Do You Have Blonde Ambition?

by Irena Murphy ( balayagebabe_irena )

Find the blonde that works for you! 

• Going blonde has come a long way from traditional highlights!
  Babylights and balayage might’ve hit the coastlines cities before the Midwest but with the introduction of social media along with Instagram’s very visual wave of influence, it’s understandable if people are overwhelmed by the different forms of blonde. 

• If you’re wanting to get lighter and brighter remember to always get a consultation with a stylist.
  Bring pictures to show what you like and why! You might be wanting the brightness of one picture but the “lived-in” deeper roots of another. Color consultations are always key in communicating what you want when lightening your hair.

• Remember to inquire about the kind of maintenance involved with big changes including shampoo, home care, and recommended visits.
  Finding the best blonde stylist in LA could be as simple as looking over their portfolio of work online and talking about the differences you both see and what may suit you. Blondes can go from beautiful to brassy if you don’t heed the advice of your trusted beauty professionals.  

Here’s our guide on how to go blonde from the most natural to the most intense!

Lived in Blonde/Balayage

This is by far my favorite form of blonde because it’s the most natural. Balayage can be done in multiple ways but usually, they all result in a sun-kissed look with a softer diffused blonde at the root and brighter mid-lengths and ends.

You know all those natural blondes that spend the summer at the beach? Yeah, balayage is trying to mimic that. But of course, trends take over and there are some very extreme bright blonde results that can be achieved with balayage as well. This technique is best done on hair that is level 7 and lighter. So a light brown to a dark blonde that wants to be lighter. 

Maintenance: The best part of this technique is it can last anywhere from 3-6 months! It’s definitely the least maintenance of all the blondes because of the softer root blending. 

Shampoo: Redken Color Extend Shampoo

Babylights/Highlights

Ah, highlights! The most traditional way to go blonde. This technique has expanded to include baby lights, foliage, and multiple patterns sectioning. It has definitely evolved from when I started doing hair 16 years ago. The best thing about highlighting with foils is that you can achieve a very even lift from root to ends and a much brighter lift due to the heat from foils.  

This technique does require more salon visits unless… You ask for a root smudge! Sometimes referred to as a root tap. This is done by simply toning down the roots of your hair just a pinch darker for a softer grow-out. I think a majority of my clientele these days want a slightly deeper blonde root even with highlighting. We leave the framing around the face bright all the way to the root for that “ money piece” look and tada. This might be the most quintessential blonde on Instagram. 

Maintenance: 6-12 weeks depending on the pattern and technique.

Shampoo: Redken Color Extend Shampoo, possibly alternating with Redken Blondage Color Extend shampoo that helps fight brassy tones if you are going for a lighter ash blonde.

Bleach and Tone Blonde

Ok, so you want to be Gwen Stefani and you’ve decided to go fully bleach blonde from roots-to-ends, this is a bleach and tone or more professionally called a double process. Getting to this point may be a series of highlight appointments to ease into it or you may choose to do an all-over-lightening process.

This decision will be best with a consultation. Be ready, because getting to this level of blonde may take several appointments. It will depend on the condition of your hair and if you have previously colored hair that will determine the amount of visits you need to get to the perfect Marilyn Monroe level.

After you're there you can expect to get your roots retouched with lighter and then toned platinum with every visit. Congratulations, you have made it to max blonde! 

A few words of caution: This can be the most damaging so listen to your Cutler stylist about conditioning treatments and in-salon bond building treatments. This level of blonde can also be more porous so be prepared to possibly change it up to a filtered shower head that will catch all the rust and mineral deposits from old pipes before your hair does. 

Maintenance: Every 4-8 weeks. 

Shampoo: Redken Acidic Blonding Concentrate Shampoo and condition on rotation with a Redken Blondage Color Extend Shampoo. Filtered shower head and in-salon conditioning treatments make it stand out.

Do you need a free consultation to go blonde in LA or New York?

Call us (212 308 3838) to get set up with the best blonde specialists on the coasts. We’ll talk you through a hair plan just for you!

About the author:

Irena Murphy loves classic cars, lattes, and her two black cats. She's been a hairstylist for the last decade as well as contributing writer for several publications. 

She's happy to now write about the beauty industry and share her experience behind the chair.

You can find her painting LA Blondes at Cutler Salon in West Hollywood.