Color wheel can be very effective tool when it comes to determining what color you’re aiming for. With bleaching and toning process, also known as double-process, it’s vital to know what hair color you’re going to use on your bleached hair. It’s all about colors and what works. For example, you may notice some hair colors include bases such as violet, blue-violet, green, yellow and gold. You may wonder what the heck do they mean? They’re used as a guide to let you know what kind of results you’ll get.

For example, if you have banana peel yellow hair and you want a soft and natural looking blonde, use a blonde tint with violet base. Blonde tint with violet base will get you a natural looking light blonde.

If you have orange hair to begin with, a blue-based tint will get you a neutral color but it will be either dark or medium blonde. To get a really light blonde color you will have to bleach to banana peel yellow or pale yellow. Sometimes a blue-based toner made for very light hair will work on pale yellow hair because it will only make it look more drab blonde (common in many cool blonde shades). Drab isn’t same as dull or dead, it just meant it’s not as bright as gold.

If you have strong yellow undertones, any violet, blue-violet or blue based toners will tone them down. That’s where Born Blonde toners come in picture.

If you have warm skin tone, you can get away with gold and yellow based toners because they’re made for warm skin tones and will look good in golden-blonde shades (think of Nicole Kidman, who has such warm fair skin tone and looks great with golden-blonde shades). If you have cool skin tone (olive, sallow or very fair with reddish undertones) you are better off with cool shades. The bases really help in making your decisions and what kind of goal you want. Beware – if you have yellow hair and use yellow or gold-based color, your hair will turn out even worse yellow or very brassy looking. Goes true if using very strong blue-based toner not made for light blondes on pale yellow hair can turn it green. Violet on orange hair will not work either. Ash blondes have violet, blue-violet or sometimes green base. Ash blondes are very cool or cold, and it’s ideal to bleach to pale yellow to achieve very cool shade because any remaining yellows will peek through, which is considered as warm, not cool. Keep this in mind.

If you have reddish hair you can tone it down with green-based toner. Complementary colors will always work. Some colors include odd combo of bases – such as yellow-violet base. This is probably means it is a mixture of cool and warm. Violet to tone down the yellow hair, and yellow is to let some yellow to peek through to exhibit some warmth rather than to make it really drab or ashy.

If you want to achieve platinum blonde, it is recommended to bleach to pale yellow to almost white (be careful when you do this) and then use platinum blonde toner or any of lightest blonde shades. It will be very light so make sure your skintone looks best with it and isn’t for everyone.

Past a few months I’ve been experimenting with a few toners. In the past I’ve tried a several brands, especially Clariol Professional products. I always have liked their Creme Toners, but lately, I’ve been enraptured with Wella Color Charm Toners. Every time I use one of their toners, they always make my hair and scalp feel good without a bit of sting like with most permanent colors. Permanent colors tend to sting freshly lightened or highlighted hair because of higher content of peroxide and ammonia, but Wella Color Charm Toners don’t really sting my scalp and the color always turns out exactly what the swatch shows and the nice fact they’re considered medium hazard regarding health well being. I’ve been gradually going blonder, and I wanted something that isn’t quite platinum blonde (too bright for me) yet pale enough. Right now I’m in love with Wella Color Charm T10, known as Ivory Lady. It’s a pure, lovely soft pale blonde that’s not too yellowish or beige-y. It does look like a polished ivory. I’m totally enthralled with the results. I’ve used this toner a few times and the color has come out successfully. It looks great with my summer tan. However, at first, it may look a little dark/dull but will go away in a few shampoos, and then the color will turn out and look like a pure pale blonde. I’m totally loyal to Wella toners now, and I thought about trying Wella toner labeled T18 or known as ‘White Lady’, but I think it’s a little too white for me. I’m not ready to be a white blonde. But it might be next on my list to try.

You can purchase this wonderful shade Wella Color Charm T10 Ivory Lady.

Going brunette from blonde, known as a tintback in salon circles, is not as easy as you think. It takes some dedication just like someone going blonde from brunette. Since brunette is all the rage right now, which is a good thing for many, because being a brunette means your hair will thank you for less harsh chemicals opposed to bleaching/lightening one’s hair. This article explains very well about performing a tintback from blonde to brunette. Visit The Haircolor Expert blog for detailed description of a tintback.

This article recommends a filler color in prior to darkening your light hair, whether it’s a natural blonde or bleached blonde, because it will prevent grey or green tinge as well as purple or other unwanted tones that come with brown or black dyeing. Most permanent dyes have strong bases that counteract with current tones in the hair. Most permanent hair color dyes are designed for natural or virgin hair rather than colored or tinted hair. A filler color can be just that — a filler color bottle that you can purchase at a local beauty supply store or it could be either one, semi- or demi-permanent color, that will do the trick of darkening your hair in prior to using a brown or black permanent hair color dye. Make sure it’s about 2 levels lighter than your desired level of color. As the article explained, to go brunette you must have warmer tones in your hair like orange and red. The orange and red will make the brunette look more natural and less ashy, dull, or discolored when dyeing over blond hair. Gold is good if you’re only going a darker blonde. The good filler color bottles to get from Sally or any other beauty supply store are Professional Protein Filler by Colorful Products (Warm Brown or Red) or Colorful Neutral Protein Filler. They will do the trick and fill in the porosity in your hair.