New Hair Colour!

October 1st 2011 saw me getting my hair dyed!

I knew it had to be done – I’ve graduated from university, I’ve just started my first paid photography internship, I’ve been bleach blonde since the age of 16 (I’m 23 now!) and I was well due a change, and I’m SO glad I did!

I decided to have my hair coloured at the same Toni and Guy salon that I had it cut in a few weeks earlier because of familiarity, convenience and because I felt comfortable there .  Two days before my appointment I had a skin test to make sure my skin didn’t react to the dye, which was fine.  I arrived at T&G at 10.30 on Saturday morning and was out by 1.30 – it was quite a lengthy and complicated process but my hairdresser (Abby) was fab.

I bought in a few pictures of how I wanted my hair, one of Hayden P, Emma Watson and MK Olsen.  Abby told me that Emma’s (below) would be really good to do because we have a similar skin tone, and because it looks like she only has two colours in her hair which would be easy to do.

new hair 033

She then explained exactly what she was going to do with my hair (I was SO anxious and worried, but she calmed me down, ha!).  She got the book of hair colours out and we chose one which was a shade lighter than my natural mousey blonde colour.

Abby then applied one strip of that dye, then a strip of bleach to my roots, then the dye, then the roots etc in layers until my whole head was covered.  Then Abby applied a ‘neutraliser’ to a lot of my still bleached hair (whilst the dye was wrapped in tin foil).  This toned down my bleached locks and made them more ‘neutral’ into a light natural blonde.  After about 40 minutes I then went over to the sink to have the dye washed out.  A toner was applied to my hair after it had been shampooed and left on for a minute (apparently it worked instantly to just tone everything down a bit).  Then my hair was conditioned as usual, brushed through and blow dried on a low heat.

The Results:

I LOVE IT!  I just think I look so much more healthy and glowing now – I don’t look as pale as I used to and my eyebrows aren’t as standout-ish which is good.  4

I am fully aware that my roots were atrocious before the dye – I hadn’t bleached them in 10 weeks because I knew I was going to dye it anyway.
3

As you can see there is still a lot of bleach blonde in it, especially on the ends where the dye hasn’t held as much, the top of my head is much darker which I like.  There is also still quite a lot of my old roots in there which is fab because I’m hoping it’ll be less obvious when they grow through.

Now, one problem has definitely been the colour fading.  Every time I wash my hair, my shower turns brown after shampooing which I hate seeing as I don’t want the colour to lighten.  The colour has faded quite a bit now, but in the light its still quite a dark blonde and you can still see the different colours in it.

1

The whole head of highlights cost me £75 – I got 20% off because I work in the same shopping centre as the salon (it would have been £98).  I was expecting to pay over £110 so I’m quite happy with the price.

One thing that is worrying me though is what I’m going to have to do when the roots come back.  I definitely can’t afford to get them topped up in a salon every month – have you got any suggestions?  What would happen if I put an ‘at home box dye’ on my hair? 

What do you think of my new look? 

What products can I use to stop the colour fading and how can I maintain this colour cheaply?

xxxx

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52 Comments

  1. October 12, 2011 / 5:21 pm

    Katie, this looks absolutely gorgeous! x

  2. October 12, 2011 / 5:23 pm

    It looks incredible! Really suits you xxx

  3. October 12, 2011 / 5:25 pm

    I love the new colour on you and you're right, it definitely warms you up. Gorgeous as always…xxx

  4. October 12, 2011 / 5:27 pm

    I love the new color! It looks great on you. You are right about it making your skin glow.

  5. October 12, 2011 / 5:32 pm

    Your hair looks gorgeous 🙂

    Maybe shop around for some smaller hairdressers, they might be a little bit cheaper? Some places do discounts on certain days or trainee's with supervision.

    I use a hairdressers in Grays, which is not far from lakeside, only for cutting, i dye my hair myself, but they're good. Also if you use RUSH, you can get discounts from being a new customer

    laura
    xx

  6. October 12, 2011 / 5:35 pm

    looks so nice i really like it, bad news though, you cant just stick a box dye on because its highlights so it would look weird, however on the plus side with highlights roots blend a lot better i only get mine done every 5/6month and although its obv i have roots they dont look too bad.

  7. October 12, 2011 / 5:41 pm

    I like this color way better than the other color. As far as roots go, I would get a drugstore box for touch-ups! If you get sick of dying your hair, you can dye it the same color as your natural hair and let it grow out… I like to use those semi-perm colors… it provides the fun and the thrill of dying your hair without the consequences of having to do touch-ups! If you want, you can buy 3 boxes of a semi permanent color and at the end of every month re-apply it until you get sick of it! PS I am a follower, please follow me! ultaismycandystore.blogspot.com

    -Holly

    • January 20, 2017 / 7:46 am

      I have naturally dark brown hair but had been highlighting and dying my hair since I was about 13 years old. I actually didn't even know what my natural hair color was until my older sister, younger brother and I shaved our heads for Saint Baldrick's (it's an organization in the states that aims to raise money to find cures for children with cancer) so yeah- it was funny I had dirty blonde hair prior and when it grew back in, it was dark brown. I went total bleach blonde once, and when my roots would start showing I would get a box of hair dye from the drug store to touch up the roots and it got to the point where the root touch ups (I always waited at least three weeks before touching it up again) were causing my hair to literally break at the root. I had little Alfalfa like sprouts all over my head from the damage! I always had thin, brassy, straw-like hair and I thought it was just how my hair naturally was, but it was from the dyes and the bleach. Since shaving my head I have a freaking lion's mane, my hair is so thick it drives me insane, but it's so much healthier. The only coloring I've done to my hair since was an ombre, just blonde on the ends, and it's pretty much grown out now. I do miss being a blonde sometimes, but when I think of how thin and damaged my hair was I reconsider- not to mention I am NEVER shaving my head again!! I am not a sexy bald GI Jane type of gal 🙂

      anyways, wasn't trying to get in your business, just giving a warning from personal experience!!

  8. October 12, 2011 / 6:11 pm

    wow!! i think it suits you so much better than how you had it before!

  9. October 12, 2011 / 6:50 pm

    I love it! I think it brings out your features better

  10. October 12, 2011 / 6:56 pm

    That looks absolutely gorgeous. Suits your skin tone beautifully! Xx

  11. October 12, 2011 / 7:23 pm

    couldn't imagine you with different hair, but you look totally amazing! 😀 xxx

  12. October 12, 2011 / 7:42 pm

    one word – gorrrgeous!

    I used to spend loads on lightening my hair too and when I could no longer afford it I started looking at cheaper places – the service etc obviously aren't as good as Tony & Guy but results are still pretty good. Also try like independant hairdressers, generally cheaper or those that you visit them at their house! x

  13. October 12, 2011 / 8:01 pm

    Love it! Looks great.

  14. Anonymous
    October 12, 2011 / 8:09 pm

    ahhh, you're looking so hot! i looove itttt

  15. October 12, 2011 / 8:28 pm

    Love your new color, i think you look better with new one! cutie..

  16. October 12, 2011 / 8:34 pm

    Ooh it looks fab! No tips from me, I've yet to bleach my hair.

  17. October 12, 2011 / 8:38 pm

    Looks gorgeous! Definitely gives you a warmer complexion and looks really natural 🙂 x

    http://wewereraisedbywolves.blogspot.com/

  18. October 12, 2011 / 8:55 pm

    Love the colour, it really suits you 🙂 xx

  19. October 12, 2011 / 9:49 pm

    it looks really nice!
    I have bright raspberry pink hair so i know about fading! I use as cold water as i can, usually leaning over the bath so its only my head getting cold.
    and i invested in some pro shampoo, i use loreal vitamino colour protect one, my semi-perminant hair colour can last months with this!
    hope this helps!
    Amy xxx

  20. Naomi
    October 12, 2011 / 10:18 pm

    I agree with Amrita; I love it 🙂

  21. October 13, 2011 / 2:11 am

    I was expecting you to be brunette from the wee blurb! That would be awesome, but it looks gorgeous 🙂

  22. October 13, 2011 / 2:39 am

    Get a gloss treatment on your hair.

    For the pat couple of years i've been a red head. I used to have to re-dye my hair even when I felt my roots weren't bad because the color was fading.

    Than i started getting gloss treatments after each dye job. It cut the visits in half (I could actually wait until my roots needed it)! And my hair would barely fade at all (and not until much later).

    Glossing treatments are cheap to (at least in the US ~$10) so saved me money too.

  23. October 13, 2011 / 8:20 am

    Katie, it looks gorgeous!!!! xx

  24. October 13, 2011 / 9:33 am

    It looks gorgeous, really well done to Abby. Great colour job.
    xx

  25. October 13, 2011 / 11:59 am

    WOW! love it – looks gorgeous xx

  26. October 13, 2011 / 11:59 am

    WOW, love it.. it looks gorgeous xx

  27. October 13, 2011 / 12:10 pm

    Your hair looks great, the colour is really lovely on you! 🙂 xo

  28. October 13, 2011 / 1:22 pm

    You look amazing! I love the new colour! 🙂

  29. October 13, 2011 / 1:44 pm

    you look so pretty and the new color is awesome !

  30. October 13, 2011 / 2:33 pm

    WOW! What a transformation. I LOVE IT! You look so healthy and glowing as you said and so much more sophisticated! Amazing what a haridresser can achieve xx :o)

  31. October 13, 2011 / 5:36 pm

    I love it. You are stunning.

  32. October 13, 2011 / 9:27 pm

    I loved your hair before but I think this looks even better! Completely suits you.

  33. Anonymous
    October 14, 2011 / 9:19 am

    Amazing!!!! I don't know if you have sites in the UK that are equivalent to Groupon, LivingSocial, etc. but those types of deal sites easily get you at least 50% off treatments at great salons 🙂

  34. Anonymous
    October 15, 2011 / 1:11 pm

    Much better, than the previous colour.
    Not so dramatic, but you are more beautiful with him.
    hi,
    Anita
    From Hungary

  35. October 16, 2011 / 3:55 am

    I absolutely love your new hair colour, it looks amazing on you! xx

  36. October 16, 2011 / 1:12 pm

    WOW!!! it looks fantastic!
    I have major hair envy! xxx

  37. October 16, 2011 / 8:25 pm

    I colour my hair at home, and I think it's kinda fun 🙂 Messy sometimes, yes, but saves a lot of money! You can always try a bit of ombré dyeing, colouring the roots and down on to the lengths blended out so as to not get a choppy colour. Or do some highlights just on the roots, that is on the same hair that's been highlighted!

    Hope it helps 🙂

  38. October 17, 2011 / 11:51 pm

    Be careful with box dyes! Throwing a "blonde" dye over bleached and salon-coloured hair can sometimes be a mistake.. it can go grey or green or some other mess. You have so many lovely colours in there. Blonde can be bad to mess with. It was easier before to simply bleach your roots because you just wanted it all to be bleached and it was easier to match. I've put a "medium honey blonde" over salon coloured blonde with highlights before and gotten grey.

  39. October 18, 2011 / 3:35 pm

    echoing what a previous poster said, Groupon is the best for getting deals at salons

  40. October 20, 2011 / 7:22 pm

    you really really suit this! you look gorgeous! keep it like this your features stand out more! xx

  41. October 21, 2011 / 12:01 am

    The new hair color suits you perfectly ! *

    I loved your blog =)*

    http://itsluckynumberseven.blogspot.com

  42. October 25, 2011 / 1:00 am

    Definitely would not attempt using any bleaching products myself… always always always get the hairdressers to do that. oh the joys of being "fake" blonde.. 🙁

    http://prettyaesthetics.blogspot.com/

  43. November 1, 2011 / 5:53 pm

    Hiya Katie! How are you? Just spent ages reading your blog! Its amazing! I really want you to do my make up one day because I am poo!

    Just wanted to comment on this one though because I have had the same issue with the roots thing and I have been using a hair lightening conditioner and spray and it has really helped lighten my roots as they come through and blend them in… So much so that people keep asking if I've had my hair done! The roots are still there but they're not very noticable and actually I like the rooty look!

    The conditioner I have been using is the Mark Hill lightening conditioner (which also smells amazing). I got it really cheap from boots from their bargain bin. I have also been using the john frieda lightening spray, which reacts to heat, but haven't been using it as much… Hope that helps! Think your hair is a little bit darker than mine but still worth a try I reckon.

    Anyways – hope all is well with you! Congrats on the job. Would be lovely to see you soon… Maybe at the Arc Xmas do this year???

    Lots of love
    Grace
    xx

  44. November 2, 2011 / 11:01 pm

    suits you and your hair looks so healthy!

  45. November 9, 2011 / 11:23 am

    John Freida Go Lighter gradual lightening spray is great for avoiding having to go back to the salon for root touch up – just pray it on the roots before you blowdry your hair and it reacts with the heat to gradually lighten the roots – its an absolute miracle product. I have basically the sdame dye job as you (which looks LOVELY btw) and i havent had to go bck to get my roots done in over 4 months. hope this helps, i really do recommend it! 🙂 xxx

  46. November 10, 2011 / 7:51 pm

    Looks amazing. Beautiful look. And the example I will take with me next time I go to the salon.

    Now tell us how to do that eyeliner!

  47. Jos
    November 11, 2011 / 11:30 am

    Your hair looks way better now, but seeming your natural colour is dark i think you would look amazing with dark hair also it will make your eye colour stand out!

  48. November 21, 2011 / 9:47 pm

    I loved your bleach blonde hair but the darker blonde is definetly more sophisticated! I've recently gone from bleach to darker blonde and it's funny how people's attitude changes towards you x

    http://lovesince85.blogspot.com/

  49. November 29, 2011 / 5:55 pm

    I miss your almost white hair 🙁 it had a very ethereal glowing quality to it that made you look like a goddess or angel.

  50. December 3, 2011 / 1:05 am

    the new colour suits you so much – you look amazing! the whole 'roots' problem is the reason I went from blonde to brunette – i just couldn't afford the upkeep 🙁 xx

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