Reggie Aquino, Associate Beauty Editor 

What was your hair like pre-dye?

A week before my salon visit at Jing Monis Bellevue, I had actually already dyed my hair darker to the deepest ash brown. I was therefore a bit apprehensive about doing anything too harsh since I usually like leaving a month in between chemical treatments.

What kind of change were you looking for?

Feeling a bit pale with my new color, I was just looking to warm up the hue a little care of some highlights or lowlights—definitely nothing too drastic.

What color did you settle on?

My stylist, Erica (who incidentally was the newest member of the Jing Monis team), suggested that if I didn’t want anything too drastic that we pick hues a few shades lighter than my current color to weave into my hair. After some deliberation, we decided a duo of Medium Brown and Golden Brown would create dimension in my dark hair without altering the color all together.

What was the process like?

Since my hair was so dark, Erica decided to first do a patch test on one chunk of hair to see how much time they needed to lighten. After the test, Erica alternated painting on the medium and golden browns on my strands. I also requested she skip over the top area (where my part is) so that re-growth wouldn’t be obvious.

How did you like the result?

I loved the result! Erica was a bit apprehensive at how subtle the change was but it was honestly exactly what I wanted. My hair was at its best a few days later when some dye had faded and you could really see the depth of color that the highlights and lowlights created. Plus, the lighter strands created the illusion that my hair was shinier than usual!

Who would you recommend the color for?
Girls like me who don’t want a big change but just want to feel a bit fresher. Dyeing your hair doesn’t always have to be some huge deal. Highlights and lowlights allow you to keep majority of your hair in a color you’re comfortable with, but with visible dimension.