3 Genius Blonde Color Tips from Beverly Hills Blonder Kim Vo

Schwarzkopf Professional’s Blonde Ambassador Kim Vō knows a thing or three about blonding. After all, he lightens A-list clients like Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson, and he’s been hailed by Vogue as “the best blonder in the business.” Recently, Kim identified three common salon blonding situations and how he deals with each one.

1. Creating the “Blondette”

She’s dark brown and she wants to be lighter. Not blonde, but lighter. “The fact is, you are going to be blonding this client—think J-Lo or Jessica Alba,” says Kim. “But you can’t refer to it as blonde or she’ll panic. So I refer to these clients as ‘blondettes.’ It’s all in the language!”  Here’s how Kim transforms a natural Level 5 into a “blondette.” First, apply a Level 7 neutral (like Schwarzkopf Igora Royal 7-0) at the roots and lift the hair to a Level 6. Next, at the shampoo bowl, neutralize the warmth roots to ends with a Level 7 ash demi-permanent. “I call this ‘two-toning,’” says Kim. “After this, you’re ready to highlight!”

2. Not All Highlights Are Created Equal 

When you’re highlighting, the base color determines the optimum level of lift. For example, if you’re highlighting a brunette like Jessica Biel, you’ll want to lift the hair to a golden sunset orange, whereas your Kate Hudson-blonde client should be highlighted to a color that looks like the pale yellow inside of a lemon. “One way I train my eye, and my associates,” says Kim, “is to take a trip to Home Depot. I head to the paint department and pick up paint chips that mirror these desirable highlight tones. We use these golden and buttery shades as reference.” Another helpful highlighting tool, adds Kim, is the new Schwarzkopf BLONDME Translucent Gel Lightening System. The system includes a clear gel lightener plus transparent foils so you can watch the hair as it lifts and stop the processing when you’ve achieved the precise level that you’ve targeted. “What’s more,” says Kim, “you don’t have to keep opening and closing the foils, so the hair lifts evenly and consistently. It’s like cooking a soufflé—if you open the oven door you run the risk of your soufflé collapsing!”

3. The Quick Correction 

You’re booked solid and your two o’clock announces that even though she asked you to take her darker last time, today she wants to be lighter again. Gulp. And you thought you were just doing a quick retouch! “Here’s a quick correction trick that will keep you on schedule,” reveals Kim. “Apply her original light shade to the roots. Say it’s 7-1. Then mix up a shade that’s two shades lighter—in this case 9-1—and apply it to the dark band just past the roots. It will instantly soften and blend and smooth out the problem—and you won’t have to kill a fly with a shotgun!”