For the first time in a decade, I colored my hair via balayage highlights – and now I need to care for those highlights. Research and a trip to my local Sally Beauty landed me on Blond Brilliance Conditioning Toner. This $9, house-brand toner is an indigo-hued conditioner suitable for DIY application (read: you won’t screw this up if you aren’t a professional colorist!).
Usage & Results
Flat out, is ridiculous. There’s something hilarious about dispensing This is an intensely pigmented purplish-blue conditioner. By itself, it is not ultra-hydrating, so I like to make a conditioner cocktail of it and whatever conditioner I planned to use that day. I focus this where it is needed; for me, it has been OK to get it all over, but I try to apply it where it will do the most good. Then, I leave it for five minutes while I tend to other aspects of my showering routine. Rinse and you’re good-to-go.
I did notice an immediate difference in the tone of my highlights when my hair dried. It did take more than one application achieve my goal, though. I used every other shampoo for about ten days to get where I wanted. Now, I just use it about once a week to maintain. I’m not even a quarter of the way through the bottle and I’ve had it for about six weeks.
Lessons Learned
You never truly know how messy a shower is until you shower aided with high-pigmented products. If you’ve never used a pigmented shampoo or conditioner before, you won’t fully appreciate until you do. Here you are, thinking that your clear shampoo that produces a white lather doesn’t get everywhere because you don’t immediately see it. No more, my friend. Not with this. You’d think you maimed a Smurf.
This much doesn’t apply to me since the majority of my hair is still, “virgin,” hair, but this isn’t a magic wand. If you have multiple tones in your hair or the entirety of your hair has been colored at some point, you should consult a stylist just to make sure you won’t have any nasty surprises.
Bonuses
If you choose to avoid the following in products, Blond Brilliance Conditioning Toner is free of:
- Propylene Glycol
- Parabens
- Gluten
- Sulfates
- DEA
- and Animal-By-Products
The Bottom Line
I’m happy with my results and would recommend. If you’re maintaining a platinum blonde or silver dye-job, you may want to pair it with the Blond Brilliance Lathering Toner (aka shampoo), or seek a stronger solution. Overtone, for instance, is primarily marketed for people with Exciting Hair, but there are good options available for, “conventional,” colors, too!
As always, do your research – I’m not a licensed cosmetologist or hairdresser. I can only share my own experiences.
I tried this as well, found the John Freida line much better. They have a purple toning version and a lightening version. Both formulas have a great conditioner and are found for a reasonable price in most drug and variety stores.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll give them a shot next.