Have you ever just wanted a change?  New car, new pair of jeans, new shoes, or perhaps a new hair color?  For those that have the balls to change their hair color and/or style frequently, I commend you.

However, it’s taken 30+ years for me to build up the guts to change my dark brown hair color.  I used to use the boxed hair dyes when I was in college, not knowing that since my hair was so thick and dark, the process of giving it a lift of color would be no easy task.  I quickly gave up on making such a change and listened to my mother when she told me, “People spend money dyeing their hair to get your color!”  I believed her for many years and stuck with my dark mane.

 

Listening to my mother caused me to have hair envy for quite some time as I watched my friends and family (mommy included, lol) switch their hair color to amazing auburn, black, purple and highlighted colors.  I got tired of staring at other people’s hair; I was fed up!  Don’t get me wrong, I love my natural hair, but geesh, a girl just wants something different sometimes! So, last weekend I took that plunge into the unknown…a huge step!

 

For those that are like me and need some extra coaching and convincing, I’ve put together some quick tips on how to finally just DO IT!  Creating a process that worked for me, made the process much easier and stress-free.  First, here’s what my hair looked like before:

Step 1: Decide what you want – I knew that I wanted to keep my length and layers, but I wanted to lighten up my natural, dark color.

Step 2: Gather some photos of styles and colors that you like!  FYI: I was a fan of the honey color, but I also loved red/burgundy.  The deciding factor was my job; I didn’t want to get anything that I wasn’t comfortable walking into a meeting with.

Step 3: Find a hairdresser – I went with a referral, which helped ease the pain and anxiety.  FYI: I chose Ruby Brown in the Virginia area (you can check out her work via Instagram: @rubyreddcheeks)

Step 4: During your appointment (and even before), be descriptive!  FYI: Your hairdresser won’t be able to read your mind. Colors are permanent, so the more info you provide, the better off you’ll be.  This is the collage that I showed Ruby and she was appreciative that I had examples to match my descriptions:

Step 5: Trust your instincts and your stylist!  FYI: Don’t settle for what doesn’t feel right in your gut, but also know that your hairdresser is the professional and you chose them for a reason.  Let them do their job!

Bonus Step: Have fun with your experience!  I decided to involve my friends and family and was SnapChat-ting the whole process:

Even after careful planning and consideration, I was still scared and nervous, but Ruby assured me that there was nothing to worry about and she was right!  I love my new hair color!  She applied a honey color with a couple of bleach streaks in the front.  She also created an ombré effect by not totally saturating my roots and keeping a lot of my natural brown at the top. Here’s the finished product: