Frankly, being blonde is neither easy nor is it cheap. Sure, there are a select few lucky souls naturally blessed with bright locks, but for the majority of us (even if you were naturally blonde as a kit), we rely on pricey in-salon color treatments to maintain our fair-haired tresses. Aside from the high-maintenance up-keep and pricey appointments with your trusted colorist of choice, there’s also the issue of upkeep in between touch-ups.
Aside from the inevitable dark roots situation, if you’re like me, there’s an ongoing battle with brass (orange and/or overly warm tones). Brassiness can be the culprit of a number of things, from UV exposure to hard water damage from your shower. The best way to keep those unwanted warm tones away is by using violet tinted shampoo, conditions and mask that deposit purple pigment (opposite of orange and yellow on the color wheel) to counteract the brass and brighten up your color without having to step foot in the salon.
Aside from using a purple-hued shampoo once or twice a week (depending on how often you shampoo your hair), investing in a hydrating, violet-tinged hair mask is another essential for maintaining your blonde. This is an important step because while purple shampoos are excellent at counteracting brassy tones, they do tend to be on the more drying end of the spectrum.
As we blondes know, damage, breakage, and split ends are a part of the process, so it’s important to take every step we can to exacerbate bleach damage. These purple-toned conditioning masks not only tone your strands, but also help to seal in moisture and deliver essential restructuring proteins to compromised hair. We’ve rounded up a few trusted tone-enhancing masks formulated specifically for blondes to beat the brass and prevent further damage.