Red Hair Dye Dilemma - Advice Please!

[littlepickle]

Okay, I've been dying my hair red for 2 years solid now. I've always used permanent hair dye, and have frequented both salons and the hair dye aisle in my supermarket. I'm not consistent with either the hairdressers I use or the brand of hairdye I buy. I really love having red hair even though I despise regrowth and as I'm on a student budget sometimes I have to put up with said regrowth for a month or so :s (my hair grows really, really fast too).
Here's the catch - my mum really misses my natural hair colour and wants me to go back to it for my 21st in May of this year. Here's my natural colour:

And here's me now.

I'm totally undecided. There is a large part of me that cringes at my natural hair colour, it's so boring and I look like a total dork in that picture! I feel more glamorous and unique with red hair. But then I'll see someone with a hair colour similar to my natural colour and I'll sigh and think I want to be natural after all. I'm way too indecisive about this! I tried to go natural just before Christmas and totally botched it home-dying (my MIL took pity on me when she saw the halo of gold that was my regrowth and the faded red underneath it and whisked me to her salon, where the hairdressers were scared to try and get my hair back to it's natural hue and decided it would be easier to keep me red!)
Please, please, please, give me your opinions! I don't know what I want :S

 

[jadeivory]

Love the red on you. I would definitely keep it!

 

[User38]

Stay Red!!!!

 

[obscuria]

I personally, like the red better.

But if you were to go back to your natural state, there are some things to think about.
The thing with some home box-dyes is that they contain chemicals that make it harder to change your hair back to your natural coloring. I know from experience. If you were to go back to your natural hair color I would have it done by a hair colorist. You may have to do a color correction service, but a colorist would know better than I do and personally, I feel gets better results than trying to do it on your own. Especially if you have tried and did not get the results you wanted.

 

[MzzRach]

I am biased, being a redhead myself. I think you look stunning with red hair, it really suits you.

 

[Chillicat14]

That red looks beautiful on you. And you look much more interesting and it makes your eyes pop a lot more. The other color looks too ordinary.
Plus I agree with a prior comment, if you were to back to your natural state, you need to go to a professional colorist for it to turn out right and without doing much damage to your hair.
(Stay red!)

 

[littlepickle]

Thanks for your advice guys! Seems that red is the overwhelming vote

Perhaps I could get some lighter foils over top for my 21st as a half way thing? But I will stay red

 

[DollyGirl92]

I'd go for a more cherry red colour, like brighter, and maybe get some lighter and dark red foils, but defiantly stay red! its great on you

 

[BEA2LS]

i agree though i, too, might be biased because i recently did my hair bright bright bright red

(i was blonde for most of my life before this..)

 

[ShortnSassy]

i love the red on you. my mom has seen my hair so many colors and always tells me she likes the one i don't have... if i'm blonde, she liked it better dark. if i'm dark, she liked it red. if i'm red, she liked it blonde. moms are just like that... do whichever you like best!

 

[shadowaddict]

I agree with the others. The red is so pretty on you. I say keep it.