My hair has always been a mix of golden blond shades. When I was little, people accused my mom of coloring my hair!
Then, all of a sudden, in my early thirties, it got darker. I have been doing various forms of highlights and occasional full colors since then. But, when I cut it short, you could see my hair is really light brown now, with a golden-reddish tint. I still see myself as a blond, though, although people who have met me in the past 5-6 years or so, don't. I am getting my hair colored regularly now; maybe 3-4 times a year. It's strange, that after a couple of weeks, it looks exactly like what I wanted it to look like when i did the highlights... a mixture of colors, which is my natural state. The highlights just faded on me and cost twice as much.
I don't have any gray. Maybe my good eating has something to do with it? Genetics are on my side, too. I only feel like my hair is "colored" for maybe the first week after it is done.