To Blonde or Not to Blonde

Hi Jim,One of the very best way to determine the exact direction to take with your haircolor is to use the INTERACTIVE COLOR SELECTOR at:http://www.wwbeautystore.com/color_selector/color_frames.htmlHaircolor mistakes can happen anywhere, but they're most apt to occur whenyou 're coloring it yourself. That's why color pros always recommend saloncolor. Many salons that specialize in color have very affordable juniorcolorist rates or hold model nights, during which your wife can get hair color ata very reasonable price.If you decide to color your wife's hair at home, here are sometips to remember:First, the haircolors that are appropriate for your wife's skin tone are notdetermined by analyzing her skin. They are determined by the color of theflecks or lack of flecks in the Iris of her eyes. The same molanocytepigments that make up the coloring of her eyes are ever present in herskin tone. The goal is to compliment the flecks of color. Gold fleck=Gold tones, copper flecks= reds, auburns and coppers, etc. If she hasclear blue, grey or green eyes that are absent of a lot of flecks then shecan wear just about any hair color. For example, Annie Lennox, the singerfor the group eurythmics, has worn just about every wig color imagineablein her music videos and looks great in all of them. She has extremelyclear blue eyes. Your best bet is to take your wife with you to a wig shopin town and try on several colors of wigs in good lighting - this will giveher some incredible perspective on what works and what does not. Kind of atry before you buy scenario! :) Keep in mind my eye fleck test is simply a guideline and not a steadfast rule - the wig test in good light is the best test for the unprofessional eye.Unnatural color pigment is much harder to lift from the hair than yournatural color pigment - remember color cannot take out color. You mustemploy a mixture of powdered bleach and 20 volume Hydrogen Peroxide to thepreviously color areas and allow the hair color to lift one shade above thedesire level. Level 1 = Blue/Black Hair; Level 10 = Platinum Blonde - soif your wife's goal was a level 6 Honey Blonde, Then you would have to lift thehair to a level 7 of lightness, then tone the hair back one level to 6 witha Honey Blonde hair color.Choosing your shade from the haircolor box is not always accurate. Darkhair usually comes out darker, blondes come out brassier and reds goredder. That's why you should always do a test strand first. Take aone-inch piece of your wife's hair and apply the solution from scalp to ends, leavingit on for the full development time. Be sure to dry it completely beforeyou decide if it's right for her (color always looks markedly differentwhen it's wet).In your service,Mickhael> My wife has been frosting her hair for several years> having it foiled. She has let her hair grow to> mid-back and it has been getting lighter over the last> year or so. A close friend of hers just colored her> hair a dramatic light blonde and my wife liked it. She> has gotten to the point where she is considering going> light blonde, as well. The only condition is she wants> me to color her hair. The thought excites me but also> has me quite scared. Is there a way to gradually> lighten her hair over time or should we just color her> hair in a two-step process? I appreciate your thoughts> and encouragement.