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Hair Care Routine: Brassy Hair Be Gone!

Before I decided to go “bronde,” I never knew how high-maintenance being blonde could be! I am definitely feeling my lighter locks, but my hair care routine has completely changed since I made the switch. Since I’m Asian, my hair naturally has red undertones, which can be problematic when trying to go lighter. In fact, many with dark locks will say that they get brassy hair easily after trying to lighten it.

I used to wash my hair everyday, with regular shampoo & conditioner — apply and wash off after lather… pretty simple, and typical. Since I got my lighter locks, my hair routine in the shower went from a quick 2 minutes to up to 6-10 minutes! This is because I now religiously use purple shampoo & conditioner to restore and maintain my ashy “bronde” hair that I came out of the salon with. Purple shampoo & conditioner is NOT just for blondes — brunettes can use it as well and it will tone down the orange/yellow tones, leaving you with a nice true brown colour instead. In short, it does a great job preventing hair from becoming brassy.

When I first found out about this formula, I was intrigued to learn that the rich purple colour could combat any orange/yellow hues and restore ashy blonde hair. There are many purple shampoos out in the market, but word has it that the Shimmer Lights line by Clairol will give you the best bang for your buck, and works just as well as the more expensive ones. Basically, the darker the colour, the better. Shimmer Lights, to my surprise was quite the dark purple. But, I guess at the same time, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ll have to admit — it’s a bit fun to see purple water coming off the head in the shower. However, be sure to clean up as the colour can stain!

CURRENT HAIR CARE ROUTINE

  • I used to be hardcore OCD about needing to wash my hair on the daily, but unfortunately this had to change for the sake of my hair’s deteriorating health & texture from bleaching. I now wash my hair every other day or every other 2 days if I’m not too active.
  • On days I don’t wash, I’ll either tie my hair up in a bun or use Suave’s Keratin Infusion (Color-Safe) dry shampoo to lift the oils. To look more polished, I’ll add some loose waves with a deep waver.
  • First, I use 1/2 part regular sulfate free shampoo (by Kirkland sold at Costco) with 1/2 part purple shampoo. I leave this in for 2 minutes, and then I rinse.
  • Next, I follow with 1/2 part regular sulfate free conditioner (also by Kirkland) with 1/2 part purple conditioner. I leave this in for 2-3 minutes, and use a wide-tooth comb to comb out any tangles. Afterward, I rinse.
    • NOTE: Leaving the products in your hair for too long can tint your hair lavender purple. Don’t leave it on for too long if this is not your intention!
  • Every other wash, I spend a little more time in the shower and use a deep conditioner. Both the purple shampoo & conditioner are super drying. Aussie’s 3 Minute Miracle Moist was on sale for just a little over a dollar on Amazon and had raving reviews, so I decided to try it for myself. I must say that it is probably the best dollar I’ve spent in a loooong time! It is ultra moisturizing and completely reversed my dry, damaged hair from all this processing. The best part is I could feel the difference even after just the first use!
  • Occasionally, I like to use Argan Oil as a leave-in conditioner. I’ve found that this helps to prevent the ends from drying too much and splitting.

These before & after photos were taken on my iPhone, #nofilter. The “after” photo was taken after one week of my new hair routine. As you can see, my “bronde” locks have been restored, and the red/orange undertones have been significantly reduced! I’ve been using this routine for over a year now. Needless to say, my locks currently appear even ashier than it does in the “after” photo. I never used to have to do so much when it came to my hair; it’s probably the most high maintenance part of me… but what can I say? Blondes have more fun!

Anyone recently go “bronde” or blonde? How do you maintain the ashy colour over time?

Featured Image by Marlena Pearl

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48 Responses

  1. I didn’t know about purple shampoo before. Definitely going to try it. I had maroon red streaks few years ago and I gave up because of the high maintenance it entailed. You are making me rethink 🙂
    Great post sharon.
    Love
    Anju
    http://codedressed.com/

    Reply

    1. Yes! I had orange and reddish streaks in my hair too and I never understood why. It was so frustrating… but purple shampoo definitely fixed that issue 🙂 Thanks for reading sweetie! xo

      Reply

  7. Wow you have so many amazing tips! I agree, with Asian hair it is hard to maintain lighter locks. For me I hate it when it gets orangey. I haven’t gone blonde yet because I am scared. But having these tips definitely gives me the courage to give it a try one of these days since now I know how to maintain the color. Thanks for sharing Sharon! xoxo, Christine
    http://dailykongfidence.com/

    Reply

    1. Thank you for reading this lengthy post, Christine! Yes! My hair used to be SO orange which is why I almost gave up on going light but I love blonde hair so much so I decided to give it a try one more time. Then, my stylist told me about purple shampoo and it changed my life. If you do go lighter, I highly recommend this. Or, if you currently have orange you want to get rid of, this will do the trick! 😉 xoxo

      Reply

  14. I’m semi bronde too!! hahaha I used to use the john frieda one, and I think it worked a tiny bit! There’s a violet semi permanant color by Pravana too that works really well, just put a dab in your conditioner. I’ll have to give the clairols a try!
    cheers
    diana
    http://www.seaofblush.com

    Reply

    1. Omg my stylist used Pravana on me and I literally fell in LOVE with the smell. But the Clairol Shimmer Lights one is a fraction of the price… and while it doesn’t smell that amazing, it still does the job perfectly 🙂

      Reply

  17. Purple shampoo has always been a life-saver for me during my blonde phases! When I go blonde, I’m usually starting with naturally dark hair, so I have same issues with brassy blonde hair. Great post!

    Reply

  18. So glad I found this, I am getting my hair dyed blonde this Friday! I was worried about that brass! I knew you needed the purple shampoo but I wasn’t sure what brand to go for. I am for sure adopting this routine.

    Reply

  21. I love Shimmer Lights!! If you need an intense toning, apply the shampoo to dry/damp hair and make sure it maintains its purple color, leave on for 15-30 min depending on your needs and rinse! This totally clears out all the brassiness!!

    XO Jenn
    http://www.jennsemble.com

    Reply

    1. Omg, whenever I keep Shimmer Lights on for more than like, 3 minutes, my hair turns light purple! It’s sort of cool actually because I’ve always wanted to try a lavender color (lol unicorn hair!) and then it fades back to blonde a while later. Either way though… it’s amazing! Thanks for sharing babe! xo

      Reply

  23. Hi Sharon- just thought I’d mention – Fanola no yellow shampoo and Pravana purple shampoo are absolutely amazing!! They cost a little more but don’t dry your hair as much as the shimmer lights you gotta try it! Seriously it’s like toning your hair all over again!!

    Reply

    1. I love the Pravana one! My stylist used that one on me and it smelled so heavenly! I’ll definitely have to look into it again. I have not tried the Fanola one nor have I heard of it… which one do you prefer, and where can you find this one? Thanks for the recommendations! Your hair looks amazing. Have a lovely weekend! xo

      Reply

  24. Your hair is so perfect! Thanks for sharing your routine. I’ll have to try the products you’ve mentioned!

    Reply

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