Blondes : cool vs warm

Hi guys!

I am so sorry for my absence, I have been so busy with the wedding planning! We are really getting down to the wire with only six weeks left!

Anyways, after writing my last post for the brunettes, I thought it would be appropriate to write for the blondes. I am hoping to clear the air on the differences between warm and cool blondes, and how to get to each one!

Warm Blondes

Warm = golden, honey, bronzy tones that go beautifully with warm and glowing skin!

A lot of times when you go from a dark color to any kind of blonde, you lift warm. Your hair has a level to tone system, it has to lift through reds to oranges to yellow until finally you get to that pale blonde. And usually when going from dark to light, I make it a slow transition, so I can stay away from damaging my clients hair as much as possible. That does not mean this color blonde is bad. It can be toned to hopefully neutralize any yellow into more of a pretty golden color, and sometimes can be toned to be more ashy and cool. However, if your blonde is not light enough and it is in the yellow area, toning it with something cool can often make it darker in addition to making it cooler, which doesn’t always work for someone looking to get lighter.

Many girls are looking for this tone of blonde, it is not always just a stop on the way to cooler, brighter blondes. One of my clients is a South County babe who spends her summers at the beach. She has naturally tan and glowing skin, and loves her warm golden blonde hair. And it’s pretty beautiful, if I do say so myself.

Cool Blondes

Cool = ashy, icy, neutral, pearl tones that go great with cooler skin tones.

The first picture is a before and after of a natural blonde who wanted a brighter and icier blonde. We lightened all of her hair twice over the course of a few months because her hair was healthy and we knew she could handle it. It also helped that we followed with deep treatments 🙂 Her hair was perfect!

You’ll notice from the second and third pictures that “cool” blonde doesn’t have to be lighter. A lot of times it is but you can be a pretty ashy blonde without being as light as my friend Sarah, or myself..

(Sorry for the selfie).

My hair is pretty blonde, but in order to get it to that really icy, almost silver tone, we had to use a Schwartzcopf toner literally called “Ice” and one called “Glacier”. I’m sort of not stopping until I am Elsa.

Which is better for you

Warm blondes go well with warm skin tones; underlying gold, peaches, and yellow tones.

Cool blondes go well with cool skin tones; underlying pinks, blues and red tones.

How to Test Your Skin Tone

1.) Jewelry

Do you look better with gold or silver jewelry? Typically, women with warm undertones will look better with gold jewelry, and women with cooler undertones will look better with silver. Check to see which colors make your skin appear brighter and more alive.

2.) Natural Hair Color

Usually, people with cool skin tones are naturally blonde, brunette, or have black hair with blue or ash undertones. People with warm skin tones usually have natural warm blonde hair, red, or brown/black with copper or golden undertones.

3.) Your Veins

If your veins appear more blue, that is usually because you have cool undertones. If your veins appear more green, you probably have a warmer skin tone.

So remember, if you find that your skin is full of warm undertones you should go for a warm or golden blonde.

If you find that your skin has cooler undertones, go for an ashier and cooler blonde.

Thank you so much for reading! Hope this was helpful for my fellow blondes 🙂 Have a lovely Monday afternoon, and happy fall! ❤