I want to achieve a natural light honey blonde, how do I do this?

Hi,

I currently have long light blonde hair that gets dry very easily, it has been home dyed the last couple of times and the top two inches of my hair is a darker blonde than the ends.

I would like to achieve a light but even and more natural honey blonde, similar to Blake Lively's or Elle Macpherson's, what should I ask for at a hair salon to achieve this look?

Thank you,

Faye, Shrewsbury

Firstly, when you say the top two inches of your hair are darker do you mean naturally or from an incorrect tint? With Blake's colour, her hair is purely highlighted. This is what you would ask for in a salon and depending on the difference between the darker two inches to the rest your technician may need to add some lowlights to balance perfectly the top to bottom and bottom to top.

Elle's colour is a natural golden tint with highlights. This could work for you but if the top two inches are artificial colour you would have to have this tint the same depth or darker than the darkest part of the hair. This is because a tint cannot lift another tint.

I think because your hair is prone to dryness that you should stick to just the highlights as this is a lot more gentle and you can create such an amazing natural effect with this technique. Also maybe try using a hair mask once a week to help with shine and the dryness.

Another option for getting your hair healthier is to invest in a keratin treatment, commonly know as a Brazilian Blow-dry.

Joseph Koniak, Artistic Director of Joseph Koniak and Eleven Hair, London

Hi Fay,

If your hair is as long as Elle Macpherson’s or Blake Lively's, it is essential that you have your hair coloured by an expert, it has taken years for hair to grow this long and it can take one bad hair colour a few hours to damage it.

I suggest you visit a top salon to have your ends lightened, as you may not know both Elle and Blake have fine highlights and a few lowlights in their hair to give it their natural blonde effect.

Long hair needs more maintenance than shorter hair, may I suggest you use the best shampoos and conditioners on the market to keep your hair from over drying and in tip top condition. Alterna Caviar Duo is one of these products, we sell many caviar treatments to our clients with long hair, it repairs and maximises the shine and manageability.

Love your long hair, be kind and gentle with it and it will serve you - always use top products and top salons to look after your colour and condition.

I hope this helps you Fay, enjoy your long hair!

Pierre Alexandre of Pierre Alexandre, Manchester 

If your hair is coloured blonde you are best of going to have a consultation with a colour specialist in your area that enjoys colour change work. Bring along some pictures of what you want and what you don't want. If your hair is especially dry then they may be limited in what they can achieve, as hair tends to get more porous over time and dry hair is porous hair!

John Clark, Head of Colour at Brooks+Brooks, London