beauty

Thinking of going from blonde to brunette? Here's 10 before and after photos of women who jumped ship.

Should I stay blonde or go brunette? When it comes to beauty, this is one of the biggest debates going. And for good reason. It's a bloody HUGE decision - and one that can't be made with little thought. My goodness, no. 

Like, how do you know if you'll suit the shade? Will it seriously mess up the health of your hair? Should you try and suss it all out first by photoshopping your hair? Will brunette end up making you look boring and bland? Will you actually still have fun as a brunette? CAN YOU STILL HAVE FUN?!

Watch: Six facts about body hair that will surprise you. Post continues below.

Anyway. 

If you're struggling to decide whether or not to make the old switcheroo from blonde to brown, we've got you covered. We've rounded up a bunch of real women who have taken the leap, lived to tell the tale and looked pretty great while doing it, too.

These ten different women are about to hit you with some serious inspo and (finally!) prove to you that you can pull off whatever dang hair colour you want.

Lesssgo!

Listen to Mamamia's podcast for your face, You Beauty, where we talk about the best shampoo for blondes. Post continues below. 

Isobel

"I’ve been a brunette my entire life except for a few ill-fated high school hair experiments. I’d always wanted to try a blonde shade so a few years ago I gave it ago. I definitely don’t regret my decision and I’m glad I tried it (you only live once!) but I think I’m definitely more suited to being a brunette. The cost in both money and time involved with returning to the hairdresser every four to six weeks for a touch-up is also just not really for me. I remember reading once that most people tend to look best in a hair colour that is close to their natural shade or within a few shades of it and I think for me, that statement is definitely true! The other issue for me was that I felt a little washed out with blonde locks and although I love makeup, for my Monday to Friday looks, I like to keep things pretty understated. With blonde hair and my pale complexion, I felt that I needed to have a full-face of makeup for me to look 'put together.'"

Image: Supplied 

Image: Supplied 

Sharenne

"After a million years using stupid toning shampoos and bleach that were destroying my hair, I finally went back to brown and I love it. The week after my break up I chopped off all my hair (myself) dyed it darker (myself) and started wearing it curly. My hair is now so healthy - it's thick, strong and shiny."

Image: Supplied

Image: Supplied

Jess

"I went from platinum blonde to brown and I’m glad I did it. It looks so much healthier!"

Image: Supplied 

Image: Supplied 

Isabelle

"When I had blonde hair I was seeing a hairdresser every six weeks for touch-ups and product top-ups (using only Kerastase), but it became too expensive and too much to maintain, so I started growing it out a few months later. It took about two and a half, maybe three years, to grow out completely as my natural colour. Now I only get a trim and a wash/blowout two times a year max, but I still use salon quality products because I’ve personally noticed a difference."

Image: Supplied 

Veronique

"I have spent five years as a blonde and have just recently gone brown. I have curly hair, so the bleach was killing it. I love the colour and so far, everyone has been really complimentary!"

Image: Supplied 

Image: Supplied 

Kat

"I swap what seems like every year and it’s fun!"

Image: Supplied

Image: Supplied

Phoebe

"I went from bleach blonde to my natural colour. I can’t believe my hair was so damaged! Best decision I ever made was to go natural."

Image: Supplied 

Image: Supplied 

Catherine

"I went from a super light blonde to more of a dirty blonde. My regrowth (which is dark blonde) is virtually invisible and my hair is much healthier. I save so much money not having to get it coloured as often, too!"

Image: Supplied 

Image: Supplied 

Rosie

"I got sick of my bright blonde hair and tried going light brown - but it ended up looking so washed out and dull! I'm now a rose gold/copper blonde shade."

Image: Supplied 

Image: Supplied 

Abbie

"My before hair was platinum bleach blonde - almost white in real life! Then I went to dark brown roots, and now with every hairdresser visit the roots get longer. So now I am about half brown and half blonde - it's almost like a balayage look right now."

Image: Supplied 

Image: Supplied 

Feature image: Supplied

Have you ever gone from blonde to brunette? Share your experience with us in the comment section below.

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Top Comments

rush 4 years ago 2 upvotes
I went back to brunette over lockdown. Makes life easier when I can DIY (plus, cheaper!). I liked having blonde(ish) hair, it was great for doing bright, fun colours, but it's a lot of maintenance and dried my hair out heaps.