ASHY COLORS:
First thing I want to tell you is that tone has nothing to do with lightness or darkness. Look at the grid of photos above. Do you see what they all have in common? It’s the smoky-looking silver-y sort of color. That’s what tone is. Doesn’t matter if the hair is super light or super dark because it’s just about the hue that the hair gives off. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind if you ever want to try ashe tones:
- Who can wear it? The girl who’s skin is completely clean and clear! Any hints of redness from acne or rosacea will clash with ashy tones. If you have redness but you cover it well, you can still wear an ashy tone. Just know that when you wash your makeup off it may not be your favorite look. (Sorry, that’s real talk.)
- Wait, ashy?? On purpose?? You’re probably wondering why anyone would want their hair to look smoky or muddy… some people hate it, some people love it. It’s just a personal preference. If you have the right skin tone, style your hair well and don’t let it look like a rat’s nest, ashy hair can be really beautiful.
- Talk to a pro. Seriously– putting a warm glaze over your hair at home is one thing, but making an ashy tone look nice requires some mad skills that only a great colorist will have.
- What can you wear with ashe toned hair? M
onocromatic looks are my favorite with ashy hair. Try wearing all different shades of grey.
- Makeup must: a pop of color on the lip. Icy hair color paired with a bright matte pink or orange lipstick can be stunnnnnnning. And it will keep you from looking too drab.
- Be polished. With ashy hair you’ll want to put a little effort into your hair, styling-wise. If you have beautiful air-dried waves, that’s great, but if you don’t make sure to put a little effort into your hair. Ashy can tend to look dull so you have to OWN it! Become best friends with your curling iron.
- Maintenance: Purple shampoo and a deep conditioner. Purple shampoo will help you maintain those silvery tones. And you must deep condition at least once a week to retain some shine on ashy hair.
- It may take some time. Neutral hair doesn’t always happen in one color application, especially if you’re coming from a warmer color. Cutting underlying warm tones can take a couple rounds. Be patient whether you’re doing this yourself or going to a colorist. Know that it will happen with repeated application.
- Go in for a gloss. Ask your colorist if you can come in to get a color gloss in between color appointments. It’s a quick process and will help keep unwanted tones away.
- It’s a thin line between ashe and neutral. Ashe is jusssssst over the fence from neutral. If you really desire that perfect neutral tone, you may have to overshoot into ashe and live with it for 2-3 shampoos. I know– nobody wants to leave the hairstylist and wait 2-3 shampoos for the perfect color to surface, and with most tones you shouldn’t have to but with neutral tones you just might. Mentally prep yourself for that
- Purple shampoo every other time. You just have to. It’s the law. No but really, if you don’t the likely hood is high that warm tones will work their way into your hair.
- Conditioning treatments are important. Just like ashe colors, if this starts to look dull, it can look bad. Keep it shiny and keep it clean.
- Who can wear neutral tones? Almost anyone! The most important thing to think about, however, is “Is this my most flattering color?” Sometimes just because you can pull it off doesn’t mean it’s your best color. I was platinum blonde for 8 years and it looked good but nothing compared to how I felt when I went bright red. So ask yourself, is this my best/most flattering color?
Hope you’ve enjoyed the first two (neutral + ashe). See you next week for gold tones, warm golds and hints of red!
