1st the ends are muddy. What should I do? The soap cap (equal parts 10 volume developer and shampoo)? Put it only on the ends or all over? Or use a clarifying shampoo on the ends?

Next I would like to add some highlights. Something goldenish or ?

Should I pull through a cap and lift it to orange or yellow? Then add a toner? And what base....the blue or the blue violet?

Should I mist my ends before application of highlights and toner with a light conditioner? Should I highlight the ends only for 10 minutes or so at the end? Should I tone the ends only for the last few minutes?

I have another idea. Since I want a multi-dimentional highlight---Could I have good results if I pulled every other hole in the cap and lifted the hair for 15  (test strand showed a orangey-yellow) minutes and rinsed and conditioned, rinsed and dried it. Then mist the ends with conditioner and go back through and pull the rest of the holes, put back on the highlights for another 30 minutes or so, then rinsed, then misted the ends with a conditioner, then toned all the highlights with a blue or blue-violet based toner.....doing roots, then lengths, then ends?

Sorry this is long, but do ya think I'd have the different dimensions of blonde and it would look okay with my medium auburn hair?

And should I still do something to the muddy ends if I go this way?

Thank you for your help......

You could always get a SLIGHT trim which may help the look of the ends.

about the color,I have NO idea what you should do...I dont really know what color you are aiming for. Maybe light red highlights would look better with the dark auburn hair though.

Sorry I couldnt help more...

This picture of Brooke Burns is about what I have now. My from my midlength to my ends (about 6 inches) more of a darker version of this....a couple of shades deeper....it looks almost black from a distant and I think it washes out my complexion unless I have my makeup on and adjusted to this shade. But I would like the other streaks to be a mixture of brownish/caramel and golden-beigey. Kinda like these on Maria Menounos too....

http://previews4.wireimage.com/PreviewImgPopup400.asp?ItemI=10689278"> http://previews4.wireimage.com/PreviewImgPopup400.asp?ItemI=659078"> http://previews4.wireimage.com/PreviewImgPopup400.asp?ItemI=10470557"> Any suggestions are welcome.....thanks

I too dyed mine that dark and in about two weeks it has faded almost to the Sandra Bullock color. (the pic in my avatar is a couple weeks old)

I think the sandra Bullock haircolor is more of a caramel/light brown then a medium brown. The brooke burns one seems more medium brown.

I personally think  blonde on hair that looks as dark as the Brooke  burns may be too much of a contrast (just my opinion)

You could start by doing reddish or caramel light brown highlights and then when the color fades some or lightens you could go blonder with the highlights.

But all of this is just MY opinion~in no way should you feel I'm telling you what To do...just giving suggestions as you said.Whatever you do with your hair is up to you,and you are the only one who has to like it!

I may pull it through a cap after a couple more washings and intensive conditioning treatments. I will prolly lift it with some Prisms and then lowlight that with a darker shade....like a caramelish brown....do I need to lift past orange. I don't want to process my hair any longer than I need to.

I will prolly pick up some gloss like another person said to add in to the caramel brown. Can I mix color and toner? Thanks again...

Not sure what you mean about mixing color and toner....I always thought the color WAS the toner.

However, I decided to put some streaks in, so I used a cap and pulled with a medium size needle. Then I highlighted with Prisms for about 40 mins. (I had treated the ends with infusium leave-in spray treatment). I came up to a golden bright orange. Ugh, but I didn't freak.

Then, after letting it dry,  I misted the ends real good with the infusium

(to be continued)

After letting my hair dry, I mixed three-quarters medium ash blonde with a toner with a blue base...I think "towhead" with a dash of a base with a violet base and 20 volume developer.

The last 5-10 mins. I mixed up fresh color, but added some clear gloss to the recipe and ran thru the ends. It grabbed a little on the ends again, ugh!

After rinsing, it turned out to be a very beigey-knacki blonde. It was just too beige for me. So, I after drying the whole head of hair. I decided to mix some lightest golden blonde 2 oz. with 1 oz. of 10 volume developer and 1 oz. of cholesteral. I put it on the roots for 10 mins. Then remixed up some fresh and added a quarter of gloss and reduced the lightest golden blonde with by a quarter.  I left that on about 5 mins or so.

It turned out beautiful. I love it. My eyes are brown, but kinda what I call a rosey brown and my hair is lightening up to be the light coppery brown I wanted with some golden and slightly beigey highlights. It shimmers and shines and has the multi-dimensional tone I wanted.

So much for the caramel streaks. I kinda want to add a few more highlights with maybe a more iridesent (sp?) tone to them, but that will have to wait a few weeks and several deep conditionings. Honestly, aside for the ends my hair feels in good condition.  Thanks Jules for your advice.