I’ve dyed my hair lavender many times but have never used this shade from Arctic Fox. I thought it would be fun to see if girls night was the perfect lavender straight out of the bottle.
Arctic Fox girls night
My silver hair before
My natural silver hair (with a little pink underneath)
I applied the dye all over my hair and used almost the entire 4 ounce bottle. I left it on for 30 minutes before washing it out.
My new lavender hair
I thought it turned out perfect—not too blue, not too pink, not too intense—just right.
The perfect shade of lavenderAnother look at my new lavender hair
The only downside is, being this soft of a color it only lasted one week. Sometimes that can be a good thing if you’re in a mood to change the color again, which is exactly what I did.
But I went out and ordered a large bottle for the next time I get the urge for lavender hair.
Please enjoy this short video of me trying Arctic Fox girls night.
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Ever since I began transitioning to my natural silver hair, I’ve been on a mission to banish the yellow tones from my hair. And while there are many products you can find for this purpose, I love to keep things simple and save money at the same time. So I experimented and came up with an easy toner recipe for me and all you thrifty silver-haired sirens out there.
Make your own silver toning conditioner
All you need are two simple ingredients to make the perfect toner to keep your gray and silver hair bright—cheap white hair conditioner and semipermanent dye.
Suave conditioner and Arctic Fox transylvania dye
I use Suave coconut conditioner from Walmart (about $2) and Arctic Fox transylvania semipermanent dye ($13 to $18). I recommend getting the 4 ounce size because it will literally last for years using the small amount required for this recipe.
DIY toner recipe for silver hair
Take one cup of conditioner.
One cup conditioner
Add ¼ teaspoon Arctic Fox transylvania dye.
1/4 tsp Arctic Fox transylvania dye
Stir into the conditioner and mix well.
Stir dye into conditioner
After mixing, the conditioner looks like a medium shade of indigo blue.
Blue toning conditioner for silver hair
Transfer the toner to a pump bottle for easy use.
Store conditioner in a pump bottle
The great thing about this mixture is that it brightens hair without leaving a blue cast. But if you would rather be left with a subtle blue shade in your hair, simply double the amount of dye, using ½ teaspoon instead of ¼ teaspoon.
How to use toning conditioner
Use the toner on your hair once or twice a week.
After I wash my hair in the shower, I squeeze out excess water and apply about a tablespoon all over my hair.
One tablespoon toning conditioner per treatment
Then I comb through my hair with a wide-tooth comb, pin my hair up and continue on with my shower, rinsing my hair at the end.
Perfectly toned silver hair
My silver hair after using DIY toner
And this is lovely result, silver hair without any yellow or blue tones.
I hope you will give this DIY toner a try on your own silver tresses.
Right now there’s a tag going around on social media for those of us in the gray hair community to answer questions about our transition to gray hair.
Now more than ever, gray hair is a choice. It’s just as valid as all the other colors. It doesn’t mean that someone is old, not relevant or has stopped caring about her appearance. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We gray hair pioneers are trying to change that outdated perception. That’s why I decided to participate in this tag. I hope that my answers to these ten questions may help you with your own transition to gray hair.
1. How old were you when you started going gray?
I was 16. I remember being at school, looking in the bathroom mirror and I saw one or two gleaming silver strands in my medium brown hair. I was shocked!
By my late 30s, my hair was at least fifty percent gray and the rest of the color was a faded reddish brown which did absolutely nothing for me. That’s when I started regularly dyeing it dark brown.
2. How old were you when you decided to transition?
Shortly after my 60th birthday. I had always wanted to go blonde and I thought, “What am I waiting for.” I was also going through a traumatic time recovering from a broken ankle and I was ready for a new me.
3. Did you go to your hairdresser to help with the transition or did you just go “cold turkey?” What did your hairdresser do to help if you went to one?
You really only have three choices when transitioning to gray hair. You can cut it all off, you can let it grow out, or you can bleach it.
I chose bleaching and went to the hairdresser to get all the dark color removed from my hair. That is the fastest and most expensive option.
4. What was the reaction of your friends and family?
I didn’t go directly to gray hair. It was blonde for a few months. The people who knew me only as a brunette didn’t seem to like it, but only a couple of people said anything to me. My sister-in-law said it made me look old. Other people (casual acquaintances and strangers) liked it a lot.
As my natural silver hair grew out, I started experimenting with temporary pastel colors. I didn’t get any further comments from my friends and family. However, I have gotten many compliments from strangers on my new look.
5. Favorite thing about being gray?
I just love the color silver! I like being able to add colorful accents to my hair. I had never really experimented with my hair color before and it’s really fun.
6. Least favorite thing about being gray?
There is one minor thing and that is having to tone out yellowness, although it’s fairly hassle free the way I do it.
The only other thing that bothers me is that there’s no word for people with silver hair. There’s blonde, brunette, redhead, but no term for those of us with gray hair.
7. Do you receive a lot of criticism for your gray hair? If so, how do you deal?
Fortunately, I get no criticism for my gray hair. Truly the only things I get are compliments on my ombre. And if somebody did have something negative to say, it wouldn’t mean anything to me because I no longer care about what people think. I love it and that’s all that matters.
8. What is your favorite compliment that you have received about your hair?
I really do get a lot of compliments on my hair that I never got when it was brunette. But a few months ago I was at a club waiting for the music to start.
Where I was sitting a light was shining down on me, making my hair look so silver white. At that particular time the ombre had faded away and I wasn’t wearing my hair extensions, so it was just my hair in all its glory. A man came up to me from across the room and said, “I just love your hair!”
9. What is your biggest piece of advice to anyone looking to start the process?
Just know that it’s going to be an emotional time. Thinking about things like, am I old, is this going to make me look old, will I be accepted, etc. And then having to adjust the colors of your wardrobe and makeup; everything has to change. There’s a lot to deal with.
I also think going to a hairdresser to help with the transition is the best idea. If I had it to do over again I probably would have done heavy foils instead of overall bleaching. It might have been less damaging and would have been more gradual and an easier adjustment.
If you really want to go gray, just do it. Don’t let anyone hold you back.
10. Who is your gray hair idol?
There are three ladies on YouTube that I’m drawn to.
Maryam Remias is the one who inspired me with her ombre hair. I loved the way it looked on her and she gave me the courage to try it for myself.
I also like Monique Parent. She does so many things with her hair, including trying hairpieces and temporary colors to change things up.
And I admire Victoria Marie who has the most striking silver hair and who’s making a documentary, Gray is the new blonde.
These inspirational, vibrant women are redefining what it means to be gray.
Where are you at in your gray hair journey? Please feel free to share your story below.
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It’s hard to imagine a happier and more flattering color than lavender. And when that color is on your hair, people are going to notice. So if you’re ready to jazz up your look, and you don’t mind receiving lots of compliments from just about everyone, give it a try.
But you should know a few things going in. The dyeing process is messy. Color can go on uneven. And the biggest downside to lavender hair is the fact that it fades fast. I mean really fast.
Having spent the last two years experimenting with lavender on my hair, I’ve learned a thing or two about dyeing it and keeping the color for as long as possible. To summarize, my tips are:
Keep it clean
Keep it even
Keep it longer
Supplies needed
Before you get started, you’ll need:
Mixing bowl and applicator brush
Wide-tooth comb
Gloves
Mirror
Claw clip
Hair dye (semipermanent)
White conditioner (optional, for diluting stronger colors)
Hair dyeing supplies for lavender hair
Dyeing and maintaining lavender hair
Keep it clean
When I say keep it clean, I’m not talking about your hair although that should be clean too. I’m talking about the bathroom because nobody mentions what a mess purple or lavender hair dye can make. Even though you try to cover every surface, you’ll be finding purple spots everywhere, and they’re hard to remove.
So if you don’t want your bathroom looking like a splatter art project, I suggest dyeing your hair inside the shower. Dye seems to come off easier in there and the mess is contained. Most spots will come off with rubbing alcohol. Lay a cloth down on the shower floor and you’ll have even less to clean up.
Shower set up to dye hair
Keep it even
Splotchiness is a problem when dyeing your hair lavender or purple. The darker the dye, the more careful you have to be with application.
The brand of dye you use makes a big difference too. Arctic Fox is by far the easiest semipermanent dye to work with. Girls Night (a pinky lavender) and Periwinkle (a bluish lavender) are good color choices.
Arctic Fox Girls Night semipermanent dye
On the other hand, Manic Panic Ultraviolet is for me the prettiest shade of lavender when diluted with conditioner. Unfortunately, it goes on so splotchy and uneven and fades so fast, that it’s just not worth the hassle.
When dyeing your hair, start with dry, clean hair. Treat small sections at a time, about an inch wide. Try to spread the dye out evenly from the root to the ends. Rub it in with your fingers then go through it with the comb.
Getting ready to dye my hair
After all the hair is done, gather it on your head and clip it in place. A half hour later you can wash it off.
I’ve found it does no good to leave the dye on for extended periods of time like some people recommend. I’ve tried it and have even washed it with cold water and I can say that those things made no difference in the staying power.
In fact, every day the hair fades even if you only wash it once a week. (Obviously it will fade faster the more you wash it.) I only wash mine once or twice a week.
Keep it longer
Lavender hair will only last one to two weeks depending on how deep the color was to begin with. If you don’t mind starting off with purple hair (Arctic Fox Purple Rain), you might even get three weeks out of it.
I’ve found the most effective way to extend the length of time between applications is to deposit dye every time you wash your hair. My favorite method is to use lavender conditioner after washing my hair. This allows me to go four to six weeks before dyeing again.
Girls Night and Periwinkle can be used straight out of the bottle as a conditioner. But if you’re using a purple dye, it should be diluted with white conditioner to a pale shade. With more intense colors you run the risk of getting a big purple blob on the back of your head.
To test for the right color, touch the dye with your finger and wipe it off. If it leaves more than a slight hint of lavender, you need to add more conditioner.
The right amount of color for lavender conditioner
What I do in the shower is wash my hair first, squeeze out excess water and apply tinted conditioner with the applicator brush. I do this without looking in a mirror. Next I comb through the hair then pin it to my head with the hair clip. All these things live in my shower in a handy acrylic basket stuck to the wall.
Shower basket holding my hair supplies
If I end up with extra conditioner, I save it in an empty pump bottle for next time.
Then I continue on with my shower, rinsing my hair out as the very last step. So the hair is usually tinted and conditioned for about ten minutes at that point.
Some people say purple shampoo is good for maintaining lavender hair but I disagree. I experimented with purple shampoos and found that they’re only good for toning blonde or silver hair. To try and get more color payoff you need to saturate dry hair with the shampoo and leave it on for a while. In my opinion, this is a waste of money and time so I stick with the conditioner method.
So now you’re ready to rock your lavender locks!
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One thing I love is to go dancing, with my long, flowing locks moving with me to the music. I love LONG hair! And I used to have really long hair before bleaching the life out of it.
No problem—Zala hair to the rescue! They have the most beautiful, silky human hair extensions at a really good price. Although they have a lot of different colors, they didn’t have a silver that matched my hair. So I got 20 inch clip-in extensions in the color #60 ice queen platinum blonde. They’re 100% remy human hair and you get five pieces, 120 grams.
So long they barely fit in the photo
Oh my, these are gorgeous and thick! Most of the time I only wear two of the larger wefts.
But back to the toning.
Before wearing them, I needed to get them closer to my natural color and keep them as light as possible.
I just happened to have Adore Creative Dye in platinum for toning my own hair so I decided to use that on the extensions.
How to tone Zala hair extensions
First I did a test on a 2 inch weft using the dye full strength. I just brushed it on the hair, making sure it was fully saturated. Twenty minutes later I rinsed it out. (Be sure to use gloves when using dye!)
The color was a very pale blue which was not what I was going for. Here it is compared to the original color.
Left is untoned, right is toned platinum full strength dye
Next, I diluted the dye with white conditioner, about a half and half mixture, and tested another 2 inch weft. Perfection!
Half Adore dye, half conditioner
So here you can see the different tones side by side. On the left is the original ice queen color. In the middle is the hair toned with the half and half mixture. And on the right is the hair toned using the undiluted color.
Left=ice queen, middle=toned with diluted dye, right=toned with full strength dye
Storing your hair extensions
And here’s a little tip for storing your Zala hair extensions. They sell something for that but I just DIY’ed it using things I already had.
A pants hanger covered by a plastic bag works just as well. Cost: zero dollars. I store them hanging in the closet, ready for the next dance party!
Wearing my Zala hair extensions
Here are some before and after shots. Even though there’s a little pink color on my ends, Zala hair blends in well.
Front, before and after extensions
Before
After
Back, before and after extensions
Before
After
Curled hair before and after extensions
And here it is with curled hair.
Curled hair before extensions
Curled hair after extensions
Ready to party!
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When I had dark brown hair it was pretty easy to find synthetic hairpieces to match. But that changed after I bleached my hair. It was blonde for a minute, then I let my silver roots grow in and tried out different pastel colors.
It was impossible to find fake hair in the right color. I also didn’t want to buy a different piece every time I changed my hair color.
Through trial and error I discovered I could tone synthetic hair using temporary rinses or certain semipermanent hair dyes. Because the color is temporary I could get by with one or two hairpieces and change the color whenever I wanted.
Buying synthetic hairpieces
The first thing I did was to pick up a couple of hairpieces in a light silver shade (from Vanessa Grey and Christie Brinkley).
I like the versatility of these because if I’m having a bad hair day, I can just make a quick updo. Or I can pull my hair half up and make a cute little poof on the top.
Toning fake hair to match blonde, silver or pastel hair
When you’re toning fake hair, it doesn’t have to be a perfect match. It just needs blend because your own hair will be incorporated into the look.
You can do color all over or just put in a few streaks. Lately I’ve been adding multicolored streaks to my hairpieces because I’m often changing the pastel colors in my hair.
I’ve found that the best temporary or semipermanent dyes to use are the ones that are very thin and runny. Roux Fanci Full rinse (for blonde or silver hair), diluted gentian violet (for lavender hair) and Adore Creative semipermanent dye (for pastel colors) are the best. These work because you have to leave the color on the hair without washing it out.
Thick dye like Arctic Fox, which I love for my own hair, doesn’t work because if you don’t wash it out, the piece ends up sticky and it doesn’t look good. And if you wash it out, the color will go with it.
Using Roux Fanci Full rinse to tone fake hair (for blonde or silver hair)
The colors of Roux Fanci Full rinse I used for my blonde hair were Spun Sand and Hidden Honey. I mixed them together to get the right shade.
The color I used to match my silver hair was True Steel.
Follow these steps to tone your synthetic hair:
Put the Fanci Full rinse in an old plastic container.
Swish the synthetic hair around until it’s completely saturated.
Squeeze out the excess and let it air dry for a couple of days.
Before (silver)
During toning
After toning (blonde)
Whenever you decide to change colors, simply wash it out with a little soap and water.
Using a gentian violet rinse to tone fake hair (for lavender hair)
Gentian violet is an old-time antiseptic. Its bright purple color is a dupe for Manic Panic Ultraviolet. Unlike Manic Panic it’s very cheap, only around $4 a bottle. And because you only need three or four drops, one little bottle will last forever. I’m still using mine.
Follow these steps for toning with the gentian violet rinse:
Important: Make sure you wear gloves when handling this and cover the working area. Even a tiny little speck of this stuff will stain your sink, your hands, your walls. Most times it can be removed with alcohol though.
Put water in an old plastic container and add a few drops of gentian violet until you get the right shade. A little experimentation is needed here.
Saturate the hairpiece in the solution.
Squeeze it out and let dry for a couple of days.
Lavender tint solution
After toning (lavender)
Note: the color does fade over time, just as it does on human hair.
Using Adore Creative Dye to tone fake hair (for pastel hair)
Adore dye can be used straight out of the bottle. The procedure is a little different though. I found it best to rub a small amount of dye into the hair with your fingers. Wear gloves! You can put in streaks or tone the whole thing.
When finished, let it dry for a couple of days.
As with gentian violet, the color does fade after awhile.
How my synthetic hair looks after toning
It’s easy now to tone my fake hair to go with my ever-changing real hair. Here are some pictures of me wearing my toned hairpieces.
Blonde messy bun with Vanessa Grey hair
Lavender half updo with Vanessa Grey hair
Updo with Christie Brinkley hair (mixed colors)
I hope this was helpful for you. Please let me know what you think.
What looks like cotton candy but feels like straw? My hair after being bleached from brunette to platinum.
My silky hair was so damaged that no amount of conditioners, oils and serums could tame it. Every time I brushed my hair, my lap was covered in little broken bits. I wished I could rewind the clock to go back in time to when my hair was soft and smooth. Well guess what. I discovered with Olaplex, you can go back.
Yes, Olaplex really does work. It’s a three-part system. Parts 1 and 2 are meant to be used in the salon during chemical processes but can also be used as a standalone treatment. Part 3 is to be used at home for ongoing maintenance.
I got the three-piece kit and did the standalone treatment myself at home which is as easy as putting conditioner on your hair. Anyone can do it, and you should do it yourself because you’ll save a lot of money. I’ll get into the details later and show you my before and after photos.
Before I went ahead and plunked down $100+ for a kit, I had a few questions that you may have as well. Here’s what my research uncovered, in brief and simple terms, to answer the most commonly asked questions about Olaplex.
The most asked questions about Olaplex
What is Olaplex?
Olaplex is a compound called Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate. Its purpose is to repair bonds in the hair that are broken during chemical processes. It was invented by chemists and patented.
It comes as a three-part system, labeled as #1, #2 and #3. The same ingredient is used in each part, with #1 having the highest concentration of the active ingredient and #3 having the lowest. Number 1 is called a bond multiplier, #2 is called a bond perfector and #3 is called a hair perfector.
Olaplex is free of silicone, sulfates, phthalates, DEA, aldehydes, and is never tested on animals.
Why should I use it?
Because it mitigates the damage done during a chemical process. While the bonds are being broken during bleaching, Olaplex #1 is repairing them at the same time. Not all of the bonds are repaired during this step so #2 is used right after the chemical process.
How can you use it to repair hair?
Besides using it in a chemical service, you can also use it to repair damaged hair as a standalone treatment. If the hair is really damaged, you can do a treatment using #1 and #2. After that you can use #3 once a week for maintenance and to repair ongoing damage done to the hair.
What’s the difference between Olaplex and knock off brands?
All the knock off brands only coat the outside of the hair and mask the damage. They don’t mitigate or repair the damage. Olaplex is the only product on the market that can actually reconnect broken bonds in the hair shaft.
Will I get any benefit from using #3 even if I don’t get my hair colored?
Yes, it’s good for everyone. When Olaplex was tested on virgin hair, the hair sample that was treated had more shine and felt softer to the touch than the original untreated sample. It had an overall healthier appearance than the control sample.
Are the effects of Olaplex permanent?
According to the manufacturer, the reconnected bonds will not break again unless compromised by additional thermal, mechanical or chemical services.
My experience with the Olaplex standalone treatment
Olaplex traveling stylist kit
I ordered the Traveling Stylist Kit which contains one bottle of #1, two bottles of #2, one bottle of #3, along with an instruction card for standalone treatments and for use with chemical processes.
I did the standalone treatment following the instructions on this card:
Olaplex standalone treatment instructions
Here are some pictures taken during the first treatment.
Squeezing .5 oz of Olaplex #1 into the tube
Pouring the contents into bottle with 3 oz water
Putting Olaplex #2 on my hair (looks like conditioner)
My hair saturated with Olaplex #1 and #2, waiting 30 mins
It’s important to note that, contrary to what Kim K has said, sleeping with the product in your hair is not necessary nor more effective. After the product dries out it stops working, therefore the maximum time to leave it in your hair is 30 minutes. No further benefit will be gained by leaving it in longer.
Step by step Olaplex video tutorial
This brief video shows how to do the standalone treatment. When you do this at home by yourself, you should put a towel around your shoulders because the first part is very drippy.
My hair before and after Olaplex
My before and after photos are a little different from most people’s. The before photo shows my hair after flat ironing and with serum, and it still looks like a hot mess.
The after photo is my hair without any heat styling, oils, serums or conditioners. With flat ironing it looks even smoother but I wanted you to see it in its raw state.
Before Olaplex and with heat styling and hair products
After Olaplex. No heat styling or hair products.
After the treatment my hair was so soft, I couldn’t stop touching it! And the breakage—gone.
My evaluation of the claims made by Olaplex
I did the standalone treatment twice the first week, followed by weekly maintenance treatments of #3 for the next two weeks. Then I didn’t do any more treatments for six weeks.
During that time I only washed my hair once a week and used the flat iron once a week on the lowest setting. I let my hair air dry, something I was unable to do before using Olaplex because my hair would turn into a puffball.
My point here is that I did not do a lot to damage my hair, but after six weeks with no treatments it started to break off a little bit more. So I started doing weekly maintenance treatments again.
While my hair’s strength improved dramatically following treatments, it was never quite the same as before being damaged by bleach. And the restorative effects were long lasting, but not permanent.
Olaplex is the most remarkable product and I don’t want to be without it. It’s allowing me to keep my hair long while the bleached part grows out. The kit I got will last many months and I will definitely repurchase once it’s gone.
Update after using Olaplex for a year
It’s been nearly a year since I started using Olaplex and I wanted to show you how great my hair is looking now. It doesn’t break off in little pieces any more when I brush it and it’s gotten longer. So let’s take a look at some pictures.
Ten months of using Olaplex. Styled with flat iron.
I only do a treatment every month or two and I still have quite a bit left from the kit I purchased. I’ts definitely been worth the money!
Additional information
To find answers to more questions about Olaplex, please visit their education center.
To buy maintenance treatment #3 directly from the manufacturer, please click here.
For a more technical evaluation of the product, please read this report.
Please add your comments
Have you used Olaplex? What do you think of it?
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There’s a fairly new natural way to go blonde and so far it’s been a well kept secret. So secret, in fact, that even after I learned the name of the product I had a hard time finding any information on it. Now I’m going to expose this “secret” as I share my experience getting my overprocessed hair bleached the O-way (Organic Way professional salon products).
I was at a crossroads with my hair color. After four bleachings I was left with yellow hair which is not at all what I wanted. My choices were to cut it and bleach it again or leave it long but yellow. I didn’t want to do either of those and went looking for another solution.
I started reading about how Olaplex can restore damaged hair and allow it to be safely bleached further. My plan was to keep it long and try to bleach it to the right color using Olaplex.
Turns out there’s just one salon in my area using it, but the stylist I asked for was the only person in the salon not using it. Instead she had just switched to all organic, nontoxic, plant-based hair color products—Oway. She convinced me to give it a try.
Oway is the world’s first ammonia-free, cruelty-free line of hair products with certified biodynamic, organic and fair trade ingredients. It’s great for people with sensitive skin. Sounds good, right?
Watch this video to see where the products begin—on biodynamic farms.
Bleaching my damaged hair with Oway organic bleach
Here are before pictures of my level 9 yellow hair.
Before bleaching my hair with Oway organic bleach
Side view before Oway bleach
First I went down to the salon and got a strand test on my hair to make sure the bleach would work. It did. My hair didn’t break off and it got lighter. So I came back in a few days for the full treatment.
My stylist did heavy foils using Oway organic bleach. She did the roots with 20 volume and the ends with 9 volume. On the second batch of bleach she used 30 volume to catch up with the first part. Unfoiled hair got balayage with 9 volume on the ends to bleach the yellow.
The processing time was about the same as for regular bleach. There was no burning or unpleasant smell.
After she washed the bleach out, she used a permanent dye as toner, level 11, shade 17. She had to rinse as we went along because the ends grabbed the color fast.
Here’s a video showing how to color hair with Oway products.
After bleaching and toning with Oway organic hair products
And this is the wonderful result—lighter, brighter hair without having to cut it.
After bleaching and toning with Oway
Side view after bleaching and toning with Oway
The entire experience and the price were comparable to services I had done before with harsh chemicals.
Afterwards, my hair felt pretty silky. If I’d only known about Oway before, my hair wouldn’t have gotten damaged in the first place.
So if you’re thinking about going blonde, I urge you to check out these products. Ask your stylist to give them a try. Why bathe your scalp in toxic chemicals if you don’t have to?
My experience with Oway was a success because it allowed me to go one shade blonder without cutting my hair. I’m very happy about that. However, I’m still left with damaged hair from prior treatments. I gotta say, Olaplex is still on my mind. Stay tuned…
For more information about the entire line of Oway professional salon products, and to find an organic salon near you, please visit this link.
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See what happened when I used Redken Shades EQ platinum ice 09V to tone my stubborn yellow hair. Here’s a hint: it was a disaster.
But first I’m going to answer the most asked questions about this product, and then I will go on to the review along with my before and after photos.
Most asked questions about Redken Shades EQ demi permanent color
What does demi permanent mean
Demi permanent means that it will only deposit color on the hair. It will not lighten hair, just change the tone of hair that’s already been lightened.
How do you mix it
You have to use a Redken Shades EQ processing solution along with Redken Shades EQ demi permanent color. You mix them at a 1:1 ratio. Using 2 oz of each would be enough to cover most hair.
How to use Redken Shades EQ
Apply the solution to clean, damp hair using a hair color brush or applicator bottle.
How long do I leave Shades EQ on my hair
Leave it on the hair from 5 to 20 minutes. Watch the color develop and rinse out as soon as it turns the right color.
How long does the color last
Supposed to last up to 24 shampoos.
My experience toning yellow hair with Redken platinum ice
Starting out my hair was level nine yellow blonde and I wanted a silvery blonde color. Salon toning looks good for about a week and then my hair goes back to yellow. And purple shampoo, the holy grail of many, doesn’t do anything because my hair is too damaged from bleaching to hold color.
My yellow hair before toning with Redken platinum ice
I started searching for a more permanent solution and that’s how I found Redken Shades EQ platinum ice 09V. You can see from the swatch what a pretty color it is, icy but not too gray. To me it looks like it has taupe undertones.
Redken Shades EQ 09V platinum ice
I put 2 oz of platinum ice and 2 oz of processing solution into an applicator bottle and shook it up. The mixture starts out watery and then turns into a slightly purple gel.
I put it all over my hair and massaged it in as if I were shampooing my hair. I piled all my hair on top of my head and watched and waited. Ten or 15 minutes in, it turned into this purple color. I should have washed it off then but didn’t since my hair is resistant to color.
Redken platinum ice after processing for 20 minutes
So I bravely waited the full 20 minutes. I was going to get rid of that yellow no matter what.
As I was rinsing the mixture out of my hair in the shower, I could see it was no longer yellow. Mission accomplished!
I dried my hair and discovered it had turned a strange purple brown color—not even close to the platinum ice swatch.
After toning my hair with Redken platinum ice
Now I desperately hoped that it would wash out fast. And here’s the good news for people who like the color they got, it stays in a very long time. Of course that was bad news for me.
The next washing I brought out my harshest shampoo and scrubbed and scrubbed my hair. About half the color came out. The next time, a little more came out. Finally by the fourth washing it was pretty much all gone. It lasted a month through four vigorous washings with my cheap Suave shampoo. I only shampoo once a week.
Oddly enough, as the color was fading it retained that purple brown hue. It never did fade to silver, or platinum or anything resembling ice.
And I’m back to drab yellow hair.
Redken platinum ice pros and cons
The pros
It’s easy to use The color is long lasting It made my hair feel soft
The cons
Well, don’t do what I did and leave it on too long. And make sure you pick the right color in the first place. I think I would have gotten a better color by mixing 09V platinum ice with 09T chrome.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a blonde. And not your average, everyday blonde but a platinum blonde, the fairest of them all. So six months ago after celebrating my 60th birthday I thought, what am I waiting for. Follow along on my journey from brunette to platinum to…who knows?
What I learned before going platinum blonde
I’ve done a lot of research on bleaching your hair platinum and these are the main points I learned:
Going from brunette to platinum is a long process
It’s very expensive to go from brunette to platinum
Before taking the plunge I also wanted to see how I’d look as a blonde so I went on one of those sites where you can upload your picture and try on celebrity hairstyles. Here’s one of the photos. Not quite the right color but it looked pretty good.
Talking to the stylist
I’ve never had my hair bleached or dyed at a salon. Up to this point I’d been dyeing it myself using Wella Color Charm demi permanent dye in dark natural brown. But going blonde, especially platinum, is a job best left to a professional so I found a good stylist.
I went into the salon with about three inches of gray roots hanging out. My stylist, a young lady about half my age, thought my brunette locks were aging (thank you very much) and she was all for bleaching it to the silvery blonde color I’ve been dreaming about. I also told her I wanted to incorporate my natural gray hair into it. She said as it grew out she would weave the roots into the blonde.
My gray roots
The progression from brunette to platinum
First bleaching
The first step to going blonde was to use a color remover. Since I’d only been using demi permanent color, I thought that dark brown would come right out. It didn’t.
On the first visit, I started off looking like this…
Just before getting my hair bleached for the first time
And came out looking like that.
After my first hair bleaching
I think she used 10 volume developer and bleached it twice after the color remover which turned it brunette with red highlights.
Second bleaching
One week later, the second round of bleach left me looking like this. Not sure if she used 10 or 20 vol. this time.
After my second hair bleaching
The color doesn’t look so bad in the picture, but in person the red tones looked awful. My dog was happy because we looked like twinsies.
Koda and I are twinsies
That color is perfect on him, not so great on me.
Third bleaching
Another week later, I got the mother of all bleach jobs with 40 vol. developer. I hated this brassy, yucky yellow color.
After my third hair bleaching
Not only that, my hair felt like straw and looked like cheap synthetic hair from a doll whose hair has been used as a scrub brush. I was horrified. So was my stylist and she performed a deep conditioning treatment one week later.
Fourth bleaching
One month after that, a fourth round of gentler bleaching occurred to try and eliminate the yellow and brassiness. She used an ash blonde toner and it looked like this.
After my fourth hair bleaching–platinum at last!
I loved this color! I thought it was so pretty but the lovely silvery tone washed right out, leaving me once again with the awful yellow.
I now know that “toner” is a word for color that washes out in one shampoo. I like that silvery shade and I still don’t know why I can’t get it permanently.
Adding lowlights
Two months of feeling washed out by the paleness of my hair and also tired of looking at the yellow and brass tones, I asked my stylist to make it a light ash blonde. She foiled half of my hair with an ash blonde/gray color and no bleach on the rest of it, finishing with the same ash blonde toner used before.
And this is what happened.
Me with gray hair
Side view of the gray hair
Holy moly! It’s straight up gray! This time I prayed the color would wash out fast, and it did.
Root touchup
Another two months passed and I got my roots bleached and woven into the blonde, followed by the ash blonde toner. My gray roots blend in nicely.
After first root touchup
Side view after first root touchup
Once again, I thought this was a nice color but it didn’t last.
The aftermath of going platinum blonde
After all the bleaching, my hair is coarse and evidently does not hold color very well, except for that persistent dreadful yellow. My stylist says I’m going to have to cut a lot off and bleach it again to get the color I want. Still thinking about that one as I’ve already cut about 12 inches off my hair since this whole thing started because the ends keep breaking off and looking ragged.
This is what happens when I brush my hair.
Hair breakage after all that bleaching
The journey to platinum is still a work in progress. More updates to follow.
What do you think, do you like my brunette or blonde hair better? Please let me know in the comments below.
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