Going to try to dye it myself - W/ PICS!!

Ok...so, my previous experiences with doing it myself haircolor were when my friend bought lightest golden blond, and put it on, and I was a bright yelow color...and when I decided to give myself highlights by painting a light colored demipermanent on with one of those big brushes that come with mixing, and I applied heaviest at the roots...which basically gave me huge orange roots...

So, after spending $200 for foils, and not always able to pay that every 6 weeks which is why I currently have the roots that I do:)...I need to start learning how to do this myself...

Ok...this is about what my hair looks like now...the top 3 inches or so are my actual hair color, which is pretty light anyways...and the rest is foiled...

Ok, so I really like how Jennifer Anistons hair looks in "Rumor Has It"...

though I know that her color is darker and more red than mine naturally...and the color of hers costs a fortune...and dont need it exact...but anyways...what I was thinking (based on what I've read on here - wow Rebekah, you know so much about this stuff!!)...

I could do an all-over color in dark ash blond using a 10 volume peroxide - which I think should only be about 1 step from my natural color (do any of you know where to find a good chart for natural color??)...

now, this is where I get confused...I know that my hair is fairly light, and very ashy...so can I just use that color which is also ashy, or do I have to worry about it going green...when I first got it done at the salon, they would make it WAY too brassy, and I used this purple stuff from sallys to try to get rid of the brassiness...

Then after the color...I'd want to do just a few foil type highlights...again, based on what Rebekah said, I was thinking of using the LOreal Excellence CremeHighlights...

around the face and hairline...

Do you think that this is a plan that I cant mess up too much...the only other time I've done all over color was that lightest golden blond, so I'm scared, cause that really didn't go well...

Do I need toner...what is that even?

And, I got one more question...but I'll ask it later, thanks:)

Here's an idea of how to do Jen's hair color. 

http://www.robertcraig.com/celebsOLD.html

What you are talking about doing is called tone-one-tone, it's what I currently do with my warm level 6.5 hair.  I use Clairol Moongold, level 7, green base, and highlight with creme lights to light golden blonde using a cap.  I REALLY LOVE Jen's hair! 

Here's what I would try to get her color.  An ash Dark Blonde, use Clairol in Moonhaze with 20 vol. peroxide, process for 45 min.  (also strand test moonhaze, it's a bit warmer, lighter) If that makes you too ashy, get a neutral level 6 and mix with moonhaze or moongold half and half.  Get a streaking cap, and use the Excellence Creme Lights, but buy it at Sally's.  http://www.sallybeauty.com/shop/1462/500350  It seems to take a lot longer to bleach highlights to gold with the OTC product for me. 

http://www.robertcraig.com/ultrablond.html

http://www.robertcraig.com/bleach.html

Scroll down to Cap Frosting and Highlights Instructions.  Highlight hair to gold, light gold , somewhere in between orange and yellow.  But listen, strand test prior to doing all the highlights and write down how long it takes to get to the color you want.  You may want to bleach until you can match the older highlights in your hair. 

Another idea, if you want, just skip the dark blonde all over color and do a few highlights with Creme Lights where you want them with foils. 

Good luck and strand test. 

Thanks:)

Ok...so, I went to Sally's and went a bit crazy (which was still less than half of what I would have spent at the salon:))

First, I figured out what my color was - it really looks a lot darker in the picture, but I'm actually a 7!!! So, I was going to get moonhaze, but they were out...so I got moongold and lightest neutral brown as you suggested...when I held the strands up to my head, I'm very close to the moongold...

I got the Cremelights as you suggested...

I also got this really expensive highlighting cap...I wanted it to be the best possible one, and reuseable, because I've had some experiences of leaking with the cheap caps...this is the one I got (would recommend, it worked perfectly, holes were all already cut and so easy to get the **right** amount of hair out):

http://cameobeauty.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD& ; ;Store_Code=Cameo&Product_Code=420&Category_Code=Bib s+%26+Caps

I got some combs, clips, shampoo, conditioner, mixing boxls, highlighter prodding tools (don't know the real name), bowls and brushes, and the 20. vol developer...

So, I did the strand tests (I did them all at the same time)...

first one was just moongold --> 45 minutes and I swear, it looks almost exactly like my regular hair color...

second was 1/2 moongold and 1/2 lightest neutral brown --> 45 minutes, and it was darker than my color...

third was the highlighter --> tried at 15 minutes, just red...then at 35 minutes, and was a very nice gold color...

Based on that, I decided to do just the highlights (as you had suggested:))...

poked them through, lots in the front, and then fewer and fewer as I went back...the hat had tons of hols, would poke through three hairs or 20...not trying to make them all the same size (my arm got tired:))...left it on for 40 minutes, till yellow...came out really well...the only thing that I should have done was to put it on the new growth more than the older growth (it got a bit too light in a few spots - but only on a few hairs)...but still, the highlights look just as good as if I'd had it done at the salon (they used foils) for $200...

So, I'm thrilled

I also tried to play with the extensions that I have now...auburn didnt do anything...but the blond I had did go a pretty good dark ash blond (very close to my own)...one question...there is a bit of an almost grey/purple to it (still brown now, but I can see the hue)...is there a toner of some kind that I could use to seal in the browner ash color (so it wouldnt go grey with 4 weeks of wear)...

THANKS AGAIN!!  I would have been too scared to have done it without you, and I think I can really do this!!