To avoid your highlights turning brassy or orange as the toner or color fades, you will have to make sure the stylist "lifts" the lightened bits to a level 9 or 10. Getting near black hair lightened to this level is quite damaging, so keep that in mind. It's not impossible, but you may not like what your hair feels like to obtain the color results you want. If you are only looking to cover grays, your easiest bet is to use a single-process demi-permanent color with an ash tone - this is the least likely to go warm or brassy as it fades.

I have dark brunette hair and when i get highlights, i get caramel.

I think really dark brunette hair is the prettiest color and not that many people have it. I say keep it as is!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Purple shampoo will. Destroy your hair

What? Never heard of this.

Me either. Off to search. Purple streaks go well with dark brunette hair.

You want light brown highlights. You want to bring warmth overall. I have cool complexion but I get caramel highlights and it looks great. I think ashy highlights immediately read grey on dark hair. Google ash brown highlights and you’ll see what I mean. When mine occasionally get ashy I immediately ask for them to be toned.

I think a balayage color may look good on you.

To avoid brassiness make sure your stylist uses a good toner plus use purple shampoo at home.

My youngish stylist talked me into curtain bangs, and I love them. I also have caramel highlights around my face to camouflage grays coming in, and they work well. I suppose you could get a cooler and ash color, but then it would probably end up looking gray, which is the very thing you're trying to avoid.

My colorist said you should go with ash brown.

I don't think dark hair goes with ash highlights, unless we have different visions of what dark means.

Anonymous wrote:Purple shampoo will. Destroy your hair

What? Never heard of this.

Purple shampoo will. Destroy your hair

Sure, give it a try. Use purple shampoo. If you hate it, you dye it back on the next visit.

I've always had my dark hair colored the exact same shade, just to cover grays. I have a cool complexion so I don't ever want any warmth/orange tones. Lately, however, I'm beginning to wonder if I should seek very cool, ash-toned highlights, just to break up the wall of very dark brown/black.

Has anyone with similar coloring had success with highlights? I'm so worried they'll be caramel or warm colored or turn brassy and I look hideous with any orange. TIA.