The best purple shampoos for blondes AND brunettes

15 January 2019

By Fashion Quarterly

It’s a common conundrum for many a blonde lass – that dreaded brassy tone that occurs a couple of weeks after getting your colour done.

While brunettes can also fall victim to it, it’s more than likely our fair-headed friends who cop it the worst. By the grace of God, hair companies recognise that spending hundreds of dollars at the salon is a waste of time if it doesn’t last and have an arsenal of saviours at the ready.

Jeanette Madsen, Paris Fashion Week 2018

Purple shampoo and conditioner has become a saviour for blondes thanks to their ability to dial back brassy tones. The way they work is quite simple: orange sits exactly opposite purple on the colour wheel, which means that by adding this colour to your hair, it’s going to counteract any apparent orange or brassy tones. But, hear us out on this – purple shampoo – while being amazing in its abilities – isn’t going to magically correct a bad colour job or turn your balayage into Gwen Stefani overnight. They can, however, reduce golden tones making your blonde more manageable between trips to your stylist. As for brunettes who love a sneaky lowlight? Fortunately, purple shampoos aren’t strictly for your fair-headed friends benefit; brunettes can also reap the rewards of a toning shampoo.

WATCH: 5 tips for going from brunette to blonde

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With this in mind, here are some that we believe are worth their weight in gold for helping us ditch the gold:

Toni & Guy Purple Shampoo, $17.99; Hask Blue Chamomile with Argan Blonde Shampoo, $13.50; John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Tone Refresh Shampoo, $23.99 and Lee Stafford Everyday Blondes Shampoo, $17.99.

Fanola No Yellow Shampoo, $29.90; Joico Blonde Life Brightening Conditioner, $36; Redken Color Extend Blondage Color Depositing Purple Shampoo, $35 and Fudge Clean Bonde Violet Toning Shampoo, $26.

Before trying purple shampoo, a word of caution…

Some of these shampoos are more heavily pigmented than others so be mindful that they can stain your hands if you handle them for too long. We advise rinsing your hands as soon as you have applied to reduce the risk of staining. The heavier the pigment, the more brass-banishing they will be, so platinums will benefit from arming themselves with a more potent formulation, which will only need to stay in for a few minutes.