Blonde Hair Loves

 

Whilst blondes may have more fun, reaching that perfect summery shade doesn't always come cheap! For that reason, when I leave the salon, I want to ensure that I can carry out a good hair care routine at home to keep the tone in tip top condition and prevent any further damage. After getting my hair lightened to a champagne blonde last week (which I'm so happy with), I thought it might be useful for any fellow blondes out there to see what I like to have on hand to keep my hair in check. As it's now a much lighter shade, my priorities are definitely damage control (especially when using hot tools) and being able to maintain the salon colour. Without further ado, here are my current favourites:

Tresemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray

 

There are loads of fancy and expensive heat protection creams and serums on the market, which I'm sure work wonderfully, but this cannot be beaten in my opinion. As it's a spray, I can control exactly how much I use, distribute it evenly all over my hair, and it doesn't leave any residue or build up. I'd  recommend trying it out when Boots do a 3 for 2 on hair care products. It only takes a few seconds to spritz over, and I've found over the years that applying heat protection beforehand makes such a huge difference to the texture of your hair in the long term, regardless of colour. 

 

 Batiste Dry Shampoo

 

 

 

I'm sure that you guys don't need to hear me rave about this brand- Batiste has quickly become one of the most well-loved dry shampoo brands out there. However, I had to give them a special shout out for their 'Marrakech' scent. I'm not sure if this is a new/limited edition, but I found it a couple of weeks ago, and I am ultra impressed! With blonde hair, I find that there is always a bit of a dry roots/greasy ends situation that can develop between washes. For that reason, dry shampoo is an everyday miracle for lazy people like myself. This version is my absolute favourite, as it has a lovely aromatic perfumed scent, and doesn't leave any ashy powder behind once I've brushed it out. I've actually had a couple of people asking me what perfume I was wearing, which really did surprise me" A little tip I have for dry shampoo is to put it on before you go to bed, and then as you move around when you sleep, it should be completely worked in and oil-free when you wake up.

 

Moroccan Oil

 

 

I was introduced to Moroccan Oil by my hairdressers years ago, and I've never looked back. I use it when my hair is damp out of the shower, and a couple of pumps provides the perfect amount of moisture for the ends of my hair. I've tried both the original and the 'lighter' version, and I've come to the conclusion that thicker or colour treated hair benefits a lot more from the more intense original formula. I'd only go for the lighter one if you have particularly fine or limp hair. However, this is on the pricy side, so I'm a definite advocate for my trusty coconut oil when I want to save my money. It works really well as a mask, and obviously doesn't contain any chemicals. As long as you're using some sort of oil treatment, your hair will reap the benefits.

 

Matrix Total Results So Silver Shampoo (and Conditioner)

 

 

Now I don't know about you guys, but I find that regardless of whether my hair is a golden blonde or an ashy blonde, it needs to be toned every so often to keep the colour looking fresh. For this, you would need to use a toning silver or purple shampoo once or twice a week, depending on your own shade. Lots of toning shampoos get the job done, but this one works really well for me as it is particularly concentrated and dark. I use it every second wash, but you could even mix it with another shampoo if you wanted to dilute it for a semi toned wash. I use whichever conditioner I can find to hand at the moment, but if you like to keep your hair cool toned, it would be a useful step to use a silver conditioner on a regular basis.

 

Bleach London Rose Super Cool Colour (and Shampoo)

 

 

Another cool element of lightened hair is that it can be easier to play with colour, which I discovered last month when I tried out Bleach London's temporary pastel 'rose' dye! As we head into festival season, it's the perfect time of year to try out temporary wash in, wash out style colours. Admittedly, I was nervous to try it out, but it actually turned to be a wicked hue of light cotton candy pink that actually looked flattering! One word of advice if you decide to try this out would be not to panic when you see the colour developing on your head- it looks a lot darker than it will be once it's washed off. I followed the instructions for how long to leave it on exactly, used about a third of the bottle, and on my longish hair the overall effect was really subtle and multi tonal. The darker your hair, the less it will show up, so bear that in mind. Although it's not a shocking colour, if you don't want to dye your hair at all, you could try a tinted shampoo, which leaves some colour behind without the commitment of waiting for it to wash out over a longer period of time.

That's all of my hair care favourites! As always, let me know yours below,

Elle x