Which tone of blonde

Blondes have more fun. Blonde bombshell. Ice Cold Blonde. Three stereotypes with one thing in common — Blonde. But what do you see when you think Blonde? The Platinum Ice Cold Blonde? The flirty Marilyn? A sun dazed Beach Blonde? Contrary to belief, there's a blonde to suit everyone, no matter your natural hair hue.

Following L'Oreal Professionnel's study that proved the public's attitude to blondes has massively evolved and the continuing popularity of the trend, the brand has launched an in-salon Blonde Boutique colour menu to help people tailor-make their blonde to their skin tone, eye colour and lifestyle.

If we're all going to do it, we'd better do it well. We asked colour expert Mario Charalambous, Technical Director at Richard Ward Hair, for his top tips in selecting the right shade of blonde for you. If you're keen to lighten up, follow his advice Find out whether your skin is warm or cool toned — this will decide which blonde tones work best for you.

To do this simply look at the veins on your wrist; if they're mostly blue and purple you have a cool undertone, if they are mostly green you have a warm undertone and if they are a mix of both you have a neutral undertone — and therefore more choice.

Generally speaking, paler, pinky skin tones suit cool, delicate blondes ; think ash, beige or baby-blonde. Take into account the depth of your eye colour — how much of a contrast do you want? Soft, multi-tonal shades complement lighter eye colours, whereas deeper, richer blondes flatter a darker eye. Think about maintenance — an all over platinum blonde needs regular trips to your colourist, whereas ombre is far more low maintenance. How much are you willing to commit to the upkeep?

Lauren Grummel , a hairstylist in New York City, loves leaving a bit of a root smudge to add dimension and make for a flexible grow-out. If you have darker hair but want to ease into blonde, try highlights in a superbright blonde shade. Not ready for full-on platinum territory? Give baby blonde a try.

Ask for a warm, pale base color with almost-white highlights. Bored with blonde but not quite ready to plunge into pink? A pale champagne color is right in the middle and has almost an ethereal fairy-tale vibe. To get the look, she says to ask for sandy tonal highlights. A darker root means less upkeep, but the golden hue still gives a nice brightness. This icy shade is just about as close you can get to platinum without going all the way. Grummel loves this color for rosier complexions, since the coolness will help balance out any redness.

Another fun way to brighten up darker blondes or brunettes is with some subtle swirls of highlights. She also recommends using a bond-building treatment mask like Olaplex Bond Intense Moisture Mask at least once a week to keep your hair healthy and strong after lightening it. If you have curls, consider going a little brighter this summer to make your texture really pop.

Schaudt loves this unique golden hue and says to ask for a full balayage. Schaudt says to ask your colorist to foil your hairline for that blonde intensity around your face and have them balayage the rest, keeping a little bit of contrast.