I need color help. Since my hair went grey/silver. I NEED HELP.
Receiving the above message started me on both a journey to a new color code and a pivot in my business. This blog will walk you through both. But first a little back story. I have been dyeing my hair for years. In fact, I've dyed it for so long I can't even remember when I first started. In 2017, I grew tired of having to color my hair every few weeks to hide the stubborn grays that seemed to be multiplying by the day. My hairdresser had a solution to put in highlights that she called a "gray blend" which were supposed to camouflage the grays as they grew in. The problem? Every time I looked in the mirror I didn't see highlights - all I saw was my gray hair, which I hated at the time. Even though I was tired of constantly dyeing my hair to cover the gray I wasn't ready to face the inevitable just yet. A year later, I rebelled against gently fading into gray by having her dye my hair a bold coppery shade and immediately fell in love with the result. If you've never seen me with red hair, I'll insert a picture for you below. Even though I had yet to discover the Style by Color system, with this hair color I would have been a Warm color code. One of the things that makes Style by Color different than other Color Analysis systems is that hair color is a huge factor in determining your color code. Which means when your hair color changes so does your color code. I'm going to walk you through my journey from a Warm color code to a Cool color code in this email.

Fast forward to 2020. We were in the middle of a global pandemic and since most of us were stuck at home a lot of women decided it was the perfect opportunity to stop coloring their hair all together. I noticed the trend on social media where women were showing off the progress of growing out their grays. Even though I was starting to grow tired of my red hair, I still wasn't ready to go gray but I couldn't decide what to do next. Enter Shari Braendel and Style by Color. I was introduced to Shari through a mutual friend and she did my color analysis letting me know that I was a Clear color code. (My coppery tresses had faded and my hair was more brown than red.) Shari suggested I dye my hair a medium to deep brown color without any highlights. And wow! It was exactly what I didn't know I wanted. From the moment I met Shari I delved deep into learning everything I could about my color code. Changing my hair color was just the first step. Next, I completely revamped my wardrobe, totally changed my makeup routine, and really leaned into curating my personal style. After realizing how much of an impact color analysis made in my own life, in 2021 I decided to become a Certified Color and Image Consultant through Style by Color. And have since helped dozens of women discover their best colors.

Over the last 4 years I maintained my dark brown hair in varying lengths. At the beginning of 2024 I decided that instead of setting resolutions or choosing a word for the year like I normally would do, I would set intentions. I made a list of things I wanted to leave behind in 2023 and things I wanted to focus on in 2024. Among other things, I decided to part ways with the lash extensions, fake nails, and heavy makeup looks that had slowly made their way into my beauty routine. Instead I wanted to focus on classic makeup, healthy skin and natural nails. Even though changing my hair didn't make the list of ins & outs for 2024, conversations with my hairdresser about going gray became more serious and I started to think maybe I was finally ready. I was already focusing on a more natural look in terms of makeup, so why not change my hair too?Â
Although I was becoming more confident about my personal style and beauty choices, as an entrepreneur and content creator I began to doubt myself and felt as if I wasn't making enough of an impact to those in my sphere of influence. I started to work harder and try more and more things, pivoting to new ideas every few months. But I only grew tired and more frustrated. Then one night in early September I was sitting on the couch and glanced down at my phone and noticed a message that simply read: "I need color help. Since my hair went grey/silver. I NEED HELP." All of a sudden everything clicked. I felt like a cartoon character with the light bulb over their head. There were other women out there who, like me, were struggling with the decision to go gray or figuring out how to navigate the changes that go along with their new gray hair in regard to their makeup and style. What if I took the leap and started my own journey to gray and took others along side me? And that in sharing my transition on social media and through my blog I could help others. I pondered this decision for a few months, letting my natural roots slowly start to grow out. In January I saw a post on Facebook from another friend who simply wrote: "To let my grey hair grow out so I don't have to color it every two freakin weeks or not, that is the question?!?" It was just the push I needed to set my plans into motion. The very next week I was in my hairdressers chair and she was doing a gray blend. And this time I was ready! It took me a day or so to get used to seeing myself with lighter hair, but tonight as I was looking into the mirror admiring my silver roots, I knew I made the right decision. I love my hair and can't wait until the day I look into the mirror and no longer see any brown but have a full head of gray hair.

I feel so free and empowered with my new hair.

As you can see, in all 3 of the selfie-style pictures I have different levels of contrast and my color code is completely different (they were all taken in natural light with no filter). I now have a lower level of contrast than when I was a Clear since my hair is significantly lighter with the highlights. So I have temporarily transitioned into the Soft color code but that won't last long. Once my roots are grown out I will be a Cool color code, which is where I plan to stay. I have already started to change up my makeup routine, wear different accessories, and pay attention to how clothing colors look on me when I wear them. And I will make even more changes once I'm finally a Cool color code. I'm going to take you along while I transition my makeup collection and wardrobe through these color codes. I am hoping to empower and help other women who are gray or are considering going gray. If that's you then stay tuned, plus feel free to share this blog with any friends you have who are also on the path to going gray. And if you're reading this but you're not going gray or don't plan to go gray anytime in the near future, no need to worry. I'm still going to be creating plenty of content applicable to all color codes like style, color, and makeup trends. Either way, make sure you're following me on my social accounts. I'm on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram as Beauty by Dawn B. And speaking of socials, I have some changes coming to YouTube where I will be starting a brand new channel soon. So stay tuned...
If you're ready to start your own journey to discover your unique color code schedule a color analysis here
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