I have been thinking about changing my hair colour lately…as I tend to go through these phases of wanting to take drastic measures to my locks. Any black haired male or female would know, it takes more than one trip to the salon to penetrate through the darkness, a first time colourant is usual unsuccessful. So be well aware that most of your money will go into multiple lightening visits (without damaging the hair too much), treatment washes, anti-fading products and maintaining the regrowth!
So I would like to take you through my journey of going lighter. Are you coming along with me? Or have you been there before? I have seen other Asians do it and some have even achieved the white-blonde look…which I think is the absolute pinnacle of hair colouring success! As long as the hair still looks gorgeous, shiny and healthy. I don’t particularly like the ‘straw’ look, that’s when the damage is beyond repair. You don’t want that to happen!
My challenge is to go bronde (brown/blonde). I would prefer to lean towards light ash brown, as long as it doesn’t look too red or orange. An ash colour would suit my pale complexion and won’t make me look too washed out whereas a blonde might.
So my story started a week ago, when I went to get my hair dyed at the salon that I had bought one of those daily deal vouchers from (
deals.com.au). All I had to pay was $39 for $120 worth of hair services which included - 1) style hair cut, 2) full head hair colour or half head foils, 3) wash, blow dry and 4) GHD straighten/curls.
I must admit it was nice to have a little escapism from domesticity as Hubz minded the kids. However when I went to the shop (I won’t mention the name for privacy reasons) it felt like I had stepped into a drug chemical lab, it looked pretty dodgy and the smell of ammonia (or whatever that hair dye stuff is) sat like a thick cloud within the tiny shop. I felt my eyes instantly retreat back into their sockets because it was so overpowering!
Korean Popstar, Boa (my ultimate hair colour goal!). Sourced from a Tumblr Blog.
The shop was run by a pair of Indian ladies, who mind you, were really friendly and sweet. So I can see why they have a such loyal clients. Most of the customers that came into the shop were of Asian and Middle Eastern background. I ignored all the external factors and placed my trust in their skill…but truthfully, within 5 minutes of standing in the shop I was scared and ready to back out!
Sultry medium ash brown hair by Mila Kunis (she is such a stunner - girl crush!). Photo sourced from living.msn.com
I was sat down in a chair next to a dirty fishbowl and I was surprised that the gold fish were still alive. I was entertained by the likes of ‘That’s Life’ magazines and mountains of them. Then I was wrapped in a leopard print cloth to protect my clothing which really brought out the colour in my eyes (NOT!).
In the end I was happy with the result, it looked like nothing in the hair colour swatches. But because my hair was so dark, they could only lighten 2-3 levels at a time. My expectations remain realistic…but so far so good for a first timer. I feel as if I have achieved close enough Mila Kunis’s hair colour in the photo above.
Results of Part 1 - Salon Colouring
Are you happy with your hair colour? What colours have you tried in the past and was it the outcome you had hoped for?
