Brown Now Most Popular Hair Dye

[NoDayButToday]

The latest hair-color trend is disproving the expression that blondes have more fun. You may have noticed a slew of hair-care products tailored toward brunettes, and that coincides with the strong popularity brown hair dyes are enjoying. Although brunette shades have always sold well, these days it is more chic to be brunette than to go golden, lighten to blonde, or tint your tresses auburn. Clairol and L'Oreal report increased sales for their entire lineups of brown hair dye, while salons across the country are reporting that brown is now the most popular color choice of clients, including natural blondes and redheads. Theories about what's behind this trend are numerous, ranging from simply following the trends of celebrities to society's perception that brunette women are more sophisticated and intelligent than blondes, and even to fashion's move toward blacks and earth tones, which are more flattering when worn by someone with brunette tones than by someone who is platinum blonde (Source: Wall Street Journal Online, June 3, 2005). I admit to being a part of this trend. Within the last year I have switched from light golden brown highlights to covering my gray with dark, chocolate brown hues. I find that it not only looks just as good but also involves less upkeep when roots start to show (and I am notoriously obsessive about my gray roots!).

Source: Paula Begoun

[SVZ]

i'm wondering if a large part of it is people with dark hair, for example asians, going to brown?

[MgMMD]

Or the fact that more people are realizing that shades of brown are more flattering for a majority of people.

When someone who has the right skin for Blonde goes blonde it is FABULOUS but most people benefit from darker hair colors. Especially the over 30 set.

[Barbara]

i'm wondering if a large part of it is people with dark hair, for example asians, going to brown?

Good point!
I also often see black women here getting their hair staightened and dyed brown.

[Daphne]

I think haircolor looks best when it's close to the person's natural haircolor. I've diverged a few times from my ash blonde hair, and I definitely don't look as good. If you're a natural blonde, it's very difficult to maintain a darker haircolor; your roots come in much lighter, and it looks terrible. It's as bad as when someone with super dark hair insists on being a bleached blonde.

[pacific breeze]

Yippee!!!! There will be a lot fewer bottle blondes out there for us natural blondes to contend with. Hehe.

[moomies]

i'm wondering if a large part of it is people with dark hair, for example asians, going to brown?

Back in the olden days, it was almost a taboo to colour one's hair lighter. I was considered a rebel/deviant when I did it at 15/16 (that's like 10 yrs ago tho ). Cultures have changed.

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

Yippee!!!! There will be a lot fewer bottle blondes out there for us natural blondes to contend with. Hehe.

Amen to that.

...If I didn't have to stay blonde I too would go a dark brown, though. Stereotyping sucks ass.

[Daphne]

Yippee!!!! There will be a lot fewer bottle blondes out there for us natural blondes to contend with. Hehe.

Those really brass, yellowy dye jobs give real blondes a bad name

[NoDayButToday]

You will never have any competition from me. I make the worst blonde ever with my olive skin. I was a blonde for about a day, hated it and went to the salon and had them dye my hair fire engine red. That was the only good thing that came out of my blonde experiment, I finally got REALLY vibrant red in my hair. Right now I have a few shades of brown (dark framing my face and the underlayers, lighter brown for the rest) with some red and blonde highlights (the blond are very sparse and away from my face). I love it, but the upkeep is hard. My family likes that I'm back in the brown family, I suppose it's better than the rainbow hair I liked in high school.

[Laurent]

I'm a natural brunette, but I'd go red if I had the time for the upkeep. In college I got highlights and everytime I'd get them touched up, my hairdresser would pull my hair through a cap and do the whole length of my hair. The same hair wasn't getting done every time, so in a few months I was completely blonde. It was a bad look on me. Very bad. I haven't dyed my hair since.

[NoDayButToday]

Red isn't too bad on upkeep. I keep going back to shades of red (usually burgundy), and with a color depositing shampoo the color stays pretty vibrant.

[Laurent]

Red isn't too bad on upkeep. I keep going back to shades of red (usually burgundy), and with a color depositing shampoo the color stays pretty vibrant.

Really? I'd always heard red fades very quickly and the only way to keep it looking good was to have it redone every few weeks. If it isn't that bad, I might do it.

[NoDayButToday]

The color depositing shampoo and conditioner made the difference. I've done reds without it that faded quickly, but if I use the color shampoos it keeps them bright. You can get them at most beauty supply stores or Aveda salons can make a custom one for you usually.

[Tenaj]

Meh, well I'm a fake blonde!

I just feel better with lighter hair. I've tried dying it back to brown but I just don't feel right. Boyf actually prefers me with brown, he wanted me to dye it really dark with a tinge of red / purple but it's not for me.