Looking back at all of my posts, my bleached locks to ash blonde hair (which I have now deleted due to the quailty) post, is still one of my most read posts and it isn't even very informative. With that being said I thought it would be a great time to give you all an update and explain my full journey with pictures for those interested and who may also be trekking on the same journey as myself.
Last year in the summer and I guess fall/winter as well my hair was quite dark from dying it. My hair was a medium to dark brown and I wanted a change, so in December I went to the salon. I told the hair dresser I wanted gorgeous golden blonde hair like Kristin Cavalari and that did not happen at all.
My hair was an orange colour, mind you the lighting makes it look much nicer then it was. Not being happy with the results, I took matters into my own hands and bought a boxed dye. I bought a a dark ash blonde dye - Garnier #71 dark ash blonde - and I got a really nice dirty blonde colour.
To maintain and lighten my hair (because I wanted more of a light ash colour and also get rid of the orange tones) I started to use Joico color endure purple shampoo and conditioner once a week and left both in my hair for 15 minutes in the shower. I would and still do my roots about every 5-7 weeks. Back then when I would do my roots I would do everything (all of my hair) with a boxed dye (L'Oreal Excellence cream AA01 ultra light ash blonde), making my hair lighter every time. I would also tone my hair after dying, using wella color charm T18 or T14 (alternating each time). The Joico shampoo and conditioner worked amazing and lasted me about 8 months. When I ran out I started to use "light blue" purple shampoo and that also worked pretty well for a drugstore product (from shoppers or Walmart).
Still wanting my hair to be even more platinum I went out and purchased clairol shimmer lights purple shampoo and it is so comparable to my Joico shampoo that I used to use, but less drying on my hair. I now leave the shampoo in my hair for about 5 min (longer than 8 will turn my hair a purple/silver colour). For conditioner I now swear by the Organix brand sold at wal-mart and shoppers. I don't stick to a specific Organix conditioner, I get a different one every time and I leave it in my hair for 5-10 minutes, or longer if I have time. This conditioner makes my hair tangle free and so silky smooth every time, I LOVE it!!! In the summer (because my hair wasn't light enough) I did an over all bleach (L'Oreal extra bleach blonding kit #205) and my hair went to a Barbie blonde. To get rid of the brasiness I just kept on using my purple shampoo (shimmer lights) every time I washed my hair.
More recently now when I need to do my roots I have started to use bleach and the bleach I am currently using is the Ion color brilliance Creme lightener with ion 9% 30v developer and I leave it in for approx. 70-75 min. I leave it in a bit longer because my hair does not take to dye very easily (after such a long amount of time my roots are still a golden colour, they don't ever really get to that pale yellow, with bleach alone). After that I condition and blow dry, then tone. I now prefer the T18 toner and after bleaching I leave the toner on my roots for 30-40min and then I add it to any parts of my hair that need a little pick me up for the rest of the 20min.
So this is the before (brown) and the after (platinum). In total the amount of time it took me to get this colour was approx. 9 months (August). (Sorry there are so many pictures, but I wanted to show my full journey and the products I have used along the way).
I hope that this post has helped any of you trying to go blonde, or that it has given you some helpful tips if you are already blonde. I will also do a post next week with my everyday products that I use to maintain and keep my hair healthy. Thankfully I have never had my hair snap or get damaged and I usually only trim my hair once every 4 months or when needed.
*disclaimer - I am not a professional, these are only tips and tricks that I have acquired along my journey. I am not telling you what is right or wrong for you and your hair. Please consult a professional for the best products for your hair type, if your are unsure*
Thank you all for reading and if you have any questions or I have missed something please leave a comment below.
xoxo
annpaige
