For some of us, looking back at baby pictures serves as an irritating reminder of the blonde hair we used to have that at some point darkened into a shade of brunette. That's not to say that medium brown isn't beautiful, but met with the memory that you were once a natural sun-kissed blonde (albeit as a five-year-old), you may very well want to seek out some adult highlights.
Such is the story of Refinery29 staffer Danielle DeJoy, the star of the most recent episode of our YouTube makeover series Hair Me Out. In this video, DeJoy books a hair appointment in hopes of lifting her self-described "mousy brown" hair to the blonde she had as a kid.
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For her hair-color refresh, DeJoy heads to Salon AKS in New York City, where she's introduced to the salon owners (and husband-and-wife duo), hairstylist Kao Hui and colorist Kathleen Flynn.
Like most hair appointments, this one starts with a cut, with Hui taking scissors to the ends of DeJoy's mid-length wavy hair to bring the length up a few inches and add some internal layers for movement. As for the color, Flynn begins the bleach and foil process, painting the sectioned-off strands and wrapping them to process. "The tone we're going for is lighter around the frame of the face and more blended as we move back," Flynn explains of her technique to make the blonde read as natural as possible.
Turning towards the mirror to see the finished product, DeJoy is floored as she sees her reflection with the dirty-blonde hair she hasn't identified with in decades. "I'm freaking out a little bit, because it's so much change at once," she admits. "But it's exactly what I wanted and I'm excited. I'll probably add it to my Instagram Story — I have a lot of inquiring minds asking me for pics."
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