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From Brunette to Blonde and back again

From Brunette to Blonde and back again
As hairdressers and colourists you will be more than aware of the reasons that women and men come to you to change the colour of their hair. Some want to enhance their natural colour, while others just want something drastically different. Some people stick with the same colour for years - making it a part of their identity, while similarly others choose something new frequently - but equally making this choice a part of who they are. Whilst we love reds and fashion colours and those will always have a place in the hair colour industry, it's the ever ongoing battle of blonde vs brunette that you see the most often -women and men choosing their side and then switching to the other at a moment's notice. Both blonde and brown hair carry with them their own recognised connotations, or stereotypes but often, it's a much more personal choice. Our team member Fern (a natural brunette) recently went a very light shade of blonde for a short time before returning to her dark roots and I wanted to know more about the thought process behind the choices she made as well as the process her hair went through to achieve these looks. I also thought that her story as an average, everyday client would give you a small but useful insight into how you attain a lot of your business as a working salon. So it all started about October last year. As many of us do, Fern felt her hair could look better and was ready for a change.
At first she went for something exciting yet temporary, not quite ready to commit to a big change and asked her hairdresser to lighten and dye the ends of her hair pink.
But after getting a taste for transformation - she decided to choose something very different and go very light blonde.

Going Brunette to Blonde..

Salon Supplies: What was your natural hair like before you chose to go blonde? Is this the most drastic change you’ve put your hair through? Fern: Before going blonde I had blonde balayage with my natural dark brown at the roots. I had never made any wild changes to this previously. SS: Why did you choose to go blonde? Fern: I chose to go blonde as I fancied a change and love the colour so wanted to see what it would look like on me. Blonde is so dramatic and I've always been curious to know what it feels like to be 'a blonde'. I wanted to see if it would suit me and was interested in how my hairdresser would interpret me as a blonde - what shades and tones she would recommend. SS: What colour did your hairdresser use to go blonde? Fern: My hairdresser used Matrix Light Master to lighten my hair and used foils to create the multi tonal effect which was gorgeous! SS: What were the best products you found for maintaining your blonde? Fern: When I was blonde I used and loved L'Oreal's Color Correcting Cream along with their Serie Expert Silver Shampoo, I also used Matrix Color Sync in SPA to tone my hair. I also tried and recommend the Indola Divine Blonde Luminous Spray and the Goldwell Blondes and Highlights Spray. I also used the Matrix HydraSource range to treat my ends especially as I found my hair was much dryer after the change to blonde. SS: Who are your blonde heroines? Fern: Margo Robbie, Blake Lively and Taylor Swift are beautiful blondes. SS: What did you like about being blonde? Fern: I was just happy with the colour and I feel like I had achieved a small personal life goal as it was something I had always wanted to try. I also liked how it seemed to brighten my overall appearance and I'm so glad I did it during autumn/winter when everything around me was more dreary and depressing.

And back again..

After going a few weeks of being blonde, Fern then decided to reverse the transformation and return to her roots as a brunette. I spoke to her again to find out why she made this decision. SS: Why did you choose to become a brunette again? Fern: I chose to go back to being brunette after realising how much maintenance and care blonde hair actually needs. I discovered I'm quite lazy at heart when it comes to my hair so for me the roots and the up-keep in keeping the brassy tones away was too much hard work. The bleach dried my hair out a bit more than I was used to and my hair was more used to a moisturising hair care regime and not so much the silverising products I was using on a regular basis. Overall I decided that I'm more of a fan of glossy healthy hair and I also think brown suits my eye colour and skin tone more than the blonde. SS: What colour did your hairdresser use to go brown? Fern: To go from blonde to brown she used Matrix SoColor Beauty in 5M SS: Do you need to use anything to maintain your chosen brunette shade? Fern: After a few washes I will be using Matrix Colour Sync 5M to refresh the colour and will also be using colour care shampoos and conditioners such as the Matrix Biolage ColourLast or Total Results Colour Obsessed ranges. I will also use the Kadus Visible Repair range. SS: Who are your brunette heroines? Fern: I think Michelle Keegan is gorgeous and is definitely a brunette inspiration. Her hair is lovely and long in deep brown with different shades which is what I love! SS: What do you like about being brunette? Fern: I would say that personally I like being brunette as it's easy for me to maintain and work at keeping it glossy! You can see more shine in darker hair anyway and though it may not be considered as wild as blonde hair - there are still so many choices and options in the hands of your hairdresser in terms of highlights, lowlights, balayage and more. It's definitely not boring being brunette. SS: If you could choose any hairstyle and colour (without cost and upkeep being a factor) describe how would you have your hair? Fern: If I could have my hair done in any style I would love to have really long multi-tonal brunette hair with a few layers and big bouncy curls! SS: And finally, what are your favourite/top hair products? Fern: My fav products would definitely be KADUS VELVET OIL! It's a must-have! I also love Matrix's Correct It Miracle Morpher which I use every time I wash my hair.
Whatever the reasons behind your client's decision to change their hair colour, as you can see they are not limited to just simple blonde or brunette. The choices are endless and a temporary change can be just as positive as a permanent one. Fern worked with her hairdresser and asked for guidance when going blonde and brown making this part of the whole service and experience. Use your vast knowledge and unique skills as a hairdresser and colourist to wow your clients but at the same time work with them to make the best choice when it comes to what colour and even what haircut you should give them. Their lifestyle is just as important a factor as their dream hair and sometimes it might take going from brunette to blonde and back again for them to realise this. But you will be with them every step of the way on this journey.