I started coloring my hair when I was 15 years old and haven’t stopped since. I honestly don’t even remember what my natural hair looks like anymore. I’ve had short hair, long hair, and pixie cuts. I’ve been blonde, brown, black and even orange or shall I say “copper.” I love how something so simple can make me feel and look so different. So I experiment and try new things at home and at the salon. Luckily I have a good head of hair and so far that has helped keep up with my constant changes.
Over the past couple of years I’ve stuck with variations of blonde. From ombre to highlights to just light natural blonde colors. Currently I have partial highlights and love the salon that I go to. The place is super popular and they do an amazing job but it gets really pricey if I go every 6 weeks as recommended. So I took it upon myself to TEST and FAIL several DIY hair processes but I’ve almost perfected one in particular. I will share that with you today!
Toning. Toner is a sweet little product that neutralizes brassy yellow and orange tones on bleached hair. It is usually purple-blue tinted. When applied to bleached hair, it takes it to more of an ashy, dusty, or platinum color. That means a much more natural-looking hair tone!
I use 2 different toners and a 20 developer to get my desired color. I do not bleach my roots but rather apply this mixture directly on my dry hair. First I add it to my roots like a shampoo and once I’ve covered the outgrown parts, then I add the rest to my highlights as well. It helps blend nicely. I recommend you do this over the sink or in the shower. Work fast because it can burn your hair. 5 minutes tops. It will turn purple, especially on the highlighted areas, but don’t panic. It just means it’s working. Once your time is up, rinse with warm water and then shampoo, conditioner and style as you normally do. Voila.
Here are the steps with photos:
- Recommended – do a strand test. Apply the toner mixture to a small section of your hair first. If you like how his turns out, you can proceed. Otherwise, try again..
- Add your developer and toner to a bowl or bottle. Use a ratio of 2:1 with your toner: two equal parts of developer to every one part of toner. I use both bottles of toner and then 4 of those bottles of developer.
- Apply the mixture to your hair in sections, making sure not to miss any areas. Ask someone to help you, especially the first time. Always start on the roots first and work fast. Then add it to the rest of your hair.
- Once you’ve applied the toner all over your hair, let it settle for 5 minutes.
- Rinse, shampoo and condition.
- Style as you please.
Here are the before and after:
Info: I tried many different Wella toners but the combination of these 2 brighten up my roots and blend in with my current hair color/ highlights. You may have to ask your hair colorist what they use and write it down for yourself. Or do as I did, test a few and see what you like. But you have to be ready for whatever outcome. If you are too scared or just not sure, then you are better off doing it at the salon. But for DIYers, like myself, experimenting is what we do best. This also works if you think your hair is too light and you want to tint it back to a darker color. Consult the beauty experts at Sally Beauty and they will help you!
Let me know if you have tried this before or if you plan on it. I would love to hear your feedback.
x, Dijana
