I dye my hair blonde because I don't look good brunette. I love how brown hair shines, but it just doesn't look right on me. I was born with no hair, then grew platinum colored hair and then it went darker as I got older. I'm thinking of going even lighter!
Laura, is could simply be a matter of what you are used to.
When I was 18, I lightened my hair, ...medium brown with auburn highlights. It looked great until I got dressed.
All my clothes were jewel toned and looked really good with darker black or off-black hair (including makeup shades)
Rich vibrant dramatic colours did nothing for me, reds, blacks, emerald greens, amethysts, bright whites etc.
seemed to be wearing me rather than me wearing them.
...sooooo, ....I went out and bought a whole new wardrobe.
...and the light brown hair worked great.
Tan, khaki, pale lemon yellows, lime greens, lilacs etc. I even switched to a black/brown mascara from black etc.,
Later, I gave myself a henna to increase the shine, ...not realizing it would make my hair look really black.
Guess what, ...I looked like shit with all my newer clothes. When I went back to wearing the same colours,
tones and shades I wore before, I looked fabulous, ..also had to change the makeup shades as well.
I essentially went from a winter to a fall, and even when wearing the same colour, it was the shade, tone,
and depth in the colour that made all the difference when juxtaposed against the hair and makeup.
Most people look their best with their natural hair colour, ...they just need to learn how to work it to the max.