Just because you use purple shampoo, doesn’t mean you can do away with a toner. If your salon provides that service, use purple shampoo as a supplement. If you color your own hair, look for a toner that can reduce undertones. What Katie says: "This is the product I never knew I needed. The Olaplex system is the ultimate product range for protecting and caring for bleached hair. So the idea of a toning shampoo with the Olaplex technology inside is mind-blowingly exciting. It has become a must-have for me, as I use it alongside the rest of the range. I particularly like to use it straight after I've had my colour done when my hair is at its most vulnerable. If you're looking for a product that you can 100% rely on, this is that product." Session stylist Ali Pirzadeh concurs and recommends using your regularconditioner afterwards."I wouldn't bother with a purple conditioner as well, as you want to make sure your hair is still being nourished." The effect is softer, both in terms of the colour and how my hair feels afterwards. I wouldn’t recommend taking your purple shampoo right down to the ends. The hair there can be up to four years old so will grab onto too much of the purple pigment.

So when you wash with this particular shade of shampoo, it deposits purple pigment into blonde hair, to counteract any yellowy tones that start to shine through. When it comes to hair, there’s nothing better than fresh color. The challenge? Maintaining that just-left-the-salon level luster until your next dye job. Blondes in particular may notice signs of brassiness over time. This yellow or orange cast can be caused by a number of things, including "your color oxidizing over time, exposure to UV light, chlorine and even traces of copper in your water,” explains Meri Kate O’Connor, celebrity colorist at Loft 647 in West Hollywood, California. This is where a purple toning shampoo can help. What is purple shampoo good for and what happens when you use it?That’s where purple shampoo comes in. If you look at a color wheel, purple is directly across from yellow, and colors located on opposing sides of the wheel cancel each other out. When purple is applied to your hair, it cancels out the yellow tones, providing that icy blonde color that is seen as the ideal. This porousness means bleached hair soaks up unwanted minerals and metals in your tap water and acquires a yellow tinge over time. "It also means that blonde hair absorbs light instead of reflecting it and is more prone to damage," adds Shiel. What Sunil says: "A full believer in the restorative and transformative powers of Olaplex, after having recently gone blonde, I was thrilled when they launched this product. It doesn't leave my hair feeling dry - my hair ACTUALLY feels better after using - and the colour payoff is seriously impressive." It's arguably blonde hair's biggest nemesis: brassiness. Why does it happen? "Lighter strands often struggle to look shiny and healthy," says Steve Shiel, scientific director at L’Oréal. "This is because free radicals in the colouring process break down protein so blonde hair becomes porous."

I decant half my purple shampoo into half a bottle of Oribe Shampoo For Moisture Control," she says. It all depends on the instructions on the specific bottle, but not overdoing it is key. "If you leave a purple shampoo on for too long, your hair will have a blue-purple tinge to it," Irwin cautions. You don’t have to have dyed hair to benefit from purple shampoo. In fact, those with naturally blonde and naturally silver hair find it reduces undertones. What Shannon says: "I've been bleaching my hair for over 15 years, and the damage needs a lot of management. The bond-restoring benefits of this purple shampoo means my long hair is left feeling stronger, looking less brassy and is less prone to breakage."Whether you were born with blonde hair or you pay for it, it can be tough to get the color just right. Even if it looks perfect the day you color it, it can gradually lose its luster and start to turn brassy. Those yellows, oranges and reds that make blonde hair look less brilliant than you’d prefer are hard to avoid. If you can’t avoid it, coat the ends in conditioner first to create a hydrating base and to dilute the shampoo. Then apply your purple shampoo in an 's' shape on mid-lengths and work it in with your fingers to deposit the pigment evenly."