ALL ABOUT BLONDE HIGHLIGHTS: FRESH INSPIRATION FOR A CLASSIC LOOK

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ALL ABOUT BLONDE HIGHLIGHTS: FRESH INSPIRATION FOR A CLASSIC LOOK

Blonde highlights are an eternal staple in the world of hair styles and hair fashion. From the contrasted brown/blonde highlights of the 90s to the subtle, summery beachy highlights of the late 2010s, blonde streaks will most likely never go out of fashion. Finding fresh inspiration for them? That’s a little more challenging.

Blonde hair with highlights

Blonde hair usually has lots of different visible shades and tones running through it, and adding highlights to this is a wonderful way of adding depth and interest to your hair. If you’re already blonde, an easy way to make your blonde seem brighter and lighter is to add highlights. This can be a simple matter of a whole head of highlights at the hairdresser, and then maintaining your extra-blonde blonde with a colour care shampoo to neutralise any brassiness or yellow tones that might creep in (more on that later).

Blonde streaks in brown hair

This is a wonderful way to soften an old balayage or ombre look. Alternatively, if you want to lighten the rest of your hair, getting a few rounds of highlights on top of an old balayage can make the transition between the two colours softer and easier to lift the rest of your hair later down the line. Depending on how dark your hair is, you might need to add several layers of highlights to get the desired effect. This can take time, and patience is important so that you don’t end up with straw-like hair!

Ash blonde hair with streaks

An incredibly popular shade of blonde throughout the last five years has been an ashy, cool platinum blonde, such as Schwarzkopf Oleo Intense Light Ashy Blonde or Natural & Nourishing Medium Ash Blonde 533. It is tricky to maintain, but looks stunning when done right! Adding depth and dimension to ashy blonde hair is a perfect way to add interest and your own style of ashy blonde. You could also consider adding these platinum highlights to darker blonde hair for contrast, as this will also likely be less damaging to hair. Maintaining a cool blonde needs a bit of work – but keeping that blonde sparkle is possible with the right products.

Ice blonde highlights?

If blonde isn’t light enough for you, why not opt for ice blonde highlights? It doesn’t get any paler than this. They’re super easy to achieve thanks to our trusty LIVE products such as LIVE Men Ice Blonde that lightens your locks by up to 4 shades, leaving you with cool blonde nuances with striking shine. For even more of a colour lift, we recommend LIVE Lightener Absolute Platinum (up to eight levels of lift) or LIVE Lightener Max Blonde (up to nine levels of lift). Both leave your hair feeling wonderfully soft thanks to the oil-infused after treatment.

Grey with blonde highlights?

Grey hair is naturally very beautiful on its own, but if you wanted to change your look up a little, you could consider adding blonde highlights. Bleaching originally grey hair requires a little planning, especially if there is residual hair dye in the rest of the hair shaft. However, it is entirely possible, and an excellent way to add a certain something to grey hair is through blonde highlights. Natural & Nourishing Extra Light Blonde 522 would look stunning as highlights on grey hair. As well as helping you achieve multi-tonal, natural-looking colour, the caring oils ensured your locks remain nourished.

Dirty blonde hair with blonde highlights

To brighten a darker blonde, adding light blonde creates a gorgeous summery look. Highlights that frame the face enhance this effect, and the contrast between different blonde shades creates a beachy, relaxed look. The LIVE Colour Blonde range such as Spicy Blonde B9, Cool Blonde B10, and Beach Blonde B12 all lighten hair by up to three levels and leave you with the gorgeous highlights you desire. There’s also no need to worry about your hair’s health as OMEGAPLEX® anti-break technology protects your locks from damage.

When applying the dye, remember that the finer the highlights, the greater this illusion – you might have heard of babylights before, and this effect works beautifully in dirty blonde hair!

Caring for blonde hair

Now you’ve got those blonde highlights, it’s good to know how to care for them properly so they stay looking like new for as long as possible. We’ve collected a few important tips you should bear in mind when caring for blonde hair.

Tip 1: Don’t overlap bleach

Bleach overlapping is when you place more bleach on an area of hair that has already been treated (i.e. when doing a root touch-up). By putting chemicals on top of chemicals, you’re damaging your hair, which can lead to breakage. So steer clear of areas that have already been bleached.

Tip 2: Use nourishing hair products

Opting for a moisturising repair product such as Gliss 7 Sec Express Repair Treatment Colour Perfector means that you can replenish any nourishment your hair may have lost through colouring. The Colour Perfector promises to make your hair seven times as strong as well as reduce breakage. It works just as well as a hair mask, but in a fraction of the time – 7 seconds to be precise! Especially handy for people on the go.

Tip 3: Don’t bleach coloured hair

In order to reduce the amount of damage to your hair, you’re recommended to wait at least 8-10 weeks to bleach your hair after you’ve dyed it. This is so you don’t end up putting your locks under too much unnecessary stress.

Tip 4: Use heat protectants

If you use hot tools on bleached or coloured hair, you’re exposing brittle, vulnerable strands to even more damage. This is why a heat protectant is imperative for the health of your hair. Schwarzkopf Keratin Heat Spray keeps your locks protected up to 230°C whether you’re blow drying, curling, or straightening. A few squirts either on dry or damp hair and you can enjoy instant peace of mind knowing that your locks are protected.

Maintaining the perfect blonde

It’s inevitable that the colour will fade over time and your blonde highlights or locks won’t look quite the same as when they were freshly dyed. Luckily, there are ways to postpone the fading process as well as banish brassy shades that may try to creep in. The LIVE Colour & Care Hair Mask Colour Boost Icy Pearl is a semi-permanent hair mask that lightens blonde hair and simultaneously cares for it. Expect temporary colour change, no more brassiness, and intensive care thanks to the moisturising coconut oil contained within.

An even easier way to ensure your blonde hair stays bright is to replace your regular shampoo with a silver shampoo such as LIVE Shampoo Silver. This shampoo boasts a silicone free formula that strengthens the hair and eliminates yellow undertones and brassiness. Simply leave in your hair for 3-5 minutes and you’ll begin to notice the difference when your blonde streaks are left shiny and smooth.