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I used to never dye my hair, it was always just super long and very dark. A few years ago, I decided to make a change and get blonde highlights. Even though that did not go over too well, it started me on my journey to blonder hair. I have now been dying my hair ‘half-blonde’ for about 5 years now. I usually get a mix of Balayage and Ombre on my ends everything else is all my natural color. My two main struggles that I have faced really come down to keeping my hair healthy and keeping the blonde brass free.
My hair is so dark naturally – 2 shades removed from black – which is why it tends to be pretty difficult to get my hair to that ‘instagrammable’ ashy blonde. That is exactly why I have really taken my time getting to the color I am at now. Please don’t think I went into the salon one day and walked out like this (My hair has gone through years of consistent appointments and upkeep). Attempting to bleach the hair in one sitting, will end up damaging your hair, maybe even permanently. So just remember when going blonde, think slow and steady.
If you want to care for your blonde hair a few good toning shampoos. Toning shampoos are simply purple or blue shampoos that deposits purple pigments onto brassy hair to create a whiter or sometimes more silver finish. With the right toning shampoo and upkeep I can go without a dye job for almost 6 months, which is unheard of with hair that is naturally as dark as mine.
Here are some of the tried and true toning shampoos that I think are best for both natural blondes and some products for the not-so-natural-blonde (but once you try these products no one will know the difference anyway).
The Purples –
The affordable buy: Shiny Silver Ultra Conditioning Shampoo This shampoo is very similar to the Clairor Shimmer Shampoo that everyone raves about too. It smells light and clean. The conditioner also works wonders, grab both for under $10 at Sally Beauty supply.
The Splurge: Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo – I have used a lot of Oribe products and I really love everything about them. This Shampoo smells heavenly and leaves my hair super soft, although I have not really seen that much improvement in my color when I use it, I still absolutely love this shampoo.
The most recommended by stylists: Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Color Freeze Silver Shampoo – I hear stylists recommending this Shampoo the most, it is not too expensive, and it really works. This shampoo helps balance the Ph in the hair, and helps get rid of any warm tones, say bye to brass with this one for sure.
The Blues –
The Favorite/ The Splurge: Nexxus Platinum Pro Color Toning Shampoo – I did not realize that this was so expensive until writing this post. I found a bottle at Marshalls a long time ago, and it was less than $15, so I suggest looking for this there if you can. This is my favorite Shampoo because its not purple, its dark blue, and its much more effective for ‘brunettes gone blonde’.
The Random Find – Joico Color Balance Blue Shampoo – I found the purple version of this at marshalls also. Then did some research and found this dark blue shampoo too. It is made for brunettes with highlighted hair and it neutralizes orange and brassy tones that are so common with lightened dark strands. Do not get scared of how blue these products are, just make sure you wash them out really well. I know some people have issues with how blue these are, but my hair has never turned blue so do not worry.
The Salon Level Product: Oligopro Blacklight Blue Shampoo – This product was not available to the general public until earlier this year. I found their brand on Instagram and reached out to them so many times to try to get samples, but this stuff was only available to salons back then so I am so happy to say that you can now grab this amazing product on amazon! Since this is a salon level product I am going to warn you with this one, if your hair is super light it may ruin the color, so please try this one on a small section of your hair, or even dilute this shampoo with another shampoo so its not as strong.
What are some of your favorite anti-brass purple or blue shampoos and conditioners?
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