Ash Blonde Hair

Getting the perfect ashy tone on level 9 or 10 hair can be a challenge, but the key to the ultimate ash is the toner and how long you keep it on. My favorite product is use to tone my clients are the Redken Shades EQ. If you are a licensed cosmetologist, you are most likely very familiar with Redken. Unlike true toners, Redken Shades EQ take less time to process and is easier to see as it processes on the hair. Shades also fade true to tone and in my personal experience last longer than true toners.

For this specific color formulation I used several Redken Shades EQ to create her finished look. My client was originally a level 6 at her root and a level 8 on her midshaft and ends from a previous balayage I did on her over a year ago.

I cut about an inch off her hair to even it and then sectioned her out into four sections- two sections split down the middle of her head as in the picture above and then two down the back. I start all of my highlights in the back and work toward the front. If its a partial highlight I start at the occipital bone and work up then move onto the sides and work up. I just find that this is the quickest way for me to foil and works the best for most if not all head shapes. I sprayed down her hair in sections with Joico Defy Damage spray and worked my way up her head till I reached her crown. Make sure you ask your client during consultation if they want any money pieces. Money pieces are strands of hair directly in front of the face that are frosted a level or two lighter than the rest of her hair. This creates a beautiful glow around her face and draws attention to her natural features. For this session my client did want money pieces, so when I finished foiling her back sections I moved onto foiling her money pieces by foiling very thin and tiny sections of her hair around her face. Then I moved onto her side sections and worked my way up to her middle part.

I let her process without heat for about 25 minutes till she reached a level 9/10. I shampooed her hair at with a clarifying shampoo and pre-toned her roots while in the shampoo bowl to cancel out any yellow left from her foils. The reason why I love to pre-tone my clients before I actually tone is so I can get the truest tone possible and cut out ALL of the warmth left in her hair. After pre-toning I brought her back to my chair and brushed out her hair so I can quickly and easily part her hair for her root tap. Make sure the hair is damp and not wet. I sectioned her hair into the four same sections and began in the back quadrant with her root tap. I applied her root tap formula an inch onto her hair and every few sections I would comb it down all the way through ONCE with a fine toothed comb. Clip away the money pieces to avoid them from darkening from the root tap and apply the root tap formula to all four sections of the hair. I Immediately began to apply her toner after her root tap because I wanted to over tone her hair a little. I began with the first section I root tapped and began once again at the bottom and applied her toner on the mid shaft down, smudging where the root tap and toner formulas met with my fingers to make sure I had the perfect blend of colors. After letting her process till she was a dark smokey purple, I took her to the shampoo bowl and washed out her hair and used Joico Defy Damage conditioner to make her hair soft and smooth. A quick blowdry was all she needed because I was going to curl her hair afterwords. Here is the finished look!