Thinking of giving summer's coolest hair trend a go? Here's what you need to know before going platinum blonde, plus if you want some inspiration, check out every shade of blonde on these celebrities for some ideas.
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Convinced? Good. Now to really gear you up for the biggest life-changing blonde of your life (dramatic? us?), GLAMOUR's Lisa Harvey has shared her white blonde journey, plus tips from her hero hair stylist...
I
recently read that a woman who is about to change her hair colour, is
about to change her life. I know: deep. But having had the same
honey-ish locks for over 15 years, I was more than ready for something
different: something brighter and bolder. So, following in the footsteps
of Kristen Stewart
and model Coco Rocha, plus my own hair heroes Debbie Harry and Daenerys
Targaryen, I decided to dive headfirst into the blonde pool with the
help of sought-after hair colourist, Nicola Clarke - creative colour
director at John Frieda Salon, Mayfair AND hair stylist to Kate Moss. Five hours in the salon and one itchy scalp later, my hair was transformed.
Of course, hitting the bleach bottle is often seen as the epitome of damaging your hair but it is possible to get the look with healthy results. My advice? Ask your colourist to apply Olaplex.
It helps rebuild the damaged disulphide bonds broken during the
chemical process. Nicola used it on my hair and it's definitely not as
dehydrated as I thought it would be. Also, despite being a fun shade,
it's a pretty high maintenance one so be ready for some serious upkeep.
Here, Nicola gives her top tips for going white blonde...
LOOK AHEAD
"I
always tell my clients to think of this as a long-term transformation,
not a short-term one. It's also worth considering any important or
pre-arranged events that you have coming up. I wouldn't advise, say, a
brunette to white blonde change before a wedding."
THINK ABOUT YOUR WARDROBE
"Everyone's
style is individual to them but if you wear a lot of fuchsia pink and
want to avoid the Barbie look, white blonde might not be the hair colour
for you."
CAN ANYONE GO WHITE BLONDE?
"Yes. Obviously, it's easier if you're naturally blonde but you can still achieve white blonde if you're a brunette or red head
- it just might take a few applications to get the right shade. Whilst
you do need to think of the potential damage the bleach will do, I don't
think going white blonde should be limited to certain hair types. In
fact, I'm surprised how many people with different skin tones or hair
colour can pull it off. In terms of celebs, it looks great on Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johannson. Kim Kardashian is probably the complete opposite of someone who should have bright blonde hair but somehow it works."
PRE-TREAT YOUR HAIR
"Do as many at-home hair treatments as possible before your appointment. The hair needs an extra coating of protective oils."
SWITCH UP YOUR MAKE-UP
"Some
people change their make-up after as beached hair can make the skin
appear extra pale. Take Gwen Stefani, for example. Sure she's a megastar
but even in her day-to-day life, you rarely see her without make-up.
Having such a bright, all-over hair colour can also show up skin
imperfections so if you don't want to look washed out, try a warmer foundation base."
BEAUTY IS (SOMETIMES) PAIN
"Heads
up: you're going to be sat in that chair for hours and, if you're going
full-on bleached to the scalp, it will probably burn."
IT'S A BIG COMMITMENT
"White
blonde is a big celeb trend right now but remember A-listers can fly
the world's best colourists around the world to to maintain their colour
or roots. If you want to make a statement, block colour works better
than highlights but that does mean booking salon appointments every 3-4
weeks for touch ups as roots can start to show after just two weeks.
It's an expensive hair move."
WHICH CUTS SUIT THE STYLE?
"Short,
blunt cuts always look good but a for an edgier and more modern style,
leave it slightly longer and take it to the collar bone; another current
hair trend."
Check out our favourite short hairstyles here.
TRY THESE AFTER CARE PRODUCTS
"Post-bleaching,
your hair would have been stripped of its goodness (pigment, protein
and oils) and will probably feel weak and damaged - especially if you
have very fine textured hair or light blonde tones. But you can add
moisture and nourishment with intense conditioning treatments like Redken Extreme Strength Builder or Ultimate Remedy Masque by Shu Uemura Art of Hair. When I bleached my hair, I'd only have to wash it once a week - try Colour Wow's Color Security Shampoo and Purelogy Strength Cure Shampoo.
Also, the less heat styling you do after bleaching, the better. If you
start to see a tinge of yellow, a silver shampoo such as Pro:voke's Touch of Silver or L'Oreal Professionnel Silver Shampoo acts like a temporary toner to help cancel out those brassy tones."
AND IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK…
"…it's going to be a gradual process. You can try growing it out or go for a darker blonde
after a year or so but trying to get a different or natural colour back
into your hair when it's been stripped, will take time."
