Last updated: April 01, 2021

13 Blondes For Every Type Of Client

tips for formulating every type of blonde hair color for spring summer 2021 cool ash golden blonde money piece bronde

A Blonde For Every Client: Tips + Formulas

It’s that time of the year again! Our books are starting to fill up with blonding services for spring and summer, and honestly, we’re ready to bring on the foils and hair painting. From cool ash to golden and bright, or those natural brunettes who keep hearing the word “bronde,” every client can get a pop of brightness this season. Here’s how!

We spoke with expert colorists Kara Williams (@haircolorkilla), Maguy Rosen (@themaneartistry) and Kate Dattilo (@hair_bykate) for helpful tips and color formulas for every type of blonde below!

Pro Tip: Add This To Every Blonding Service

Regardless of how blonde a client wants to be, damage should never be their top concern. Take the worries out of blonde transformations with Joico Defy Damage ProSeries 1 and 2. Properly prepping for blonde services will save you time later and help with healthy lift!

Here’s How It Works

Prep with Joico Defy Damage ProSeries 1 Bond-Protecting Color Optimizer for a smooth, strong starting canvas. Shake the can, mist in sections and comb through. This will shield the hair from damage, improve color deposit and provide greater lift.

After the color service, apply Joico Defy Damage ProSeries 2 Bond Strengthening Color Treatment all over, process for 5 minutes and rinse to replenish color-treated hair—this is KEY for services that require lightener.

Brush up on your color skills! Click here for how-tos, techniques & color formulas from top educators like @larisadoll.

Cool Blondes

Tip #1: How To Achieve Cool Tones

Work with tools that promote cool tones. Kate uses a blue powder like Joico Blonde Life Lightening Powder (1:2) to keep blondes bright and on-tone. Throughout the color service, she treats with Blonde Life Brightening Shampoo, Conditioner and Brilliant Tone Violet Smoothing Foam to keep it cool.

When To Mix Lighteners

Kate mixes Blonde Life Crème Lightener and one scoop of Lightening Powder together to keep the formula moist throughout the foil application. She also creates depth between the foiled sections with Joico LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquids. Pro Tip: Rinse the lowlights and lightener separately to prevent staining!

Watch Kate’s Foiled Blonde Technique Below 👀

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Tip #2: Toning Formulas To Kick Brass

Transforming brass to ice? After lifting with Blonde Life Crème Lightener, Kara uses silver-based demi formulas. For example: She root melted the pixie below with LumiShine 6SB, applied Clear through the mids, 10SB to the ends and combed through.

Tip #3: Shadow Roots + Toners

Everybody 👏 lifts 👏 warm 👏 For clients who want a super cool blonde, emphasize the importance of shadow roots and toners, along with the upkeep required to keep things fresh. Explain that the color doesn’t simply lift to the desired result, says Maguy. The raw lift is either red, orange, yellow or a mix. Adding a shadow root and toner to their blonding service will give them the tones and blend they want.

What To Expect

Schedule a toner in between sessions every 4 to 6 weeks.
Use professional toning shampoo and bonding conditioner like Joico Blonde Life Violet Shampoo and Defy Damage Shampoo and Conditioner.

Natural Golden Blondes

Tip #1: Brown Bases On Golden Highlights

Pairing golden highlights with a darker base? Here’s how Kara formulates a brown base on dark hair. The most commonly used chocolate base colors are 5N and 6N, says Kara. So, no complicated formulation is necessary! For example: Kara used LumiShine 6N + 20-volume developer for the base on the golden highlight below.

Remember this: “Naturals are the perfect half of warm and cool, so when you add in the underlying pigment present at Level 6, you will achieve the perfect warm brown that’s not too orange or too flat,” says Kara.

Tip #2: Fast Toning Idea

For the client below, Kara did a micro balayage root touch-up with Joico Blonde Life Lightener + 20-volume developer. She toned with Blonde Life Quick Tone Liqui-Crème Toner Pearl, Violet and Clear for only 5 minutes.

Dimensional Bronde

Tip #1: Add Dimension To Darker Canvases

For natural brunettes wanting to add dimension and brightness, this is the perfect opportunity to offer custom color sessions with highs and lows. Here are a few formulation ideas.

Formulation Idea #1:

Highs: Foils framing the face and detailing the sides and back with Joico Blonde Life Crème Lightener starting with 10-volume and working up to 30-volume LumiShine Developer
Lows: Joico LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquids 6NWB + 5V + LumiShine Developer

Formulation Idea #2:

Highs: Joico Blonde Life Lightening Powder starting with 10-volume and working up to 30-volume LumiShine Developer
Lows: Joico LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquids 7N + LumiShine Developer
Gloss: Joico LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquids 5N + 8AA into 9NV + 10NW + 9SB + LumiShine Developer

Tip #2: Glossing Bright Highs On A Dark Base

Struggling to stay organized and clean when melting a dark base with bright highs? “I was always holding the hair up instead of clipping, so it wouldn’t touch where I just applied color until I was ready to blend the mids and ends gloss together,” says Kate. Instead, try using highlighting papers to cover areas where the melt is applied. That way, when sectioning, you can lay the other hair right on top without dark staining on freshly painted pops.

Pro Tip: Kate also uses the highlighting papers to isolate the front pieces and tones them last to keep things bright.