Before you head to the colourist, there are three things you
need to take into consideration when choosing a new hue: your skin tone, the
colour of your eyes and the shade of your natural hair.
“Choose a shade of colour within two shades lighter than
your hair’s original hue,” says Liz Edmonds, colour director at the renowned
Daniel Galvin salon. “The hair you were born with complements your
colouring, so it’s a good idea to stick within the same colour spectrum to
enhance your hair, but not to go against your natural look.”
Christy Blake, HOB Salons’ senior colour director says that
they also assess what fashion tribe a client would belong to as there
are many different variations of colours that can be suited to the individual
image.
If you are picking colour from swatches of nylon hair in the
salon, the technician may have to combine tones to achieve the shade you have
chosen. If your hair is already dyed, the colourist has to take
this into consideration. Best to take in a picture so you both know what you
are talking about. Chocolate can mean different things to different people. You
are thinking dark chocolate, but the colourist could be thinking milk
chocolate.
For a rule of thumb,
those with olive skin should avoid red shades or blue-based colours as
these can make you look harder. Stick to semi-cool colours, chocolate browns,
golden browns or beige gold.
For those with fair skin, choose warm colours such as
neutral beige. If you have a ruddy complexion, ashy shades will help to
tone it down. For neutral skin tones go for a flat base.
“If home-colouring, do not take the colour to the ends of
the hair,” advises Liz. “They are more porous, which means they accept the
colour more readily, so it will make them much darker than the rest of the
hair.”
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| Liz Edmonds, colour director at the renowned Daniel Galvin salon |
Before you undertake any colouring process, ensure you know
the upkeep entailed. “Red shades will fade the fastest and you may need to keep
having vegetable colours in between having your roots done,” says Liz. She also points out that highlights on top of tint will
ultimately go brassy.
Scared of undergoing a major change? Try framing your face
with some lighter pieces to soften your look. “Ensuring that your hairline is
lighter than the rest of your hair will prevent it from appearing as if you
have a dark ring around your face,” says Liz.
You could also try experimenting with a colour that washes
out after six to eight washes. A word of caution: if you already have colour on
your hair don’t put anything on before talking to a colourist as
semi-permanents can react with what is already there turning it into a
commitment rather than an experiment. Before having any colouring process you
should always do a skin test.
“Remember that using any type of colour is likely to affect
the condition of your hair,” says Liz.
By Daralyn Danns
