Itching to give this trendy hair hue a try? Here’s everything you need to know – from the shades to go for, to tried-and-trusted colourists – before making the big switch.
Itching to give this trendy hair hue a try? Here’s everything you need to know – from the shades to go for, to tried-and-trusted colourists – before making the big switch.
THOSE WITH A MEDIUM SKIN TONE: TRY A FLAXEN HUE
Go for a light yellow-blonde shade like the one freelance fashion stylist Evon Chng sports. She says: “I’ve been blonde since the start of 2014, and I love it because it gives me an excuse to dress down – having a bright hair colour is an accessory!” To minimise damage, she doesn’t bleach her hair more than once per salon visit. Even though she shampoos twice a day (oily-scalp woes!), her locks look healthy and not parched. Her secret? She gets a conditioning treatment whenever she goes for a touch-up – a great hack for lazy or time-poor girls who don’t mask regularly.
Evon’s tips:
1. Use a shampoo formulated to keep blonde hair from turning brassy – I use O&M Original Mineral Conquer Blonde Silver Shampoo ($48). If you run out of shampoo, dilute one tablespoon of blue iodine with 500ml of water, and rinse your hair with the solution. Be sure, though, to mix the solution well, or you may stain your hair blue – yes, it happened to me once by accident.
2. Head to the salon monthly to touch-up the colour, because when it gets too yellow, it’ll make you look washed out. If I’m time-pressed, I compensate by applying more makeup.
3. To make your tresses look a whole lot shinier and smoother, flat-iron them. But apply a leave-in styling cream to protect them before heat styling.
THOSE WITH A MEDIUM TO DARK SKIN TONE: OPT FOR ASH BLONDE
It’s a total myth that those with a darker skin tone can’t go blonde. Just look at singer and DJ Tabitha Nauser, who rocks an ashy blonde shade that perfectly complements her tan complexion. Leave your brows dark, like Tabitha does; the stark contrast will lend some edge to your look. Tabitha swears by Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde Dramatic Repair ($43.99), a leave-in treatment that smooths and reportedly strengthens damaged blonde locks, and shares that she tones down her makeup – “I tend to [step out with] a smoky eye and nude lips” – given the statement hair colour. Tabitha has since grown out her roots to achieve that supercool ombre blonde look.
TABITHA’S TIPS:
1. Skip the daily conditioner and use a hair mask instead. Every day, I use one designed to repair damage, like Kevin.murphy Angel.masque ($50).
2. If you’re not keen on going full-on blonde – after all, the hue is high-maintenance – ask your hairstylist if there are other ways to incorporate it into your style. Bronde, a light brown shade with subtle blonde highlights, is a trendy and naturallooking option.
3. Grow out your roots – it’ll give your blonde locks a little more edge. Plus, this way, you don’t have to go for touch-ups so often.
THOSE WITH FAIR SKIN: GO FOR A PLATINUM SHADE
Pale-skinned girls can pull off a variety of blonde shades, but our pick is definitely platinum blonde, which is the closest match to their complexions. The downside: it takes multiple rounds of bleaching for naturally dark hair to become that light. What’s important is taking it slow. Joie Goh, a writer, explains: “Blonding is a process; it takes time to reach optimum platinum status! I go back to the salon every three months to do my roots and attempt to go lighter each time.” It took her eight rounds of bleaching, four separate salon sessions, and a total of 32 hours to go from black to white blonde. She alternates between protein-infused strengthening hair masks, moisturising ones and Christophe Robin Shade Variation Care – Baby Blond (US$58 or roughly S$79), a fortnightly purple mask that counteracts brassiness.
JOIE’S TIPS:
1. Invest in a good hairdryer. It’s important to dry bleached hair after washing as soon as possible, since it’s extra fragile when wet.
2. Don’t wash your hair too often; bleached hair doesn’t get greasy for days since it’s so dry.
3. Don’t take painkillers to numb the pain on the scalp during the bleaching process. I did, and I couldn’t feel any discomfort. This led to the bleach being left on for too long, which burned my scalp, and led to pus and scabbing.
