Home highlights

[swysong77]

I'm leaving in 3 weeks and am in desperate need of highlights and really don't want to pay upwards of $100 to go to a salon if I can do this myself at home for less than $20. I've never tried home highlights, but from what I've read, it seems relatively simple. A girlfriend has agreed to help me, but she's never done this sort of thing, either.

 

Has anyone tried this? Good/bad experiences? I'm thinking of Herbal Essences. I have dark blonde hair and just want to add a little lightness.

 

Any feedback would be wonderful! :)

[greatam]

I have done my hair every color you could think of from Burgundy to Platinum Blonde, so I have a LOT of experience in this area. And yes, I put my own streaks in, but I have been coloring my hair for almost 35 years. But I am not a beautician, just a different color hair fanatic. Herbal Essence probably won't lighten your hair much. It is made for easy home application and most of those type products do not lighten much. They are not peroxide based and peroxide is the main ingredient of what lightens hair.

 

If you really want light blonde highlights like you get from a summer in the sun (or a salon), you can use one of the Clairol toning colors (available at the beauty supply) and mix it with good 30 peroxide. You have to be very careful that you are not allergic and do not get it in your eyes, ears, etc. You have to buy a lot of stuff to do it yourself. Toner, peroxide, applicator, brush for the streaks, foil to wrap up the streaks. You will probably spend at least $25.00 for materials.

 

To save some money, call one of the beauty schools in your area. They usually do the same things as a salon at about 1/2 price. AT least at the school, you won't have orange hair. Yes, it has happened to me.

[nosnobunny]

I've used Frost and Glow (the lightest one) for years. Since you'll have help, pulling the strands through the cap shouldn't be a problem. Make sure you do not overdo the timing and follow the instructions exactly. Then use a good conditioner afterward. Keep in mind - when streaking your hair, less is better than more. You can always add more if it's too subtle, but it's difficult to go the other way around. Been there, done that. :rolleyes:

[Andee]

You are way braver than I am!! Trying home hair coloring fior the first time right before a vacation makes me nervous.

[swysong77]

I'm very nervous, but I figure three weeks is enough time to let them tone down if they're too light or make a quick appointment with my stylist to fix any catastrophe. (which hopefully won't be the case!) I'm trying to save as much money as I can for our cruise - the extra $$ will come in handy for excursions!

 

My friend and I are doing the highlights on Friday - cross your fingers for me! Still haven't figured out which route I'll go - but thanks, Greatam and Nosnobunny, for the information. I'll definately stop by a beauty supply store and see if I feel confident enough to start mixing things up. ;)

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Once I did some touch ups and it turned out fine, I myself would not attempt to do my whole head. I agree with the beauty school suggestion, Good Luck.

 

I too am in need of highlights and a cut, but right now I have a much bigger dilemmna. Travis, my hairdresser just passed away. He was 40, he had a brain anyurisium. My appointemnt was set for Aug. 25th just 2 days before we leave for Miami day prior to our cruise. The salon called to tell me about Travis' passing and what I wanted to do about my appointment. Right now I took their recommedation and booked with another designer. I have no idea what else to do, I like the salon but Travis was awesome and always did my hair perfect!

 

 

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[swysong77]

Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry to hear about your stylist. :(

 

So, you've had highlights/cut done at a beauty school? I'm kind of wary of that. But you had no problems with your experience? I'm very curious!

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry to hear about your stylist. :(

 

So, you've had highlights/cut done at a beauty school? I'm kind of wary of that. But you had no problems with your experience? I'm very curious!

I had this done several times at a beauty school. My friends daughter was attending there and she was my stylist. After graduation she stayed on as an instructor, then moved onto a high end salon and is still there as manager.

The school has instructors watching the students and giving them direction.

I also went to one other school with good results. You can also go to the school jsut to look around and get a feel for the place and see it you are comfortable there.

 

I'm actually in mourning over my hairdress......he was so full of life, fun and just a great person. We had a great relationship.....I was really starting to talk him into trying cruising, he was almost ready to see a TA and book one on my last appointment just 2 days before he passed! I sure wish he could of gotten the chance to do it :(

 

 

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[joelmarj]

I've used Frost and Glow (the lightest one) for years. Since you'll have help, pulling the strands through the cap shouldn't be a problem. Make sure you do not overdo the timing and follow the instructions exactly. Then use a good conditioner afterward. Keep in mind - when streaking your hair, less is better than more. You can always add more if it's too subtle, but it's difficult to go the other way around. Been there, done that. :rolleyes:

Definitely agree with the Loreal Frost and Glow. Been using it for years, comes out great. I have dark blonde hair and have done the highlights for 30 to 40 minutes. 30 is a little softer, safe for your first time. Having a friend helps - I actually have my 14 year old son help pull the hair through the cap for me!!! (Shhhhh - don't tell his friends!:eek: ) Good luck.

[JanetMarie]

Oh, mother of gosh!!! :eek: I remember when I did this to my hair ages ago. I went in the pool, and there I was with a fresh crop of green hair. :eek:

[Happy ks]

So sorry to hear of the stylist, Travis, passing. It is very sad for his co-workers and clients, not to mention friends and family. My own mother passed with the same thing 30 years ago, it was so sudden.

 

I have no opinion of someone doing their own color. Some turn out fabulous, some really shout out "done at home". If I were you, I would start slowly, don't try to do your whole head at once. Keep in mind a colorist may not be able to completely correct a bad job, plus it could cost a whole lot more for correction than you originaly would have saved. Try to stay away from your part, clip out of the way a small section of hair there. Nothing says home coloring more than regrowth right at the part.

 

Good luck!

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

So sorry to hear of the stylist, Travis, passing. It is very sad for his co-workers and clients, not to mention friends and family. My own mother passed with the same thing 30 years ago, it was so sudden.

Good luck!

I also am soooo sorry to hear of your Mother's passing, it's so very difficult when it's so sudden. Thank you for your warm thoughts :)

[joelmarj]

I've never had the green-hair syndrome with these hightlights. I also usually do them right before vacation so they are fresh. Today, I even went a step further and had my hair straightened (I'm caucasian with medium textured hair, but very unrulely, wavy, and frizzy in humidity type hair). Didn't do the Japanese one, that's to severe. It's the Matrix version but done by a professional. Takes about 30 minutes to complete the process. Even with the hightlights my hair came out soft and perfect. I think they make these hightlighter a lot more gentler then they used to.

 

swysong77 - be sure to tell us which option you picked and how it comes out.

 

Good Luck!!!!

[swysong77]

Well girls, I didn't do it.

 

My stepmother heard what I was planning and decided to sit me (a grown adult) down for a lesson in proper vacationing: The #1 no-no according to her is giving yourself a dye job just before you leave. So, she took it upon herself to set an appointment for me at her salon. I'll be paying for something I probably could have done myself, but at least I have the assurance that it will look just fine and won't turn my hair green. (I hope!) :eek:

 

So sorry I don't have any exciting results to give you guys! Thanks for all your advice - I'm sure I'll use it for those pesky roots touch-ups.

[Happy ks]

I'm glad your step-mother gave you that good piece of advise. There are definitely some who can do it at home with good results, it's probably not a good time for you to experiment.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

swysong77.....glad its all working out. Your lucky to have a step-mom that owns a salon! I think you'll be very happy in the long run of it....good luck! :)

[Ta421sBtrHalf]

I am sorry to hear about your hairdresser too. The same thing happend to my wedding dress consultant the day before I was to pick-up my gown and bring my Bridesmaids and mom in to order thier dresses. It felt to me that I lost someone that knew me better than more people.

 

Now on a lighter note. I used that Color Experte highlighting kit on my hair about 2 weeks before my cruise. I know lots of people that used it and thought I would have no problems. Well, the first step worked, then the second (the highlights)was a disaster. The little brush got stuck in my hair, then I thought "I have this really wide tooth comb that I could put the highlights in with" well it did work but my highlights came out orange! I went and bought some Herbal Essense burgandy brown, and my hair was the coolest color. The brown part stayed brown and the orange part turned burgandy. I was happy with it.

[CruzinTamela]

Greatam - what kind of info can you give me on adding lowlights? I have really light blonde hair but would like some darker streaks (nothing drastic, just noticeable). What kind of product would I use to do this? (Don't want to go to the salon). Thanks!

[goldielocks1017]

I recently used the Herbal Essence streaking kit, thinking I would save myself $100 for highlights. I have light blond, very curly hair so I thought it would be no problem to touch up some of my roots. After using the kit, my hair was partly orange, chunky in some spots, some spots were completely missed. The comb the kit provides does nothing. I will be traumatized for the rest of my life after this experience. I've never cried so hard. So after all of that, I ended up back in the salon gladly paying $100 to get it fixed. I love all other Herbal Essence products, but I'll never use their highlight kit again. If you are used to professional results, don't do your hair yourself, you'll be sadly dissapointed. I know I was.

[Nasmas]

I'm leaving in 3 weeks and am in desperate need of highlights and really don't want to pay upwards of $100 to go to a salon if I can do this myself at home for less than $20. I've never tried home highlights, but from what I've read, it seems relatively simple. A girlfriend has agreed to help me, but she's never done this sort of thing, either.

 

Has anyone tried this? Good/bad experiences? I'm thinking of Herbal Essences. I have dark blonde hair and just want to add a little lightness.

 

Any feedback would be wonderful! :)

This might be too late for you but Loreal Couleur Experte is what I use all the time. Its a two step process but I have had wonderful luck with it. There are a lot of different shades too depending on your haircolor. My hair is a red brown (I think) and I use the Ginger Twist. I have also used Cherry Cordial but it was a bit too much red for me. This comes with a brush and you paint on the highlights so you can put as much or as little as you like. Good luck.

[PescadoAmarillo]

I used Colour Experte too, but I went to a beauty supply store and bought 10 disposable highlighting caps for about 50 cents each, and a little hook, and it has made it much easier and more exact to do the highlighting that comes with the kit using these two things than the brush they provide. I really like the Colour Experte...before it came out, I was doing the same thing using color and then L'Oreal's highlighting kit.

[FAR_girl]

I've used this too. While I have played with my own hair color at home for years, it has always been Level II color which is not permanent, so I've never wandered too far afield from my natural color (I think it's light brown). I don't recall the exact color name at the moment but it was a dark golden blonde. I had a friend paint on the highlights.

 

It all worked out fine, it just took me a week or so to like it. One problem with going lighter is that it can wind up looking orange or brassy. I'm not sure whether I just got used to it or if the color toned down a little after the first week, but then I was quite happy with it. I even got compliments from my stylst when he saw them! I must say though, if I do highlights again and want to love them from the first moment, I'd pay the $100+ for him to do them. He put highlights in a couple years ago for a friends wedding and I was happy with my hair as soon as it was done.

 

Also, I did use a beauty school years ago. Things tended to turn out well, just take far longer than in a regular salon. I think the students are supervised quite closely when they are doing something like coloring. Also, when I lived in Montreal, I found a very upscale salon that trained some of the assistants at night, so you could get an evening appointment with a trainee and pay far less than the normal salon rates.

[tinydancer21]

I just got great highlights for cheaper at my salon by asking for a "touch of sun" which is just a little fewer highlights than a partial foil. You might ask your stylist how much this would cost. I love mine. :)