What Sunil says: "I was recommended this product by a beauty editor with many years of industry experience, so naturally I had to give it a go. IMHO it is THE very best purple shampoo on the market if you want that real shot of iciness. To get my hair blonde, it needs some serious bleaching, and suffice to say, it needs all the help and conditioning it can get. This instantly banishes any trace of brassiness. As long as I dye my hair blonde, there will be a bottle of this in my bathroom."

purple shampoo handpicked by a blonde beauty editor The best purple shampoo handpicked by a blonde beauty editor

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." To keep hair looking its blonde best between salon visits, minimise washing and rinsing it to avoid dumping your toner straight down the drain. Also try washing in cooler water to avoid stripping colour out of dyed hair. When not washing with purple shampoo, be sure to use a shampoo for colour-treated hair as this will protect the colour molecules intact.

Again not much difference and very subtle. I will keep using the product to see if regular use has more of an effect but not too keen as it has a strong scent, like most purple shampoos. Blonde hair can turn yellow with time for two reasons. The first is salon-applied toner rinsing out over time to reveal a yellow undertone. The second is the hair shaft absorbing minerals and chemicals from the environment, which can cause yellowness. Chlorine from swimming pools and even sunlight can be major culprits for introducing yellow tones to blonde hair. This is particularly true of bleached hair, which is more porous. The violet tones in purple shampoo counteract any brassy tones in the hair, giving a more silvery finish that appears brighter and more vibrant. 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.

PROVOKE TOS BRIGHTEN REPAIR SP 200ML | Hair | Superdrug PROVOKE TOS BRIGHTEN REPAIR SP 200ML | Hair | Superdrug

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.I decant half my purple shampoo into half a bottle of Oribe Shampoo For Moisture Control," she says. As well as purple shampoos and conditioners, blonde hair will benefit from a monthly treatment masque or glossing treatment, to help add shine as well as freshening up colour. 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." After the first use of Pro:voke purple shampoo, I was disappointed with how my hair looked and felt. Here at PRO:VOKE, we’re the experts in blonde hair. But did you know our Touch Of Silver products are also ideal for brunettes?

VOKE Touch Of Silver Brightening Shampoo 200ml - Boots PRO:VOKE Touch Of Silver Brightening Shampoo 200ml - Boots

Those who bleach their hair and live in hard water areas (which creates more mineral build-up on strands), should only use it once a week. Meaning, one bottle will last you until your next colour appointment, if not longer. My hair was very dry, and frizzy even though I had styled it the same and didn’t feel particularly clean. 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. 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.I’m a true advocate for purple Shampoo. I have a go to brand that I use regularly, knowing it works well and does what it says on the tin-neutralises orange/yellow tones and refuses brassiness. Our Touch of Silver Brightening Shampoo should be applied to wet hair and massaged in before leaving on for five minutes. Brunettes should use our brightening shampoo specifically on the lightened sections of hair. For many, this will mean applying silver shampoo directly to the lower lengths of hair, targeting the brassy sections. Redken’s Color Extend treatment shampoo is enriched with a deep violet pigment that’s extremely effective at cooling warm undertones and counteracting yellow tones. As well as working wonders to clean up dull blonde shades, the hydrating shampoo uses a Triple Acid Protein complex to strengthen the hair cuticle and nourish each strand. These fortifying proteins hydrate and protect each strand to prevent the damage that’s a common side effect of bleaching and toning hair. This is a strong colour-correcting shampoo, so we recommend wearing gloves while massaging it into hair to prevent staining on the hands. You’ll only need to leave it in the hair for a few minutes. For an extra blonde-boosting benefit, follow with the conditioner and conditioning treatment mask in the same range. 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." Next, smooth over a generous amount of the Touch Of Silver Intensive Conditioner – ideal for use after the Brightening Shampoo to regain hair health and balance. Leaving this on your hair for 3 to 10 minutes will nourish hair and intensively target dry and damaged strands. It has a rich and luxurious formula which improves your hairs condition after just one use.

PRO:VOKE Touch Of Silver Brightening Purple Shampoo 150 ml

What Shannon says: "I've got to agree with both Katie and Sunil here, this is without question, the best shampoo I've ever used for achieving that icy blonde look. If you have even a hint of brassiness, one wash with this will sort things out straight away. It's so good, in fact, that I highly recommend giving your nails a good scrub immediately after rinsing to avoid any staining." If you’re a keen swimmer, use a hair protector to keep chlorine from stripping your hair colour and turning it yellow or even green, and rinse hair immediately after swimming. I also left the shampoo on longer than the recommended 5 minutes to see if it made a difference to the end result. When I have used the shampoo again, I have washed my hair with my normal shampoo first, to get a proper wash and clean. But Zoe Irwin, creative director at John Frieda Salons, advises clients to be careful as purple-based products can be drying.

The best purple shampoos for blonde hair

Unfortunately, the colour fading is an unavoidable evil, but purple shampoo is a great way to keep your blonde hair looking salon fresh for longer. It works by depositing violet tones that neutralise brass for brighter tresses without the need for bleach. Purple shampoo washes in and rinses out just like any other shampoo, making it suitable for use on all hair types and textures.