I hate to tell you this, but because you have a big event coming up, I'd find a color specialist that can get your hair back to a color you can live with! I'd be too afraid to attempt a correction on my own (by the way, I DO color my hair at home but wouldn't try a color correction!)

I second that...just by chance, did you compare the bottle color with the box color??

Barb

The good news is that reds tend to fade the quickest. And whenever you make a haircolor change it always looks more dramatic to you than it actually is. To get the red to fade quicker, you may be able to wash with a clarifying type shampoo. And don't forget to lather, rinse and repeat. Maybe more than once. I'll bet that by the time your big event rolls around it will have faded and/or you will be used to it.

Okay, I'm breathing easier now. Thanks, y'all.

Yes, I did check the bottle. I wish it had been a mix up! Maybe it's just how my hair reacts, since an attempt (years ago) at ash *blond* turned into dayglo orange. Tomorrow I'll start asking around about color specialists (that's going to hurt the budget!) and will begin shampooing, too. (Thanks for that tip, Terriks.)

I miss the days (decades ago) when I was a teenager and could spritz some Sun-In on my hair before hitting the beach and would end up with nice highlights (no orange at all.) Unfortunately, the Sun-In was accompanied by baby oil on my skin (no SPF back then.) That did some serious damage.

Try Natural Instincts "Linen". I have an extreme tendency to go orange with haircolors and find that to be a nice light brown with no orange undertones. I also like Natural Instincts Brass Free Light Brown, or Brass Free Dark Blonde (7C) which I use on my medium brown hair.
I cover gray, and incidentally also highlight my hair.

Don't be turned off by the names or the colors. I've been coloring my hair at home practically my whole life and if there is anything I know; colors are always much darker than they look on the box, the name is useless AND you can successfully color your hair at home.
I leave it on all over for 25 minutes.

Thanks, Bumblebeez! It's great to have some color names to check out. I felt a bit overwhelmed reading label after label, first on drugstore-dot-com and then in the local store.

First I'd call a stylist to ask if they can put a toner on your hair. If you don't want to go that route, you can probably find a shampoo for silver hair...it's blue and it will help tone down that brassiness. Also wash your hair frequently and use a heavy conditioner.

But you really, really need to see a stylist for best results.

I am a red head (artifically inseminated since moving to alaska) and honey I've done it all. I once died my hair during a conferance call with new york...it went too long (my part) and the dye stayed on too long....and when it ended and I rinsed, well I like to refer to the color as orangatang arse (I left out the r) red. And to make matters worse, I had done a speaking engagement in the morning, wanted to "refresh" my color (but not with my brand) at a break in the action, then was heading off to the wilderness with 12 business associates who I wanted money from for three days, in which there would be no showering or hair washing.

So desperate I visited walmart and found this stuff on the top shelf for "old ladies" (but really used by young ladies of a certain later young age who over do their color) that you squirt in your hair (pink bottle, get the ash tone) which basically looks like dirt from your fireplace. It tones down the orange immediately and will allow you to live in peace for a week with no Aunt McDonald jokes within hearing zones. In one week you can redo your hair (shoot for that linen tone..) and it will probably be fine. Try using a semi permanent dye verses a permanent (semi does not use as harsh of chemicals so it won't interact to the same level as a permanent color will). Semi's wash out after a couple dozen dyes at most, but will instantly make your rediculous hair look better.

Oh on that ash stuff you are going to use in the mean time....if you get caught in the rain, it will run down your face like the fires of hell were just put out. you'll look like an idiot....I would suggest a good hat when going out.

Don't ask me how I know all of this....

Signed...

A (more than once) orangatang arsed hair girl....

And honey, it does look as bad as you think...probably worse...I can only say this because I've done it and making you feel good will only make you look silly longer....permanent dye will not wash out or fade quickly enough to save you! (Says the woman who had her hair done professionally the day before her marriage and was married with burgundy red hair....and a burgundy dress....oye why don't I show the wedding photo's??????) heh heh

Yeah, the only way to fix it right is to find a 'good' color specialist to correct it. I'd recommend staying away from store box colors. It will always be a guess.

I hope you're able to get it fixed soon!

Ug! I hate red in my hair (which I naturally get from the sun).

I agree with using a professional and NOT trying to fix this yourself.

I'm thinking the hair color you used is a permanent color, not temp, so it should not fade (but would rather need to grow out), so not sure the shampooing will do much good. Plus, coloring your hair itself is drying and all that washing will only dry it out more.

Find a professional. I'm guessing a toner might do the trick.

I feel your pain - I've got dark brown hair and it definitely tends to go BLACK when colored. Hair color the actual shade of my hair can never be used, I need a much lighter shade or else end up with shoe polish black hair!

good luck!

tina

I agree with terriks, it's been my experience that red hues are the hardest color to maintain. (A lucky break for me, lol.) I get blond highlights now in summer with hints of auburn, but for years my hair would get strictly auburn highlights in summer from family genes. But it was on the brassy side. (Nothing I did, just sun.) So one time my colorist saw it and suggested adding some richer auburn color to my hair. After a day of living with it, I didn't care for the result, so for about 4 or 5 days shampooed twice in shower rather than normal once. It did reduce it somewhat. Within a couple weeks of then regular single shampooing, it had faded, tho still auburn it was more subdued. So maybe extra shampooing will fade yours faster. (Can't hurt, you'll be shampooing anyway, right?) But still, if you have an event, I'd not do any corrective coloring unless a salon does it, maybe a demi glaze would do the trick.

I can't vouch for this product, but someone I know swears by it. She lives in the country and their water + sun makes her hair brassy in summer. She swears this stuff takes that brassiness out. I guess it's probably also what terriks was referring to when she mentioned a clarifying shampoo, now that I've looked it up. (This isn't shampoo, it's a treatment, here is the link.)

I was thinking of the shampoos with color in them, and happened to find this, it came from here:

BAD HAIR COLOR AND HOW TO FIX IT

Unless you've gone jet-black or platinum, hair color is always fixable. In most cases, the right color is only a toner or a few extra highlights away.

Call the Salon: Hair Colorists may fix it for free (fixing it may or may not involve several appointments or a hair color correction). If not, color-enhancing shampoos are your best friends.

If a shade's too brassy Purple will even out the tone. Yellow will add warmth if the hair color is too ashy, or too green.

If your shade is too dark, use a few drops of Dawn Liquid Detergent or an intense hot oil treatment with heat. It will take the hair color down a notch without damaging your hair at all.

Wow, y'all are terrific! In contrast to the Garnier rep who just said, "It shouldn't have done that..." and had no advice except to try again with the same, or another, ash shade in 48 hours.

Igloochic, I appreciate the "tough love" message:
"And honey, it does look as bad as you think...probably worse...I can only say this because I've done it and making you feel good will only make you look silly longer..."
Yeah, I need to take action today. First, I need to find a hat.

Moon - I know you this didn't come directly from you...

"Call the Salon: Hair Colorists may fix it for free."

Worht a try I guess but I don't know one. Why would they?

When I was in cosmetology school we played around with lots and lots of hair color on each other. Nothing was box but of course even if you mess with that enough you're going to end up with problems. Went to a good color specialist and, in my case, it took HOURS to fix and cost me close to $200 until I walked out that door. (I should mention the price included a hair cut ) I know this may not be as bad of a case but I just can't imagine a professional fixing it for nothing even if it involves just a toner.

I'm not trying to be snarky I just found that line almost laughable and it took me by surprise.

shee, you do know me and you're right, ;) That quote didn't come from me, it was from that site I quoted and linked to. (I was focusing on the colored shampoos thought.) My bad for not catching it. (Geez, I'm having a foggy brain day!)

No, absolutely not, a professional should not be expected to fix a situation like this for free. If I could go back and edit that, I would. Sorry 'bout that!

I always color my own hair. Usually with whatever is on sale or at Big Lots.

And I am a natural redhead (strawberry blonde) that reacts to sunlight -- even when I was very young -- people would ask if I had colored my hair when it would go much lighter in the summer sun! LOL! :)

Anyway -- I use VERY LIGHT ASH colors so that my hair will be much more blonde than red-toned .... I can't use any color with a hint of "gold" -- my hair will go back to red!

So -- my suggestion is to wash, wash and wash your hair -- and simply re-color it yourself -- use a EXTRA LIGHT BLONDE or EXTRA_LIGHT ASH color. Leave it on for 45 minutes, then wash it LIGHTLY and use lots of conditioner. Lots.

Jan (so whats the hair color this week -- my DH's fav saying!) at Rosemary Cottage

Aw...I LOVE red/auburn hair!

Moon - Oh no, you don't have to apologize to me. I just can't believe someone out there thought that was ok. They'd think you were from another planet if you called up a salon and said,"I royally messed up my hair and was wondering if you'd like to fix it for free?" lol I don't call up my dentist or a dermatologist and ask them to do their job for free, iykwim.

Rockmanor - Are you sure it's as bad as you think? My Grammy (she's a cool, hip hip lady.:)) uses different box colors and occasionally she'll think it's too dark or too red. Most times it actually looks really nice but she's not used to seeing it.

I'll bet that quote about the salon fixing it for free is in response to someone who had their hair colored at the salon initially. In that case, I think that the colorist probably should fix it for free.

I got a text from DD her sophomore year in college. Mom, my hair is the color of a rotten pumpkin! Yup it sure did.apparently she and a few girls decided to color their hair. It was not a lovely shade as depicted on the box.
She wore her hair pulled up in a ponytail until she could come home from college and our hair sylist was able to fix it without ruining her long hair.
Don't try to fix it yourself!

I get what you mean, shee. ;)
Just didn't want to mislead anyone, so glad you caught it! Probably as terriks says, it's for when salons mess up?

OOOHHHHhhhhhhhhhh.. I bet that was it. Had to be! I agree if the salon botched it they should fix it free.

Another vote for finding a good colorist to fix it. You've had more than one surprise with do-it-yourself color. Salons have access to color that is less harsh that what's available at retail. That can be really important if you turn out to be one of those people with fragile hair that breaks if it's over-processed.

Actually, you can buy salon color on Ebay. I use Goldwell, which is wonderful. Once you decide on a forumla (if you're mixing two shades), you can do your roots or touchups for a fraction of what the salon charges. I still see a colorist a couple of times a year, but I'm glad to be able to do my own when I need to.

Much better than drugstore colors.

Here is a link that might be useful: Goldwell

Thanks to y'all I am a brunette again. Whew! It may have been tempting fate, but I decided to DIY again, due to both time and budget constraints. I wanted to get this done before dh returned from his trip. "Brass Banisher" followed by conditioner followed by the suggested Natural Instincts Brass Free Light Brown followed by more conditioner seems to have done the job. The only concern is that the Natural Instincts isn't permanent, so I'll have to find a permanent ash brown product to try in a few weeks or so (after lots more conditioner.) On the plus side, my hair feels quite silky, much to my surprise.
Meanwhile, if I can get some good referrals for a top notch colorist, I may try to squeeze the budget next month to have it professionally done...then let it grow out and live with the grey temples!

I use the Natural Instincts every two weeks...it's a pain but so much easier than going to a salon.
I hate taking the time for hair appointments.

I'm also a DIY kind of gal. Been coloring for almost 30 years. Only once was I sorry, when my hair turned green. lol! Some red hair coloring fixed it though. I buy my hair coloring from Sally's, mix 2 colors together & mostly just do my roots. My daughter goes to a salon in town & pays more than $100 for a cut & color. Me - I've got better things to do with my money.