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Be a Sassy Blonde, NOT a Brassy One: Products to Maintain Your Color in Between Hair Sessions

Summer is here, so you know ladies and gents are all scrambling to lighten up those locks and keep the orange-free.

As blonde after blonde makes their way to counters in Sephora, one must consider how the frenzy for lightening products can lead to some questionable beauty decisions.

We’ve all witnessed the K-Mart-blonde look that appears when the color doesn’t lift properly. Save your tears for fall’s rainy days –we’ve got some tips that will get your hair from brassy to classy in no time!


Blue Shampoo for the Win

blue malva shampoo

Adds silvery brightness to gray hair, and neutralizes brassy tones in all shades.

Blue Malva Shampoo

If you’re looking to keep your hair far away from the brassy or yellowish color, blue shampoos DO exist, and they can help! Aveda’s Blue Malva Shampoo neutralizes brassy tones and hold’s praise from Amazon users all over the world. More popular purple products usually overshadow blue shampoos such as this one, but Blue Malva’s ingredients keep even white hair from turning yellow – now that’s a plus!

PROS:
  • Lightweight product – you won’t realize you’ve got product in!
  • Long-lasting – you only need about a nickel size of product
  • Battles brassiness with ease
  • Product leaves hair hydrated and not brittle, like some competitors

CONS:
  • Toning power could be stronger
  • Best results come with iron-free water

 


You guessed it – Purple Shampoo

Blonde Platinum Blonde Shampoo

Paul Mitchell Blonde Platinum Blonde Shampoo banishes brassiness, softens strands, and adds shine in natural and color-treated blondes. Violet-tinted, color-enhancing formula brings out the best in blonde, white and silver hair.

Blonde Platinum Blonde Shampoo

If you’ve gone blonde before, you’ve probably had a purple bottle shoved in your face at least once. Purple shampoo is a well-known solution to handling brassy tones because it does work very well. The good news is that you can also find some super affordable options at common stores like Ulta, or even CVS. Paul Mitchell Platinum Blonde Shampoo offers that fancy icy blonde tone that all of the Instagram models have been rocking lately. The formula contains advanced conditioning elements like jojoba to ensure all-too-familiar straw-like hair is as soft as silk.

PROS:
  • Does not smell of chemicals
  • Gets rid of brassy tones
  • Leaves hair looking healthy and full

CONS:
  • Pricier than some competitors

 

Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Shampoo Blonde & Silver 16 oz

Shimmer lights shampoo and conditioner are specialized hair care products specifically developed for silver and blonde hair, or brunette and red hair. Protein-enriched conditioning formula tones down brassiness on blonde and silver hair.

Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Shampoo Blonde & Silver

The Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Shampoo Blonde & Silver is another fan favorite. It’s under $10 on Amazon and works after only a couple of uses! When you want quick results, Clairol is where it’s at.

 


 

Keep it Sulfate-Free

L'Oréal Paris EverPure Blonde Shampoo Sulfate Free, 8.5 fl. oz.

Ever’s formulas are gentle on color. There are no harsh sulfates, salts or surfactants that can strip, dull or damage hair. Experience a purely sensorial lush, luxurious lather and a fresh aromatic fragrance that blooms.

L’Oréal Paris EverPure Blonde Shampoo Sulfate Free

L’Oreal Paris is a big name in the beauty industry and for a good reason. The L’Oreal brand offers hair care products that are available at your local drugstore, and boy oh boy do they get the job done! L’Oréal Paris EverPure Blonde Shampoo is sulfate-free and enhances color and shine. This concoction eliminates the issue of tangling that other purple shampoos and toners might cause, making it a great option.

PROS:
  • Very affordable price tag
  • Refreshing rosemary and juniper ingredients
  • UV filters defend color-treated hair against sun rays

CONS:
  • Scent can be overwhelming
  • Some reviews complained of hair drying out
  • Can cause itchy scalp

PRAVANA THE PERFECT BLONDE Purple Toning Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Thanks to its exclusive dual ultra-violet dye system and built-in optical brighteners, The Perfect Blonde gently cleanses, purifies and neutralizes unwanted yellow tones to reveal brighter, whiter strands.

 

PRAVANA THE PERFECT BLONDE Purple Toning Sulfate-Free Shampoo

If you’re looking to go even more natural, then Pravana’s The Perfect Blonde Purple Toning Sulfate-Free Shampoo might be a go-to for you. This shampoo is a deepened purple that is cruelty-free and 100% vegan. The natural concoction of this toning shampoo lacks harmful phthalates, parabens, and even gluten! The hydrolyzed keratin works with wheat to brighten blonde, silver, or highlighted hair and lifts brassiness. The silk amino acids are also said to bring out shine and elasticity in the user’s hair. Sounds like a plan, right?

PROS:
  • Tones lighter shades very well
  • Moderately priced
  • Easy-to-follow directions

CONS:
  • Not very lathery, may not spread evenly to other areas of scalp without you massaging it in
  • Can stain nails
  • Some reviews complained about packaging

 

 

Elise Gray has written articles on a wide variety of topics such as fashion, health and wellness, and beauty. Her publications has been seen in U&C Magazine and LA Pulse Mag, just to name a few. In her free time, Elise enjoys trying the latest and greatest hair care products for her natural, curly hair and hiking with her dog, Carrot.