Video by Fenix Beauty @ YouTube

Going platinum means differently to some people. To me, going platinum blonde means your hair will have a hint of ‘gray’ but it’s not the same old lady gray you see on some old ladies’ hair. Think of pearlescent blonde that’s not quite yellow even if it’s the palest blonde out there. There is a difference between platinum and white blonde hair in case you don’t know. Platinum has more ash or violet base while white blonde has more of blue base. Violet and blue underlaying bases can make a difference when it comes to coloring your hair. If you think of Gwen Stefani of No Doubt, she’s platinum blonde. If you think of Britney Spears, she’s probably white blonde. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between platinum or white blonde but white blonde in spite of blue base will end up looking slightly yellow or warmer than platinum. So if you want to go either platinum or white blonde, check with your skin tone. Most ladies (or gents) with olive, sallow or fair skin with blue undertone will look better with platinum blonde while the rest of ladies with warm undertone, yellow or dark skin will look good with white blonde.

I don’t care what people think of the series ‘Sex and the City’ or the movies that came out but I think it’s one of the most entertaining TV shows because it’s not based on reality but pure fantasy. Who can live like those 4 ladies? Not that many unless you count yourself as one of the ‘Real Housewives of …’ who are actually living the lives as those 4 characters. Nevertheless, the reasons why I adore Sarah Jessica Parker is because: 1) her funky fashion albeit high end taste and 2) thick, wavy hair that’s sun kissed. See the picture insert. That’s her hair when she was in Tokyo, Japan, promoting the ‘Sex and the City 2′ movie. Sarah Jessica Parker is unabashedly a faux blonde because she has made her hair one of the biggest accessory that goes well with her fashion choices, no matter how odd or funky were they. She looks great in anything from dark to lightest blonde shades. She had tried them all! She’s truly ‘Sex and the City’ gal because she can flaunt it without overdoing it. She may have an army of hair dressers and stylists that make her hair looking great at all the times, but to keep those waves in good shape after being teased, curled and colored, I bet she had used a bunch of styling aids to keep her hair in good shape and looking healthy. What’s her secret? I bet curly haired ladies (and men) would love to know.

Finding the right salon can be a bit tricky. I’m sure many of you have bad experience with your past or current hairdresser. Not all hairdressers are created equal. It’s like finding the right marriage or business partner. This isn’t salon bashing post but I felt that I need to rant about my previous salon experiences. It’s one huge reason why I ended up doing it by myself. I do love the pampering aspect of the salon where experienced stylists and colorists catering to one’s needs. Alas, when it comes to Asian hair, no one is capable of handling it when it comes to color. Many would go insane trying to even manipulate Asian hair by the fact too many stylists say to leave it alone. Yes, I am one of those people who is sick and tired of the comments that Asian hair is enviable and beautiful, which I wouldn’t argue with, by the fact it is silky black, the pride of Asian people. While I have nothing against natural black hair, which in itself is beautiful, boredom sometimes claim some people and I just can’t stand one tone color. I do love those colors on Asian hair where there’s radical highlights or streaks like purple, blue, green or pink with black hair. They can be easily faked or dyed. Maybe it has to do with the other pasture is greener theory.

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It has been a while since I used any drugstore products. But I have used John Frieda products in the past. They were okay. Now, John Frieda has new products added to their line plus has a new look. The new products I’m reviewing are the John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening shampoo and conditioner.

After one use, they did a good job of actually making your blond hair a bit lighter. My hair was a bit over porous but the shampoo and conditioner did make my hair look lighter by lifting out the purplish undertone that grabs the color so it looks more blonder. It reduces color pigments in your hair. If you have any remaining purple undertones from hair dye or toner because your hair wasn’t absorbing the color properly, the products will do their job of fading the color a bit and bring out the blonde. No ammonia or peroxide involved so your hair will not be damaged if using these products.

These are also perfect for those who want to go lighter gradually without undergoing another bleaching or dying process for a while. This is different from preventing hair to become brassy. This only focuses on making your hair more sun kissed and blonder whether you’re a warm or cool blonde. It even works on darker blondes, golden blondes, or highlights very well. It’s even safe to use daily and it has wonderful moisturizing properties that moisturize while lightening up your hair. A departure from original formula when I used John Frieda years ago.