Going red? Yay or nay?

[Maverick494]

Hi all,

I guess I got inspired by all your beautiful hair pictures floating around these boards. I also got infected with the "I want red hair" virus :D

So now I ask you experts what you think of it.
- This is my current haircolor:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/image.php?u=22272&dateline=1272659670&type=profile It's a warm, caramel brown.

Anyway, I'd love to try out red. But I want to stay natural, so I only want to add some red tones to my already warm haircolour. So it pretty much becomes brown/red (auburn).

The farthest I will go is a burgundy color, but even though I love that color, I'm thinking it will be high maintenance.
http://headlines.nos.nl/documents/63/40/6340a327075b2ceb1aa5cda754a82171.article_wide.jpg

So what do you guys think?

1. What would be the best way to go?
My mom said that maybe I should start with some inconspicuous red streaks. Or should I colour all my hair at once?
2. Which colour should I take?
3. Henna or semi permanent hairdye/casting?

Thanks in advance all!

[tinti]

Maybe some kind of copper tone? That'll probably look good. I'd say go with some streaks first to see if you like it. That's what I would've done if I should have changed my color without nowing how it suits me :)

[squiggyflop]

try a washout like manic panic first.. that way if you hate yourself as a redhead then in 10 or so washes you will have your normal color back and will not have ruined your hair..

[Angeletti]

I think red would be really pretty on you whether you do streaks or overall color. I would try a semi permanent first before Henna, because from what I've read henna is a lot more permanent and if you didn't like the color then you would be stuck for a while with it, but at least you can wash out the semi color after so many washes

[May]

Use a demi like Herbal Essences Natural Instincts.

[GRU]

Go ahead and do a trial run with a wash-out dye, but after that, you can't beat henna, IMO!

If you don't want to go the burgundy route, you can do a mix of cassia/henna for a more subtle red tone. And I think your original hair color is ideal for going red.... it will be beautiful!!!

[amaiaisabella]

I agree with squiggyflop. Try a wash-out color first. Burgandy is a beautiful color on hair, speaking from experience, but it may not always match your skintone. It took me quite a few rounds of bleach and my hair still has some strawberry tones once I decided to get rid of it- so, be very sure this is what you want! That said, if henna's permanent benefits came in a clear tone, I'd be all over it, because hands down it was the best thing for my hair since avoiding heat :)

[Anje]

I like henna, but I'll agree with the others that a wash-out color (level 1 or 2, not 3, from the boxed hair dyes) first would be a good move if you don't already know that you'll look great as a redhead. Henna glosses are a good way to go if you decide you just want a touch of red, while henna+cassia tends to make a bright coppery orange. Be aware that chemical red colors tend to fade really fast, while henna is usually impossible to remove.

[triumphator!]

I agree with the sudden need for red hair. I hope it works out. Post before and after pictures for us, and good luck!!

[GRU]

henna+cassia tends to make a bright coppery orange

Not necessarily!

Starting out with brown hair, there's no way for henna or cassia to lighten the color without bleaching the hair first, which isn't the OP's intention (at least, not from what I read).

A brunette can't go straight to orange from henna or henna+cassia.

[amaiaisabella]

GRU- I think it depends, because I went straight to orange when first hennaing, especially in the sun. Not bright carrot orange, but more like the natural color of a peach, or something. With repeated hennaing it turned to burgandy. But I guess you mean like a straight orange, rather than an orange tint?

[GRU]

While all henna will have an "orange aura" in sunlight, mixing cassia and henna together isn't going to lighten brown hair to look like Bozo the clown. There may be an orangey undertone, particularly before oxidation, but you're not going to end up looking like this: http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m1/jennybeanjcb/orange_hair.jpg

:D


But the OP will hopefully be doing strand tests prior to committing to a henna mix, so there should be no problem!

[Roseate]

I agree with trying a temporary first to see if you like it.

HOWEVER- be aware that many of the 'level 2' drugstore dyes do contain a tiny bit of peroxide in the developer. They will lift your base color a little and even after the temporary dye washes out, you will have a demarcation line, and the area where you dyed will be a little lighter/warmer. So if you want to go back to your natural color, make sure there is no peroxide involved.

Just chiming in, because I tried a wash-out Natural Instincts years ago, and was unhappy for long, long after as I was growing out my 2-tone hair. It was subtle, but it drove me mad and I wish someone had warned me beforehand!

That said, I think your hair would look great with a touch of red. Strand test and enjoy! :)

[halo_tightens]

try a washout like manic panic first.. that way if you hate yourself as a redhead then in 10 or so washes you will have your normal color back and will not have ruined your hair..

I agree with this. If it turns out that you don't like it for some reason, it will eventually be completely gone, with no sign that it was ever there. The same can't be said for most other methods.

If you DO like the red on you, then I heartily recommend henna! :D

[Merlin]

Mrs Merlin is a natural strawberry blonde, but now she's got one or two bits with less colour in them she sometimes uses one of the temporary wash-out colours. They last about a fortnight and in her case leave absolutely no trace of their passing.

[Maverick494]

Thanks for the tips everyone!

I will start with the washout color first, like most of you suggested.

Would this be a good one?
http://www.divine-darkness.com/catalog/accessories-manic-panic-hair-color-cream-vampire-red-p-836.html?cPath=1_17_52

I'm really confused to which is actually a washout color and which one sticks for 28 shampoos.:confused: Because I don't want to get stuck.
And these days, a lot of hair colorants are permanent in one way or the other.

If I like it, I'm going to take a good look around for what will be the most ideal henna mix for me.

This is sort of what I'm going for (minus the druggie face) ;)
http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/a/armani_exchange_watches_090416/c_lindsay_lohan.jpg

[Hotrox]

I love that colour, stunning.

[Khiwanean]

An example of that specific color (vampire red) on unbleached hair can be found here (http://manicpanic.com/besthaircolor/vampirered.html). It's the third picture down. If that's not what you want they do have pages for other colors, though they may or may not have any examples with unbleached hair.

[Maverick494]

^^I checked. The girl has nice hair, but the red looks...purple-ish somehow. But then, she let it sit for 2 hours. I'm not planning to do that.

Here's another picture of what I'm aiming for, more or less. I'm not a fan of Lindsay Lohan, but I like her hair in this :D

http://static.poponthepop.com/images/gallery/lindsay-lohans-red-hair-is-gorgeous.jpg

[squiggyflop]

vampire red will make it very very red.. i used to color my hair all the time with manic panic..
here is a page that shows that color in action (http://www.manicpanic.com/besthaircolor/vampirered.html)

click on the jars on this page (http://www.manicpanic.com/classiccreamformula.html)to see all the different colors
i beleive electric lava on unbleached hair (http://www.manicpanic.com/besthaircolor/electriclava.html)comes the closest to lohan's red

[GRU]

That color will look beautiful with a cassia/henna mix, as well! Just beautiful!

[skay]

Hi all,

I guess I got inspired by all your beautiful hair pictures floating around these boards. I also got infected with the "I want red hair" virus :D

So now I ask you experts what you think of it.
- This is my current haircolor:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/image.php?u=22272&dateline=1272659670&type=profile It's a warm, caramel brown!

<snip>


Wow, it seems you already got golden and reddish-auburn highlights in your caramel brown hair - very nice!

So I'd vote nay. That said, I can see how fun it would be to do red.

[slythwolf]

When I was deciding whether to dye my hair and what color, I spent weeks photoshopping it so I could see how it looked on me and having people vote on my LiveJournal. I highly recommend this approach, it did not steer me wrong. XD

[lastnite]

you could also try on a wig. I tried on a long haired wig many years ago to see if I wanted to invest the time to grow my hair long, and the only one they had that long was an auburn one... It's a little shocking at first to see such a drastic change, but the red did make my eyes pop. It's just hard to get the exact red with henna though!

[countryhopper]

I second a wig (or at least trying on lots of different shades of red wigs!)

Reds are special, I think. They can be a beautiful color, but the wrong shade can totally clash with your skin tone. Try on different wigs, or hold those colored hair samples against your face, and see what it does for your complection. Also, what color are your eyes?

Keep in mind that reds seem to be the haircolor that fades the fastest. If you do a permanent color you might be looking at frequent colorings in the future.

There are some beautiful hennaheads on the boards, but all of them seem to stress the importance of being 100&#37; commited before beginning to henna! There's no looking back!

You have a beautiful base color, by the way!

[Jules diamond]

I say yes!

Just did it myself earlier today. I'm trying out some red dye at my tips, but if it can stick around for long enough, I'm going for my whole head.

[Maverick494]

@lastnite & countryhopper: wigs sound good, the only problem is I wouldn't know where to get them. There are some online stores that deliver them, but those wigs are really expensive. :? Lastnite, where did you get yours? Did your hairdresser bring it?

My eyes are dark green.

@slythwolf: Unfortunately I don't have photoshop and I'm really bad at editing pics :/

I don't really want to be drastic, as I already have a warm haircolour, but I thought it would be cool to make the step from wam caramel brown, to a more auburn colour overall. :)

Thanks all for the insight so far! You guys are great :)

[lastnite]

I tried them on at Merle Norman store that used to be in the mall here..maybe see if there's a wig shop around, or even the clip on extensions in a red color can give you an idea.