As someone who has been having my hair lightened to white-blonde for as long as I can remember, I have constantly been on the hunt for the perfect toning shampoo or conditioner to maintain my blonde. Many cooler toned blondes can agree that battling those brassy colours in between salon visits can be tough. Well lucky for you, I’ve done the hard work for you to find the best toning product to maintain cool blondes! (Pro tip - generally, at-home toning products are designed to maintain your blonde, so if your hair is already brassy asf then it is best to visit your salon and get your blonde refreshed with a toner. Start to use your toning products a week or so after you get your colour done.)

Over many, many years of experimentation with different brands, I found that some formulas would make my hair feel really dry and knotty, others would make my hair oily and flat, and some formulas were just not strong enough to eliminate the brassy tones in my hair. With so many options of varying product quality and price points on the market, it can be a struggle to find shit that actually works.

The first toning shampoo I ever loved was the Alfaparf PH Silver Colour shampoo. This stuff worked for me so well; it wasn’t ridiculously expensive, a little bit of product went a long way and it didn’t dry my hair out. I used it for a few years with success and the only reason I stopped using it was because I starting having my hair washed at work instead (it was definitely goals and I miss not having to wash my own hair). Bad news is: I’m not entirely sure if they specifically make the PH Silver shampoo anymore. Good news is that I found something 10 times better: 

Source: https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/498421883756511600/

Source: http://mr-smith.com.au/mr-smith-blond/

Meet Mr. Smith’s Blond.

This product works for all blondes and hair types. I personally use it every time I wash my hair because I really like the over-toned lilac colour that builds up over time. I have also tested and trialled it many ways. Depending on the colour I want to maintain will change the way I use it. Previously, I have used it diluted with regular conditioner, I have mixed it in with my shampoo, I have left it on my wet hair for 10+ minutes and I have also applied it on my hair dry.

While it is not technically a conditioner, because my hair is fine in texture, this product is conditioning enough, so I find that I don’t need to use conditioner afterwards. However, for thicker hair or hair that lacks moisture I would recommend conditioning or using a hydrating treatment afterwards. For hair that is porous or damaged I would recommend doing a strand test first to see if you will need to dilute the Blond with conditioner to avoid any colour grabbing - the Blond is highly pigmented and can leave the hair with unwanted blue or purple tones if you aren’t familiar with it. Even people with grey hair can use it to keep their locks from turning gold or brassy and darker haired gals and guys can use this product to tone down unwanted warmth in their hair! If that isn’t versatility then I don’t know what is.

This product certainly delivers instant, visible results - this shit works but you probably have to see it to believe it, huh? Blond costs a reasonable $50 (AUD), and a tube usually lasts me over six months. Find it in a salon near you and try it for yourself, you’ll be amazed!

August 2018 using Mr. Smith Blond

Have you used Mr. Smith’s Blond? What is your opinion of it? If not, what at-home toning products are you loving? I would love to know!

Thanks for reading,

J x