OK, here's a little of my history.  My natural color is dark blonde (been told about a level 6-7), but my current color is a medium to light blonde.  I have a history of highlights and lowlights.  Most recently I attempted to color at home with L'Oreal Les Blondisimess to "blend" my regrowth with my highlights.  I need to maintain my blonde color at home because I'm broke and can't afford salon color any longer.

 

My dilemma is this... the L'Oreal produced an unfortunate yellow/orange cast to my roots and I had to go to my salon and get it "fixed."  She put in some low-lights and highlights in an attempt to blend everything, but I still had an orangey cast to my hair that I didn't like.  She gave me a good 2-inch trim and I condition lots and lots, so my hair is in great condition now.

 

About a week after the salon, I went to Sally's and bought demi-perm. light ash blonde (level 9) and that counteracted the orange pretty well.  Now I have a pretty light blonde color that I'm happy with and want to maintain at home.

 

So, because I want to maintain this color at home, I'll be shopping at Sally's for professional hair color.  I want to avoid bleaching my hair.  I've read that a 30-vol. developer would be about right for what I want to do (lighten 2-3 levels at most). 

 

How do I go about blending my re-growth and my light blonde length?  I'm going to be choosing a blonde (level 8 or 9) in a blue/violet base but I need to know this... do I apply the color to my roots first and just "comb thru" to the ends the last 5-10 minutes, or so?  From what I understand that is how I do it.  Do I do it like this for future root touch-ups as well?  I'm trying to avoid that obvious line where the re-growth has been touched up.

 

Thanks so much in advance.  I know this is long!!  I really appreciate any advice!! 

 

i have been a long time blonde DIYer, and i've learned NOT to pull any of the hair color through to the ends because over time it will just dry out the ends to the breaking point

 

 

So, you don't have a "line" ever??

 

What about for me, since this is the first time I'll be doing this at home with a new brand trying to match my current color.  I probably will have a line, so do you think I should pull a little of the color thru at the very end to match better?  I'm thinking I'll definitley have a line this first time because the new perm. color won't match what I have now exactly, even though I'm gonna try.

 

i think you should do a strand test first, to see if the new brand is actually going to match your current color....if you have trouble getting the exact color match, but have one that is very close then pull through the last five or ten minutes....

 

but with blonde, if you place that color on the previously colored ends every time you do a root touch up: you had better be wanting a seriously short hairstyle......good luck, i hope it turns out well for you :)