Reply
Super Contributor
Posts: 264
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Looking for tips from anybody who is happy with their highlights, especially a medium to dark base of brunette, or of course any sylists/colorist. Here's some questions, do you get face framing, mini, partial, full, balage? What do you like the best on you? Do you have a neutral base with warm highlights or warm base with warm highlight? Do you get one or more colors of highlights? Does your stylist use a toner after? Do you get a new base or just roots between highlights? Do you find your highlight lose there color/tone rather quickly even using color care shampoo, conditioner.  Looking for ANY tips that have worked for you! Thanks for your help!

Valued Contributor
Posts: 658
Registered: ‎08-07-2015

Hi @Summer Shine  Do you have any grays? That will also determine how often you do a single process on your roots. Now I have highlights I'm happy with finally.  For me personally, I am a dark neutral to cool chocolate  brunette base with neutral warm chocolate mahogany reddish highlights. My stylist mixes a few different neutral warm tones just a shade lighter than my base for more tonal  dimension and she paints them in more natural ribbons, mostly underneath the top layers so it grows in more natural. A few on the sides and on the ends like the sun would shade.  Then she puts the toner glaze on for 8 minutes, sometimes under the dryer if I need it deeper. Sometimes I just need a single process and toner glaze in between partial. I don't need a new base as I'm not going lighter, just covering my roots.  I rarely do just the face frame as I like my highlights subtly throughout and my roots richer( Meghan Markle like).

 

I stay away from the warmer Carmel, coppery red tones for my highlites as these fade faster on me and look brassier with my dark chocolate base.  In between to maintain,  I use Pure blends cherry and cocoa conditioner ( i mix them or use alone)with a color safe shampoo. They have a shampoo too but I prefer the conditioner as it deposits color more. Hope any of this helps! 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,473
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@Summer Shine 

 

I have a medium brown base and highlights (about 7) put in the crown area.

 

By the time 6 weeks goes by my grey (ugh) has blended perfectly with the color.  In fact, sometimes people admire my hair color and I have to admit its "washed" out.

 

I have a short cropped haircut.  I'll try to post a pic ..

Super Contributor
Posts: 485
Registered: ‎01-28-2016

I let my colored hair grow out about six years ago. I have auburn/grey mixed now. I'm ready to change it up again and I asked my hairdresser about highlighting and she suggested I do lowlights. It will be the first time for me, and I'd never even heard of it before.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,441
Registered: ‎11-15-2011

@Summer Shine wrote:

Looking for tips from anybody who is happy with their highlights, especially a medium to dark base of brunette, or of course any sylists/colorist. Here's some questions, do you get face framing, mini, partial, full, balage? What do you like the best on you? Do you have a neutral base with warm highlights or warm base with warm highlight? Do you get one or more colors of highlights? Does your stylist use a toner after? Do you get a new base or just roots between highlights? Do you find your highlight lose there color/tone rather quickly even using color care shampoo, conditioner.  Looking for ANY tips that have worked for you! Thanks for your help!


I have blonde highlights in my medium to dark brunette hair and have so for years.  I started to highlight to cover the gray hair I was getting in my early 20s!  I orginally got a full highlight and as I aged I need to have a single process done to cover my gray roots.  Now I have a partial highlight and single process done every 3-4 months.  My stylist does add toner to tone down the brassiness - my hair is not brassy at all. I cover the roots in between visits to my styist with Clariol root touch up in dark blonde every 3-4 weeks.

Super Contributor
Posts: 264
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Thanks for your reply's. I'm just not really happy with my results, I. Not sure what would help. Maybe a few more highlights, I get mini highlights,  maybe 2 vs one highlight color, or lowlights also??? I hate the prospect of trying out new stylists. I have thin, fine straight hair, medium to dark. After a bad start we've tweaked the color to more honey, less orangey 😳. I like highlight as I think it makes my hair not seem as thin, more dimension. The salon only uses Davines products and not trilled with their products, think the color fades fast. But never really did hair color except on my own from a box so I really don't know how Davines compares to other lines. How do they make dyed, highlighted hair shiny? 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,882
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@Summer Shine 

Even though my hair is warm, wants to be warm, I refuse to let it.  !!

 

And now I'm embracing the greys--as in-- I don't get root touchups any more.  Just many highlights and low-lights.

 

This is all new to me this summer!  I was away from *home* and in another state that I wasn't familiar with anyone or anything.

 

I took a chance and went to an Ulta and talked to a stylist there.  I googled *Cool brown hair with highlights* and showed her pics of what came up.  If you googled it, you'd probably see the same thing.

 

No warm carmel or honey or orange-y colors for me.  It's a pretty brown and the highlights are a white-ish.  She does (I think it's called) Baby highlights.  Lots of foils at first.  It transitions my greys so they can grow in, but they just blend.  You don't see grey roots because it's all many different colors.  My hair is (long) layered and lays on my shoulders.

 

I use my own shampoo and conditioner, not the purple shampoo they recommend.  You may want to get a filter for your shower head if your hair is turning brassy.  Be careful with the sun and pool/beach, too.  Protect your hair and your head (scalp) from the sun.

 

I was really surprised to find good service and a fantastic stylist at Ulta, I'm going to miss her when I leave here.  If you are not having luck finding a good salon, you may want to give them a try.  They aren't as expensive as upscale salons, and I've walked out of those places many times hating the way my hair color, cut and/or style turned out.

 

Good luck!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,844
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Brunette Highlights

[ Edited ]

I have medium to dark brown hair.  I don't have gray so I've been getting highlights twice a year.  I just got a cut this afternoon and was discussing with my stylist about having highlights done next month (I last got them in April).  When she does the highlights she'll add a color blend to them after they are done to smooth out the look.

 

I have a cool toned complexion so I like a more neutral or cool toned highlight which for me leans more towards a bit of blonde rather than caramel which I think is a nice look if that color works for you.

 

ETA:  I mostly like them to frame my face and though she'll only do a partial, I have her add just a few in the back for a more natural look.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 658
Registered: ‎08-07-2015

@Summer Shine   The shine I get comes from the glaze ( that's what they call toner where I am) after my processing. They can add a clear gloss to it too with the toner. My stylist uses Redken. I have heard mixed reviews on Davines  I did notice my color tends to fade quicker if the toner isn't deep enough or It's  ran through too fast without saturating.  Also maybe your highlights are still a bit its too warm?  The honey sounds pretty though!

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,517
Registered: ‎08-20-2014

@DianeJ2 thank you for that tip!  I'm going to try it.