Being Blonde / Bleaching, Toning, Treatments etc.
Since I went to the uber blonde side late last year I've had so many questions about how I get it the colour that it is and the treatments I use to keep it healthy. I put off the post because in truth I was over faced.. it's a lot of information and much as it doesn't FEEL like a lot of maintenance to me when I actually come to write it all down it really is. A few words of warning going in, I'm someone who's willing to take risks with my hair and much as I love it as it is I have no idea what it will look like in 6 months. If you're someone who really values condition and length this might not be for you.
So let's start with bleach.. I don't DIY this anymore, I found that none of the box lifts got me as light as I wanted to go and I wasn't 100% confident with my knowledge to go buying the supplies to do a more professional job so I now visit a salon every 6 to 8 weeks to get my colour done. In my many years of dyeing I have never found one colourist I was so happy with I've returned again and again until I went to Izzy at Saks in Doncaster. I have recommended her to countless friends and even a reader or two in my area have been to see her, all with great results. I can't speak highly enough about her colour skills and if you're local it's also VERY reasonable. In the past I've paid close to £100 for a full head of highlights and Izzy has never charged me more than £55 regardless of the time she's spent on it. I think this is the main reason I've stayed blonde for so long this time around without messing around with colour too much, I'm happy with my hairdresser and it's affordable to keep up without reaching for a DIY option. Obviously that's not the case for everyone, it might be grim up North but it's a heck of a lot cheaper! If any of you want to throw in a recommendation for a local salon in the comments feel free. Izzy tells me the bleach she uses is Blondor by Wella.
Next, tone. For a while I was getting the regular blueish toner at the salon until I started using my beloved Lee Stafford Bleach Blonde shampoo and Izzy mentioned how clean looking my blonde was when I was coming back for my roots. The shampoo is the best I've used for multiple reasons but 1. is the tone is more pink than blue and the result is a more minky neutral blonde than an icy white. It's also the least drying ans it smells yummy, you can leave it on longer and get a temporary purple rinse which is a great no-commitment way of playing with colour too. I've tried others, in fact last week after I did an overnight coconut oil treatment (more on this later) my hair was looking quite brassy (this can happen with oils in blonde hair) so I tried a new mix of colours to tone, a little of my Lee Stafford and 2 new ones from Quif which left it much icier than I usually like but they were very effective so for those who prefer that I thought they were worth mentioning. Izzy now uses a toner from LOreal called Frosty Pearl Milkshake, it's really pink and sometimes I leave with some pastel streaks but it leaves me the minkier blonde I prefer.
Lastly let's talk about care, you can't be this blonde and do nothing in the way of treatments/deep conditioners.. well not if you want your hair to look like anything but a rats nest anyway. I do quite a lot now I really think about it but since my hair is short it really doesn't feel like a lot. Day to day I have no special shampoo/conditioner, I tend to buy ones that claim to hydrate/moisturise/repair but I haven't fallen in love with a specific brand yet. I use my toning shampoo once every 2 or 3 washes (it's potent) but a deep conditioner such a Lee Staffords Hair Growth Treatment after pretty much every wash. I am a huge fan of the Macadamia Oil Mask but that's uber pricey so I tend to treat myself to that once in a while and use other things on the regular. Once or twice a month I do an overnight coconut oil treatment, this used to be melting pure coconut oil and spreading it over my hair but I recently discovered that you can add oils and whip it to make it 100x easier to use - how to video on that below. I saturate my hair, wrap it in a towel and sleep with it in, usually one wash will get it out but two doesn't hurt and it makes a huge difference to the condition on my hair.
Styling wise I do very little and this again is something I attribute to the health of my hair despite the bleach. I occasionally blow dry my hair but I'd say I use flat/curling irons less than once a month. I like styling putty in my shorter do as it works with my natural texture and I use oils to smooth and add shine (as well as keep it conditioned) and I've recently discovered a couple of other products I'm enjoying but they're not necessarily exclusive to blondes.. since this is already an epic post perhaps I'll save that for another one. If you're interested in a talk through of my haircare as well as some clips of my hair appointment here's a video version..
If I missed anything or you have any other questions let me know but hopefully that was pretty comprehensive and MIGHT help some of you looking for blonde hair care tips!
Miss BB