I posted this photo on Instagram the other day and received so many DM’s about how my hair is colored, and how I keep it healthy and icy/ashy.  My response to the color is always, “Uh, I’m not sure.  I’ll have to ask my stylist and get back to you.”  I have never been one to get the same cut/color pretty much my whole life (Brie, if you’re reading this, you are so appreciated by me for always going with the flow with my hair transformations) which makes that answer kind of a difficult one.

Over a year ago I chopped about 12″ of my hair off and loved the “lob” life for a bit.  In fact, I went shorter, and blonder at the time.  I really did love it…until I didn’t anymore.  I decided to grow my hair out again and go with something less high maintenance – all you blondes out there know exactly what I’m talking about.  So now I have multi-tonal hair.  The majority of my hair is a few shades darker than my natural dirty blonde color (I am a natural level 7 to those of you interested) with blonde highlights framing the face and what I call the “undercarriage” just behind my ears.  Essentially when I pull it back it looks like I have very blonde hair with a darker underlay at the nape of my neck; when it’s down, it’s fun and still work appropriate.

Because I am passionate about hair care in general, I will break all of the questions up into a few posts because I personally feel that hair products are a huge part of hair care and using the right ones can really change your hair game.  Let me start off by saying, I am not a professional hair stylist.  Everything I will tell you will be 100% based on my personal experiences, personal opinions, and will include comments and suggestions from my stylist as well since she is a professional.  Because a lot of you wanted to know more about what steps my stylist actually takes to get my hair to where it is at today (i.e. her technique and shades she chooses) that will be a post I provide after my next appointment because she is a hair magician and can explain her technique way better than I ever could.

Today’s post will solely revolve around my current purple shampoo obsession.

I have used many purple shampoos and conditioners in the last 10 years and am always searching for the right one that pulls out the brassy tones, and actually makes my hair and scalp look and feel healthy.  I have noticed that some purple shampoos actually make my hair feel a bit dirty or gritty which isn’t good when you try to extend the length of time between washes.  Now, when I say “brassy” that to me means more golden toned blonde as opposed to and icy/ashy blonde.  When I leave the salon I am always excited about the result being a beautiful bright, icy blonde (around my face) and after some time of blow drying and styling, the hair begins to turn more of a brassy shade.  This is where purple shampoo comes in to play…

What exactly is purple shampoo?

Imagine a color wheel…remember those from art class way back when?  If your goal is to counteract the effects of styling on your blonde locks, the color purple is opposite from yellow on the wheel which means it will cancel out that color.  As we wash our hair with the purple shampoo, it helps to cancel out any red and yellow undertones that cause the brassiness.  Essentially what happens is the purple shampoo brightens up your hair with the blue hues coming through which creates an icy/ashy blonde.

How is purple shampoo applied?

You can use purple shampoo two different ways.
1.  The shower, of course!  As we shower and the warm water hits your hair, it causes the shaft to swell/expand and will become more “porous” allowing the purple shampoo to really soak into the hair and cancel out the brassiness.  A general rule of thumb (depending on the potency of your purple shampoo) is to let the shampoo sit on your hair for 1-5 minutes to really let it do its job.  After that time is up, rinse your hair with cold water (yes, that will take some getting use to…it’s a shocker to your body at first) so that it will cause the hair shaft to close and seal in the color.
2.  On dry hair!  Purple shampoo can be used as a form of toner on your hair.  All you do is work in small sections to cover the areas that need a little de-brassing, wait about 5 minutes, and rinse your hair in cold water until clean.

Why should you give purple shampoo a try?

Honestly for me it’s about saving time and money.  Using purple shampoo can extend the life of your color so that you can go beyond 6 weeks between color treatments…unless you’re a all over bleach and tone because your roots are what matters at that point.  If you have the ability to extend the length of time between salon visits, ultimately you’re saving some pennies throughout the year which is important to us all!

Here are the top 5 purple shampoos that I have tried and believe to work well:

Daddy-O Purple Shampoo by Lush – Honestly this is one that you absolutely cannot let sit on your hair for longer than maybe 2 minutes.  Although purple shampoo will not legit dye your hair purple, it can “stain” your hair a pale purple shade.  For those of you that prefer a more natural approach, this is a great option!

TIGI Bed Head Dumb Blonde Shampoo – This shampoo works pretty well at toning the hair, but, makes my hair feel limp and heavy afterwards.  Since that’s not my jam because of my natural hair texture and thickness, that doesn’t mean that you won’t love it as well!

Clairol Shimmer Lights Purple Shampoo –  This is a great budget friendly option for you frugal buyers out there.  It works well, but, I personally am not a fan of the scent.  That’s not necessarily a deal breaker for me, but, it is something I would personally change about it.

Matrix So Silver Shampoo – This set is definitely on the more expensive side, but, they work really well.  I do like using both the shampoo and conditioner to ensure that I’m being consistent with formulas for my hair.

Redken Blondage Shampoo and Conditioner – I am currently using and loving the shampoo and conditioner!  Let me warn you, it will temporarily stain your hands and nails…it does wash off quickly though so no worries.  I feel that this specific duo has stepped up my blonde game and have been recommending it to anyone that comments on my hair.  It’s amazing!

Have you ever used a purple shampoo before?