The Perfect Blonde and How To Get It, According to Josh Wood's Principle Colourist

I am not a natural blonde. In fact, though you might be able to guess from my roots, I am quite a warm brunette. It’s not that I don’t like the shade – quite the contrary, I’m a fan – but there has always just been something about being blonde. I wanted it.

I had my first set of highlights when I was 13, and for that I’ll blame standards of beauty. Growing up in a fairly glossy suburb, all the cool girls seemed to be getting highlights. I was also maturing alongside Lauren Conrad, Mischa Barton and Blake Lively, at least, in the sense that they were who I came home to after school, whose lives I followed incessantly via the Telebox. The correlation? Flowing blonde hair. It seemed that, if only I could have the same,  all my teenage angst would disappear too. Clothes in Topshop would suddenly all look super fashionable on me, I would figure the world out and a boy would finally ask me to the cinema. Everything, as they say, would fall into place.

Of course this did all happen, but not because I dyed my hair. Cut to nearly a decade later, and I have dipped in and out of the blonde pool – mostly out of boredom – but have finally settled on a dreamy cream shade, that I have applied as a balyage to prevent constant trips to the salon. Its effortless, maintainable and my ideal shade (by which I mean, I no longer look at other blondes with envy and longing). But getting here hasn’t been easy. I’ve tackled brassiness, sacrificed length, faced a fierce cost and endured five hour salon visits. I’ve had friends turn their hair Big Bird yellow with one-off box dye attempts, only to then have to counter it with damaging peroxide or a very dark brunette shade that was far from what they wanted. All this, in the effort to find the perfect blonde. Need it be so dramatic?

The Perfect Blonde and How To Get It, According to Josh Wood's Principle Colourist“No”, says Leanne Galvin, Principle Colourist at London’s Josh Wood Salon, much favoured by the fashion crowd in London. “There’s no reason your perfect shade of blonde cannot be created in your first visit.”

“2015 has been all about strong solid blondes, as well as natural sun-kissed hair – think Gigi Hadid, Candice Swanepoel, Jean Campbell and Suki Waterhouse. Of course, you may need a few trips to the salon to get the exact shade you want, and a little root growth in between can sometimes help the condition of your hair. More importantly, getting the right tone for your skin type is key.”

Leanne, who splits her time between London and her private clientele in Los Angeles, knows a thing or two about blonde. What do her clients ask for?

“I have a varied clientele who cover right across the blonde spectrum, but most of my clients like low maintenance. For this, I use a lot of soft lights through the top so that the regrowth shows minimally, then enhance the lightness around the face and towards the ends of the hair. Generally, I use all over tints or scalp bleach to create a stronger look, balayage and more classic highlighting techniques for those that prefer it. Balyage is ideal for low maintenance, as it has a more lived-in feel; it’s never concentrated at the root. This will grow out beautifully.”

It is a well known fact that the in-salon shade won’t always last. It can though, if you treat your hair properly, says Leanne.

“Be sure to get your haircut every 6-8 weeks, as preventing any splitting or dryness as this will damage the overall look of your blonde hair. I would also recommend a good detox shampoo once a week to keep your locks looking fresh – this will eliminate any build-up of products which can affect the tone of your hair. I wouldn’t recommend touching-up the roots yourself in-between salon visits too, as this can be super tricky. If you want to blend in any greys then the Blonde Josh Wood Blending Wand is brilliant, and can be used at home.”

As for box dyes, she says, forget it. “Creating your perfect blonde can be very tricky to do at home as you need to be very precise with levels of lift and tone control. It’s a must to use a good colourist or respected salon, which I think is really important to invest in. Getting the right person to look after your blonde hair can cost between £100 to £400.”

Finally, even in a good salon, it’s important to be wary of what is being put on your hair – especially when going lighter. Leanne’s advice? “Stay well away from strong ammonias – Wella Illumina Colour has a wide range of beautiful Blonde shades, available across a number of salons.”

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