Going Darker for Winter Without Regretting It
The first cold mornings in the valley do something to how we see ourselves. The light gets lower, the sweaters come out, and the blonde that looked right in July starts to feel a little loud. Around this time of year, guests sit down in the chair holding a phone with a photo of a deep, glossy brunette.
Going darker for winter is a lovely idea. It is also the one color change that is easy to put in and slow to take out. So this post is about doing it in a way you will still like in February.
The short answer: for most guests, going darker is an All Over Color. With a blow-dry it starts at $170, and with a haircut it starts at $180. If you already have highlights or balayage and just want them deeper or warmer for the season, a Tone Refresh with Blow-dry starts at $80 and can darken highlights or add gold without changing everything. Below is how to choose, what to ask for, and the one sentence to say if you are unsure.
Why is darker so hard to undo?
Permanent color goes inside the hair strand and stays there until that hair is cut off. Putting depth in is quick. Taking it back out means lightening, which takes more time, more appointments and more care for your hair.
That is not a reason to avoid it. It is a reason to go in steps.
Our colorists would always rather take you one shade deeper and have you come back for more than take you three shades deeper and spend the spring working back out. Warmer is not the same as darker, either. Most of the seasonal change guests want is a shift of one or two shades, and a lot of it is warmth, not depth.
Which service do I actually book?
It depends on where your hair is now and how far you want to go. Here is how it usually sorts out.
- You want one solid, deeper shade. All Over Color with Blow-dry, starting at $170, or All Over Color with Haircut, starting at $180. Both are 45-minute color services that touch up previous color and refresh the ends.
- You have highlights or balayage and want them softer and deeper. Tone Refresh with Blow-dry, starting at $80. A toner cannot lighten, but it can darken highlights, add gold or take out brassiness without starting over.
- You want depth that blends from root to ends. A Color Melt (Add on), starting at $40, goes with your color service for a smooth, graduated transition between shades instead of a hard line.
- Your hair is lightened all over, or the change is a big one. Start with a Consultation, starting at $10, which goes toward the service you book after. Your colorist can quote the price and timing and tell you whether a strand test makes sense.
What shades read rich instead of flat?
The darker the color, the more it depends on light. A single, very dark shade with nothing moving through it can look heavy in a room, and flatter still in a phone photo.
Color that reads rich usually has a little warmth or dimension in it: a chocolate with gold underneath, a soft copper brown, a brunette that is a touch lighter around the face than at the nape. The hair still looks deep. It just moves when you turn your head.
Shine matters even more with deep color, because dark hair shows dullness first. If you want that glassy finish from the photo, ask about a Simply Shine/Clear Gloss (add on), starting at $30. It takes about 15 minutes and goes with a haircut or a wash and blow-dry.
What should I say if I am not sure?
Say this: "I want to be able to come back from this."
That one sentence changes the whole plan. Your colorist will choose a shade you can live with, lean on warmth before depth, and build in a way back if you miss your lighter hair by spring.
Our colorists start with one question of their own: do you want it to look different, or just look right again? A guest who wants to look different may really want deep, cozy winter color. A guest who wants to look right again may only need the brassiness taken out and a little gold put back. Both are good answers. They are just different appointments.
Bring the photo you do not want, too
Bring the photo of the color you do not want. It tells your colorist more than a dozen pictures of the color you do.
With darker color, that photo is often the one from years ago when it went almost black, or the box color that turned flat and inky. Show it. It tells us exactly where your line is.
A consultation is part of the service, not a formality. We would rather spend ten minutes talking than guess, and with a change you cannot easily undo, those ten minutes matter most.
What happens in the chair?
When you arrive, you are offered Aveda's comforting tea and a warm neck wrap. It is a small thing, and it is usually when shoulders start to come down.
Then the conversation: where your hair is now, where you want it, and how much upkeep you will really keep. Your colorist mixes your formula and brushes it on in thin sections, and you feel the cool color settle along each part. It processes while you sit with your tea.
At the shampoo bowl you lean back into warm water as the color rinses out, and the Aveda aromas fill the room. Neck, shoulder and scalp massage are available on request during hair services, so if you want one, just ask. Then a blow-dry, and you see your new color in good light before you leave.
How do I keep darker color from going dull?
What you do at home decides how long the result lasts. We recommend a small routine, not a cabinet full of products.
Aveda has been our exclusive partner since 2003, and its Color Control line is what we reach for with color guests. Use Color Control Conditioner after every wash. If your hair runs dry or you heat style most days, add a leave-in: Light for fine to medium hair, Rich for medium to thick.
Then the free part. Rinse with lukewarm water instead of hot, and give the flat iron a day off when you can. Deep color shows wear as dullness before it shows as fade, so shine is the thing to protect.
Plan your roots, too. Against darker color, your natural shade shows sooner. Returning guests with a current formula on file who live within 30 minutes can book an Express Root Touch-Up, starting at $75, where we apply the color and wrap your hair so it processes at home.
What we use and sell
Color Control Conditioner
$36.00 · 200 ml
Smooths the cuticle after each wash, so deep color reflects light instead of looking flat.
In stock at the salon
Color Control Leave-In Treatment: Light
$36.00 · 150 ml
A lightweight leave-in for fine to medium color-treated hair, one quick step after the shower.
In stock at the salon
Color Control Leave-In Treatment: Rich
$36.00 · 100 ml
The richer leave-in for medium to thick hair that runs dry in winter, for softness between visits.
In stock at the salon
Questions we hear at the desk
Can I go back lighter in the spring?
Yes, but it takes more than it took to go dark. Permanent color stays in the hair until it is cut off, so going lighter means lightening, often over more than one visit. That is why we suggest going one or two shades deeper first. Tell your colorist you want a way back, and they will plan for it.
Do I need a consultation before going darker?
Every hair service at Amenities begins with a personal consultation in the chair, so a shade or two deeper needs nothing extra. If your hair is lightened all over or the change is big, book a Consultation first. It starts at $10, goes toward your service, and gets you a price, a time frame and a plan.
How often will I need to come back?
Hair grows roughly half an inch a month, and against darker color your natural shade shows a little sooner. Many guests who go darker keep a steady rhythm of root touch-ups through the winter. Book your next visit before you leave, and your colorist will tell you what timing fits your hair and your color.
Why is there a price range for color?
Our hair stylists work at Studio, Senior and Master levels, and the price follows the level. It is not a ranking of who is better, it is where each artist is on their path. All Over Color with Blow-dry starts at $170, and the front desk can give you the exact price for the artist you book.
Deep winter color can be the coziest change of the year, as long as you still like it when the light comes back in spring. We are at 5054 N Palm Ave in Fig Garden Village, open seven days a week, with free parking and no meters. Tell us where you want to land, and we will help you get there one step at a time.
559-224-2667 · 5054 N Palm Ave, Fresno
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