If you're looking for a drastic yet gorgeous makeover for the New Year, why not try dyeing your hair ash blonde? Among all the blonde shades, this is the most wearable for all skin tones, and it's considered a classic choice, too!
Why should I try it?
Unlike the other shades in the blonde spectrum, ash blonde leans toward the cool-toned side. Stylists normally use gray, blue, or green toners on bleached and dyed hair to get rid of red and rusty undertones, but hints of pale yellow can sometimes still be present.
The absence of warm undertones makes ash blonde less susceptible to getting brassy after a few washes. Asian hair naturally has hints of red, which causes a rusty hue on bleached or colored hair over time.
Okay, I'm game! What can I expect?
Asian hair is dark AF, so expect to have two to three (or more) bleaching sessions before you get the proper brightness for the blonde dye to be seen. The lighter hair you want, the more hours you sit on the salon chair. FYI, bleach is painful on the scalp, so be ready for a tiis-ganda experience.
After rinsing the bleach off, the stylist will apply the dye, and you'll have to wait for the hair color to cure before washing it off. He/she will then put on green-, blue-, or gray-hued toner to eradicate the gold undertones.
Salon stylists insist that you allow them (aka, you pay extra) to apply a strengthening treatment that connects the hair bonds damaged by bleaching. They may also offer at-home products that can prevent wiry strands.
How much do I have to shell out for a professional bleach and hair color service?
Expect to shell out P3,000 up to P17,000, depending on hair length, hair thickness, and how complex your preferred ash blonde effect is. A gentle reminder: This doesn't include at-home hair care products yet.
How do I take care of ash blonde hair?
Stylists recommend you use purple shampoo and conditioner to slow down the dye from getting brassy. Also, it pays to read the label. Check if the bottle contains sodium laureth sulfate or derivatives of it. SLS strips off the strands of dye and of its natural moisture, resulting to brittle yellow locks.
Soaking bleached strands in a nourishing mask will keep your locks soft and shiny, too. Blonde hair needs all the moisture it can get, so never forget this step. Once a week application is enough.
Ready to go blonde? Check out these ash blonde hair ideas!
Deep dark brown with ash blonde ombré highlights
For those who are still testing the waters, try this workplace-approved take on ash blonde:
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Charcoal brown to beige blonde ombré
Have your stylist paint your roots with a cool-toned brown color. Then, ask him to gradually transition them to a neutral-toned bright blonde. This can also be a good jumpstart if you're new to bleaching. The whole dye job will look better when you style your hair in a half-ponytail or when you curl it.
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Full gray ash blonde
This one is for the brave because you'll have the bleach near your scalp, which is no doubt, a painful experience. And who knew gray could be such a cool-girl color? Through time, this will eventually fade into beige blonde, which still looks 100, tbh!
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Balayage buttery ash blonde
For thicker-looking locks, go for a three-dimensional dye job via a balayage. Here, we see Nadine Lustre's hair with icy blonde babylights against the ash blonde base.
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Gray blonde with green lowlights
This version is cool both literally and figuratively. Preserve this hue with purple shampoo, nourishing conditioner, and an at-home toning boost treatment.
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Icy blonde with brown roots
Selena Gomez's "Nirvana" hair (the color was inspired by the band's frontman, Kurt Cobain) took nine hours, 300 foils, and eight bowls of bleach to achieve. But after all that trouble, Selena's icy blonde look gained everybody's attention!
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Silver blonde with bangs
Wispy bangs, when paired with silver hair, spells M-A-J-O-R!
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White blonde with black roots
For those who want to achieve a bright blonde shade but are worried about the bleach's sting, retain your natural hair color on the roots. This way, the bleach won't touch the scalp.
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Dark brown with ash blonde balayage
Have the ash blonde highlights start from your eyebrow's arches for a slimming effect on the face.
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Ash bronde ombré
"Bronde" is the genius mix of blonde and brown, and this cool-toned version works well for dusky skin tones!
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Sombré ash blonde with white blonde babylights
A tiny step from being platinum blonde. The babylights add a 3D effect, making the hair appear more voluminous and never flat.
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Face-framing ash blonde highlights
A hair contouring technique like this will balance out rounded features.
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Gray layers
A conservative yet edgy version of ash blonde: Brown-black hair with touches of gray on shaggy ends.
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Ash blonde balayage medley
We love how the varying brightness of ash blonde streaks were creatively painted against dark brown tresses.
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Smoky silver plus lavender
For a dreamy 'do, go for a beautiful combination of silver and lavender.
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Strawberry blonde with ash blonde sombré
The mix of warm blonde streaks with cool-toned ones create a harmonious look!
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Greige
"Greige" is the coined term for gray and beige. This neutral color combo suits anybody, from fair skin to morenas.
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Platinum beige
The lighter and brighter sister of greige but equally gorgeous!
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Ocean gray
Gray with hints of ocean blue will take tons of washes before it goes brassy, therefore, this option fades gracefully among all the ash blonde looks.
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Platinum blonde
The iciest you can achieve as a blonde. To score platinum blonde if you're a natural brunette, expect three to four (or maybe more) sessions of bleach. Stylists warn that not everyone's hair can take this frequency of bleach. If your strands are fine and weak, they may break if they undergo this dye process.
This type of cool-toned blonde is the hardest to maintain, too! Prepare to allot a beauty budget for frequent trips to the salon and expensive hair care products.
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