A Brunette with Blonde Girl Dreams......The day my blonde girl dreams come true!
To Piggyback off of Anna's The Secret Weapon for Blonde Hair that contributes to OVERALL HEALTH! I am finally posting and blog entry I wrote back in February (before the blog was even up and running) about my experience going from a brunette to a blond. Continue to read to learn what I have learned from the experience and tips for making the your blonde girl dreams come true too!
It’s the big day! I’ve boycotted curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers for a year, I have spent hours googling the most natural ways to moisturize and repair my hair, and then I have doubled that amount of hours mixing and applying found hair mask recipes onto my locks. At some point during my quest for healthy natural hair I got bored. I was itching to play with my style and the decision to go blond was made. I’m ready to undo a year of near obsessive love and care and am headed to the salon.
My Evolution of Hair
I’ve cleared my schedule for the day and brought along provisions to keep me entertained, fed, and happy throughout the process. As I mentioned in my previous post, transitioning from a darker base to blond is a long process and should not be rushed. Make sure that you aren’t putting a time constraint on your stylist by scheduling plans following your appointment.
I trust my hair, especially when it comes to color, to one person and one person only, my hair stylist Natalie. Natalie works at Language of Hair, a super small but amazing salon in the town where I live. I have tried out some of the best salons in the Philadelphia and New York area spending all sorts of crazy money and no other stylist has ever come close to my girl. She is a pro and I can trust her to always mix the perfect color that will get me as close to the color of my dreams while not undermining my skin stone and leave me looking like a freak. Another major factor that draws me to Language of Hair is the salon’s diligence in their quest to bring their clients the newest and most innovative trends in hair care.
Being aware of the near neurotic care put into restoring my hair for the last year, Natalie made the decision to use a high lift dye rather then bleach straight onto my scalp for the first process. In doing so Natalie was able to minimize damage to the roots as well as create a smoother transition from the root as the hair would begin to grow.
After rinsing out the highlift my hair was finally ready to be bleached. As I patiently sat and watched Natalie carefully bleach and foil my tresses, she schooled on the wonders of the olaplex treatment, which she was using throughout my coloring process.
Over this past year Olaplex has become the holy grail of stylist everywhere. As all of you ladies know the coloring process is a bitch. Our hair is made up of bonds and every time we pursue our latest color dreams we are essentially stripping those bonds, leaving us with dry brittle hair. Olaplex is added to the color/bleaching process and works to simultaneously restore the bonds of the hair as the color is breaking them down. There are three parts to the olaplex sytem No.1 and No.2 are used during the coloring process at the salon. No.3 is an at home treatment which allows us ladies to protect ourselves from the daily damage we impose from heat styling.
olaplex
After an hour or so of eager anticipation the bleach is finally ready to be rinsed out. Natalie takes me to the sink and the end result amazes us both. The combination of a healthy base and the olaplex has left me with hair that has withstood a double process with virtually no damage. I still need be toned to rid any brassy tones but I already see the difference in my hair compared to past coloring experiences. There is absolutely no sign of breakage and even though my hair is wet and unconditioned it feels silky and smooth to the touch. I am an absolute believer. Olaxplex is NO JOKE!
We are in the home stretch and Natalie is ready to tone out any brassiness that is left in my color. Natalie’s trick for natural brunettes, who tend to pull a bit brassy, is using at lavender toner. If you look at a color wheel then you'll see that on that purple is opposite to yellow on the color spectrum. In using a purple toner you are able to neutralize the yellow tones giving the hair a more neutral or ashy tone. Again, I note it is beyond important to find a great colorist who takes the time to formulate the right process for your hair specific hair. Ok it has been another 30 minuets of toning and my scalp is starting to tingle. It is time to head back to the sink and unveil the final color…..
The Final Product!
I’m in LOVE!!!!!!!!!!! It sounds completely narcissistic but I can’t stop looking in the mirror at myself. I’ve been shades of dark for while now and hardly recognize this blond girl. I know I will likely be completely shocked each time I catch my reflection over the next few days. Also, I’m still in a state of disbelief over how incredibly healthy my hair is after a day of processing.
So this is what I’ll leave you with…….
1) We all love to change it up when it comes to our hair but if you aim to hold onto healthy unfired locks make sure that you're willing to commit to the time and expense of making sure it is done right. Do your own research and find a colorist who really knows what they are doing. The extra expense will be worth it in the end.
2) If you’re a dark hair beauty don’t expect that your stylist will be able to turn you to the lightest shades of blond in just one visit to the salon. Yes, in theory is could be done, but even with the magic of olaplex, to much processing at one time will leave you with dry brittle hair. I’m at nice champagne color but ultimately I’m aiming for a snowy white. Achieving such a light color is a like multi-step process and I’m giving my hair a few weeks to rest before I trying to go lighter.
3) Say good bye Keratin and Hello to Olaplex. Keratin and other treatments simply mask the incurred damage with wax, oil or silicone films on the exterior of the hairs – giving the illusion of improved hair condition. While these superficial solutions are temporary and only focus on the exterior of the hairs, Olaplex works by penetrating the hair and repairing the bonds from within.
4) Purple shampoo is your new best friend. Minerals in your water will turn your beautiful blond color brassy over time. Investing in a great purple shampoo, like Pravana Pure Light Brightening Shampoo, is the equivalent of toning your hair each time you get in the shower.
So there your have it, my top tips for going blond. I know there is a lot more to discuss regarding the long term maintenance of my new locks and I will be sure to keep you up to date on all of my favorite tricks, tips, products as I discover them!
Please share any coloring tips you may have learned in your
from your coloring experiences!