My wife is a brown belt, and has had years in the gym. She goes mainly for aerobics and cardio, with very little emphasis on weights. I'm sure it's different for each woman, as it is for men, as far as how your body will respond to the demand of weights. My wife doesn't want to get bulky, and she has a tendency to get big arms if she uses much of any weight. She's 5'7" at 115 lbs. They say that women won't get bulky and cut as easily as men, but I don't think that's always true. So the same old rule should apply: More weight + fewer reps + more sets = bigger size; less weight + more reps + 1 long set or a couple long sets, = toned but not bulky.
Charles