Wave bye bye to brassiness for good

by Jessica Smith and Jenna Martin

 

Confession time: I am a salon-blonde. I’m a warm brunette with a stack of foils, and even then, my dyed-blonde locks become very quickly sunkissed and brassy-gold. But I recently changed one thing in my hair routine, that’s drawing the yellow tones out and bringing lighter blonde in: purple shampoo.

Purple or silver shampoo use blue tones to neutralise the yellow in your hair, keeping brassiness at bay and blonde locks looking fresher – and more natural – for longer.

How does purple shampoo work? 

We asked celebrity hair stylist and founder of RAW Anthony Nader and SSS Hair, Anthony Nader, to explain how purple and silver shampoo really works.

“This genius product is designed to neutralise brassy or yellow tones in coloured hair, such as blonde, silver, grey or white hair. It works by depositing violet or purple pigments onto the hair, which counteract the yellow and orange.

“Can I just also add that this pigment shampoo isn’t just for the lighter shades of the spectrum either. I recommend for all my salon clients that are ‘every shade of brunette’ that doesn’t love their warm undertone to use this as well. The purple shampoo will neutralise the warmth and give your brunette a cooler undertone from now. It works an absolute treat.”

What to look for when buying purple shampoo

“The rule of thumb that I always take into account when chatting with my clients is ‘how much warmth do they want to see vanish?'” explains Anthony.

“Keep in mind that the darker the purple pigment… the more intense and dramatic the warmth or brassiness will disappear. The less pigmented purple or even violet the more gentle the end result. It’s the colour range basically from deep purple to light violet.”

What is the number one purple shampoo?

Anthony Nader recommends one particular purple shampoo to all his clients wanting to take the brassiness out of their hair.

“ORIBE BRIGHT BLONDE SHAMPOO – It’s my absolute go to and has been since sliced bread basically! I know I can confidently recommend this to anyone wanting to banish any brassy or warmer undertones and the final reflected shade will still appear luxe and not washed out.

“The purple pigment is so concentrated – there is nothing else like it on the planet!”

What are the downsides of purple shampoo?

“There’s only really 3 main contenders that come to mind,” says Anthony.

It may dry out hair strands – “Violet/purple shampoos often contain sulfates or other strong cleansing agents, which can strip moisture from the hair and scalp, leaving them dry and brittle over time.”

What is the best purple shampoo for bleached blonde hair?

“That’s a tough one as they all work a little differently and of course are different in price,” explains Anthony.  “I’d say if you’re more conscious with your budget I’d recommend the Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo, the Paul Mitchell Platinum Blonde Shampoo and the Olaplex No.4 Purple Toning Shampoo.”

“If you’re wanting to invest in something a little more concentrated I’d recommend the IGK Colour Depositing Mask.”