My natural hair is light brown with reddish undertones.

After being blonde, then really dark brown and having highlights me hair is now quite dry but not at the point where it will snap.

To get my hair back to a normal more natural colour I have been putting on schwarzkopf igora dark blond natural mixed with dark blonde gold, I like the colour apart from the root area especially is quite warm in comparison to the rest and ideally I'd like to be a level lighter.

Ideally I would like my hair to be a level 7, warmish tone but not as in really red more like a honey, caramel colour.

Should I start using semi's instead in order to get better condition in the hope the colour already on will fade over time as it seems to be doing or is there something I am dong wrong to get the really red tones, i.e should I use a beige blonde mixed with dark natural blonde? And if so what semi colours are the best to use?

I can't afford salon prices as I'm struggling to pay all my bills at the moment with this recesion so any hep would be greatly appreciated

I thought about colour removers but would these wreck my hair, if not what colour would I put over the top to get the desired colour I want?

Use a demi-permanent. Some semi's are direct dyes. You don't want them. You want a demi-permanent that is made of a dye mixed with a weak developer. The root area is another problem. If your natural color is fairly dark, the roots will remain brassy. The "shade" of haircoloring really won't affect the roots very much. They become brassy because the lightener in single-process colors isn't strong enough to lighten it past the brassy stage.

If you want the ends lighter, you will have to use color remover or let it fade first. Unfortunately, if your hair is damaged, that is not a good idea.

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Originally Posted by Perito

Use a demi-permanent. Some semi's are direct dyes. You don't want them. You want a demi-permanent that is made of a dye mixed with a weak developer. The root area is another problem. If your natural color is fairly dark, the roots will remain brassy. The "shade" of haircoloring really won't affect the roots very much. They become brassy because the lightener in single-process colors isn't strong enough to lighten it past the brassy stage.

If you want the ends lighter, you will have to use color remover or let it fade first. Unfortunately, if your hair is damaged, that is not a good idea.

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Thanks for this, although my ends are lighter than my actual root area, the root area is brassy and then it gets slightly darker further down, like a dark blond shade with reddy undertones.

I want to get rid of the reddish undertones and have like a honey/caramel colour, the ends of my hair aren't really a problem as I've only been colouring the roots to avoid damaging the ends any further, the ends aer lighter than the rest prob due to fading and the blonde I used to have in a while ago.

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Originally Posted by andreap1984

Although my ends are lighter than my actual root area, the root area is brassy and then it gets slightly darker further down, like a dark blond shade with red undertones.

I want to get rid of the reddish undertones and have like a honey/caramel colour, the ends of my hair aren't really a problem as I've only been colouring the roots to avoid damaging the ends any further, the ends aer lighter than the rest prob due to fading and the blonde I used to have in a while ago.

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The only way you'll get rid of the red undertones is to use bleach. You could highlight only the root area, and that would probably work.

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Originally Posted by Perito

The only way you'll get rid of the red undertones is to use bleach. You could highlight only the root area, and that would probably work.

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I think I may have it, I am going to use Igora Vibrance in 6.0 Dark Blonde which is the equivalent of what I use in Igora Royal Permanent but Vibrance is kinder to your hair right?

Then if I mix it with 6.4 Dark Blond Beige (vibrance) instead of 6.3 Dark Blond Gold (royal) will that help to cancel out the brassy tones, if I add gold does it make it more brassy, plus the vibrance is a demi and kinder to your hair, would I use it with 4%?

Adding gold does definitely make it more brassy and if you get this out of the mix, it certainly will help.

I don't get the 4%. Are you talking about "40-volume" developer? You can use that. It will lighten more than 20-volume, or even 30-volume, but it will likely still leave brassy hair.

Is Igora Vibrance a demi-permanent. That's the only way it would be kinder to your hair than Igora Royal permanent. However, a demi-permanent won't lighten your roots.

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Originally Posted by Perito

Adding gold does definitely make it more brassy and if you get this out of the mix, it certainly will help.

I don't get the 4%. Are you talking about "40-volume" developer? You can use that. It will lighten more than 20-volume, or even 30-volume, but it will likely still leave brassy hair.

Is Igora Vibrance a demi-permanent. That's the only way it would be kinder to your hair than Igora Royal permanent. However, a demi-permanent won't lighten your roots.

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Yes it's a demi, well I normal use 3% whatever that is its either 20 or 30 vol but not a strong one.

I think the beige instead of the gold will help cover the brassy tones, the dark blond on its own would be too dark that's why I normally mix it with gold to give it more tone.

At least a demi isn't s damaging and not permanent so fingers crossed.

3% is 10-volume.