Despite all the trendy hair colors this time of year like purple, pink, and green, blonde hair is still a popular and beautiful color choice. If you haven’t tested out the theory of whether blondes have more fun, this may be the perfect season to do so!
Although at-home hair color is super convenient, the process needed to get your perfect shade of blonde can be a bit tricky. Luckily, there are ways for you to achieve beautiful results using Naturtint’s permanent hair colors – no salon visits necessary!
Keep reading to learn our top tips for coloring blonde hair at home and products you can use to maintain your radiant locks!
Coloring blonde hair at home: what you need to know
We want to make sure you know the ins and outs of what to look for when choosing a hair color, what results to expect, and how to avoid brassiness.
before you start coloring…
There are a few important things to keep in mind before you start coloring your blonde hair at home. First and foremost, the darker your starting hair color, the more coloring sessions it’ll take to reach your desired shade of blonde. For drastic changes (think starting with a dark hair color and wanting to achieve a level 8-10 blonde), you will most likely need to use bleach and a toner so you’ll want to consult a professional hairdresser. Otherwise, if you’re sticking within 1-2 shades of your natural hair color, you can get great results by coloring your hair at home!
At the end of the day, it’s important to choose a shade that will give you beautiful blonde results and not leave your hair looking brassy.
let’s talk about brassiness
Brassiness, or unwanted warm colors including red, orange, and yellow, is usually the result of one of these factors:
- Using a shade with warm pigments in it
- Processing less than 40 minutes when lightening hair
- Choosing a hair color more than 1-2 shades lighter than your current hair or root color
- Fading hair color in dry or porous hair
Not a natural blonde? Chances are you’ll have to work to combat brassiness. Removing your natural hair color during the coloring process gives brassiness the opportunity to show up and warm tones become more evident. Brassiness is usually found in all hair pigments; however, darker hair tends to have brassier tones. Therefore, brassiness is noticeable in darker shades of hair that get colored blonde as well as darker hair colored to a lighter shade of brown.
To avoid adding warmth to your hair, use only a Natural (N) shade and avoid Golden (G) or other Red or Copper tones. If you’d like to get rid of unwanted warm or brassy tones that are showing up in your hair, mixing an N shade with an Ash can help to counteract these hues and cool down your color.
color cannot lift color
A friendly reminder that trying to lighten pre-colored hair can be drying to your hair and difficult with unexpected results. If you already have color on your hair and are trying to lighten it, you’re battling the color already there and underlying pigment (warm hues) that’ll show up.
how to pick the best shade of Naturtint permanent hair color
When choosing your perfect shade of Naturtint blonde permanent hair color, there a few things to keep in mind:
- Hair color that is already blonde or gray and white can usually use Naturtint 8-10 blonde shades and have effective results without too much warmth.
- Darker hair colors can use Naturtint level 8-10 blondes to lighten by up to 2 levels, but your hair will almost always have underlying pigment and warm/brassy hues. For best results, use the full 45 minutes to get the most lift. For black to dark brown starting hair color, results can look copper.
how to color your hair blonde with Naturtint
Once you’ve completed a skin sensitivity and hair strand test, you’re ready to start coloring your hair! For best results, be sure to follow the instructions included in your package of Naturtint hair color. Or for a step-by-step walkthrough on how to color your hair at home, check out our blog post here.
how to avoid hot roots
For uncolored and never colored hair, start ¼ inch away from your scalp, coloring your length first, then roots. Heat from the scalp will cause the roots to process quicker than the ends. Conversely, for hair previously colored with the same or similar shade, apply the color to the roots, then let it sit and apply to the length for the last 5-10 minutes only.
How to care for blonde, colored hair
After you’ve colored your hair blonde, it’s important to develop a hair care routine that will leave your hair looking and feeling fresh. Follow these tips to maintain beautiful blonde hair.
use products designed for color-treated hair
To properly care for your golden tresses and maintain your hair’s brilliant blonde hue, it’s important to use products specifically designed for color-treated hair. Swap out your traditional products for ones like Naturtint’s Color Care Shampoo and Color Care Conditioner to protect and maintain vibrant, long-lasting hair color.
And to help achieve smooth hair and protect the color, we recommend a leave-in conditioning treatment like Naturtint’s CC Cream Leave-in Conditioner, especially for darker colors.
counteract warm tones
Lightening your hair can lead to warm, brassy tones over time. To counteract unwanted orange, red, and copper tones in your hair, you can use a deeply pigmented blue shampoo. Blue shampoo works by coating the outside of the hair strand to minimize brassiness. And, for blondes who feel like their hair is starting to look yellow or light orange, deeply pigmented purple shampoos and conditioners are great options.
Pro tip: When lightening, if your hair tends to pull warm tones you can use an ash tone to counteract the warm tones. Or, if your hair has a high percentage of gray, mix with an N tone for best results!
skip the heat tools
It’s no secret that the combination of summer temps and heat tools can really do a number on your hair. Summer is a great season to skip the hair dryers, straighteners, curling irons, and other heat tools, and opt for air drying your hair instead. For easy hair maintenance, opt for more natural hairstyles that require less time and effort.
A final word on coloring your blonde hair at home
While it’s true that going blonde is not as simple as going darker when it comes to coloring your hair at home, you shouldn’t be intimidated by the process. Armed with information on what to know before you begin coloring and how to choose the perfect shade, we have no doubt you’ll achieve stunning results and feel like a blonde bombshell every day!
