Hi blondies! Life is more fun, right?

So, a lot of you have been asking me how I get my hair so icy white blonde. I mean, I get it, it's *coolest* color around (if u catch my drift). After responding to 834234 DMs, I decided it's time to write a blog post. ;P

First, let's get one thing straight (like GHD hair straightener straight.) That white blonde blogger hair you see all over the gram? IT'S CALLED PHOTO EDITING PPL. I mean, I've full on used the teeth whitening tool on my hair before. Realness.

So no, my hair isn't white (omg I wish. THE DREAM.), but I try to get it as close as possible. I've come to the realization that I'm happiest when I have that FRIGID AS FUCK ICY BLONDE hair, ya know?

Here's the formula: the right stylist + the right products.

How to find a badass blonde hairstylist

It's so hard to find "the one." Like, it's worse than online dating... because a bad date won't FRY YOUR HAIR like a bad stylist will.

When I moved to LA, I got my hair done via a Groupon deal. Please, I beg of you, learn from my mistake and do not do this. She was new. My hair broke off in massive chunks. It looked like ramen noodles. I'm still recovering.

If you're serious about the icy blonde life, don't go to a color generalist. Go to a blonde specialist who understands the complexities of blonding.

Live in LA? Lucky you. I know exactly where you need to go: BLONDE/BLOND. This salon ONLY does blonde color. It's my second home. I call Caitlin Richardson, the owner, my fairy blondemother. She just gets it.

Ok, so, you live in Idaho? Never fear. Here's what you need to do to: a) find a fab stylist and b) make sure s/he delivers your blonding vision to perfection:

1. Do your research. Fucking duh. I'm not just talking Yelp reviews. Look at PICTURES (especially before and after photos). Insta is great for this. Make sure the stylist is using her own images (not reposting other people's) and isn't using heavy filters to distort the color. Check out @blonde.blond on insta for reference - it's like porn for blondes.
2. Come prepared. Before you even show up for your appointment, send photos of your current hair sitch, as well as pics of your desired end result. Caitlin from BLONDE/BLOND also stresses the importance of sharing every lil detail of your hair color and treatment history. Not only will this help your stylist prep, but it will also allow her to set your expectations. The color might not be right for your hair type or skin tone. OR it may take multiple treatments to get there (better to go slow and safe.) A good stylist will be honest and communicate thoroughly with you. A bad stylist will promise the world and underdeliver.
3. Go slow. Again, go slow. Icy blonde doesn't happen in an hour. Blonde experts don't rush your hair under the heat dryer so they can move onto the next client. They make you sit with your foils in for fucking ever. (It's worth it.)
4. Repeat after me: NO. WARM. TONES. I recommend telling your stylist that you "only want cool tones and NO WARM TONES" at least 100 times. Bonus points for throwing in words like "icy," "frigid," and "glacial."
5. Communicate. DON'T BE SHY. You know that feeling you get when you just kinda *know* your color isn't going to turn our right? DON'T BE "POLITE" AND SIT THERE IN FUCKING SILENCE. NOT TO BE DRAMATIC BUT LIKE THIS COULD *TEMPORARILY* RUIN YOUR FUCKING LIFE. If you have a question or concern, say something early and often.

K, so, you want my EXACT color formula? Copy cat. Caitlin uses:

• Bleach: Matrix V Lights Bleach. Caitlin has tried literally every bleach you guys (ppl send her free shit every week). This is the best one bc it lifts white (not yellow - ew.)
• Tone & Base Break: Frampsi Color (she mixes 0P and 9NP) to tone my hair and break the base. It's an Italian color line with smaller pigment molecules than others.
• Toner for ends: Redkin Shades (she mixes GI and GV together for a white ash grey tone... yum)

Btw... if you don't know terms like "base break" and "toner," check out the blonde glossary on Caitlin's blog!

Ok, so, you achieved icy blonde perfection. The hard part is keeping it that way. Your hair will start to skew yellow if you don't use the right products.

The products every icy blonde must have

When it comes to blonde haircare, I've just learned to do whatever Caitlin tells me to do (she's the only one who can boss me around). Like literally if she told me to rub raw onions on my head every night I would do it, and there's nothing I hate more than onions. She just knows what's up and has NEVER led me astray. All of the below are recommended by my blondemother and tried and tested by me. They're the ride or die products I can't live without, and they're honestly necessary for icy blonde maintenance. You need every. single. one. Trust me on this.

L'anza Purple Shampoo

This stuff is the most hydrating purple shampoo around. It also has the most pigment (you want your purple shampoo to be DARK purple). Purple cancels out the yellow tones. Wash your hair with regular shampoo first to get it super clean, and then leave the purple shampoo in for two minutes. If your shower looks like a purple murder scene... that means you're doing it right. You shouldn't need purple conditioner - just the shampoo will do the trick.

Malibu Packets

These puppies are made to take out well water deposits, but they also remove the build up that accumulates on your hair from purple shampoo (not cute). Just use it on your ends once a month and you'll be good to go.

T3 Shower Filter

Shower filters are not optional. ESPECIALLY if you live in LA. Our water is filled with chlorine and other toxins that dry out your skin and hair (and leave your hair greasy even after shampooing). I've tried a billion different shower filters but avoided buying this one forever because of the price tag. However I can now assure you, it's worth it. It is... dare I say... life-changing? Your hair will be cleaner, shinier, softer, and healthier than ever before. (Plus - you won't have to wash it as often, and we all know how important that is.)

Unite 7 Second Leave-in Conditioner

After you towel-dry your hair (with an Aquis microfiber towel, of course), spray about 7 spritzes of this leave-in conditioner. Blonde hair is dry, and you don't want to damage it with your brush. This stuff is gold - it will detangle and make your brush glide on through.

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

Look, the Dyson Supersonic is pricey. But it dries your hair super fast and smooth (and again, time is money.)

Swipe to the right to see Caitlin's fave, the Elchim 2001. Apparently, every hair stylist has one of these and it's a tried and true fave that just works.

Whichever you choose, make sure you use the thin nozzle to direct the airflow. Blow dry your hair in sections, pulling it away from your head and blowing the air DOWN with the hair shaft (so that the air is angled in the direction the cuticle lies.) If you blow the air in every direction all willy-nilly, the cuticle will dry whack and that's what creates FRIZZ.

(Would you want a full post on blow drying technique? It took me forever to master the art... and it really is an art. Lmk in the comments below!)

B tee dubs, if you wanna see how I style my big loose waves, check out this video.

Ibiza Round Boar Brush

If you're still blow drying your hair with a Conair from Walgreens, we need to talk. The plastic traps heat from your blow dryer and FRIES your hair.

The boar bristles let heat through. The round design allows you to pull sections of your hair super taught (so you can dry them smooth and sleek and/or curled on the ends). What's that saying again? Once you go boar bristles, you never go back.

Olaplex

OMG I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.

Olaplex is the only product that actually REBUILDS the bonds in your broken hair cuticles (rather than just filling them, which is what Keratin treatments do). It's like, crazy science. But here's my super hot tip: Most people only buy Step 3 for home use, and pay $60+ per treatment to get Step 1 and 2 done in the salon. L O L. You can just do it at home!

Here's what you do: Just put 90ml of Step 1 on, leave it for 5 min. Then put on Step 2, leave it for 20 min (or overnight, if you wanna be an overachiever like me.) Rinse out and FEEL THE MAGIC THAT IS YOUR NEWLY REBONDED HAIR SHAFTS.

I do the treatment like once a week bc I'm crazy and want my hair to be as healthy and strong as a horse's mane (don't you?!)

(Do you want me to do a full blog post on Olaplex? I have so much more to say here. Let me know in the comments!)

Drybar Dry Shampoo

CAN WE ALL JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO HONOR THE AMAZINGNESS THAT IS DRY SHAMPOO. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without it, like... wash my hair every day? L O L. That's a scary thought.

I've tried literally every dry shampoo on the market and Drybar's is the best because 1) it isn't sticky 2) it smells amazing 3) it works better than all the others. Plus it makes your hair super voluminous, which we love. I don't fuck with the lush scent or the whipped versions btw; they're just not as good as the original Drybar Detox.

Hot tip: The white color of your dry shampoo can make your hair even icier and is great for hiding roots. If you're not blonde, you'll want to avoid the white color and use the brunette version.

Go Icy White Blonde, Or Go Home

If you're gonna do this color, you have to do it right. Don't skimp on the stylist or the products. Oh, and get haircuts early and often.

What other hair questions do you have for me? Wanna learn about styling and/or extensions? Leave your requests and fave products below!