All Babes are Wolves: Back to the dark side

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Back to the dark side - Brunettes 2016

Emily Ratajkowski

Recently I went back to the dark side and switched form my beloved balayage/ombre look of the last 5 years to a rich chocolate. I have medium yellow-based skin so wanted a warm rich brown, not too harshly dark but still a deep brunette. Hair dyes are arranged numerically, with colour depth the first number as follows:
1 Black
2 Very Dark Brown
3 Dark Brown
4 Medium Brown
5 Light Brown
The second number or letter describes the Tone, ranging from cool to warm. Different companies use different code. I used a Schwarzkopf Live Colour 3.0 in Rich Chocolate Brown, I had to use two lots at my hair is medium length. 1-3 is very dark so if you want a warmer brown, go for a 4. My colour ended up darker than I expected, it is definitely dark chocolate. I know it is a pain, but a strand test is always a good idea! The likeness on the box can vary wildly to your actual result. Chrissy Teigen went from bleachy balayage to brunette a year ago and her stylist David Lopez recommends this is how to do it if you are going from light to dark:

Chrissy Teigen, Feb 2015

1. Pre-pigment hair according to your final desired shade to make sure the color holds and lasts.
2. Always use a porosity equalizer like Kenra Professional's Porosity Equalizer to help prepare the hair to absorb color evenly.
3. Avoid flat, overly saturated color when taking someone from the blonde family into the world of brunettes. Mixing shades and utilizing the existing blonde will help create a natural, dimensional look that will always be flattering.

Kate Moss, Vogue Italia 2010

The bleaching had really damaged my hair so we are in hair recovery at the moment. I've ditched the supermarket brands and treated myself to some decent salon products including a clarifying shampoo, great to get rid of build up, especially if you use serums a lot like I do. It has definitely made a difference using quality products. Here are a few more good hair 101 tips:

If you use a lot of styling products, use a clarifying shampoo once a month. If you have oily hair, every fortnight.
Use a dry shampoo on the roots in between shampoo days to get rid of excess oil. It's recommended not to wash hair daily, as it dries is out. 3-4x a week is better.
Don't use too much product. For short hair, a 1.5cm dollop. For medium, 2.5cm and long hair up to 4cm.
Shampoo the roots - condition the ends. Roots get greasy - ends get dry.
Rinse rinse rinse - make sure your hair is super clean after washing to add shine.
Use an intensive masque once a week which is great to inject nutrients back in.
Keep it trimmed. Short hair needs a trim every 4-6 weeks, long hair every 3 months.
The best prescription for damaged hair? Cut it off. A good chop to get rid of fried ends, then regular trims.

Emily Ratajkowski

My inspiration was Emily Ratajkowski's dark glossy locks. I'd love to see Kate Moss go back to brunette, she looks fantastic in these shots from Versace and Another Magazine.