Help me pick a color

Hi,

Even if the dye says they have "ultra lift technology" it's unlikely that the dye will make much difference on your black hair.  The ultra lift is to enhance the colour and perhaps give highlights etc, but on already brown or lighter hair...I'm sceptical.

With any hair you need bleach if you plan on going more than 2 levels beyond your normal color.  Since you have black hair, using a dark blonde or light brown will most definitely turn your hair a shade of orange.  Do NOT just use the box color alone.  I reccommend that you either use bleach first or just choose a darker color, but that's just my reccommendations so you don't get orange hair.  Pictures on a box are not usually accurate, especially when it comes to the darkest shade shown.  Good luck with whatever you choose to do :)

I dunno If it matters or if you're still considering dying your hair. I was just going to ask if your hair is currently dyed or not. If so, I was just going to suggest to colorfix the color or use another product to remove the color and then dye it. I like your 3rd choice, but I'm sure you can find a Garnier Nutrisse shade which looks similar.

wait, i have a question: meli said that my hair would probably turn orange if i decide to go more than two levels beyond my natural color...

if i would like to achieve golden brown hair, can i get one of those shades that will turn my hair orange then apply the desired golden brown afterwards?  wouldn't that be a tiny bit safer than bleaching first, or is it about the same, or will the orange base ruin everything (i know that new color is a mix of base and added color)?  i only want to lighten my hair from black to a color light enough to give way to golden brown or dark honey blonde

thanks for the tips already given, and thanks in advance for any new ones

My sister is in the same boat. She's a Siberian eskimo (adopted), naturally black hair, very dark eyes, olive skin. She tried to get her hair my colour (light golden blonde). Unfortunately, her hair was down to her midback at the time, and she was NOT willing to cut it, so she had two feet of orange hair for 6 months till she could afford to get it fixed.

Seriously, go to a pro. It might hurt your pocket book, but at least you won't have to start a new hat collection.

Well, I've been looking all over the 'net trying to figure out why you can't fix orange on your own. I haven't found the official answer yet, but everything I've looked up has said to DEFINITELY not try it without going to a pro. Most of the answers I've found have had to do with running the risk of extreme damage to your hair due to the chemicals required to fix it. From what I can tell it seems that you need to do more than simply neutralize the red and yellow tones, but need to restore the blue tones as well, which requires a colouring expert.

Hope that helps at least a little :) Though the research hasn't helped me... I'm trying to go to the opposite colour end (red-head) but I've got a lot of gold in my hair and don't want to end up looking like Carrot Top.

hey i was just searching and came across clairol's born blonde line.. is this bleach? what is this stuff?  one of them is made especially for dark brown to black hair... i'm guessing it's bleach, if it lightens so much

i feel like an idiot posting and replying to myself lol, but i'm an over-achiever and i cannot rest until i resolve my problems, especially my beauty problems 

anyway, was just checking out sally's.. they've got tons of coloring kits for pros that are "extra high lifts"... they're especially designed for salon use to lighten black hair up to 4-5 shades, and l'oreal even has a special hi-lift professional line to lighten black hair to blonde, single process, no bleach required... so far, so good

i'll just wait until someone replies to this informing me that i can't do that either on my own due to something .. i'm not liking this tough black hair anymore, u know

i know, that's what i thought about clairol as well...

but yeah, thought about it, had the brilliant idea of calling sally's and i did.. they sell pro coloring stuff, mostly made by l'oreal and wella (some made by clairol as well).. and it's super cheap, she said the price of the color is $5.29 and i'm guessing the developer would cost around the same; she also said they have a swatch book thingy in-store.. all i have to do is mix them as directed and apply them to my hair.. i'm a neat-freak, and i follow directions well, so i figured that if some beauty student can do it, i can too

all i have left to do is pick color which i think will be equally painful since i can't tell whether i'm cool or warm, but i'll see my way around that.. i think i'll just go ask one of the make-up counter ladies at the mall

Hi there Caramel!

 You are smart, and fiesty, and that's cool, I'm the same way.

 I'm glad You're resourceful! I agree with not affording to pay a professional colorist/stylist. I mean all I wanted was  a few streaks of Pink(I know I'm a GOOFball), so anyways, my Stylist Mary, said, "Oh that would cost about $50.00 ,instead of the $80.. dollars for complete color.

 Oh wow, I get to shell out (really over $50.00 bucks) with tax, and tip. Just for some pink streaks,...sorry, not made of money.

 I guess I can live without the pink streaks,right.

 So anyway, I'd rather buy some new clothes instead!

 Plus Gas prices are super high, and I'm a newlywed, and although my Husband and I invest, and save our money, we still don't want to break the bank over frivilous stuff.

 Sorry for my rant, just had to vent a bit.

 Thanks,...

 Katie