I think you'd be ok if you used a nonpermanent or semipermanent, but I think you should check ith your hairstylist b/c she knkows your hair. Mine understands that I can't afford to have her do my color right now and has given me some really good tips, so dont' be embarrassed to ask. As long as you're agood tipper, they should be willing to give you some extras
for at home coloring when you are attempting to color correct, it's always best to go with a semi-permanent. I have had great luck with Clairol Natural Instincts in light brown and also gingerbread.
You can mask your orangey brassy color by either trying a toner or trying a new shade with a little more "ash" or even a neutral, but stay away from anything that says "gold." Oh, and if you mess up and end up with too much pigment or a "muddy" look...this sounds funny, but a tiny bit of dishwashing liquid will really wash out pigment well.
I have also purchased a simple bottle of blond color at Sally (without the developer) to use as a filler applied to my hair right before applying the full application of the Natural Instincts. The employees at Sally are really helpful if you have questions specifically about going for a nicer RED shade like you want. I only have experience with going blond to brown and back.
another tip, stay away from Loreal and especially Feria unless you are experienced. They are known as a hairstylists worst nightmare, they have the heaviest pigment and are very hard to remove. Again...why it is a good idea to go with a semi-permanent color for at home anyway!
-- Edited by lorelei at 15:58, 2005-09-16
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"Go either very cheap or very expensive. It's the middle ground that is fashion nowhere." ~ Karl Lagerfeld
blue cancels out orange, so i would look for a color with a very similar level to yours at sallys (i really like clairol's second nature line) with a blue, or blue-green base. by similar level, maybe something a bit browner but the same level of depth, or darkness. use equal parts color + 10 vol dev. (second nature is deposit only, cannot lift)