How To Go Blonde This Summer

Be Savvy In The Sun

“Heading off on holiday? Always keep your treatment or mask in your beach bag and apply as and when you can – this will make such a difference to the quality of the hair by the time you come home – as well as a UV protector spray specifically designed for the hair. Also use Olaplex’s at-home treatment once or twice a week – this is great if your hair is very bleached as it will help to rebuild broken and damaged strands. Once you come back from holiday book in for a gloss treatment, which will help to restore dull colour.” – Shona Bain, artistic colourist at Gielly Green 

Think About Your Skin Tone

“If you’re tempted to go blonder this summer, it’s crucial to take your skin tone and eye colour into consideration – what suits one person won’t necessarily be right for the next person. I always recommend bringing in pictures of the shade of blonde you like, that way you and your colourist are on the same page about the colour and they can advise on what will suit your skin tone.” – Nicola Clarke, creative colour director at John Frieda Salons 
 

Look Luxe

“The secret to expensive-looking blonde hair lies in keeping your colour multi-tonal – go for anything one-shaded or a tint and you can quickly lose that rich, expensive finish. Also consider booking in for a semi-permanent gloss treatment after your colour appointment, which will guarantee a light-reflective and extra shiny look. It goes without saying that you should always, always steer clear of over-bleaching and brassy tones.” – Shona Bain
 

Try Balayage

“If you’re after a low maintenance way to go blonde, consider balayage and free painting techniques, which look gorgeous and have a very light and effortless feel. At Gielly Green, I offer a unique Colour Contour Service which uses different blondes to create light around the face; your base colour is left as close to natural as possible so it’s a really low maintenance look – you’ll need to get it done maximum three times a year.” – Shona Bain
 

Try A Lightening Spray

“While there’s always room for lemon juice, there are so many fantastic products available now that can encourage lightening without damaging the hair. John Frieda’s Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Spray is a great place to start. Use it to create softer tones around the face and touching the ends, to give it a fool-proof summery look.” – Nicola Clarke
 

Invest In A Purple Shampoo

 “You’ve heard it before, but if you’re not yet using a purple shampoo, now’s the time to do so. Chlorine and salt can create brassy tones in delicate blonde hair so using one every other wash or mixed into your regular shampoo will result in a brighter, lighter and less yellow colour. We use Fanola No Yellow Shampoo in John Frieda Salons but there are plenty of others on the market, too.” – Nicola Clarke
 

Use Clear Products

“Blonde hair is very porous, and any pigment applied to the hair will affect your colour. In this light, try to use products that are see-through in colour – anything golden, such as an oil or shampoo, can take their toll on bright, Nordic-style blondes.” – Nicola Clarke
  

Leave It To The Pros

“Blonde is a notoriously tricky hair hue to make glossy but booking an in-salon treatment can really help – whether it’s a gloss treatment or something more specific like the Californian Hair treatments we use at the Nicola Clarke at John Frieda salons; this treatment works wonders to remove colour and product build-up and prevent brassiness, and only takes 15 minutes.” – Nicola Clarke
 

Buy The Best

“As well as a hard-working purple shampoo, investing in your hair products really is essential if you want to maintain perfectly blonde and glossy hair. When it comes to brands, I really rate Iles Formula’s products, which work really well for blondes. My top advice would be to buy the best you can afford brand wise – trust me, you really will see the difference. Also consider using a leave-in supplement that contains a high concentration of specialised ‘actives’ that will help to strengthen, thicken, renew elasticity and suppleness.” ­– Nicola Clarke
 
To book a treatment with Shona, visit GiellyGreen.co.uk; for more information on John Frieda salons visit JohnFriedaSalons.com