Blonde to Brunette

If you follow me on instagram you may have noticed I made a bold move and went from blonde to brunette last week. It was kind of a last minute decision although I had been wanting to do something different for a while now. So I figured, why not? I'm really happy with how it turned out and I thought I would share a few tips on going from blonde to brunette.

See my tips after the jump:

1. Make sure you want to do it. It's not easy to go back blonde without frying your hair because the process involves more than just putting a light color on it. The process usually involves lifting the color with bleach so make sure if you are going to do it you are going to stick with it.

2. Take a picture with you. Trying to explain hair colors can be disastrous and usually what color you have in mind might not be what the stylist is thinking.

3. Pick one or two shades darker than your natural color. The stylist and I selected a color that was pretty close to my natural color, maybe one shade darker and a little bit warmer (my natural color is that lovely dirty dishwasher blonde). Also keep in mind when you're really blonde the brown is most likely going to fade a bit.

4. Consider highlights by leaving some of the pieces blonde. I cannot stress how important this is when making a big change. The highlights give you dimension and also help to warm up the dark color so it isn't such a dramatic change.

5. Pick a shade of brown that looks good on you. I already know (from previous experiences) that reds don't work too well with my skin tone. I picked a warm shade of brown and was really happy with how it turned out.

6. Use a color protecting shampoo and conditioner. It is a known fact that the color will most likely fade some, but do protect it by using a color protector so you can keep it from fading as much as possible.

Ever made a dramatic hair color move? What tips do you have?

(p.s. I am not a professional hairstylist, although I did spend some time working for a hair salon in college. These are just my suggestions).