highlighting fiasco...HELP!

» sew4toon8 - desperatly seeking advice

I used a L'Oreal "coulour experte" highlighting kit on my light/med brown hair. The first problem I had is the roots are lighter than the ends which looks very unnatural. The mascara type wand, even with some extra help, doesn't apply the stuff evenly to the ends of my brastrap length hair. The second problem is the orangy tint to it.
So I went to Sally's and a marginally helpful girl told me to get a bleach kit with a 30 volume developer which would give more boost than the store bought kits. Keep in mind that the colour experte idea is that you color the hair totally before highlighting, so my hair has been dyed all over. Then she told me to use a toner and she reccommended wella color charm T28 called "PRINCESS BLOND"
So here are my questions.
1. can I use the bleach and pull through a cap on top of what I've already done...I've conditioned my hair really well.
2. could I leave the bleach a little longer on the ends so that it might camoflauge the reverse effect
3. Do those of you that know think that this toner will help with the brassiness, and do you put it on and process it before you pull the cap out?
4. The bleaching kit came with 30 volume developer, but the toner calls for 20 volume. Do I need to go back and get 20 volume?
5. When my roots grow out and I'm ready to touch up the roots, how can I keep my roots from getting too light, since that will be virgin hair that hasn't been colored all over
I am actually going for a more subtle look....I've had my hair highlighted and when it is too light I look washed out...I have light olive skin and brown eyes. I'm going for a little less blond than jennifer anniston. I was planning to use a cap, unless somebody can talk me through the foil.
I know this is long, but the more info I give you, I know the more you can help. Thank you so much

-- posted by sew4toon8

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» ErinKinloch - I am no expert but.....

I am not a hairdresser but got to be a good friends trial and error for a few years while she was a junior stylist. Definately get the volume that the toner says to get or go back and get the same color of dye as before and just do the ends. To just do the ends in foil is easy grab a big strip of tinfoil set the portion of hair to streak in it get a small paint brush and put it on and fold the foil in half then in half again. If you are going to try to match the color put on the darkest area first then 5 mins before rinsing time do the whole streaked clump together. The other option is to get a darker color and put over the streaks to mellow them out think light brown. The third option I would go for is to go see a stylist and watch closely and ask questions. I have been streaking my hair at home for years fairly succesfully as I get alot of compliments (even from hair salons). The home streaking kit I found that does not turn darker hair brassy is Frost and Glow think its Clairol but not exactly sure just look for frost and glow and get the one for dark hair. Hopefully an expert can give you a few tips here too. Good luck.

-- posted by ErinKinloch

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» zendog64 - Re: desperatly seeking advice

In response to message posted by sew4toon8:

To answer some of your questions:

1. Its not recommended to apply bleach to hair thats already been bleached, but it can be done if the condition of the hair is good. In that case, you'd want to use a 10 or a 20 volume developer.

2. You can leave the bleach on the ends to help even out the result, but with a lower volume developer. If its still brassy, you can apply a violet based toner to neutralize the brassiness. Every brand has different mixing instructions, but I recommend using the lowest volume developer possible, either 5 volume or just distilled water. Using a stronger developer with a toner will open the hair cuticle, allowing the toner to stain the hair. I've seen many "experienced" hairstylists make this mistake, sometimes turning the bleached hair a funky grayish or greenish color in the process. A good toner should be an acid-based semi-permanent color, which is best for the hair.

3. When applying a toner, never time it according to directions. Toners are done when theyre done, not when the box says...the instructions on the box are just guidelines. I've seen toners work in as little as 5 seconds, and as much as 10 minutes. Timing is the most important thing when it comes to toning, if you leave a toner on for too long, the hair will "grab" the base color, which is either going to be blue, green, or violet.

4. Virgin hair lightens much, much faster than chemically-treated hair. Use bleach with equal parts 20 or 30 volume developer. 10 volume isnt strong enough, and the roots will be brassy. 40 volume is too strong and the roots may end up lighter than the rest of the strand. For avoid brassiness, I like bleaches that have toning agents in the mix. These bleaches are either blue or violet in appearance. I tend to avoid any powder bleach that is plain white. Good bleaches are Goldwell Oxycur Platin, or V-Light (which I think is Matrix).

Your best bet may be to go to the salon, it might be cheaper than buying bleach, developer, toner, caps, foils, bowls, and brushes. And its always a good idea to get a really strong conditioner for after a color.

-- posted by zendog64

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