I drench it in oil. I use semi permanent colors to add depth and shine. Currently I'm wearing beyond the zone color jams in raspberry kamikaze. It's a deep purple/reddish color with intense shine!

getoffmyskittle

August 7th, 2009, 04:42 PM

I do dislike that whole "you own color is best" philosophy. Admirable philosophy, but, sometimes people do look better with a color they weren't born with.

Me too. Nature's job is to keep you alive long enough to breed, not to perfect your coloring. :lol:

But I was born with black hair, so I suppose this justifies my indigo plans? :eyebrows:

Loviatar

August 7th, 2009, 05:07 PM

After 18 years of dyeing I am returning to natural.

My mom dyed her hair blonde when I was a child (she is naturally a sort of light treacle brown). Dyeing my hair meant 'I was grown up like Mommy'. Sure I was only allowed to use reds on my dark brown hair, and never anything permanent until I was 16. I started with a packet of Shaders-n-Toners in Mahogany then switched to Harmony wash-in, wash-out dye in Rose red. It did very little other than warm my natural colour up a bit. That worked fine for me til I discovered Clairol Glints when I was 16. I used Raisin which was some sort of reddish purple, and also mixed it with Garnet dark red.

I had a mild flirtation with my natural colour when my hair, trashed from cheap black permanent dye that I'd used through age 17-19, started to break off and I had to cut a pixie. I grew the black out til I had a 'dip' effect on my pixied ends and then went red again with Body Shop henna. Got into the Goth scene and went black again for a long time, switching back and forth between black and red for almost 10 years. This time I was colouring because I figured I didnt stand out enough with my natural colour. I was a drama student and was known as The Redhead (even when there was a natural redhead in my class). My red hair came to define me when I was LARPing and everything about me relied on my having red hair - my email address, my hair products, my makeup, my clothes, the whole shebang.

In 2005 I joined LHC and found henna and indigo. I still coloured with those, and still tried to get back to that flaming red I used to have, but I was colouring because I was sort of caught in the routine of colouring.

I went back to chemical red recently and although for the first week or two I loved it, and always will love the red I used to have, I've settled on the fact that PERSONALLY, I can either have bright red hair or I can have long healthy hair. I've looked through a lot of my old photos and seen my natural hair not as boring, but as Amoretti once said, like a wooden floor being revealed slowly from under a coloured carpet.

I'm 30 now and I can finally say I dont hate my natural colour. I'm not 100% happy with it because I will always yearn for that unnatural flaming red. But I'm learning to love it and I'm happier that way that with the constant dye-bleach-cut-dye cycle.

Long post but I hope it made sense.

rach

August 7th, 2009, 05:23 PM

I don't dislike my natural hair colour, my hair is a very dark brown but i've always had odd red tint in my hair when i glistened in the sun so i feel i've enhanced it. i was originally going to add indigo to get back close enough to my natural colour but i actually like the red glisten henna gave me which my hair did and it worked well with my complexion. it allows to be dark but with a red twist :)

redcelticcurls

August 7th, 2009, 09:23 PM

Me too. Nature's job is to keep you alive long enough to breed, not to perfect your coloring. :lol:

But I was born with black hair, so I suppose this justifies my indigo plans? :eyebrows:

Of course!

Shoot, I was born bald, but I'm not ready to shave my head yet. ;) I don't have the head shape to pull that look off.

getoffmyskittle

August 7th, 2009, 10:16 PM

Of course!

Shoot, I was born bald, but I'm not ready to shave my head yet. ;) I don't have the head shape to pull that look off.

Nope, and your curls are waaay too pretty to chop. :flowers:

redcelticcurls

August 7th, 2009, 10:54 PM

Nope, and your curls are waaay too pretty to chop. :flowers:

Wow, thank you! High praise indeed coming from one with such fantastic hair!

getoffmyskittle

August 7th, 2009, 11:14 PM

Wow, thank you! High praise indeed coming from one with such fantastic hair!

Oh, thank you! :o

pink.sara

August 10th, 2009, 05:26 AM

I merely spend tenth of 1% of my day looking at the clothes I wear, but oh boy would I be bored to my guts wearing the same pants and shirt every single day for years and years?!
It's part of our appearance, we are conscious about our hair (especially we, as LHCers), so getting bored with our hair color is just integral part of it. I'm glad that you already settled with what is fine with you, but not everybody is in that place, and surely it doesn't mean they have nothing better to do than to spend hours in front of a mirror.

Thanks for that Heidi, you are exactly right.
I very much feel the clothes I wear, the way I talk and behave with other people and the things I do in my everyday life should reflect the kind of person I aim to be. And my hair is a part of that.
Unfortunatley I have very dark auburn almost black hair which lightens very easily and as a result I end up with bright ginger streaks in the front.
Not pretty! Especially when you have a very pink skin tone like I do, as mosty people will continuously ask if I'm "hot"...which usually makes me blush... then my red face ginger stripe combo makes me feel like a teenage goth that "missed a bit" :o

When I started dying my hair blue black to get rid of the redness and stop the ginger streaks in summer I discovered ash tones are so much prettier on me and calm my skintone. Now I keep an ash tone by my face but have been experimenting with colour for years simply because I can.

Perhaps by sacraficing the length for a few years to have fun with colour I'm on the wrong forum :(

Or perhaps now that I've had my fun with bleaching and unnatural colour and am going back to henna/indigo and growing for health and length the hair purists will accept me back??! ;)

Here's hoping.

Tanuki

August 10th, 2009, 08:13 AM

They don't judge here, it's all good. I don't have super long hair, nor do I intend to thanks to a conservative religious background, but I care about my hair health and I can appreciate the longer hair

earthdancer

August 10th, 2009, 08:54 AM

When I was younger, I started to lighten my hair to get rid the shadows that dark hair cast on my face (even when I was young and thin, I had jowls, or at least I thought I did). Now I lighten my hair very slightly to bring out some red tones. My hair has gone drab with the years, which gives my skin a gray tinge when I let it grow out to show the natural color. I need the red tones to make me look healthy (ie, alive as opposed to rigor mortis).

I used to notice that gray-skin tinge on a lot of middle-aged women with drab brown hair. I thought it was their nutrition, but it was the color of their hair after all! I think it's odd that once their hair went totally gray, their skin color looked normal again. You would think it would get worse, but it's not usually so. It's also funny that I never noticed that effect on men.

I only noticed that many so-so looking men became extremely good-looking once their hair went totally gray. OK, I've liked gray hair on men my whole life--maybe I'm weird.

melikai

August 10th, 2009, 02:13 PM

I've looked through a lot of my old photos and seen my natural hair not as boring, but as Amoretti once said, like a wooden floor being revealed slowly from under a coloured carpet.

That's a great way of putting it - haven't heard that before.

I've sort of come full circle on the colouring thing. Started colouring in my early 20's, did many different colours - blue, purple, red, pink, yellow and red etc. Then I started "highlighting" it, which eventually after years of highlights, became, let's face it - bleached blonde. I finally decided to go back to a more natural look and way of life in general, about a year and a half ago.
Now, when I look at pictures of my bleached hair, I can't believe how awful it looked - and I thought it looked so great! My honey-ashey blonde suits my skintone, and my delicate features. I don't look good with much makeup, and to me pale hair suits less makeup as well.

I guess my point is that I had a lot of fun experimenting with different looks, and I certainly thought I'd keep them forever at the time. Now I feel like I've found myself, in a sense, rather than an "image".

twilight_faerie

August 11th, 2009, 01:15 AM

I find my natural, drab medium/dark brown boring, and I think I look better with something more rich. I've had my hair highlighted, colored darker brown, and colored black. I'm currently growing out the black, and at this point it's faded to a dark brown. I really want to try out henna to go red, but I'm scared about how it will go over the black and blend between that and my natural color.

I'm a henna-head that went temporarily insane and dyed her hair black two years ago. :rolleyes: After letting the black grow out and continuing to henna for the past two years, I've got mostly dark auburn hair that kind of gradually darkens to the dark dark brown that my black eventually faded to. I don't love the way it looks, but it's definitely not hideous. My boyfriend actually thinks it looks cool. I could cut off the last few inches and have my hair be (mostly) uniform again, but then it'd be a lot shorter and, eh, I don't really hate the color gradient THAT much.

Horrorpops

December 26th, 2009, 04:28 AM

I have naturally a mousey brown-gray haircolour which is dull and very, very ugly.

Basically ANY colour besides my natural hair suits me much better:
red brings out the green in my eyes and makes my skin look white and flawless..
richer browns make my skin look more tanned and colourful...
blondes make my eyes look blue-er and overall more pretty.

The only colour which doesn't suit me well (besides a blue/black and unnaturally bottled colours) is the one that growns from my head.

Go figure :P

Lioness

December 26th, 2009, 05:44 AM

I'm also naturally a darkblonde. I dye my hair because it's extremely ashy, if it lacks luster it just looks grey. Seriously, im not joking!

And about those people who comment that your natural haircolour is the one that suits you the most:
I have strong yellow undertones and very ashy hair. So even though it's my natural combo it looks very weird and doesn't suit me at all

In the past i've had
- warm blonde: looked the most natural with my skintone
- medium brown: looked nice, better than my natural colour but nothing special. It did bring out my eyecolour.
- orange: this looked kinda weird on me. Red-orange looks good on me but coppery-orange looks just...weird
- red & auburn: one of my favorite colours. I liked how it looked and also got a lot of question wether that was my real haircolour and how 'natural' it looked.
- darkbrown: this one was my absolute favorite. It contrasted with my eyecolour and made my skin glow. I've always been quite ashamed of my paleness but then i was actually proud of it! I got this colour after i threw a bottle of medium- to darkbrown hairdye over a bad henna-experiment (bright orange). It turned out a gorgeous darkbrown (almost black) with red undertones.

Nowadays it's mediumbrown i think but i'm trying to get virgin hair again and use herbs to counter the ashtone a bit.

It strikes me that its mostly the darkblondes who are unhappy about their haircolour. Maybe it's because they are never promoted in ads :shrug:

jaine

December 26th, 2009, 08:46 AM

Hmm, not everyone who dyes their hair is unhappy ... I'm certainly not dyeing mine out of unhappiness.
I am happy with multiple different color schemes, one of which is my natural color. :)

Speckla

December 26th, 2009, 09:48 AM

I have a lot of grey and I'm not unhappy with that. I started using hennalucent which isn't really henna but I didn't know it at the time. I was looking for something to make my hair stronger because my ends were breaking and splitting due to old bleach, too many box dyes, and flat irons. It really made my hair stronger and I liked the highlighted look it gave to my greys. Now I stick with henna because it makes my hair stronger, thicker, shinier, and I look like I have pretty highlights without making to bleach or use chemical dyes.

GlamFanatic

December 26th, 2009, 09:57 AM

I just try to keep my roots matched up to what the length naturally seems to change color to....I never color my whole length of hair , mostly grey around temples and those are coming in faster and faster , I must be getting wiser...haha

jennyjukes

December 26th, 2009, 11:10 AM

my natural hair is a dishwater blonde and it makes my skin look GRAY!
i have green eyes so dying it brown makes my eyes pop out and make my skin look brighter. no point having long healthy hair if the colour makes you look ill

halo_tightens

December 26th, 2009, 11:37 AM

I have a lot of grey and I'm not unhappy with that. I started using hennalucent which isn't really henna but I didn't know it at the time.

ME TOO-- Hennalucent was my first experience with henna, back in the day. Oh, how I loved that stuff, compared to the stinky chemicals I'd always used before... It actually does have henna in it, just mixed with other conditioning-type ingredients as well. I'd say it's sort of a henna-gloss-in-a-box, lol. I know I could definitely smell the henna in it!

Now that I know about the super-strength of BAQ henna, though, I don't think I'd go back.

To answer the original question, I color my hair NOW simply because I like red hair. A lot. :D

When I was younger I did all the crazy colors too, and enjoyed every minute of it! Nowadays, though, I want long, healthy hair more than I want the ability to change the color on a whim. I'm sticking with my henna for a good long time. :)

Kris Dove

December 26th, 2009, 11:48 AM

I used to dye my hair, it's been almost every colour of the rainbow, now I just use things to add "natural" highlights to lighten it a bit.

Like many people who have answered this thread, I'm also naturally a dark mousy greyish blonde and it makes me look grey and washed out. It can be such an unflattering colour on pale complexions, so I think that's why it's so unpopular and a lot of us with this colour of hair choose to dye it. I was a lot blonder when I was younger too, and the colour I had as a kid suits me better than the natural colour I have now I'm older.

I've also dyed it black, just because I love black hair. It looked great on me with heavy gothic eye makeup and made my blue eyes pop, but without makeup it was far too dark and made me look ill, so it was a very high maintenence look.

Upside Down

December 26th, 2009, 11:53 AM

I change it a tiny bit. It is very dark brown naturally and I go to a bit darker with a reddish glow by henna and Lush Caca Noir.
It is just a bit more striking that way, and shines more.

I loved the way red looked on my hair, but that required chemical dyes, that I will not use again in a long time, because my hair has gone thinner and more fragile, and just can't take the damage.

JenniferNoel

December 26th, 2009, 11:57 AM

First thing's first - the real reason I used to frequently color my hair was not because I hated my natural color, but because I craved change, and was very easily bored. I ended up going blonde, then dark brown, then black, then medium brunette, then orange, and I'm not even going to put all the rest of the million colors I've experimented with in this post. :rolleyes:
I finally realized, however, that I do, in fact, like my natural ashy-brown-ish-blonde color, now that there are almost four inches of it poking out. However, it is the kind of dull, uninteresting color that tends to get overwhelmingly flat over the course of a year, so I'm probably going to end up using a little manic panic once in a blue moon.
I also like to use color to express my funky personality! A flat, ashy-brown does not fit who I am in very many ways (other than the fact that I'm very easy going and low maintenance :D).
It used to be that I used manic panic every month (or whenever it faded enough), in a different color according to my overall mood. Fun!
The world of hair color is a pretty neat one, as long as it's not abused.

scrumtrulescent

December 26th, 2009, 12:09 PM

Unlike a lot of people, my hair was much darker as a little kid and it eventually lightened from being in the sun, swimming, etc. Naturally, my hair is brown...but I have dyed it to be richer and darker-- choosing either mahogany/dark deep reds, or deeper darker browns.

I feel like darker colors cause my pale pinkish skin and blue eyes to pop more and be more striking. I love high-contrast colorings! I haven't colored my hair in a while (several months) and the last thing I used was a dark brown temporary colorant (Surya I believe?)

In the future, I plan to try out hendigo-- I love the pics I've seen on here.

Pear Martini

December 26th, 2009, 12:32 PM

When I first started adding highlights around my face I did it cause I thought my natural dark brown color made me look pale. I ended up going completly blonde when I moved to Miami because I felt like I looked like everyone else and rather plain. I am bac to my natural color but am still obsessed with highlights but only while keeping my natural base color.

ericthegreat

December 26th, 2009, 01:43 PM

I really hate when anyone judges you on anything you decide to do involving yourself. I love to change my hair color for one simple reason: BECAUSE I CAN.

For me personally, I simply have always loved lighter, warmer colors. I love the sun, I love summer. My natural virgin jet black is simply too dark for my personality. If I had a choice, I'd have chosen to have been born a natural golden blonde or a fire redhead.
And maybe some natural waves and just a bit of curl too! :disco: :disco:

jaine

December 26th, 2009, 01:48 PM

I really hate when anyone judges you on anything you decide to do involving yourself.

I agree!
:p

Captain Nikki

December 26th, 2009, 01:55 PM

I changed my hair's colour a lot when i was younger. Blonde destroyed my fine hair, black i found too harsh on me & red i'm just not that keen on, although i was red for about 5 years. I'm happy for it to be boring brown these days although i still get a semi every few months to cover a few greys. The semi is just slightly darker & richer than my natural colour.

Leena7

December 26th, 2009, 05:48 PM

I have dyed my hair a lot, but not because I dislike my natural color. I actually like my real color, but I get bored very often and always want to try out new looks to see if they suit me. I like playing around, but I have realized that I miss the look of my natural, undyed hair. It has a certain translucence that dye always covers up. I think I am going to stay natural for a bit.

ravenreed

December 26th, 2009, 08:51 PM

I like having an unusual hair color. My natural hair is okay, but kind of boring. Lately I have some grey patches that make my hair look like my scalp is showing through or something, and makes me like my natural hair even less. I did stop coloring my hair in my early thirties, but it was so dull. I gave in and started coloring again and I am so much happier with it.

missjessiecakes

December 26th, 2009, 09:16 PM

I'm naturally a dishwater blonde, or level 7 blonde as my colorist calls it. I feel too blah and monochromatic with my own hair color as it relates to my skin color.

I have the skin tones of a redhead. i have a redheaded father and daughter. I feel like I got left out, lol. So, I've been coloring it red for about 15 years, and I have no plans to quit anytime soon.

I do dislike that whole "you own color is best" philosophy. Admirable philosophy, but, sometimes people do look better with a color they weren't born with.

My natural mousy brown grosses me out. But I have always thought I should've been a redhead. I burn so bad and I freckle and my eyebrows are red. I wanna henna my hair but I am scared but once I do it HELLO THERE redhead. I will keep it red for forever. My families hair doesnt go grey so easily so its believable :D

contradiction

December 26th, 2009, 11:19 PM

I started dyeing my hair blonde to get male attention and feel better about myself! I worked with two girls who dyed their hair blonde and I thought they were so gorgeous and confident! They looked so good!
Blonde looks good with my skin tone and eyes but I can't afford the upkeep, it's so damaging. I'm currently in the process of growing out my natural colour and texture. Hopefully it looks better than I remember.

RocketDog

December 26th, 2009, 11:30 PM

I quite like my natural color... I just think the henna is more fun!!

I have colored my hair pretty much every shade you can buy, and when I got sick of the upkeep and damage I shaved it all off to start anew. After three years of growing out my natural color, I came to the decision that having virgin hair just for the sake of having virgin hair was nice, but kind of joyless. My hair wasn't ugly, far from it - a nice clear medium blonde, not too ashy or too brassy - but experimenting with haircolor has always fascinated me, and now that I have the knowledge and means to achieve amazing results with henna, I want to enjoy the fruits of my labor!

When I start growing in silvers I do plan to grow out my natural color, since I really LOVE silver hair, but in the meantime I sure love my henna-red hair :)

klcqtee

December 27th, 2009, 12:57 AM

Hm, people keep commenting on how many dirty ash blondes there are on here that dislike their colour. I think that it's actually just the ash tones in general that people tend to not appreciate. I'm not sure why though...

That being said: I don't like my ashy mid brown hair. It's so mousy! It looks grey already, there's no warmth in red or golds. My skin is pink, and very very fair (think ginger colouring) with freckles. Ashy brown hair I never though looked very nice, but as it's growing in, I like it more and more. I'm going to probably end up hennaing it anyway.

MAO

December 27th, 2009, 01:05 AM

I just hate my natural hair color. My hair is classified as medium ash brown (level 5, right smack in the middle). Personally, I don't think it looks brown at all. It's a nasty kind of color that reminds me of mice. Mousy brown, I suppose. My skin is pale and I have just always been attracted to red hair. I would love to try black some day, but I'm too afraid it would make me look deathly ill. I AM pale, but not the perfect porcelain type that goes with anything unfortunately:rolleyes:.
I just don't understand how someone can look good in black, but not with black hair??:confused:
ETA I just saw the other ladies describing their hair exactly the same LOL. Yeah, mousy= yuck

CrisDee

December 27th, 2009, 03:36 AM

I also had a natural color that was a reddish golden brown, and everyone else in my family was very light blonde. When I was young, I used to try to go blonde, I guess to match everyone else, but there was so much natural red in my hair that I ended up with a brassy, orangey blonde, not attractive and didn't go at all well with my skin tone. One day in the late 80's, I got fed up with my hair and said to it (yes, I talk to my hair) "ok, you wanna be red - be RED!" And I colored it red for the first time - and felt like I'd finally found my true self! When the grays started coming in thick and fast in the early 90's, I began regular coloring with a lovely (chemical) copper red that I got many compliments on. Then earlier this year I began coloring with henna. I have yet to achieve the lovely red with henna that I'd gotten with chemical dye, but I'm working on henna/cassia mixes and honey lightening to get the lighter color that I liked better.

As to why I'm not happy with the natural color - it was a bit drab before I started going gray, but way too drab with the gray. But I don't have enough gray for it to be pretty. And somehow I feel like the red is so much more "me." :)

florenonite

December 27th, 2009, 05:01 AM

I'm a bit hurt by all the comments about light ashy brown, mousy hair, dark ash blonde, whatever being ugly. I have hair that colour, it suits me and, guess what? I like it. I prefer it to the colour it goes when the sun bleaches it, certainly, and it looks better with my skin. It doesn't clash with my skin like my henna did. Even if it didn't look good on me, I'd probably still like it because I think it's a nice colour, and it goes beautifully with my blue eyes.

Go ahead and say that you don't like the way your natural colour looks on you, but please stop making sweeping generalisations about how this colour is ugly, because it doesn't have to be. Maybe on those of you who are in your thirties it looks like you're going grey, or it makes you look washed out. I'm not hurt by any of these comments, because it's a personal, case-by-case basis. I don't like the way coppery henna or blonde looks on me, but I would never go so far as to say that I hate the colour. I've even made comments about trying to darken up my blonde highlights to my virgin colour, but always qualified it with a comment that I dislike it on me not in general. I like my natural colour, and I hate to think that all these people in the thread think I've got an ugly hair colour when I think it's quite nice.

Anlbe

December 27th, 2009, 05:12 AM

I dye my hair to be the colour it is naturally if I go in the sun. My hair grows out of my scalp a dark brown with a few natural highlights in it. It's a nice colour but with my pale and rather translucent skin, dark green eyes and overly pink lips it's all too extreme; I can look a bit scary and my hair colour can actually look dyed. Lightening my hair makes me actually look more natural and certainly alot healthier. I look forward to my hair going white (which it's scheduled to do in about ten years) then I won't have to bother.

Chamomile betty

December 27th, 2009, 07:40 AM

I am med blond naturally and have light golden blond highlights through the top. For me I like the combo of natural blond with a bit of light blond shimmer through it. The light would just be where the sun would naturally hit my length.

RedheadMistress

December 28th, 2009, 10:49 AM

- My *natural* hair colour I think is a light brown colour, when I was younger it used to be much lighter and golden, but then it turned darker and now I never see it for long, except when I get 1/2 inch of my root showin and then I dye it again.

I dye my hair red now, before I used to dye it blue, purple, turqouise, black, green, pink, and colours like that since I think they make me happier than seeing plain brown hair !

Now I am completely into red hair and have had red hair colour for 2 years, which is a long time for me, but I have learned that I like altering to different shades of red and it keeps me on my toes as it changes colour and intensity slightly whenever I shower . .
I picked red since I find it fits my personality, I am very fiery and passionate and my natural hair is curly but the hair I have now is wavy since it is So damaged from bleaching, but luckily I like wavy hair more than the corkscrew curly kind I naturally grow ! One of the reasons behind that I think is because hair looks shorter when it's curly, and when I straighten it, the hair looks so dull so wavy is a good in between of the two :D

Also, don't want anyone with brown hair to be offended, it looks great on some people and very sensual as well, but on me it doesn't look good. I fit in either Black or Red ! for now anyways . :)

cobblersmaid

December 28th, 2009, 11:04 AM

I used to have golden blonde hair, which looked quite nice. It darkened to a cooler lightbrown/dark blonde that made me look ill. So now I henna red, and most people think it is natural!

coscass

December 28th, 2009, 11:05 AM

I colour mine because it started to turn out ugly. When I was younger, I had the prettiest golden curls EVER. Then as I got older, it went brown/grey. Not attractive for a teenager, believe me. My sister's kept her natural hair, but she gets highlights. I sometimes wish I had my natural hair back, but I really love my reds.

walterSCAN

December 29th, 2009, 03:33 AM

Heh. I dye my hair to match my eyebrows-- the color I was born with. When I was small, my hair was a gorgeous darkest brown, but it lightened to a weird mousy 'woodland creature' brown on my head and stayed the same everywhere else... I've always hated the new color, it washes me out, makes me feel like I need a lot of makeup, and makes me look older. AND, everyone always thought I dyed it that color, since my eyebrows were still dark, which was infuriating.

I remember looking at my own baby pictures when I was in middle school and being jealous of my haircolor... so now I dye it darkest brown (used to use commercial dye, but now I use a henna/indigo mix) and I'm happy with it!

Kirzja

December 29th, 2009, 04:23 AM

I dyed my hair from age 14 to 19 because there were some girls at my school who were horrible bullies and they bleached their hair light blond (my natural color).
I did NOT want to have anything to do with them nor look like them!
So I dyed mine red.

When I started going to college it seemed safe to get my natural color back, and I love it now :)

Ceisdein

December 29th, 2009, 04:41 AM

Mutinous

December 29th, 2009, 05:30 AM

I think I just had bad luck with the gene pool. I'm naturally almost black with my hair colour, which paled with my very pale skin and dark eyes means I look corpse like, and not in a Twilight kind of way.

I am growing my natural colour out, to give it a good go before I turn grey, but I used to try and inject some warmth into my appearance with my hair colour.

JCFantasy23

December 30th, 2009, 01:24 AM

I just find mine kind of blah. Dark is luxurious and dramatic when I darken it, and the lighter is refreshing and softening. The in between I have is kind of blah and boring to me. I haven't dyed it for years though.

JCFantasy23

December 30th, 2009, 01:27 AM

I don't have a natural hair color. Really. I have photographic evidence to prove it too. *grin*
I was born with black hair, which fell out and grew back dark brown. When I was 2 it turned strawberry blond. By the time I was 5 it was super light blond. At 8 it was a pale brown. Blond again by 13. Medium brown at 15. Bright cherry red at 18... which is when I started dying it, oddly enough, partially to prevent people from asking why I dyed my hair so much. Now that it's been unchanging red for a while everyone assumes it is natural. I find this hysterical.
Red hair suits my coloring and temperament, and I like hennaing. Plus, since that's the last natural color I had, it doesn't feel at all fake to me, just more like I just put a stop to Mother Nature constantly changing her mind.

Wow that is very odd. My son had something strange with his eye color. Ive heard the first color a baby has can change and the second will be their eye color. He took it a step further.

He was born with dark brown eyes, almost black. Kept those for a few months. Then it changed EXACTLY to his father's bright blue eyes. No green or brown or anything but a beautiful blue. About 1 though the blue completely left his eyes and his eyes changed to MY color, hazel brown/green.

People are like, some babies just start with blue eyes, but no...he started with dark brown eyes for awhile FIRST, and they usually lose the color early but the blue lasted at least 8 months. Just odd :poot:

Dolly

December 30th, 2009, 05:07 AM

My hair was med brown when I was younger, but as I got older, my hair became darker. I decided in about 2003 to start coloring to hide my grays, and started playing with different shades.....I have always loved red hair, and since I have been coloring it vibrant red, nearly everyone tells me that the color matches my skin tone (and my personality) much better!

lexiflowers

December 30th, 2009, 06:01 AM

Well naturally I have strawberry-blonde hair. It used to vary quite dramatically in tone throughout the year - in the summer months it was really very blonde with just a hint of strawberry, though in the winter it always went much redder. I was happy with this arrangement, I loved my hair colour and other people seemed to as well.

Over the last couple of years though, for no apparent reason, it was losing the redness. It pretty much just stayed blonde all the time, which I really didn't like. Then this summer it really looked ashy, which doesn't suit me at all. I decided to give henna a go (Lush's Caca Rouge) and love being properly ginger.

I have "ginger skin" anyway - I'm very very fair-skinned, and freckly in the summer, with green eyes, so I really think ginger suits me better than anything else. It just feels right. Strawberry-blonde was awesome, so I'd always argue that I did like my natural colour, but for some reason it changed and now being a ginger henna-head is how I intend to stay! :)

squiggyflop

December 30th, 2009, 10:59 AM

um well my natural color is very strange.. ive never met another person with it.. even under a microscope its weird.. its got a brown outside and a red core.. that brown outside bleaches in the sun easily..

so if i had virgin hair as long as mine is now i would have brown roots-auburn hair at the shoulder-copper hair at bsl-and strawberry blonde at the hips.. as the hair got older it would just bleach more and more down the line.. this doesnt suit me at all..

i like my hair to be closer to all one color.. so i henna it

talecon

December 30th, 2009, 12:52 PM

I get bored easily - brown is so blah for me. I like variety :P
i think I'm addicted to the chemicals. I'm trying to wean myself off it now

Michiru

January 4th, 2010, 11:07 PM

I was also a dishwater blonde. However, I looked more on the brown side since it would be sun that would lighten my hair. I ended up hennaing. It's an ok color but I'd rather be blonde. If I grow out my natural color I could get highlights but it still wont be as light as when I was a kid. I kind of wish I would so grey so I could use cassia to lighten my hair.

ShadowSwallow

January 5th, 2010, 01:17 AM

I'm just fine with my natural hair color, but I much prefer having red-ish hair. Fortunately the difference for me isn't that different, so when I plan to grow it out I don't have to do any chopping. :D

Sammich

January 5th, 2010, 01:55 AM

I get bored of the current colour I have, even when i've dyed it countless times. Plus.. in my opinion, I really dislike my dark brown hair, almost black... It just looks so generic on me. :rolleyes: I love feeling different to everybody else, I have to have some sort of crazy colour or something. :p
Probably because I'm a teenager! :p

Ps. I'm trying to get virgin though. Ahem. So yeah.

otherarrow

January 5th, 2010, 04:09 AM

My hair colour changed as I got older. Now I really loathe it. Everyone used to tell me how much my natural haircolour suited me and that may be true, but I can't stand the look of it so I'll keep dyeing until they shut up and my hair turns grey lol

VenusHalley

January 5th, 2010, 10:49 AM

My natural color is boring mouse brown. Reddish hair fits my personality and my style much better.

MandyBeth

January 5th, 2010, 11:37 AM

Long round about way.... I spent many years with chemical dye until the PPD reaction that burned my scalp and I lost all my hair. It's been growing in now for 6 years. It's a basic dusky mousy brown with white hairs scattering in. It's just blah. Not hideous, but just meh.

The problem becomes not my hair, which I could live with, but my eyes then attract way too much attention. I've got complete, sectoral and central heterochromia. My left eye is centrally hazel, outside very dark brown with an edging of amber on the left side of the iris. My right eye is a mirror of that only with the center being gray, the outside being a darker blue, and the small edge of a silvery blue weird color - very very light and washed out. No vision impact, other than I'm hideously nearsighted, but that runs in the family. My eyes attract way, way too much attention.

So, via the joys of henna, I found out I could have red hair. Much nicer. People notice the bright red hair and they ignore my weird eye colors.

I like it anyways :)

MsBubbles

February 4th, 2010, 05:15 PM

Long round about way.... I spent many years with chemical dye until the PPD reaction that burned my scalp and I lost all my hair. It's been growing in now for 6 years.

:bigeyes:

Oh my goodness, MandyBeth! Well at least it's growing back I guess.

I was going to just bump this thread in response to the 'not very many blondes on this site' thread, and read your post.

BrightEyes

February 4th, 2010, 05:39 PM

My natural color is dishwater blonde, and my skin is pretty pale. I've been highlighting my hair for about 8 or 9 years, and after much internal debate I've decided that although it is drying I prefer the brighting affect highlighting gives. Otherwise I'd look like I'm deathly ill.

MandyBeth

February 4th, 2010, 06:05 PM

:bigeyes:

Oh my goodness, MandyBeth! Well at least it's growing back I guess.

I was going to just bump this thread in response to the 'not very many blondes on this site' thread, and read your post.

Well, that's what a PPD allergic reaction can do, it certainly can be vastly worse as it's not been a long term additional issue.

And for the "good" parts - I've ALWAYS adored spiders, but my parents both were horrified at me getting a tattoo of a spider that would be highly visible. Well, hehehe, once my scalp healed, I went and got my spider on my scalp. She's about the size of a dollar coin and done in grayscale so she wouldn't show thru once my hair grew back in. Also at that time, because I didn't have the hair to tangle around, I got a microdermal put in on my nape. Tattoo is still there, tho' now you can't see it, microdermal came out last year because my hair was getting caught on it and I wanted my hair more than the piercing.

Best part that has NO problems whatsoever - I met my DBF, because he was the only one in the area who was clean to my (fussy, picky) standards and would tattoo my scalp and knew how to put a microdermal in.

I was 22 and still in my gothic princess stage, tho' steampunk had been thrown in by that point. I still love my spider :) And DBF, he's important also :D

LadyJennifer

February 4th, 2010, 06:49 PM

I don't feel like my natural color is truly my natural color. I feel that my hair is truly dark brown/black. My natural color is a medium brown with gold and red highlights. I feel like I'm washed out with that color. My skin is very pale (though gets pretty golden when I'm in the sun), and I have green eyes. I look much more striking with dark hair in my opinion - and whenever I have dyed my hair in the past, my friends and family always exclaim how good it looks.
I was born with black hair which fell out and came in white blond (also like 3b/3c curly), it then gradually got darker and less curly.

walterSCAN

February 4th, 2010, 08:30 PM

I don't feel like my natural color is truly my natural color. I feel that my hair is truly dark brown/black.

This perfectly sums up how I feel about my hair... :cheese: And I have pale skin and green eyes too. Hmmm...

MandyBeth

February 4th, 2010, 08:37 PM

My natural color doesn't belong with my coloring either. Never has - my mom got asked why she lightened my hair when I was a toddler, and that was back when it was naturally fairly dark!

The problem with my henna love - and the prior chemical love affair - is the skunk stripe I get when I get roots.

Never had really tried lightening my hair, mainly because it just dries out and frizzes enough without more help. Tho' I'm really in love with most shades that are really just a shade or two lighter than mine.

Liluri

February 4th, 2010, 08:51 PM

I don't dislike my natural colour, I just dislike my natural hair shaft thinness. If I had lighter colour I'd use cassia but henna works for me at this time.

Hudar

February 4th, 2010, 09:12 PM

who knows. i am a naturally jet blacked hair myself, but i love going at least 5 shades lighter.
lol

Johanna

February 5th, 2010, 12:13 AM

I loved the ivory skin look combined with darker hair. I have since realised that I love the feeling of my natural hair. The colour looks nice on me, I have the natural sparkle and shine of healthy hair. I don't need to use serums or anything like that to make my hair shiny, it does it on it's own.

I do wish my hair would grow dark brunette naturally but alas, I cannot fight my genes. My fiance's hair colour is pretty much exactly the shade I want. I just have to live vicariousy lol.

eamane

February 5th, 2010, 12:42 AM

I haven't had my real color since I was about 13. Born milky blond, I tried bleaching my hair back to that :rolleyes: for several years. Then I tried red :) I have been pretty much every shade of red you can think of, but they all came out of a bottle.
In 2004 I tried black, and it was like coming home, I LOVED it! When I registered here I started with henna and indigo and it was a softer brownish black that I really like too so I'm continuing. My natural color now is, I think, mostly grey with ashy blond in between and I don't feel it would suit me... Perhaps in a few years?

Pear Martini

February 5th, 2010, 07:06 AM

:DWOW, so many replies.

It is interesting that the dishwater colour is the one that most of you mention - I don't think this is an issue with dark blonde, I think that some of us just do have hair that, as it has been so beautifully put, blends into our skintone...

The other thing that has come across, and that I can totally relate to, is the desire to 'stand out' a bit. I know that with darker hair, I feel like I do that far more.

And I am also struck by the number of people who talk of their colour relating to their personality in some way, which I can also totally share! I love the dark, mysterious way I feel with dark hair!

I agree that asking someone why they, in effect, can't just be satisfied with what they've got, is rude...this is why I posted in the first place. I have a few relatives who feel this is a good question to ask, when they see me. I used to look, apparently, 'so pretty' :rolleyes:with blonde hair, and now I look...well, they never really say what they think! :rolleyes:

Thank you to everyone who's posted. Its really interesting to read.
:)

This is totally a regional thing. When I read your post I was laughing. My natural hair color is dark brown sometimes mistaken for black and where I live everyone is a natural dark brunette. Miami is made up of Latinos, Italians from New York, and Jews (which tend to have dark or red hair). I am half South American and half Russian and I blend in so much down here.

The Cuban population is definatly the fairest. The only natural blondes in Miami are the Argentinens (colonized by Germans) and the Cubans. Even the "Caucasian Americans" down here are bottle blondes. I miss having light colored hair but it was turning bright yellow and way to damaged for me to mess with the color anymore so I dyed it back to my natural color.

I miss my light colored hair :(

I love standing out but if it looks fake=trashy.

Being Blonde in Miami definatly has its advantages, especially if you can pull it off in a natural way.
I also start to miss my natural color whenever I dye it, so I have not dyed for 7 months now.

I cant decide which I like more but either way I'm waiting til more of my hair is virgin before I hit the bleach again.

cleanbug

February 5th, 2010, 07:27 AM

I started getting the odd grey hair at 16 years (my Dad started greying around the same age...thanks Pops!).
I started coloring my hair at 16 & continued on with boxes color varying from blond to black & everything inbetween.
I wanted to get away from the chemicals of boxed color so I started scouring the web.
I found henna & for 2 years now I've been using Jamilia henna & just tried Yemen henna last night for the first time.
I love both.
By now, I have to henna every 3 weeks as I am very grey (80%) in the front around my face & the roots drive me nuts.
I'm so glad I discovered henna.

chaoticwaves

February 5th, 2010, 09:58 AM

I thought I was going to grow out virgin hair, but after seeing a couple inches of roots and not liking the ashy med brown color I colored recently. I prefer having dark brown hair as I think it brings out my features, and I have been told this by other people too. I have bleached ends so the color fades rather quickly, but I won't dye again for at least 6 months.

Fractalsofhair

February 5th, 2010, 01:39 PM

Most of my natural hair, I like the color, but I've had it for years because it's my natural color. I'm bored with the blond, and red looks good on me and hides my undereye circles. Now, my hair is turning bluey black/jet black and coarse, at least in the back so we'll see how that looks on me. I might go to henna(Considering it currently, but will wait till the summer), or even bleach if the coarser hair can tolerate it, since I see my cousin who had a similar thing happen when he was 3 or so, and his natural color on him makes him look dead. I'd probably go for a dark brown or a reddish shade, but hopefully that's a few years away.

Beets

February 5th, 2010, 03:31 PM

When I did henna and hendigo, it was because I wanted some drama in my look, something that really made my coloring pop. I am the color of peanut butter--literally; if it gets smeared on my arm, I will never find it. A red rinse or a deep, deep chestnut made a nice backdrop for my face.

KittyLost

November 7th, 2010, 05:02 PM

When I was born I had blonde hair up until 6-7years of age then it went a golden brown which was nice then I hit teenage years and it started turning ashy light brown and I hated it. I wanted my golden warm brown back so I dyed it. I also started dying it a bit darker too but it was always warm tones not ashy ones. I would like to grow out my hair dye and see how my hair is now and if its changed with age again but I am afraid of growing it out and still hating it, making the grow out seem like a waste of time.

tinti

November 7th, 2010, 05:13 PM

I was born with a strawberry blonde-ish color, and I loved it, but as I grew older it got darker and darker, and I feel like I'm to pale for it, and it's more brownish than red now. So I used to put highlights in, until May when I kinda got bored with it and dyed my hair back to it's natural state. It was ok for a while, but now I'm longing for blonder hair again. I have'nt gotten any bad reactions about it, except from the religious people who think hairdy is evil stuff or whatever (no offence).

littlenvy

November 7th, 2010, 05:27 PM

Alas ... I wish my natural WAS a colour! But its a not-colour!
:( My hair is pigeon gray. Some call it dirty dishwater blonde. I call it colourless.
Its darker in winter and lighter in summer ... but over all totally BLAH!

and now I'm going to try to stop dying my hair and try to give my natural a chance again.
In part because I want my hair to be healther but also because I'm just sick and tired of dying it. *sigh* I have been at it since late 80's and I've had enough.
Why does the whole thing just make me depressed??

MissManda

November 7th, 2010, 06:03 PM

I henna my hair, but it isn't because I dislike my natural color. I just happen to like the henna red a wee bit more! :D

Roscata

November 7th, 2010, 06:32 PM

I grew up in southern part of Romania and pretty much everyone I knew had brown hair brown eyes. I guess I don't want to have brown hair because I don't want to be like everyone else. Red is a lot more rare than brown and in Romania I have never met anyone with naturally red hair. Here in Cali I very rarely see someone with red hair, be it naturally or not and I like that. I like having a hair color that's rare.

JulietCapulet

November 7th, 2010, 06:38 PM

I am totally happy with my hair color...and that is why I have only dyed it once (out of curiosity). Now that I have tried it I don't ever want to do it again unless I have to.

nellreno

November 7th, 2010, 07:33 PM

My hair is a very ashy dark blonde/light brown color. When I was a kid I had light blonde hair that actually didn't look bad on me, but then it darkened up. Over the years it's lost almost all warm tones and just looks greyish now, and I can't stand it. It doesn't suit my complexion, it just washes me out.

On a whim I started coloring my hair a dark red with some brown one year, and that looks a lot better with my pale complexion. I really do look better with a warmer color on my hair. Unfortunately the dye did some damage on my hair and faded too fast, so now I'm growing out the dye. Once that's all gone I'm planning on doing some tests with henna to see what color I can get.

UltraBella

November 7th, 2010, 08:32 PM

I have been coloring my hair a coppery red for six or seven years now. My natural color is dark ash blonde and it does not look good with my skin. I look washed out and sickly with my natural color. The copper red brings out my green eyes and looks quite natural on me. I can get away with barely any makeup and still look nice and healthy. I so wish I had been born a redhead :)

sailing

November 7th, 2010, 08:34 PM

I henna/bruxus/indigo to try to keep my hair it's natural color. The sun and salt really bleach my hair, and I don't look healthy with the lighter ash tones.

Shorty89

November 7th, 2010, 10:13 PM

I do like my natural colour, but I had it for years, and I wanted a change.

Cirafly24

November 7th, 2010, 11:46 PM

I started dying my hair at about 13, and tried every color available at some point in the next 10 years. I settled on black when I was 23, and kept that color until I stopped dying altogether in 2009 when all my hair started breaking off from the damage. I like my natural color...it is an ashy light brown/dark blonde with some lighter blond streaks at the temples. It suits me, I suppose. It's just rather boring. It's more farm girl in a sundress running across a field than sexy, mysterious woman with striking features catching your eye across the room. hehe...both are great but it's easy to see which one makes me feel prettier.

I *loved* having black hair...it went very well with my light skin and blue eyes, and I loved that I could wear makeup with bright colors and it would look dramatic rather than clownish. Having brownish blondish hair really puts a damper on my creativity regarding makeup.

I would keep my hair black for the rest of my life if it weren't such a hassle to maintain. I know that I could keep it black with minimal damage if I use henndigo...but it's such a mess. I even have issues using cassia once a month because my whole bathroom ends up splattered with green goop. If I was using something that stained...I'd be out my security deposit, that's for sure.

I wonder if there are any salons willing to mix and apply henndigo. Hmm.

curlymarcia

November 8th, 2010, 08:54 AM

I color my hair because I have some grays :(

kristymarie87

November 8th, 2010, 09:54 AM

Im naturally medium brown. I was dark blonde as a child. Its that dull ashy/dirty brown with no real tone to it. I look washed out with it. I've been blonde, champagne, red, black, pink strip in black, auburn, ginger and now brown with blonde strip. I have changed back and forward between all of them. My fave is red, but the upkeep is too much. It fades too fast and i hate the roots. So i have dyed it close to my natural colour only a bit darker and i can go longer until the roots are noticeable.

Also since i joined LHC i have stopped using perm colour, only semi now and where i used to dye it once per month i now do it around once every 3-4 months. Its made such a diff to my hair. I dont think i will ever give up dye!

aenflex

November 8th, 2010, 10:01 AM

Greys. Lack of shine.

Sieren

November 8th, 2010, 10:23 AM

My natural color is a really warm golden brown, which kind of clashes with my neutral/cool toned skin and blue/gray/green eyes. Everybody thinks my black (henna + indigo 2 step) hair is natural, or at least that it really suits me. I like that I can wear more dramatic make up too, and makes me a little more "exotic" looking! : )

juliaxena

November 8th, 2010, 10:26 AM

I am actually quite surprised with myself. Some time ago I called my natural color light ashy BROWN with no problem. Now I'm trying to grow at least a few inches of my natural hair color and I'd like nothing more than to call it dark ashy BLONDE :(. I don't like ashy brown, I really don't.

mrs_coffee

November 8th, 2010, 10:44 AM

My natural color is dark brown and kind of boring. I don't really *dislike* it, I just like playing around with different colors. It's fun.

Aleria

November 8th, 2010, 10:46 AM

I like my natural colour (in my avatar). I just like black better. I don't feel that it suits my physical appearance any better, but rather my personality - I feel more like *me* with black & turquoise hair.

Unzadi

November 8th, 2010, 11:31 AM

My natural color is mousy and I am not a mousy person. It doesn't reflect the person upon whose head it sits.

patti

November 8th, 2010, 12:31 PM

I can't even remember what my natural color even is. Now it is henna with a smig of indigo on the gray spots to tone down the orange. Love red - at the moment. It's nice to be able to change hair color - isn't it? :)

Sweet_Decadence

November 8th, 2010, 12:41 PM

I think my natural hair colour is a light brown and at present my hair is Cherry Bomb Red and Cupcake Pink from Special Effects.

I dye my hair bright colours because i love the way they look! I really love how bright reds, oranges and pinks make my skin seem even paler and my eyes greener. Once you have that there really is just no going back.

Especially now, with what I know about hair and how carefully I treat it in vain hope that it'll grow, it's really the only indulgence I take on it these days.

Unofficial_Rose

November 8th, 2010, 12:53 PM

My natural color is mousy and I am not a mousy person. It doesn't reflect the person upon whose head it sits.

Ahaha! I could have written this. As a result, I've been blonde, brunette and redhead over the years.

frolovsmom

November 10th, 2010, 07:09 PM

I HAVE FRECKLES! There, I said it. And I HATE them. And make up will not destroy the millions of big dark disease-looking spots. In my opinion, my medium brown hair made them stand out more. That and my super white skin. (Sun or tanning just bring more nasty spots and melanoma is on both sides of my family so I shouldn't anyway.)

I tried red for a number of years (Feria 74) because I thought it would "explain" my freckles and look more natural. And it worked... anyone who didn't know me already thought I was a natural redhead. But I hated how it faded so I started going into more red-blondes to have less maintenance and finally just went blonde. It's been about 5-6 years now.

In the last 6 months I've stopped dying it because I thought... well... better enjoy not having to dye it because as I start going gray, I know I'll want to. Already I feel like my freckles have darkened a few shades, so we'll see....

Synthemesc

November 10th, 2010, 07:16 PM

I'm not sure I remember my natural colour any more, some sort of dark blonde. Been all the colours of the rainbow, and the two that suit me best are turquoise and red. Had to give up the bleach because of damage, so red it is. Just enjoy having vibrant hair, and I wear some crazy makeup a lot of the time so it fits.

Vermelha

November 10th, 2010, 07:20 PM

I color with henna, only because it helps strengthen my hair. But to be honest, I don't dislike my natural hair color, which is the darkest brown, closest to black. The henna didn't really give much color, only a reddish tint that can only be seen in the sunlight. It does help with shine and adding more depth to my natural color.

Miriela

November 10th, 2010, 07:34 PM

I have previously colored with henna and later henna and indigo. Both are close enough to my natural hair color that others don't generally notice my roots. I have colored out of boredom and out of a desire to see if henna really would make it healthier (I didn't notice a difference).

As a color, I don't like my natural hair color, however, I think with my overall appearance (skin, eyes, etc) it's the best color for me and henna/hendigo just look weird. At this time I'm growing out my natural color.

CaityBear

November 10th, 2010, 09:51 PM

My natural color is like a dirty blonde-light brown thing and I just don't like it. I find it dull and boring. But I figure whenever I feel like quitting on henna (and cutting my hair to chin length) I'm going to try honey, lemon, cassia, etc. to try to brighten the blonde a bit. Then grow my hair out with my natural colour! lol

irisheyes

November 11th, 2010, 10:44 AM

I'm happy with my natural hair color now, but I used to dye it because my natural red hair faded over the years. I always identified myself as a redhead and thought I looked best that way. As I aged, the red began to look too harsh. Now I'm happily growing out gray.

Seeshami

June 3rd, 2011, 06:19 PM

It's a plain dirty blond and I have looked at it for 21 years wishing it was red.

Could be my grandmother's fault for telling me all my childhood she had prayed I would be a red head. I was brain washed! That's my official excuse.:rolleyes:

snakewitch

June 3rd, 2011, 06:28 PM

I'm blonde, and... I'm happy with it, so I use temporary tints. No one's hair is pink, blue, or green naturally. And it washes out real quick.

If I could, I'd use henna to make it a different shade of blonde. I like my blonde, I'm just sick of looking at the same shade for so long... I dunno, I'd make it more colorful instead of the dull shade.

ifthemoonsmiled

June 3rd, 2011, 06:34 PM

I actually like my natural color, which is a light reddish brownish blondish color (somewhat hard to identify). I just like it better when it is RED.

That's exactly how I feel! I henna because my hair is kind of red on its own, but I prefer it when it's a shade redder. It just feels more like me.

katsrevenge

June 3rd, 2011, 06:46 PM

I rather like my natural shade of very dark ashy brown. BUT, I went grey very early in life (think 12) in a few places and that just got worse as I grew older. So I dyed my hair every shade of the rainbow and beyond.

I think now I'd prefer healthier hair (my first henna will be soon!) but I still think I'm not ready to wear a crown of silver just yet. (And besides, it isn't even in coloration and it is stripey in placement. It is a very nice silver though... so when I'm ready it will be lovely.)

Mairéad

June 3rd, 2011, 07:14 PM

I was born and was a red head for much of my childhood. It started "ashing" out and becoming really brown in my teenage years and it was unflattering to the very gold and peachy tones in my my fair skin. At that point it only made sense to start making my hair red again since it was that color when I was young. I still consider myself a natural red head even though it doesn't spout out of my top the coppery color it used to be.

kellinaturalmom

June 3rd, 2011, 08:42 PM

I have been coloring my hair (currently with henna) for like 15 years. I recently went 6-8 months of no coloring at all and it reminded me of why I do color- because my hair color is grey. I don't mean I am going grey because I'm getting old, I mean my actual hair color is light brown/grey, totally ashy. Almost colorless. Anything (brown, blonde, red) would be more becoming than that!

SpeakingEZ

June 3rd, 2011, 09:46 PM

My natural hair color is too boring. And it doesn't flatter my features. It washes me out-- I'm naturally light brown. I have pale skin and brown eyes. Doesn't work. Black is much more fitting. I was red for a while and it was fun, but I think the black looks better. My facial characteristics stand out much more.

About nature . . . yeah, I don't think nature had artistry in mind when I was being created. I think some brown hair chom's were grabbed from my dad and some pale skin/ dark eyes chom's from my mom and I got spat out. It was more or less random (factoring in dominant and recessive genes) so why does everyone assume that it's the perfect aesthetic combination?

Miriela

June 3rd, 2011, 11:14 PM

Now that my natural color's coming back in, I LOVE it and can't wait to be rid of the dye. I'm not going to just hack it all off, though. I might in a year or so when the undyed ends are longer.

Nymph

June 4th, 2011, 03:16 AM

I didn't really dislike my hair colour. It was this funny hair that always changed color depending on what I did with it, and I'd be brown in winter and blond-ish in summer. If I used chamomille shampoo and rinsing it would turn blonder and I have summer pictures where I have this really shiny blonde hair. If I used nutshells, I'd have it a deep lovely dark brown, safe for two white-ish streaks in front.
I started dying it to experiment because I was in that adolescent phase, first darker then I went ginger red. I've stayed with the ginger because being naturally pale and having green eyes makes me look a lot better than with my standard "darker shades". People would always complain how "ill" I looked and if I shouldn't go in the sun a bit more. Now that I have red hair I don't get that as often anymore.

I've often wondered about going back to my own color but I just don't have the courage to start all over again.

Ashenputtel

June 4th, 2011, 06:09 AM

I wasn't happy with my natural color until recently. I liked the blonde highlights on me I found that it made my lever 8 ash blonde more alive. But all the treatments and the money is noth worth it anymore.

With darker hair I can have larger eyebrows and it's more flattering on my round face.

Chetanlaiho

June 5th, 2011, 08:37 AM

I've been thinking about this lately, I saw someone say that 'what you are born with is best' but some people swear up and down that they look so much better with a different colour. I don't dislike my natural hair colour per se, but it's just too, bleh? xD I started with a lovely light blonde colour, and it got darker and darker. I assumed it would go near black eventually since that's what the rest of my family has but it stopped at a bit of a meh brownish colour. I dyed it darker (demi) and it hasn't washed out all the way so it's still darker then before.

I just feel that it's too boring, and I really, really want unnatural two toned hair xD Trying to weigh the look versus the damage still v_v

Fufu

June 5th, 2011, 10:26 AM

Why I colour my hair.

My natural hair colour is jet black and unfortunately I look very pale with black hair.

maborosi

June 5th, 2011, 10:48 AM

I get asked this ALL THE TIME. It is SUCH a pain, and whoever asks me goes off on a tangent about how "my natural blonde hair is beautiful", etc. People get so high on their pedestal about it, and it makes me so angry.

It does not look as good as people seem to think. I like my hair black because it seems like it washes out the redness in my face and gives me a more even pale tone. I have very, very dark eyelashes and eyebrows, too, and I just want them to match.

It makes me so angry that people have the audacity to tell me what color my hair 'should' be, or how I "should". I love the way black looks on me- for all the reasons I gave- it's what makes ME happy. If someone doesn't like me because "oh noes ur hair is not naturl color!!111one", then why would I be wasting my time with them? I'm not here to please anyone else. What I do with my hair is my own freakin' business.

Sigh.

~maborosi~

Finnenna

June 5th, 2011, 11:22 AM

I use henna to dye my hair red, and everyone thinks it's my natural colour and say how gorgeous my hair colour is and how well it suits me. They always get a shock when I lapse and my actual hair colour medium mousy brown shows up.

I've never hated my real hair colour, just it's not all that fun. I've got really pale olive yellow tinted skin that runs to red sometimes and tans to a deep, warm toffee colour if I ever tanned again, which is unlikely. Also, if I wear yellow or orange clothing it really washes me out. My eyebrows and eyelashes are naturally black, and my eyes are a bluish green.

One day in the summer before my freshman year in high school, I got bored of the brown and decided to dye it any other colour. I went to the local pharmacy for hair dyes and decided blonde was too much, I would washout completely - black was an option as it would match my eyebrows and eyelashes, but mum said it would make me look like a goth, so I chose a bright cherry red.

I've never stopped dying it red. I switched to henna 3 years ago, and I think it's the best red ever.

curlymarcia

June 5th, 2011, 11:51 AM

My natural color is a boring medium brown. i stated coloring since my first greys appear. I color my hair black and didn't work fine. I had to wear make up every day because I was too pale. Now I rock a light brown style of ombre hair. Light brown suit me better, every one says, and even without make up my skin glows.

blackcatw81

August 13th, 2011, 01:41 AM

I started thinking about dyeing my hair because I wanted a little change and the grays were growing more and more, so I tried a semi-natural salon dye that gave me a red shade and I liked it. Then I researched about henna because of my dermatitis and tried it, coming to fully appreciate it when I discovered BAQ henna :crush: ....

....That was nearly 2 yrs. ago and I've been hooked on ever since :cool: :crush:

Ps: sorry for my bad english ;)

Rosetta

August 13th, 2011, 03:19 AM

Funny, but it seems that at least 90% of posters in this thread have naturally dark (ashy) blonde hair..?! (Or if not that, then ashy brown.) Poor dark blonde, it must be the world's most unpopular hair colour...! ;)

That's my natural one, too, and like the others, I've dyed my hair something or another ever since I was 15 or something (and that's quite a while ago)... I always thought my natural colour doesn't suit me at all, or, like Unzadi said so well,
My natural color is mousy and I am not a mousy person. It doesn't reflect the person upon whose head it sits.
But lately I've been growing it out, as I finally wanted to see how it actually looks like ;) And I've also been feeling it actually suits me better than I'd thought, and that maybe natural is best, after all :) Also as on this forum, the majority seems to think that "nature makes no mistakes" (I think there's been several threads about that - and that's why I was a bit surprised to see this one :)) But now I recently saw some photos of me with my hair up, where only my natural colour shows, and it doesn't look that nice, at least in those photos... So that, plus all these posts have actually made me re-think... :confused:
Well, I think I'm still going to keep on growing my natural, but will use some temporary (deposit-only) dyes to try to find out which actually does look best on me, plus to hide my two-tone hair (hennaed ends & lenghts, dark blonde roots of maybe about 25 cm).

Charybdis

August 13th, 2011, 04:09 AM

My natural dark brown is just a bit too dark, and I've looked better for most of my life dying it an auburn that's just a shade or two lighter. (Apparently it looks natural - I once had someone ask me if my hair was a brighter red when I was a child.) Golden brown highlights work too.

However, the dye increases my hair's natural tendency to frizz, and I don't like what henna does to my texture, so I've been off dye for a while now as I'm growing out. It does seem like my natural color may be lightening a teeny bit with age, so we'll see if I can tolerate it.

Lady Malys

August 13th, 2011, 04:47 AM

My hair is a horrible mousy brown naturally and makes me look and feel so drab. I started just coloring it to bring in some red and got so many compliments that I have now gone red/auburn overall. I started coloring my hair after I had my 1st child 13 years ago and have been using a box dye on it ever since (with occasional splurges to have my stylist color it). Now I think I am going to try to henna my hair to get a brighter red.

furnival

August 13th, 2011, 04:51 AM

Another drab ashy colour reporting in... Since I went purply red I feel much more confident and wear brighter colours- usually I dress pretty drab too. I have dark skin and greenish eyes and the red is a better contrast than the murk. I feel much happier now! :D

Mesmerise

August 13th, 2011, 06:22 AM

That's my natural one, too, and like the others, I've dyed my hair something or another ever since I was 15 or something (and that's quite a while ago)... I always thought my natural colour doesn't suit me at all, or, like Unzadi said so well,
But lately I've been growing it out, as I finally wanted to see how it actually looks like ;) And I've also been feeling it actually suits me better than I'd thought, and that maybe natural is best, after all :) Also as on this forum, the majority seems to think that "nature makes no mistakes" (I think there's been several threads about that - and that's why I was a bit surprised to see this one :)) But now I recently saw some photos of me with my hair up, where only my natural colour shows, and it doesn't look that nice, at least in those photos... So that, plus all these posts have actually made me re-think... :confused:

I think this is an odd way of thinking, to be honest. Nature makes no mistakes? Well then why are some people born with overly large noses? Or sticky out ears? Or... well whatever :p. If nature made no mistakes everyone would be equally beautiful!

Now, we can argue that everyone IS beautiful blah blah blah... but I mean in a purely aesthetic sense... and reality is that not everyone is aesthetically beautiful as everyone else.

I doubt that the random assortment of genes that are thrust together when a baby is made always combine perfectly to ensure that a person's hair matches their complexion. In fact... I don't think genes really care at all! Some people hit the genetic jackpot, and others come out somewhere on the other side. That's life!

If you're naturally blonde and look better with dark hair, then by all means dye it! If you feel better as a blonde, then lighten it!

MonaMayfair

August 13th, 2011, 06:28 AM

I think this is an odd way of thinking, to be honest. Nature makes no mistakes? Well then why are some people born with overly large noses? Or sticky out ears? Or... well whatever :p. If nature made no mistakes everyone would be equally beautiful!

Now, we can argue that everyone IS beautiful blah blah blah... but I mean in a purely aesthetic sense... and reality is that not everyone is aesthetically beautiful as everyone else.

I doubt that the random assortment of genes that are thrust together when a baby is made always combine perfectly to ensure that a person's hair matches their complexion. In fact... I don't think genes really care at all! Some people hit the genetic jackpot, and others come out somewhere on the other side. That's life!

If you're naturally blonde and look better with dark hair, then by all means dye it! If you feel better as a blonde, then lighten it!

I totally agree. Lot of people look FAR better with something other than their natural color!
I don't mind MY natural color, though it's so fair people used to think I dyed it anyway, but I prefer having red hair!

intothemist1999

August 13th, 2011, 08:39 AM

I colour only my temples. All my grey is concentrated there and when I have my hair up (I usually do, mainly for work), from a few feet away it looks more like bald spots.

I use Herbatint on the temples and blend it back a little into the length.

Rosetta

August 13th, 2011, 08:47 AM

I think this is an odd way of thinking, to be honest. Nature makes no mistakes? I've never really agreed with that, either ;) Not that you were saying I would, but since you quoted my post, I just wanted to point that out, lest no one get the wrong idea ;)

This is one of threads I was referring to in my post, where nearly every poster agrees with that idea ("nature makes no mistakes"): http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=34472

I've even posted there disagreeing with the majority, I see :) At that time I wasn't yet really growing out my natural colour (I was just off dyes because pregnant).

RitaCeleste

August 13th, 2011, 09:27 AM

Nature makes plenty of mistakes! I've seen animals born with no eyes! And you think mother nature is gonna care if your skin color and hair color match up? Well, that's just silly. I don't like my natural hair color, its dark brown and getting darker. The worst thing about my hair is its coarser stiffer texture. Coloring it actually helps it. I had it natural to my waist, I was not impressed in the least. I'd rather have waist length hair than classic length hair as long as I can keep coloring it. In fact if I have to have it natural, I probably would cut it up to BSL and neglect it terribly because I don't want that for hair.

growingpains

August 13th, 2011, 09:44 AM

Hmm good thread. I will answer as someone who has given up the dye and is almost all virgin, but who used to color religiously for over a decade from my teens to mid twenties. As you can see my hair is medium brown. The ends pull red from sun, the top is ashier.

For me, I guess it started with the allure of blonde hair being more fun and trendy... hence the bottle of sun in at age 12. Was neat at first but within months had horrible brassy hair with damage and a demarcation line. Then in high school I decided my hair was too "medium brown" and it needed to be darker. Aside from one stint as blonde in grade 12, I pretty much went darker for most my life. For a long time it was dark brown - as I thought it looked nicer with my blue eyes, but really once I started the reason I continued was it was hard to stop. The dye made my hair shinier for a few months and I hated the roots growing out. Then came black in my early twenties. Went that color as I wanted something that stood out as different and was in a bit of a goth phase.

Loved that for awhile also but roots were horrible to deal with. So stripped it to medium brown which resulted in horrible damage and hair that was too orangey. For the next couple year after that I wanted it natural as I was fed up with the perils and damage of dye, but my dyed hair refused to stop going orangey, so I kept dying it for a while. Eventually I bit the bullet, did a couple semi's then grew out from there. Now I have a few inches of dye left but am mostly virgin.

I have a found a few greys, so am happy I will get to enjoy my natural color for awhile before I have another change. I think I will let my greys come in once they start (as of now only I can see them, and it's only a few), but once they are noticeable I may do blond semi rinses to cover the greys only and give natural highlights.

RitaCeleste

August 13th, 2011, 09:55 AM

I'd like to add that I felt totally scammed by the whole natural is better thing. My natural hair was not the best thing since ice cream. It didn't grow to amazing lengths. It was not soft. It wasn't more flexible. It didn't tangle less. Natural hair solved zero of my hair issues. I see people chopping colored hair day in and day out. I just hope they end up liking their natural hair better than I did. I try to dye my hair an unnatural color so people will know I dyed it because I've been skipping make-up and stylish cuts. I want it to indicate I make some minimal effort cosmetically. Bright red hair color has replaced nail polish, make-up, and salon cuts. You're lucky if I pluck the eyebrows. I love the idea of people spending hours a week trying to wear makeup and make it look like they have none on. I find the whole natural look and the lengths required to achieve it a whole different kind of scam. If I put make-up on, its gonna be glamorous or fun. My hair has some damage from coloring, but I am happy to deal with that. I guess I'm just not a fan of natural.

October

August 13th, 2011, 10:08 AM

I don't mind my natural color, but I get bored. I have completely given up the permanent colors after 10 years using them. I love the wash out colors that last 28 shampoos, just enough time for me to get bored with the color and want to change. I only color twice, maybe 3 times a year, because I like seeing it fade back to my natural color after a couple months and sticking with that for a couple more months before getting bored again. I haven't colored since May, so my dyed color is pretty much faded out for the most part but I have no plans to redye for a few more months. I love switching my color up. I don't wear the same color shirt, why should I always wear the same color hair.

battles

August 13th, 2011, 11:57 AM

I'm another mousy brown colored one. My hair looks so dull and boring under normal lighting, but it glows reddish and blonde in the sun.. So that's a bonus.

I've always wanted red hair and I'm seriously considering henna.

BeckyAH

August 13th, 2011, 12:16 PM

I dye my hair because it's fun, and because I like the way veggie/deposit only dyes make my hair feel. It really isn't any more complicated than that - and I don't see much reason it should be. My hair is part of me, yes, but it's also an accessory (to me!) that I play with. Part of the play for me is color.

Curly Hermione

August 13th, 2011, 12:17 PM

My hair is a dark greyish blonde, not that there's anything wrong with that. I don't die it, but i've used lemon juice and stuff to try and get it lighter.
The thing is, i always thought of myself as blonde, i was when i was a kid, but then one day i caught sight of mself in a mirror and it looked almost grey, but not even properl grey, just dull and drab. It's improved a bit since then through the lemon uice, and i want to try honey on it, and i recently bought some lush Marilyn blonde conditioner which i have yet to try, Naked also do a blonde conditioner which worked quite well.
I'm not fussed with having draco malfoy type blondeness or anything, a honey gold colour would suit me down to the ground, i just want it to be a proper colour, so someone would look at me and say i was blonde. I thought i'd give it a couple more years trying to get the right shade of blonde and if that fails, i'll use henna/indigo to go maybe midnight black, but probably dark red (think nicole kidman in moulin rouge and kate winslet in titanic). I asked my friends and they said they like my colour now, but red would suit me, my mum said neither of those colours would work on me, and she wants me to get blonde highlights, no offense to those of you who use commercial dyes (i.e. not henna/indigo) it's just i want my hair longer, and as it's curly the chances of that happening are already slim, i don't want to do anything that could severely hinder my chances.
Sorry if i'm a bit off topic!

l0nd0nbr1dg3

August 13th, 2011, 12:20 PM

It's kind of like I already colored and now it's too late I really want stop tough

archel

August 13th, 2011, 12:39 PM

I actually really like my natural color (dark brown/mahogany) - but adding henna just spices it up just a tad and it's FUN! :)

HeatherJenae

August 13th, 2011, 02:14 PM

I dye my hair dark brown because my natural medium brown with red highlights looks awful against my very yellow toned skin. It's funny, my roommate has dark brown hair and would kill for red hair and I'm just the opposite. We're never happy are we? :) If I had her hair, I would never ever dye it. It's beautiful.

Nae

August 13th, 2011, 02:52 PM

Oh my. A zombie thread! Run!! :brains:

At any rate, if you like to dye, do it. If you don't, don't. Simple enough, it is just a taste preference.

ghilliegirl_an

August 13th, 2011, 03:35 PM

I actually love my natural color but like many here have also said I just get bored with it occasionally. I only use semipermanent dyes like special effects so if I get tired of it(which I always do) I will have my natural color back in a month or two and can dye it whatever color I want next. I also like to stand out and my natural color while very pretty doesn't stand out quite as much as say purple and red(my hair color currently). I've always wanted red hair however(I guess that's the Irish dancer speaking) but I don't want to bleach my hair because of the damage it would cause and red is the one color that can't be covered with colored hairspray, it just turns orange :/ I have a dark wig that I wear for dance so I have to keep my hair somewhat close to that color.

AbbyGirl

August 13th, 2011, 03:38 PM

I love my natural color (dark brown, almost brown) but for being only 28 I had WAY too many grays. So I decided to henndigo to cover them not to change my color.

Cania

August 13th, 2011, 03:39 PM

I always wanted a purple tint to my hair, and my natural hair colour simply doesn't suit me!

Mesmerise

August 13th, 2011, 04:08 PM

I've never really agreed with that, either ;) Not that you were saying I would, but since you quoted my post, I just wanted to point that out, lest no one get the wrong idea ;)

This is one of threads I was referring to in my post, where nearly every poster agrees with that idea ("nature makes no mistakes"): http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=34472

I've even posted there disagreeing with the majority, I see :) At that time I wasn't yet really growing out my natural colour (I was just off dyes because pregnant).

Ohh I hadn't seen that thread before. Well yeah... Nature isn't about to colour match every single individual on the planet :p. Most of us are a bit of a mismatch of genetic information from different races who developed in different climates etc. Originally humans developed colouring that suited the environment they lived in. Nature didn't care less that their hair was "pretty" or they had lovely skin tones. Races that lived up in the cold northern climes tended to have lighter skin and hair, while those in hot climates had the opposite. It was all about survival.

Nature makes plenty of mistakes! I've seen animals born with no eyes! And you think mother nature is gonna care if your skin color and hair color match up? Well, that's just silly. I don't like my natural hair color, its dark brown and getting darker. The worst thing about my hair is its coarser stiffer texture. Coloring it actually helps it. I had it natural to my waist, I was not impressed in the least. I'd rather have waist length hair than classic length hair as long as I can keep coloring it. In fact if I have to have it natural, I probably would cut it up to BSL and neglect it terribly because I don't want that for hair.

Yup, exactly. Not everyone is born with hair that perfectly suits them, or is perfectly textured. We've just got to do the best with what we've got, and if that means colouring our hair or whatever, then so be it! Most people think I'm a natural red head because I've got a complexion to match my hennaed hair, but the reality is I just have mousey brown hair. I like the red, it stands out and looks pretty!

citadel

August 14th, 2011, 10:23 AM

I am known for changing my hair a lot, but I'm also Asian, so I am constantly getting comments from white girls like, "oh, but asian girls are BEAUTIFUL--why would you want to change your hair?" and some have even insinuated that i'm changing my hair because i want to "look white." Even other Asian girls have accused me of the latter, which is infuriating. I have a very fickle personality with everything--I jump from one hobby to another, I am constantly changing my fashion style depending on my mood (romantic/whimsical, urban, vintage 50s or 30s, preppy with cashmere cardigans and pearls, etc), so why is me changing my hair color automatically a sign that I am "betraying" my "race"?

I love having my very dark brown hair that has a natural red tint in the sun, but if I want to go ginger, why the hell should it matter to anyone else? :(

ktani

August 14th, 2011, 10:37 AM

I know a number of women who colour their hair because they prefer a diffent shade or a completely different colour than their natural one.

It is personal choice. Not all hair colours people are born with are best suited to them.

Some people colour their hair for fashion or just fun.

I cover my grey-white with catnip tea. I have natural light blonde in my hair (my natural colour is dark blonde with some red).

Over the years natural hair colour does change.

When my hair was very dry at some point years ago it would absorb the colouring of different products, so even if someone is not intentionally trying to affect their natural colour it may be affected by a choice of shampoo, conditioner or treatment that is not intended to add colour.

Skin tones do or can change as people age. That will vary.

My sister is 4 years older than me, greyed much earlier than I have and is more daring in her current hair colour choices. I think they all look great on her (shades of red and streaks of blonde).

Mayflower

August 15th, 2011, 06:35 AM

When I was younger (like 12) I had proper blonde hair, but over the years my haircolor (along with its texture) changed. It darkened alot until it was this mousy dark blonde/light brown color.
Now (after a few chemical dye fiasco's) I henndigo my hair to a very deep dark brown color which I love WAY more than blonde! I have blue eyes and it makes them pop, plus it matches my fair skin instead of washing me out.
I don't know, I felt quite boring with my natural color and now I feel like I stand out a lot more:) plus nobody can ever tell it's not my natural color so I guess that means it matches perfectly.

milk

August 15th, 2011, 07:04 AM

I like my brown hair color, even though it is really ashy, just because the ashiness suits my skincolor. I can be jelous of all other girls with brown hair, I have never seen anyone with my almost greyish brown, but still, I don't think a warmer brown would suit me.

I bleached my hair about three months ago, because I kind of wanted to punish my hair. I have always been hating my hair, during my entire life, every single day. I thought that I will never be happy with my hair anyways so I might aswell try to bleach it.

And I actually love the blonde on me, don't wanna go back brown, but I don't wanna hurt my hair anymore, so I think I will wear an ombre for the next couple of years (if I don't go back to brown).

AngelDella

August 15th, 2011, 09:08 AM

I am naturally a "dirty blonde" but have highlighted my hair for many years. I have not highligted for almost a year now, hoping to grow longer hair, but I am having a hard time liking the color of my natural hair...I feel drab and I don't really think it complements my med fair skin tone. I am thinking about trying the honey lightening techniques I've read about on here, but see conflicting opinions about whether or not it dries out, damages hair. I am new here...any suggestions? Thanks!

PorkChop

August 15th, 2011, 09:39 AM

invisiblebabe

August 15th, 2011, 12:45 PM

Avital88

August 15th, 2011, 01:01 PM

i like my own haircolor but it just takes way too long to grow it out at this point, plus i LOVE black hair so i decided i will just keep it black. also i have dark skin which just looks better with black hair. people never think im not natural black, they only ask me if i wear blue contacts.so i think it suits :)

PinkyCat

August 15th, 2011, 01:04 PM

Because I like salt & pepper in my food - not on my head.

luxepiggy

September 29th, 2011, 04:27 AM

I dyed my hair for the first time ever this past June (dark brown to blue black), and I'm never going back to my natural colour again. I can't believe what a huge difference it made. My complexion looks more radiant, my skintone is more even, my cheekbones are more defined . . . amazing! (^(oo)^)

The dyed colour actually looks more natural on me than my natural colour, which people always used to assume came from a salon.

didrash

September 29th, 2011, 05:13 AM

Because its kind of common here. Its a very dark brown and its just... ordinary. True, when my hair was freshly washed, it was dark auburn and attracted attention, but I am not so fond of red hair. I do not think lighter hair would actually suit me, with the dark eyes and black eyebrows it woulds scream "fake". So I decided to try blue-black, and I love it, it contrasts with my white skin nicely. I may have to give it up eventually, its not good for the hair...

luxepiggy

September 29th, 2011, 05:28 AM

ilovelonghair

September 29th, 2011, 05:41 AM

My natural color doesn't suit me, make me look extremely pale and a bit sickly.

Lapin

September 29th, 2011, 06:48 AM

i agree with the many, many posters who feel their natural hair color is kinda blah and not well-suited to them.

i have dusty, mousey brown hair with erratic pieces of gray. at 28. it's not a good thing.

i always dyed my hair black because i liked how vibrant it made me look - my pale-ish skin looked more glowy, and my eyebrows and eyes are dark so it matched.

now i'm going natural until i get below my shoulders, and i am counting down the days! i have always been a sucker for redheads, but i know dark hair is much more flattering to my skin tone. my compromise? dark with a red henna rinse on top :) i've been planning this for months and i am soooo close.

vonink

September 29th, 2011, 12:16 PM

Other than my crazy coloring days (I still wish I had naturally purple hair, lol) I like my hair color. Its a deep brown with strong red tones depending on how often I'm in the sun. I've been coloring my hair off and on since I was about 13 (I'm 27 now) and at first it was because it was fun. Since about the age of 16 I've colored my hair because there are grays everywhere! Once I'm older I actually hope my entire head turns gray, I think it looks pretty.... but for now I'd rather not have gray hair showing!

Honestly I'm debating coloring my hair anymore. I do love the non gray look (lol) but I want my hair to be strong and healthy too. I may look into alternatives to the harsh chemicals I've used in the past (haven't used boxed dye in many years).