Going From Blonde To Ombre

Hair color: Ion Medium Copper Blonde and Ion Dark Blonde with Ion 10 Volume Creme Developer
Lip color: Revlon ColorBurst Matte Lip Balm, Unapologetic
Rings: Seamaid Market
(And isn't Luke just the cutest? Gah, I love him!)

We enjoyed a quick vacation to Arizona over the weekend to see my sister, brother and their families. I unplugged a little bit and simply enjoyed good conversation and the bliss of doing nothing. I even saw a movie for the first time in, oh, I'd say two years? Guess what we saw? The Other Woman. It was HILARIOUS. (Show by a raise of hands if you've seen it and feel the same way.) I suppose all of the great hair and cute clothes nagged at my obnoxious need to change my hair color every six months, coupled with hanging out with my sister and sis-in-law and talking about beauty products.

After staring at countless photos of Jared Leto's hair (no, seriously), watching multiple YouTube videos on going ombré from platinum blonde, and a trip to Sally Beauty, I found myself sitting in a chair with red goo all over my head at midnight on Monday. Somehow I convinced my sister, Ginger, to do it for me (she's a perfectionist, so I figured it would turn out well) and here we are. The platinum was fantastic while it lasted, but I was sick of having consistent grow out, and it also doesn't help that I am hopelessly cheap when it comes to shelling out the cash for my hair. You'd think that I'd take more heed with such a major focal point point on my head, but I am that person who risks weirdly colored hair in trade for saving a few bones. Luckily for me, I really like how this ombré look turned out and the low maintenance of it is exactly what I need for now.

Here are a few tips in the off chance you feel an impulsive, hair-dying whim coming on and want to create your own ombré your hair look from home:

1. If you are going from platinum blonde like me and are adding color to the top, make sure you color it with a red shade first. If you just slap on brown, it will turn a funky khaki greenish color and the red acts as a filler. Yeah, you have to apply color and wash your hair twice, but it's worth it. This leads me to the second item of business...

2. Purchase your hair color from a beauty supply store versus a box color from your local grocery store. I almost bought a box of light brown from the local Walgreen's, and the clueless cashier girl told me that it would look exactly like the color on the box. Being a victim of brassy, splotchy DIY hair one too many times, I knew that probably wasn't the best advice. (Bless her dear heart, though!) Thanks to my tried and true friend, Google, I quickly learned that the red is essential.

3. Watch this video for a feel on how to do it. It also helps if you have someone do it for you. We also figured out that after applying the color with a brush, it is necessary to go back and rub and blend it with your fingers to give it a natural gradient look. Mine doesn't look perfect, but that's what I love about this hair style.

4. Remember that freshly colored hair is always much brighter and darker, and it needs a few solid days to settle and tone down. Since it can dry out your hair, I also really like this deep conditioning hair mask — it smells like Hawaii in a bottle! Good luck with your hair coloring adventures!