Every
blonde (especially those of the bleached persuasion) knows the importance of
toner. Without it hair is left the colour of lemon curd, and as tasty as lemon
curd may be, nobody wants their hair to be that colour. This is where toner steps
in. Toners are used to neutralise (cancel out) the tones that make hair look
brassy or yellow! Toners tend to have violet bases. Why violet? Well purple is
yellows complementary colour and will neutralise it. Translated into hair talk
when you put a purple-based toner onto yellowy hair it whitens and brightens it
to a more platinum/ashy hue (much more pleasing to the eye)!
The
best toners are the ones you get given in the salon, and although they are
relatively inexpensive in terms of salon treatments (often costing between
£10-£20) it is not affordable every time you need a toner pick-me-up! So I have
tried and tested some (nearly all) of the high-street toners in order to save
you money and to keep your blonde at its brightest.
1. La Riche
Directions White Toner £2-£5
This
is the most inexpensive product I have tried. You can buy this from about £2 on
amazon.co.uk and I would recommend it. It comes on a small tub (250ml) so if
you have long hair you will definitely need more than one tub. The colour of the
product is a very pale purple (to cancel out the yellow) and I promise it won’t
dye your hair lilac. The directions say to apply the toner to towel dried, damp
hair, however I found this toner works best on dry hair! For best results
centre part dry hair and use a tinting brush to apply the product to the roots
and then to the lengths. Carefully section the hair and apply in the same way
until your whole head is covered. The instructions say to leave for 15 minutes
but because this product is not peroxide based I leave it on for much longer
(mot likely over an hour!!) Then wash off with silver shampoo and condition and
hey presto - you’re done! I found that the product toned down the brassy
sections of my hair but they were still very pale yellow in colour so not
completely gone! My non-brassy sections however became a gorgeous silver colour
so with some more applications my whole head of hair should be a gorgeous
colour!
2. Schwarzkopf
Live Colour XXL HD Toner Mousse £5.49
This
is new product out, and so I just had to try it! I was impressed by the price
but was apprehensive about the ‘mousse’ thing (don’t know why but hey). It
claims to neutralise brassy/yellow tones in up to 15 minutes. Apply to freshly
shampooed, towel dry hair. I’d suggest using a good clarifying shampoo to
remove any product build up and to allow more of the toner into the hair shaft.
Once towel dried I applied some of the mousse (greyish-white in colour) into
the palm of my hand and then applied it carefully to my hair. The mousse texture
meant it applied quickly and evenly and it didn’t take long to apply to my
whole head. Although it said leave on for 15 minutes I left it on for much
longer (because there was no peroxide) and was really pleased with the results.
Once rinsed there was no need to use a conditioner (unless hair is very dry),
as my hair felt very soft. I blow-dried and styled as usual and was happy with
the results, my hair looked much more even in colour but the effects didn’t
last long, only 2-4 washes but for the price it is affordable to do more than
once. Also you can use this product more than once! A can of mousse will give
you up 3 uses if you have short hair, 2 for mid length hair and once for long
hair. All-in-all a good newcomer to the market.
3. Jerome
Russell BBlonde Platinum Colour Toner £4.99
Out of all the toners I tried this was
the one I like the least. It is a single use product but there was a lot left
over after I covered my hair so I was wasting a lot. Also the product made my
head itch slightly (I'm not sure if it was a reaction or if it was just me).
The toner claims to “refresh and improve the shade and condition of your blonde
hair in one wash! Easy to use and ideal for refreshing your colour, as it
neutralises yellow and brassy tones, restoring natural, subtle blonde tones. Platinum
blonde adds subtle cool blonde shades that last up to 8 washes”. The product
is a purple jelly-like substance and was easy to apply. Like the other toners
apply to towel dried hair. Cover head in toner, with hands and comb
through. Cover head with shower cap and apply heat for 5 minutes with a hair
dryer (this step just seemed to prove a hassle). Allow the toner to process for
10 minutes and then check development. If the desired colour has not been
reached then check frequently for up to 30 minutes until the colour is as desired.
Rinse off, no need to condition and blow dry and style as normal. The colour
results were ok, and I wasn’t displeased but for the hassle of applying heat,
and also the product wastage I probably wouldn’t buy it again!
4. BLEACH London White Toner £7
I
am so pleased that BLEACH London have started selling products and I am so
happy that they have made this toner! Unlike all the other toners I have
reviewed this one is as close as you will get to a salon toner at home. This
product CONTAINS PEROXIDE, (1.9%, so it is mild), but use with caution and
follow ALL INSTRUCTIONS. Do not use if your hair is over-processed/very
damaged! Once you have shampooed and towel dried your hair, mix the crème
colour and developing lotion together. It then suggests using the nozzle apply
to the roots, however I emptied the toner into a tinting bowl and used a brush
to apply the colour more carefully! Firstly, centre part hair and apply to the
roots first and then through the lengths, section by section until your whole
head is covered. Leave for 20 minutes (NO LONGER) and then wash off. Follow up
with the Reincarnation Mask (which is amazing!) and you will have lovely,
white, soft hair! I am so impressed with the results of this product, it
definitely tackled the brassier sections of my hair, and they are much less
noticeable than they were before. I will definitely be buying and using this product again, so
worth it! Only available at BOOTS.com, selected BOOTS stores and BLEACH London's Salons (Dalston)
So
there are my toner reviews! I hope they have been useful. If there is anything
you have tried that you have found INCREDIBLE then leave a comment and I’ll try
it out!
Much
love
R x
