Getting the Red and Yellow Out

> Let me preface this by saying, I am not a professional> hair stylist/colorist. I had my dark brown hair> highlighted with cool, ash highlights, just in the> front like a sunburst. However, what I received as a> result was very yellow and orange highlights (warm> tones, not cool tones). I went back and had ash toners> put on it and she even re colored it to add ash, but> still I have yellow and orange. I brought in a picture> of Alyssa Milano, who by the way has very dark hair.> In the picture it showed light ash highlights (almost> painted on). Now I know if she can get the results of> cool tone highlights, I should be able to find someone> who can do this as well. My stylist told me that this> was the only result I could achieve with my hair -> since my hair pulls red. My suggestion was to pulll it> up to white and then tone it down to ash. Any comments> would be helpful. Thank you.To Kathy.RE your Highlights:When your stylist lightened your hair for the highlights, she should have used a color with a 'violet base' to eliminate yellow tones and most likely a combination of blue/violet base colors to eliminate 'yellow-orange' undertones. Check out the new article that I have written that Karen has on the opening page today. On the back page there is a copy of a 'color wheel', showing the different 'base' colors for different shades. I accidentally left out one very important paragraph that should be added to the article. The color wheel shows the three 'primary' colors,red yellow and blue. Orange, green and blue are 'secondary colors, which are made by mixing equal parts of two of the primary colors to form them. Tertiary colors are formed by mixing equal amounts of primary and secondary colors together. Browns, greys, and derivitives of them are made by mixing various amounts of these colors together. Colors directly opposite each other cancels out and will become brown or grey when mixed with each other.But by varying the amounts of 'base' colors we can cancel out the unwanted yellow/orange tones with a blue/violet or violet base product depending which is the more dominant undertone. Study the wheel, it will not fail when properly applied. NOTE to Karen, please add this to the article. william

Kathy,I totally agree with William. I am not a professional colorist, but I do have my light brown hair highlighted all over. My colorist, who is wonderful, adds anti-gold and anti-red drabbers to the lift solution. The actual stuff that she puts on my hair is bluish-purple in color. When the process is done, I am left with cool tones. Be ware-- don't concentrate too hard on what your color is under flourescent indoor lighting! You will always look brassy! Instead, go outside and let the natural light hit your color. If you still look brassy out there, you NEED to either find a new colorist or make sure that she uses drabbers in the mixture! This can be done! Don't let her fool you! Good luck!Sherry> To Kathy.RE your Highlights:> When your stylist lightened your hair for the> highlights, she should have used a color with a> 'violet base' to eliminate yellow tones and most> likely a combination of blue/violet base colors to> eliminate 'yellow-orange' undertones. Check out the> new article that I have written that Karen has on the> opening page today. On the back page there is a copy> of a 'color wheel', showing the different 'base'> colors for different shades. I accidentally left out> one very important paragraph that should be added to> the article. The color wheel shows the three 'primary'> colors,red yellow and blue. Orange, green and blue are> 'secondary colors, which are made by mixing equal> parts of two of the primary colors to form them.> Tertiary colors are formed by mixing equal amounts of> primary and secondary colors together. Browns, greys,> and derivitives of them are made by mixing various> amounts of these colors together. Colors directly> opposite each other cancels out and will become brown> or grey when mixed with each other.> But by varying the amounts of 'base' colors we can> cancel out the unwanted yellow/orange tones with a> blue/violet or violet base product depending which is> the more dominant undertone. Study the wheel, it will> not fail when properly applied. NOTE to Karen, please> add this to the article. william