4 Tips To Formulate Warm Blondes Without Brass

Before Your Client Requests A Warm, Honey Blonde—Read This!

When clients request warm tones, be prepared to find the balance between brass and blonde. Keep scrolling to learn the level of lift you need, key hacks to balancing golden tones and effective at-home care to pass along to your clients. 

The Right Level of Lift: What You Need To Know

“I like to lift to a high Level 8 or 9 to keep warmth in my blondes,” explains BTC Team Member and salon owner Jamie Pressman (@hairmeroar). “I am OK having natural underlying pigment to support the tone rather than over-lifting and needing to fill,” she adds.

Photo Credit: Instagram via @hairmeroar 

Grab Jamie’s go-to lightener & blonding products: click here!

Powder Versus Clay: What Lightener To Use

“Why decide when both options are awesome?” Jamie says. Here’s a cheat sheet for using both:

When to use clay lightener:

• For clients with a naturally light starting level. 

When to use powder lightener:

• For clients with a deep(er) natural starting level.
• If clients need gray coverage within their blonding service. (Powder can easily lift through permanent color!)

Photo Credit: Instagram via @hairmeroar 

Formulation: Let’s Talk Toning!

Adding warmth to blonde clients isn’t just about lifting: “Depositing warm tones as lowlights warms things up without the use of bleach. I utilize lowlights for not only tonal or depth changes, but also to create shadows so the blonde hair pops,” Jamie told us.

How To: Warm Honey Blonde

When it comes to formulating, “A must-know for warm blondes is utilizing the underlying pigment to your advantage. That may mean toning with neutrals and ash to neutralize without completely taking away warmth,” Jamie explains.

Here’s Jamie’s process to try:

1. For clients with a natural Level 6 base, Jamie hand paints Blonde Life Balayage Lightener + 40-volume Joico Coconut Oil Developer in a “V” shape. Use saran wrap to keep sections clean.

2. Process for 30 minutes and rinse.

3. Tone with Joico Blonde Life Demi-Permanent Gloss 8N + a splash of 9V. Cleanse and style as desired.

Photo Credit: Instagram via @hairmeroar

For a brighter, more golden blonde, Jamie glazes teased foils with Joico Blonde Life 10N. “This will control a tiny bit of warmth, but still keep it bright and golden!”

Photo Credit: Instagram via @hairmeroar

At-Home Care: What To Tell Clients

“A lot of guests have well water, so leaving the salon with warmth plus minerals can create brass,” Jamie says. To combat this, she sends clients home with a purple shampoo to use once a week, and a color care shampoo to help maintain the gloss.

Scroll through Joico’s at-home care options for easy retail to add to your service!

Next Up: 5 Truths About Toning From Your Hairstylist

Products Used

Lightener

Blonde Life Balayage Lightener

Joico

Lightener

Blonde Life

Joico

Toning

Demi-Gloss Liquid Toner

Joico