As mentioned in previous posts, it’s extremely important to keep your hair in good sparkling shape regardless how damaged your hair as a result of coloring, straightening, blow drying and/or hot styling aids. There are many products that do the job and achieve a wonderful end result. If you’re on a budget, then it’s worth to check out Ion Leave-in Conditioner in brand new packaging design. With this product, it has lightweight moisture that detangles even most frizzy or super dry hair. The tip to use this product is after you shampoo and moisturize your hair in the shower, make sure you towel dry your hair first prior to spraying liberally on the ends and underneath your hair completely. You can use this in conjunction with other treatments like leave-in moisture, spray gel, glossing polish or heat protection spray. I have been using this product to achieve less frizzy and brittle look that dyed and highlighted hair brings. It makes my hair look “healthier” because it looks less like straw hair that most people get from bleaching or lightening process. No one wants straw looking hair, do we? Give this product a try. Ion is one of respected hair brands especially for those who are on a budget who can’t afford high end salon products.

While this oft discussed topic is important in the beauty industry, does it mean a person of certain skin tone cannot try a shade of blonde, regardless how light or dark you go? This isn’t true! Don’t listen to anyone who says you can’t go blonde even if it may look terrible on you? You are forgetting something here…there are HUNDREDS shades of blonde, ranging from platinum blonde to brownish-blonde color. You can find something suitable next to your skin tone. If you even feel like trying go lighter, go for it as long as you have the proper consultation from a hairdresser or hair color expert to ensure your hair can handle the chemical double processing because it will be damaging no matter how light you go. Go extra mile to care for your hair as much as you can. Highlights on a darkened base look more natural than all over color so it comes down to a preference and what looks good on you as well as your fashion style. Those with bold fashion sense may get away with platinum or light shades of blonde while the others who like down to earth or have minimal clothing preference may opt for natural looking highlights, regardless if you have long, medium or short hair styles.

Here I will discuss most common skin tones that you see in your daily life or in the media.


Shakira is one of the popular pop artists of our generation and is one of the most well known for going blonde from her natural black hair. She has maintained blonde hair for many years because it suits her. She has experimented from platinum blonde to darker shade of blonde as well as red and brown. Recently she has gone pale blonde again for some of her music videos. Her skin tone is a light olive but she may look good with warm or cool colors which means she can get away with cool, neutral and warm blondes. If you have a similar skin tone as hers, then you can experiment what looks good on you.

Mary J. Blige is also well known pop artists and for ever changing hair styles and colors. Although she has warm dark skin tone, she can get away with a warmer shade of blonde. For someone with her skin tone, it’s recommended that you go warm regardless of your level like honey blonde, golden blonde or even strawberry blonde! If paired up with cool blonde shades, it may wash out or clash the lovely dark skin tone but it doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Here’s another example of another hip artist below with similar skin tone as Mary’s.

Her name is Amerie, she’s a beautiful young woman that looks striking with her black hair, no argument there. But, of course, she had at least wanted to try being blonde for once! That’s why I used her as an example of someone with lovely dark warm skin tone going pale. According to this article here, she spotted some kids on an island with white blonde hair against super dark tanned skin. She was inspired by this sight, apparently. She went for it and as a result she’s a va va voom glamourous but it’s NOT for the faint of the heart.

There are other examples of olive skin tone, the majority of Asians have olive skin tones ranging from pale to dark. While not every one looks good or suited to blonde, here are a few examples below of Asians who got away with it.

She’s a bold Asian with darker olive skin tone but looks great with the blonde because it creates so much contrast between her skin and hair. Her fashion sense and personality also may be suited as a blonde. Her blonde shade is a delicious shade of neutral pale blonde, back to back highlights, similar to what I have right now. This neutral blonde shade has some ash base which will tone down some of the yellow undertones that are a result of lightening process.

She’s one of the super models named Ai Tominga, a mega tall model from Japan. While she was known for her super glossy black hair that’s her trademark, she even went blonde once for some fashion campaigns. She looked great and the contrast is striking. In this picture she went pure platinum, which is very difficult to achieve on very dark hair so don’t try this yourself without making informed decision and research or book an appointment with a salon.

In all, if you have a desire to go blonde, go for it! Don’t listen to naysayers who say you just simply can’t. Just choose a right shade blonde on you and then make it happen. But be very aware the whole process is quite damaging, especially if you have African American, super fine, or previously colored hair in any shade (which requires stripping out the color before you can even go blonde).

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.

Is it possible to have great hair? Yes, you can! There are many tips and techniques that can help you in getting the salon quality look. If you have time to do this, then let’s get started!

Preparation:
1. Shampoo and condition your hair as usual
2. Towel dry your hair so it’s damp
3. Use a leave in conditioner and thermal protection spray on all of your length

Styling:
1. Use wide toothed comb to comb through out your hair
2. Use a hot blow dryer to blow your hair dry
3. When it’s half way dry, use a spray gel into your hair to prep your hair for what’s coming next
4. Comb your hair again
5. Use medium or large sized rollers (velcro rollers) and roll up each strand on top half of your crown
6. Use a finishing spray to lock in your hair in rollers
7. Leave in the rollers for 20 minutes
8. Take out the rollers and then start combing your curls so they become waves rather than curls
9. Spray the finishing hairspray again
10. Fluff your waves with your fingers and style your hair the way your want

Voila! You have a head of beautiful waves and styled hair. This is one way of getting great looking hair!