Every week I get another email from someone wondering how I get the blonde streak in my hair. How is it achieved and which sections are dyed to create the rolls that I do.
So last time I went in to have a touch up, I asked my kindly hairdresser to take a few shots so I never have to try and describe this again!
My hair is naturally very dark so this has to be achieved with bleaching, but we are careful to take it easy as it does make the hair quite brittle and fragile. This is another reason that I favour hairstyles that don’t require heat treating because if I did that all that time I’d have a bald patch in no time!
When I first started having my hair coloured this way a few years back, it took several sessions to get the blonde really light. Initally it was more of a caramel colour, but I favour a really white tone – although in this shot I had a different rinse put in for the week which has since gone back to white.
It does take some maintenance to keep it healthy and the correct colour. I use treatments both in the salon and at home on a regular basis. I also use a ‘bluing’ conditioner every other week to stop it yellowing.
Here is how the hair is sectioned out before colouring:
It is two sections about an inch and a half wide that runs from my part down to my ear.
The bleach is applied in individual foils to the roots and eventaully worked through at the end.
They have to be very careful with the bleach application and making sure to clip it right up and out of the way, otherwise the bleach attacks the dark hair around it.
Yep, it’s sexy!
When it is all done and dry it looks like this! As I said, in this shot I had a pink / purple rinse in, (PVO9 for you hairdressers out there) but it washed back out to white for me a week later.
It really is a fairly simple process if somewhat time consuming ( I bring my laptop to work while it comes up), but it is very effective when styled in different ways. A word of warning though – Unless you are VERY good with using bleach, DON’T try this at home or you could end up with a very big bald patch! I have even had in salon disasters with previous hairdressers who have melted most of this section off! It requires commitment for the upkeep, but much less than some of the fully coloured hair I have had in the past.
I hope this answers all the questions on the mystery of the blonde streak!
I love it! Looks fab. Also looks like a lot of work!
Thanks for the photos. Even with foiled hair you are glamorous.
Bleaching hair takes a delicate hand and disasters take some time to get corrected. That said, when I was 14 I used Javex bleach(chlorine for laundry) to do my hair. Very bad things happened to that patch of hair and to the scalp. Lesson learned. Painful lesson learned. As luck would have it, the 80′s provided unique hairstyles to emulate so I survived relatively unscathed fashion wise. Now that I’m much older and wiser, the white hair grows in naturally!
Dedication!
I’ve only done highlights on my hair twice and I remember how LONG it took– I give you credit for going through this so often!
I love the white streak you have in your hair. Very cool. That rinse is nice too. Ever thought to go super bright for a little while?
Ooh I hear you about the upkeep! I used to have similar white streaks, either on both sides at the temples or the underside of my fringe (I liked to change it around, not so good for the condition of my hair!). It was super fun dyeing them different colours, lots of blue and pink, but the regrowth was SUCH a pain. Luckily I’m, quite a deft hand at the home hairdressing so didn’t have to trek into a salon every time but even at home it was time consuming!
How do you do the curls/faux fringes at the front without heat treatment?
I love the pink/purple rinse! Once I get paid from my summer job I’m going to get my hair re-bleached…I too am a huge fan of having white blonde hair, but as you can imagine with my hair I can’t do it myself!
I had blond bangs back in high school. You do it much better!
I LOVE that rinse, so cute!
I’ve been enjoying your blog for a very long while and have been inspired to start my own, adding you to my blogroll of course. It’s in its infancy, but I’d love you to have a quick read if you have the time. There’ll be more outfit posts to come soon.
Amy Alexandra
http://dressesandsnacks.typepad.com
Your streak always makes me think of Daphne Guinness!
Part of your original, unique style that I was praising the other day.
Certainly worth the effort – you stand out! <3
<3 xxx
PB: Yay! Your comment worked! And thank you, that is a very flattering comparison to be sure.
Where do you go to get your hair done? I’m desperate to find a good hairdresser in Melbourne!
Toxin: They are about to move, so when the new salon is open I’ll make a link to them. But I have tried SO many and not been happy with either the result or the price. These guys are way out in the suburbs but so worth it. It is Quattro hair in Ringwood. Ask for Gary Cooper (yes, that is really his name!) and tell ‘em Candice DeVille sent you.
Yes, it IS a reverse Daphne Guinness, isn’t it? Your hair looks great, and your styling skills make it look even better
I thought it’s real all this while, SKM! haha ok that’s perhaps I met someone with and inch thick of blonde/white hair but the rest is black. It look very nice on you, can’t imagine otherwise!
Love the streak and have been toying with the idea of a coppery streak in my own natural blonde hair. How do you stay glamourous in the hairdressers?
Bring laptop to the salon. Great, I’ll do that next time. You look fab, by the way
It’s really interesting to see where your blonde streaks are; I’ve often wondered about their placement. Last year I had two red streaks put in at my temples, so had to go through a similar process (the rest of my hair is dyed blue black). Though I’ve previously had red under fringe and foils. I really love the streaks as they give a little bit of interest to a hair do, especially with vintage styles.
Ahhhhh so THAT’S how you do it!
Makes so much sense now, I had a streaks like this for AGES but then put a BRIGHT RED rinse in, then they were pink as they faded which was still pretty cool…but never, ever blonde again. I don’t think my hair understands the difference between rinse and permanent.
I don’t like it! at allit so does not match your hair! it looks like a light amber which is sooo not your colour! it’s not blonde at all!
CHEEEEAP LOOKING MUCH!
Harley
Just expressing your opinion once was quite enough there is no need for denigration.
Your second comment is not illuminating in any way, it is not educating nor entertaining.
When in doubt leave it out!