Box Haircolor - Any work with highlights

[Anonymous]

So I'm thinking of coloring my hair myself. My husband thinks I'm crazy and should just go to the salon but...I'm thinking of trying it. Has anyone had any success with blond box hair color? I bought one of those highlighting kits with the cap but I think it would take me HOURS to pull my hair through that cap (I've started a few times only to stop because it was taking forever..maybe I just need to get the hang of it). I feel like the brush on highlights are going to look gloppy. Am I crazy to think I can do this myself? Do any of the all over colors that claim to work with your highlights really do that...because it seems a lot easier to just apply it all over my head instead of highlights but I don't want to come out looking like I have a yellow wig on. Any thoughts?

[Anonymous]

I use one that claims to have "mulit-dimensional colors" and I think it says 3-colors mixed togethor (I think it is Clairol). I have light brown hair. While it doesn't make perfect highlights, it does add some dimension beyond plain basic color. I have had people tell me they were surprised my hair was colored by box color since I had "subtle highlights." But I also have grey hair, and that tends to color slightly differently and add "highlighting." Glad they are good for something.

[Anonymous]

I have been coloring my hair for years (started in law school when I was too poor to pay someone else to do it) and you would never guess. It makes my hairstylist crazy because he says its not fair, but he also loves it that I can actually pull it off (he is a well known colorist in DC). We have an agreement that he will tell me if it ever starts looking bad and I will believe him! Its naturally blonde but has gotten darker and darker over the years. I use Loreal, the no drip kind that is suppossed to cover gray well. Its the one Andi McDowell was the spokes model for... Anyway, I have always had natural highlights in my hair so the "box" color works well. I dont have to worry about it looking one dimensional. It might be the same fpr you. The bleach/color will affect/adhere to different colors in your hair differently. The key though was finding the right box color. My natural blonde hair (looking at pictures from childhood thru highschool - pre coloring) has lots of natural gold tones and soft yellows. I would have thought I would go with that "box" color (i.e. gold or natural) but my hairdresser at the time (an internationally recognized colorist - mom would pay for cut but not color!) told me to try the cooler tones like champagne or ash. It balances the tones so it looks like my hair color when I was younger and isnt at all brassy or too yellow. I know this isnt a direct answer to your question but hope it will help you a little. The other thing is try one of the multi-dimensional brands like Feria. I hear one can get good results from it but havent changed myself because I am happy with my hair and see no reason to mess with it.