Shakiras Hair

[Rania]

My hair is a dark dark brown, sometimes it looks black but usually it appears dark brown. Each time I ask for this color I get yellow. Anyone know what I should tell the hair dresser and what to call it. Last time I showed her this pic and said I want dark blonde. I got yellow! Sigh anyone go from a dark natural brunette to a deep blonde? I know this is not Shakiras hair color. Is it? Its like carmel

 

[Ariadne]

http://www.hairstylescut.com/images/hair_color_chart.gif

I think that is called Ash Brown. I am not a specialist though.

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Ariadne's right, it is a shade of ash blonde; it has no golden tones in it. You're going to have to have your hair double-processed to get this shade, and it can be very damaging to your hair since you're going from very dark. The hair colorist will have to bleach your hair through all 7 stages to the pale blonde shade, then add the ash blonde toner after.

Make sure you have it done at a reputable salon by a colorist who knows what he/she is doing, because sometimes ash tones can come out green. Take care of your new hair, be sparing with the heating products (dryers, curling irons, etc.), and use a good shampoo and conditioner for processed/colored hair.

Oh...beware of chlorine in swimming pools, or else you might get that green tone... oO;;;

 

[Shanazel]

Oh. Well that's interesting. My natural hair color is almost the same as Shakira's dye job. And here I've been thinking of myself as having light brown hair. Ha. These aren't blonde flashbacks I keep having- they are genuine BLOND MOMENTS!

 

[Rania]

Ariadne's right, it is a shade of ash blonde; it has no golden tones in it. You're going to have to have your hair double-processed to get this shade, and it can be very damaging to your hair since you're going from very dark. The hair colorist will have to bleach your hair through all 7 stages to the pale blonde shade, then add the ash blonde toner after.

Make sure you have it done at a reputable salon by a colorist who knows what he/she is doing, because sometimes ash tones can come out green. Take care of your new hair, be sparing with the heating products (dryers, curling irons, etc.), and use a good shampoo and conditioner for processed/colored hair.

Oh...beware of chlorine in swimming pools, or else you might get that green tone... oO;;;

Yikes sounds like I could destroy my hair. I always wonder how certain people get so light with out recking there hair. I have seen girls who are african american and east indian get this color so easy, Im assuming there nautural hair color is black tru black not super dark brown like mine. Are The putting in a weave? or something? Last time she gave me a nice set of yellow crispy hair.

 

[Greek Bonfire]

I have the same kind of hair as you; it's referred to as being below the red line which requires your hair to be stripped to lighten it. I did this once by adding carmel highlights and while it looked great, my hair got pretty dry. So think about it. The best I can do now with minimal damage is to "upgrade" to a light ash brown.

<sigh> It's a side effect of being a true brunette. If I didn't love being one so much I would be pretty discouraged

 

[Rania]

I have the same kind of hair as you; it's referred to as being below the red line which requires your hair to be stripped to lighten it. I did this once by adding carmel highlights and while it looked great, my hair got pretty dry. So think about it. The best I can do now with minimal damage is to "upgrade" to a light ash brown.

<sigh> It's a side effect of being a true brunette. If I didn't love being one so much I would be pretty discouraged

when my mom was young her hair was jet blackm she used to put a mocha frosting on it. looked nice. However its grey now so she can die it almost any color very easy

 

[Greek Bonfire]

when my mom was young her hair was jet blackm she used to put a mocha frosting on it. looked nice. However its grey now so she can die it almost any color very easy

How does this go with her skin color? My mom's hair is not quite as dark as mine but she still has to stay with an ash brown; her eyebrows are still almost black, as mine are, so anything light would really clash with her face/complexion.

 

[Rania]

How does this go with her skin color? My mom's hair is not quite as dark as mine but she still has to stay with an ash brown; her eyebrows are still almost black, as mine are, so anything light would really clash with her face/complexion.

Is her complexition olive? My mom has an olive skin tone, and I thought the mocho looked realy really good. But if my mom put blonde in or anything with a yellow tint it looks funky, but the mocha was awsome

 

[Greek Bonfire]

My mom's skin is more white than olive and mocha doesn't much her skin, although maybe it would on someone else. But that's good to know that mocha went well with olive skin - I might try it myself one day!

 

[Belly Love]

Rania, I am an expert on this subject!!!

I have gone from black/brown to light blonde & back many, many times. I can give you some tips, but the key is finding the right colorist- and unfortunately it's most likely not going to be from someone who works at an inexpensive salon.

I am naturally ash blonde and color my hair dark brown myself just using Loreal from the box. But when I go blonde, I have to go to an expert. Because my hair is colored dark, it's more tricky 'cause they have to pull the color I added to my hair. I think it's a little easier when your hair is naturally dark and not as damaging. Anyway, I've been to many different salons & colorists over the years and have ended up with yellow hair that was falling off as I was leaving the salon (they had me sign a waiver saying I wouldn't sue them), greenish hair and one time blue/black hair (when I actually requested light brown!)

I finally ended up trying the owner of a high end salon in my town and she ended up doing an amazing job! That was 6 years ago and to this day she still does an amazing job. The downside is that she is really expensive. I once decided to go to another salon 'cause I couldn't afford her and I ended up being really dissapointed. I will never cheat on her again! If I have the urge to go blonde and can't afford it, I keep my hair dark. You might find a "hidden gem" at an inexpensive place, but the chances you'll find someone really good are much higher at a high end place 'cause they typically have more educational requirements for the stylists.

This is what my colorist does: Really takes her time with it, especially on toning (one time she spent 7 hours on my hair to get it to the right shade). She never does one flat color, she usually blends two or three slightly different shades of blonde. She does it in stages to keep it as healthy as possible and to make sure the color looks it's best (usually the first stage of taking me blonde ends up looking like the pic of Shakira you posted). It typically takes two visits for her to take me light blonde, three if my hair is really damaged.

My tips: Do a conditioning treatment the day before your salon visit so your hair is as healthy as possible. When you come across someone who has beautifully colored blonde hair, don't be shy, ask them who does their hair. Call salons that have a good reputation and ask who is the best at taking dark hair blonde. And last, if you can afford it, have the owner of a high end salon do it. This is one of the hardest things to get right in the hair industry, and no owner wants to "fail" in front of all of their empoyees! If anything, it's even a chance for them to flaunt their skill level.

Good luck

 

[Rania]

Rania, I am an expert on this subject!!!
I finally ended up trying the owner of a high end salon in my town and she ended up doing an amazing job!

She never does one flat color, she usually blends two or three slightly different shades of blonde. She does it in stages to keep it as healthy as possible and to make sure the color looks it's best (usually the first stage of taking me blonde ends up looking like the pic of Shakira you posted). It typically takes two visits for her to take me light blonde, three if my hair is really damaged.

My tips: Do a conditioning treatment the day before your salon visit so your hair is as healthy as possible. When you come across someone who has beautifully colored blonde hair, don't be shy, ask them who does their hair.

Thanks everything you said helps. I used to like the angled bob like Rhinanna has. I had a hard time getting someone to do it right. Oneday i ask a girl with a super cute cut who worked at bed and bath. She referred me to her stylist, of course shes an expensive pricey stylist but she did an awsome job.

When it comes to adding a color that will not make my hair light but darker or another tint to it.. For example my hair is dark brown and I add a dark red brown. I would even do tyhat at a beauty college, or Highschool class to save my money haha. But for achvieving lighter hair I think an expensive stylist is the one to do it.

Thanks so much!

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Thanks everything you said helps. I used to like the angled bob like Rhinanna has. I had a hard time getting someone to do it right. Oneday i ask a girl with a super cute cut who worked at bed and bath. She referred me to her stylist, of course shes an expensive pricey stylist but she did an awsome job.

When it comes to adding a color that will not make my hair light but darker or another tint to it.. For example my hair is dark brown and I add a dark red brown. I would even do tyhat at a beauty college, or Highschool class to save my money haha. But for achvieving lighter hair I think an expensive stylist is the one to do it.

Thanks so much!

Expensive does not always = knowledgeable, just as inexpensive does not always = ignorant. Let me tell you about cosmetology education, Rania. All students who wish to work in this field are required to take a certain amount of hours of the basic courses and pass a standardized test given by your state's Board of Cosmetology. The test is in two parts, the written test, and the practical test. The practical part of the test involves demonstrating the proper techniques of cutting, coloring, perming, styling, massage, facials, and manicures/pedicures on a live model. Yes, there are advance courses that are available, and stylists who wish to remain up-to-date may go to workshops and seminars, but just because a stylist works in a "lower-end" shop does NOT mean that stylist is unskilled or ignorant. That's just elitist thinking. The best way to find a good stylist is as true today as it was before the multimedia age: word of mouth. Of course, you already know this, since you asked a girl who's cut you liked who did her hair. Even though the stylist in your case was pricey, it doesn't mean all good stylists have to be expensive. Shop around before going under the scissors---you can save money.

 

[Belly Love]

Expensive does not always = knowledgeable, just as inexpensive does not always = ignorant. Let me tell you about cosmetology education, Rania. All students who wish to work in this field are required to take a certain amount of hours of the basic courses and pass a standardized test given by your state's Board of Cosmetology. The test is in two parts, the written test, and the practical test. The practical part of the test involves demonstrating the proper techniques of cutting, coloring, perming, styling, massage, facials, and manicures/pedicures on a live model. Yes, there are advance courses that are available, and stylists who wish to remain up-to-date may go to workshops and seminars, but just because a stylist works in a "lower-end" shop does NOT mean that stylist is unskilled or ignorant. That's just elitist thinking. The best way to find a good stylist is as true today as it was before the multimedia age: word of mouth. Of course, you already know this, since you asked a girl who's cut you liked who did her hair. Even though the stylist in your case was pricey, it doesn't mean all good stylists have to be expensive. Shop around before going under the scissors---you can save money.

Who was saying all high-end salons will do a good job and all inexpensive salon employees are unskilled? No one was saying that.

Rania was responding to what I was saying and I was saying, "CHANCES ARE" which is not the same as saying "ALL".

This is based on years of personal experience and the experiences of others I personally know. The requirements of employees at most high-end salons are NOT the same as the requirements of employees at inexpensive salons. There is much more too it than just beauty school. The people I know who work at high-end salons have to spend hundreds of dollars every year on continuous training to keep updated on the latest styles, products & innovations. I'm pretty sure they don't have to do this at "Cost Cutters".

If I could get the same result from blonding my hair at Cost Cutters, I would go there in a heart beat. We both also stated that we color our hair shades of dark ourselves, but for this specific task, she will have a better chance of finding someone who will do a good job at a high-end salon.

The same could be said for BD. If you were to hire someone for a show, would it be the woman who took 2 months of classes and bought the cheapest costume she could find, or would it be the woman who has spent years training with different instructors, bought luxurious costumes and has spent years educating herself on bd... sure, you might find a hidden gem in the former, but CHANCES ARE, you would would get a better performance out of the latter.

 

[Shanazel]

Um, Belly Love, you're kind of digging yourself a hole here when you compare a stylist at an inexpensive salon to a belly dancer with two months of training. I don't think you intend to be insulting, but if I was a highly competant stylist who chose to work at an inexpensive salon because I liked the owner, the benefits, or the low cost of booth rental, I'd be feeling pretty insulted right now.

 

[Belly Love]

Um, Belly Love, you're kind of digging yourself a hole here when you compare a stylist at an inexpensive salon to a belly dancer with two months of training. I don't think you intend to be insulting, but if I was a highly competant stylist who chose to work at an inexpensive salon because I liked the owner, the benefits, or the low cost of booth rental, I'd be feeling pretty insulted right now.

FOR THE THIRD TIME - NOT ALL PEOPLE WHO WORK AT INEXPENSIVE SALONS SUCK. I REPEAT, THERE CAN BE PEOPLE WHO CAN BE GOOD AT DOING HAIR AT INEXPENSIVE SALONS AND THERE CAN BE GOOD BELLY DANCERS WHO HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE TRAINING. DOES THIS TYPE OF PRINT HELP YOU UNDERSTAND BETTER???

Sometimes I think people like to just argue.

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Yes, and as a former hair stylist and makeup artist, I do feel insulted. I studied hard and was one of the two top students at our school, passed my exams with flying colors, and I DID take extra training via workshops/seminars. I didn't work for "Cost Cutters" or any other "chain" salon, but I did work in a privately owned, inexpensive salon, and still provided many quality services. So why do I still not work in the salon? Because at the time, I was newly married, and my husband and I worked different shifts, so we hardly ever saw each other. I put my husband before my career because I love him, and have no regrets.

As one of the moderators here in the Beauty and Fitness forum, I find your comments hurtful and insulting. You have a habit of making sweeping generalizations which others do not find to be constructive. If this continues, I will lock this thread and send it to The Sauna.

 

[Belly Love]

Yes, and as a former hair stylist and makeup artist, I do feel insulted. I studied hard and was one of the two top students at our school, passed my exams with flying colors, and I DID take extra training via workshops/seminars. I didn't work for "Cost Cutters" or any other "chain" salon, but I did work in a privately owned, inexpensive salon, and still provided many quality services. So why do I still not work in the salon? Because at the time, I was newly married, and my husband and I worked different shifts, so we hardly ever saw each other. I put my husband before my career because I love him, and have no regrets.

As one of the moderators here in the Beauty and Fitness forum, I find your comments hurtful and insulting. You have a habit of making sweeping generalizations which others do not find to be constructive. If this continues, I will lock this thread and send it to The Sauna.

What are you taking about? What does any of this have to do with what I said and what I've been saying all along? It's not constructive to give her advice on finding a good hair colorist?! It's insulting to say that you can find good colorists at inexpensive salons? Are you kidding me?! This is absurd!

 

[Belly Love]

You might find a "hidden gem" at an inexpensive place, but the chances you'll find someone really good are much higher at a high end place 'cause they typically have more educational requirements for the stylists.

This was in my original post. If someone finds this personally insulting, they have issues.

 

[gisela]

The original question was about Shakira's hair. This thread has somehow moved into a subject which seems to be a sensitive issue. You are all welcome to your opinions but with my SuperModerator hat on, I want to ask you all to word things respectfully, read the posts carefully before answering, and try to see the other side of the issue.
We rarely lock threads and things would have to go very far for us to do so.
With love,
Gisela