Pumpkin spice, cinnamon apple everything and cooler weather is finally here and you know what that means.. Fall has arrived! The time of year when beauties everywhere consider trading in their lighter brighter blonde for creamier deeper tones or lighter browns. Have you every wondered why women everywhere change their hair around this time year after year? It has less to do with the season and more to do with changing complexions. If you are considering heading over to the dark side, here are five things you should know before taking the leap!
WHY DO WE GO DARKER FOR FALL?
As cooler weather blows in, beauties consider going darker. Just last week at my Vicksburg studio my days were filled with transitioning beauties to darker shades of blonde or brown. While some beauties just want a change, this usually has less to do with the cooler weather and more to do with individual skin tone. So lets explore that idea. When I choose a color for my beauties, the number one consideration is their skin tone. Do they have warmer or cooler undertones and exactly what hue? Then, design a color story to compliment their unique skin tone. It may have a touch of warm caramel mixed with a copper blonde or just a splash of golden brown with deep mahogany etc. There is no limit to the variation of colors I could create. Have you ever noticed that you could line up 10 different celebrities and all of the blondes or brunette shades would look slightly different? Thats because they have color stories customized and designed specifically for their skin tone. So how does this come into play for going darker for Fall? It all depends on you!
You have to ask yourself: Does your complexion change with the seasons or do you stay mostly the same color all year round? The idea is that if you have a drastic change in skin tone, then you need a hair color that compliments each. I, for one, can get extremely dark in the summer and if I completely cut out tanning get very light in the winter. So not only does my makeup change but the undertones of my color do too. In the summer, my golden complexion can carry a warm golden blonde, but in the winter when my pink undertones start to show I wear it as cool as possible ( purple shampoo everyyyy day). So the same applies to you! Whether you choose to change it up to compliment your changing complexion or just for the fun of it, here are 5 things you should know.
1. NEVER USE PERMANENT HAIR COLOR
Always reach for demi permanent when you are adding any dark color to your hair. It is formulated differently, so its easier to break through to highlight or to shift back to your natural tone. I always refer to permanent color as lipstick and glazes (demi-permanent) as lipgloss. A glaze last 6-8 weeks, sometimes darker colors last longer, but if you ever decide you don't want it anymore it's easy to change. Permanent color is like armor on your hair. So if you are a blonde and color your hair darker and decide you hate it, you will have to break through that permanent color to the blonde underneath that has already been highlighted previously, so it can cause major stress on the hair. Always reach for demi permanent when making a change. That way you can always change it again without risking damage to your hair.
2. TRY LOWLIGHTS BEFORE ALL OVER COLOR
Anytime that you want to change it up, start with baby steps. If you are a brunette and want to go darker, try two shades darker first instead of four. If you are a blonde, remember that a little goes a long way. Instead of all over lowlights try adding depth though the top. It adds a lot of color while keeping your blonde bright and even toned at the bottom. If you are considering going all over dark for the first time, then try adding lowlights throughout. It will give you a better idea of what darker tones will look like on you without losing all of the brightness around your face. The hair color we choose drastically effects how we look, so I suggest starting with baby steps to avoid being in shock and feeling like you have to buy an entire new wardrobe and makeup kit in one day to compliment your new look. Plus if you hate the dark, no biggie, it will fade and because you didn't choose permanent color it can easily be transformed back to your original look without major stress on your hair.
3. CHOOSE YOUR STYLIST WISELY
Taking a blonde darker is challenging. Any stylist will tell you that. You not only have to formulate a color completely different from what they currently have that compliments their skin tone, but you also have to formulate the undertones to counteract the color of the blonde (all while considering the porosity) to end up with a beautiful brunette that doesn't look unnatural. When this goes right, you have a rich creamy brunette, but when this goes wrong you end up with unnatural colors. We all know someone who went from blonde to brown but actually ended up looking more like a red head or the opposite.. their hair looked green or gray. This all goes back to formulating correctly and choosing someone with a vast knowledge of color theory will give you the greatest chances of getting a complimentary color on your first visit.
4. GRAY SHINES BRIGHTER IN THE DARK
Do you have gray hair? You don't have to answer that out loud. Trust me, no one has to know unless you want them to. Thats what hair artists are for, right? But, if you are considering going darker for Fall this is something to consider. My gray haired blonde beauties can easily go six weeks without a touch up because the gray placed next to the blonde just looks like a highlight. So its almost as if their highlights never grow out. The only thing that gives it away is if they have dark mixed into their gray, eventually their roots become obvious. Otherwise, we are just shifting the ashy tone of their gray to a more golden hue to keep a youthful bright appearance. But when you go all over dark, those grays no longer blend. My all over gray brunette beauties come to see me around four weeks. For beauties who don't have any gray hair, going darker may be low maintenance, but once you go gray.. blonde is your best friend. The higher maintenance is something to consider before going darker.
5. DONT FORGET YOUR EYEBROWS OR SKIPPING THE LIPSTICK
If you do decide to go darker, don't forget your eyebrows! I feel for the girls who try out a darker hue, but no one tells them to color their eyebrows as well, so they end up looking ghostly or like they shaved their eyebrows off (not a good look). Rule of thumb for brunettes is to color your eyebrows the exact same shade or a few shades lighter. For blondes who want more color in their eyebrows, choose a color a few shades darker. Another tip is to not wear lipstick to your appointment. Right now imagine putting on a lipstick shade that you know doesn't compliment your complexion or hair color.. thats what it feels like when you wear a lipstick shade to your appointment where you are changing your hair color that in turn changes the way your complexion looks. I will use myself as an example again. In the summer I wear hot pink lipstick with my golden blonde hair. My skin tone looks really golden and tan and can carry the pink but in the winter that color looks overdone and too bright on me, so I choose softer pinks and corals for the cooler months. When I add dark to my hair I completely change my lipstick color to a softer shade of red. Even if your hair color is gorgeous your immediate reaction may not be positive if you look in the mirror and immediately see a clash between your makeup and haircolor. I suggest wearing your normal face makeup minus the color (blush, lipstick, and eyeshadow), so you can adjust it to your new look.
You never need a reason to change up your look, but if right now is the time you want to try something new just remember these wise words from Coco Chanel "A woman who changes her hair is about to change her life." Best of luck beauties! I hope you find these tips helpful. If you have any questions, you can reach out to me through social media and to see my latest blog posts check out www.peytonbryan.com I look forward to connecting with you!