Dye Color for Brown on Black Hair

Hi,

I have Asian Black (Very Dark Brown) hair and I want to get some highlights. I know how to do them by myself and don't really care if I mess up because I'm a teenager and a boy and that tends to be what we do.

I know all the basics of highlighting such as foils, lotion to protect staining of skin, brush, etc but just need to know what color to start with. I've always thought hair dye was kind of like a paint because it can lighten some hair but I guess Asian-Black hair is just too dark for the dye to over power. I just want brown highlights, visible, but not extremely flashy. Brown on the darker side that makes my hair look complex but not really piecey.

I tried L'Oreal's Feria number 51 or Brazillian Brown, foiled it in, waited for it to develope, shower, etc. And NO COLOR. I cannot tell the difference between highlighted and non-hilighted unless i hunt for a strand and hold them up side by side, even then, the color is just slightly different.




What color do I need to make Brown on Asian-Black hair? Are the dyes in highlighting kits better than just carefully applied hair dye? I really dont want to have to lighten my hair before I add color. How long should I wait to try to dye it again to avoid damage?