Ok, I have a hair dilemma. I've been wanting to take the plunge with this for a long time - over ten years, but I'm just not sure if I can carry it off.
What with being a relatively old fart at 31 compared to a lot of other beauty bloggers...
So now I've finally got a decent hair cut, maybe it's time to take the plunge?
Now clearly, this is not a natural colour, so I'm expecting a lot of upkeep... But having never gone for a mad colour before, how much upkeep will it actually need?
Will my hair be fried beyond recognition?
Can I actually carry this off in the first place? Am I too old?
Is it too loud for a nurse to have hair like this?
I made noises about this while watching Strictly Come Dancing last Saturday and once again pining for Aliona's hair. The mister has clearly had enough of my pining, and he has told me to find out more about getting it done...
So my first port of call is you lovely people!!
Help me - tell me your thoughts in the comments below!
22 comments:
well i just went red and i love it! not pillar box red but very red for me - will be doing a post about it soon.
i love that it gives me so many more options with my make up - pinks, purples and peaches that looked a bit blah with my mousy brown locks are brought to life with red hair. i understand that red fades quite quickly compared to other colours though - i'm going back for a top up before christmas and may even go a bit redder this time!
i think you should do it, can always dye it back if don't like it!
amina
http://aminasbazaar.blogspot.com
it appears we are both having a hair dilemma! i think you should go for it! what have you got to lose?!
Katie
www.katiewstyles.blogspot.com
You're definitely not too old!
Red hair is beautiful, I had red hair for years. It won't fry your hair, but the upkeep is annoying. Red fades really quickly so your hair looks amazing for about 4 weeks then you need to get it done again. If you're willing to do that then I say go for it!
No way!! I've wanted to dye my hair red forever! I've been blonde my whole life so just never had the bottle to do it but have pretty much convinced myself that (after I'm a bridesmaid in a few weeks' time) that I'm going to go for it. The way I see it is - you have to give everything a go once right? Well maybe not crack... But if it's something you've always anted to do, you'll regret it if you don't give it a whirl. If you don't like it, you just change colour!
My advice if you're worried is to go and get a proper consultation - my sister is a hairdresser and a good one will know what reds suit your skin tone. But to be honest, if you want pillar box - just go for it!
Will be blogging my colour change as soon as I can bite the bullet... Look forward to seeing your update! xx
Right, in my honest opinion pillar box red or bright red for a colour is not a good idea. You could not pick a more difficult colour to maintain which is a shame as my dream hair also would be lovely glossy shiny red locks. I've 'known' so many people opting for bright red hair and then giving it all up after 2 months: just too much maintenance. To start with, you will need to bleach your hair to get it ready for the red colour to show through properly. Then roots will start to show through even after 2 weeks.
Do you really want to look like the wife of Jonathan Ross? No.
Do you want to look like Cheryl Cole who is looking so cheap at the moment with a colour which looks like she's done it out of a packet at Boots? No.
What you want is a dark brown colour with lovely super super shiny accents of red. Have you noticed as well so many people (so many teens) dying their hair red and looking like their is dull and has lost their lustre. Want fab jessica rabbit hair for an occasion, opt for a wig and your hair will thank you for it. I know it's not what you want to hear (and believe me I do love red hair) but red hair is maintenance hell, even though you could definitely carry it off (skin tone, age, hair cut and on all grounds)
yours honestly
liloo xx
Go for it Jen! You only live once and you'll only regret never actually doing it.
xx
Go for it! 31 is NOT old! If you hate it, you can always go darker. It might fry your hair during the initial bleaching or whatever they have to do, but there's plenty of treatments you can do (and it's an excuse to do some serious testing on deep conditioners).
As for being a nurse with bright red hair, as long as you're a good nurse, which I'm sure you are, who gives a sh*t what colour your hair is!
Good luck, hope you do it x
I don't know who's on British TV right now that makes all of you ladies want red hair LOL.
My very biased opnion: go for it. Because:
1/ your looks have nothing to do with your professional skills and it makes me crazy when we have to give up on a look to stay "work appropriate"
2/ it's a fantastic color and I bet it'll look great on you
Beware though, that the upkeep is a PITA. But it's worth a try even if it's just for a few months, you know... Oh and you can get fantastic reds in semi-permanent pro ranges from L'Oreal (like Richesse) that won't require bleaching and won't damage your hair more than any other color.
Hope this helps!
Funny you should post this. I have always regretted not doing a crazy colour myself. I would have loved to have gone with La Riche Directions in Cerise or Rose Red.
Oh well I'm a firm believer that age shouldn't deter you or anyone from having what you want. But for me, a 36 year old mother of two, I think I'd probably look utterly ridiculous.
Its a huge regret of mine that I didnt do it when I was 18/19/20 :(
Go for it!!
I've been bright bright red for about 5 years now (I've just recently gone a little darker), and I love it! People say the upkeep is annoying and... they're right. BUT, if you dye your hair comparable to a manic panic or beyond the zone color all you need to do is go down to the beauty shop and get whatever color it matches and empty half of the bottle and fill the other half with conditioner, shake it up and keep it in your shower! It doesn't completely stop the fade, but it helps a lot. Red hair does fade fast, so if you want to keep it super super bright you're going to have to be dyeing your hair every two weeks or so, but if you use a vegan product like manic panic it won't hurt your hair! If you're bleaching before hand though, I would definitely have a hair stylist do it just in case. Good luck!! And hopefully welcome to the redhead club!!
xoxoxox
Ash
I think it would look AMAZING on you!! GO FOR IT GIRL!
Your NEVER to old!!
x
Go for it! I'm naturally ginge and died my hair bright red at uni and loved it, and now I'm growing out some blonde highlights and go 'Little Mermaid' red again!
Sadly John Frieda discontinued the red glaze, but I've found an equally good one, which actually deposits more colour - it's Wella Lifetex Colour Reflect Mask in red - you can order it from here as I haven't seen it in Boots or Superdrug. It should help with the upkeep!
http://www.feelunique.com/p/Wella-Lifetex-Color-Reflex-Mask-Red-150ml
Red Power!!!
Kat x
Go for it! I'm naturally ginge and died my hair bright red at uni and loved it, and now I'm growing out some blonde highlights and go 'Little Mermaid' red again!
Sadly John Frieda discontinued the red glaze, but I've found an equally good one, which actually deposits more colour - it's Wella Lifetex Colour Reflect Mask in red - you can order it from here as I haven't seen it in Boots or Superdrug. It should help with the upkeep!
http://www.feelunique.com/p/Wella-Lifetex-Color-Reflex-Mask-Red-150ml
Red Power!!!
Kat x
Go for it Jen (no way are you 31!) I have just gone reallly red and it was such a shock but I did a post on it and ppl seemed to like it. It did take a lot of getting used to as I normally go for the "natural" look and this definatly isnt but I do like it! Go for it! If you dont like it you can always change it back x
You are not too old for bright coloured hair! :)
I always try to have slices of bright colours in my hair(job depending ofc, annoying rules!). I have never gone for an all over bright colour as I think upkeep might become an annoyance. For large slices it's very easy though, I have my hair bleached by a hairdresser so as not to destroy my hair, plus this way it gets a good conditioning/bleaching and toner to make sure it isn't streaky. I bleached my hair once on my own and I was a streaky white/orange mess, not good!
After bleaching I put on a Special Effects dye myself at home. I re-dye it every sunday to keep it fresh as I do wash my hair everyday which fades the colour. I know other people that just wash the non-bright colours sections with conditioner alone so as not to get so much fading.
If you do decide to go for it I recommenced buying lots of disposables gloves and cheap towels as dye does get everywhere! Also a handy tip I've discovered recently that I thought was great, to remove bright coloured hair dye stains from a bath tub use a cheap nail varnish remover. Saved a bill from my landlord! :P
Have a think about it, but if you love red hair colour it is worth the effort! :D
You are never too old!
First off, you could try a brand called smart colour which you can find online, it's a one step bright red dye so you could maybe test a stip at the front to see if you like the colour first?
If you decide to go for it get your hair lightened at a salon, so there is alsolutely minimal risk of frying your hair and it'll save money in the long run!!!
Don't use the fudge paintboxes for the red though, they are expensive and utter rubbish! Manic Panic is a good choice and like above said, mix with conditioner.
Red hair IS a pain to upkeep but its fun for a few months!
Jen I have always thought of you very much as a young fart rather than an old one..so don't worry about that ;P Secondly you will look hot with a capital HHHHH so do it now! Also if you want me to ask my hairdresser Efi who has had pillar box red hair like Jonathan Ross' wife many times how she keeps it red then let me know. Mwah x
Thanks for the amazing amout of comments peeps! Watch this space!!!
I wish my dark hair could take red dye that bright. I am now craving red highlights - like fiery red, not red wine but it washes out so quickly so I have to settle for caramel and brown. Waaaaaa!
My hair has gone through every shade of color just about but I always come back to red. I love the bright reds but on me I prefer the more natural shades. My perfect color would be a la Christina Hendricks. As everyone else has said, it is definitely work to keep it looking good. I have to redye my hair about every 4 weeks. I have been using a demi-permanent as much as possible as it's so much easier on your hair. Keep up with the conditioners and consider investing in a gloss to keep it shiny. I definitely think that you have to give it a try at least once, if you don't like it you can always dye it back! It's better to try and know for sure than to always wonder or regret not trying.
Red hair is awesome! I had mine red for a while but again it does fade quite quickly, especially if you use Head and Shoulders or any variant. I agree that going to a salon is the best idea, although you should always get a recommendation for a colourist!! Thanks, Teacup Blogger
I'm soon to be 43 with a level 6 darkblond as my natural color and I've been dyeing my hair coppery red for a long long time, I use Goldwells OR7 demi permanent color (i'm a hairdresser) and with that hue I don't have to touch up my roots that often, I usually leave to up to 8-10 weeks, and twice a year I do my whole hair if I need to. So my tip is....Just go for it :)
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