Going from "Radiant Ruby" to something more subtle-- How do I not botch this?

Question

I've been using Clariol Herbal Essences shade 44 (Radiant Ruby) for about a year now, and it's time to tone it down a bit. I'm looking for something in a rich medium auburn, but I'm pretty terrified of ending up with an obvious dye-line when the roots grow out, or worse yet? Bright pumpkin orange hair. That's what happened last time. It was bad. Very bad.

I don't think that just buying a box of color that I like will do the trick this time, but it seems dumb to go to a salon for just a one-shade change.

Should I go with a 100% coverage (covers grey) variety to help purge the red?

Background: Thin curly hair, no grey, natural color is a depressingly colourless ash blonde.

Answer 1

red fades more than any other color, but also it is the hardest color to get rid of...if you want to do a alburn if you just use a brown color you will still have hints of red in it..if you watned to get rid of the red altogether you would need an ash brown-as green counteracts red..

at least in a salon if it doesnt turn out right they will pay to fix it..

but what oyu want to do seems simple enough..

you wont have pumpkin colored hair unless you lighten with bleach which you dont need to do since your going darker..

Answer 2

try going one shade at a time that way the regrowth won,t be noticeable

Answer 3

Best bet is to go the hair dressers.

Answer 4

Be natural- it's what we men lurve! So chuck the dye-bottles away and have faith in yourself, sister!