Help me pick a color

hey caramel...let me know what bleach you end up using and how it goes.  I'm always looking for a better bleach. Good luck when you do it!

the type and amount of developer depends on the brand you chose..just read the instructions.  You can Colorfix and bleach the same day (because Colorfix is gentle), but I would personally wait at least 24 hrs before coloring to give your hair a break, deep conditioning in between treatments.  So bleach on a Friday and color on a Sunday so you won't have to go anywhere really with orange hair..or just wear a hat :)  You CAN do it in one day after your hair is dry, but I would always wait after bleaching.  Oh, and  (as the directions probably state) the bleach will process faster at  your roots, so first apply to the length and then the roots for the last half of the time (so your roots won't get too light compared to the length).  ALWAYS strand test first though to know th correct amount of time.

Edited by meli

You can bleach your hair once (sort of a "single process") to acheive the shade you want, but darker hair may require a bleaching one day and then bleaching again a while later to get hair to the desired shade (double process). For instance, if a person with black hair wants a light yellow blonde hair, chances are she'll probably need to bleach her hair twice (once to the orange stage and the second time to the pale yellow stage). Though just a possibility, it's something you should be aware of...best to know what may happen rather than being surprised by it.

You will need a developer with your belach (oil or otherwise) to activate it. Hair dye is just chemistry...mix 2 chemicals and get a reaction that lasts for a certain amount of time and can be sped up wth heat.

Use Colorfix first to remove the permanent color...otherwise you may have to bleach more than once to get light brown.
Developers are used with hair color or bleach to activate it.  20 vol lightens 1 shade, 30 vol 2-3 shades, and 40 vol 3-4 shade (you'll lift 3 shades with 40 vol and possibly 4, but not guaranteed)

I don't recall the name of bleach I used, but any from Sally's should be fine. 

I've never used L'Oreal so I don't really know how well they work.  You can post a noew topic about them and see what other people might say. 
The Excellence Hicolor says it lifts hair 3 to 4 levels, which would take you from a level 1 (black) to level 4 or 5 (light brown), supposedly without pre-bleaching.
Did you dye your hair entirely black r just the highlights?  I'm not sure about any effects on natural hair.  I know Colorfix is very gentle, but the most I would imagine it would do is remove some protein?  Again, I'm not sure.

that chart u attached is really helpful! i'm a visual learner and reading the "Haircoloring Intro to color..." thread didn't help me much, i didn't even finish reading it off b/c i was getting almost nothing out of it (it's actually a wonderfully-written thread, i'm just more visual, can't process text as well as i do images)... thank u 

but u said use "40 volume" developer, would that replace bleach?  l'oreal makes a professional version of preference haircolor that is to be used with 40 vol developer.. do u think that would be sufficient to go from black to a somewhat dark shade of blonde (probably golden)?  they also have "excellence hicolor" which is pro haircolor especially made for black to med brown hair, but it's to be used with 30 vol.. i don't think it would be anywhere near enough.  what's ur take on that?

and also, what would colorfix do to any true black hair i have, as in any hair that is naturally black and not due to the dying process.

thanks for ur help

i saw the cherry and plum, and i think they would look really nice on dark hair... can't imagine them on light hair.

 Hi Caramel!

 Thanks, I think I've seen those wash out L'oreal shades of pink hair color. I have tried the L'oreal Color rays, in Fushia Flash!

 I did that twice within a year. It was sooo bright, even I freaked out.

 So I'll look into those wash out L'oreal colors. Thanks for the suggestion!

 Love, katie;)

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

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