If you’re a blonde, chances are you’ve tried your fair share of products designed to keep your strands looking as shiny and vibrant as the moment you stepped out of the salon chair. Between toners, masks, color-treated shampoos, and conditioners, your blonde-based product line up is likely front and center in your daily beauty routine. As a seasoned blonde who’s been dying my hair for about 10 years now, I’m always looking for the latest products to help maintain my color and give me some extra time between salon visits. You can imagine I’ve tried just about every product under the sun.
I’ve experimented with practically every blonde hue imaginable, from warm golden honey to platinum and back again. However, I noticed that my strands would easily fade back to a brassy, yellow-toned shade no matter what color my hair was at any given moment, . That was definitely not the look I was going for. Recently, I decided to ditch my previous warm blonde and opted for something a bit more cool-toned. Blonde is always difficult to maintain, but going a few shades lighter opened up a whole new world of constantly worrying that my icy shade would fade. That’s where purple shampoo comes in.
I have a love/hate relationship with purple shampoos. Sure, many boast brass-free color and quick results without scheduling a salon touch-up. However, many a purple shampoo has also left my hair feeling quite parched and in need of deep conditioning. When Redken’s Color Extend Blondage Shampoo landed on my desk for me to try, I was a bit skeptical about how much it would stand out from the competition.
Redken Color Extend Blondage Shampoo and Conditioner is a toning and strengthening system for blondes. Packaged in a sleek lavender bottle to match the actual color of the product and paired with a pleasant perfume-like scent, the product has ultra violet pigment and Triple Acid Protein complex to tone, strengthen and brighten all in one for a brighter, stronger blonde after using the system twice a week for two weeks. The ultra violet pigments help to preserve blonde hair color between appointments by keeping undertones at bay.
According to the bottle, the shampoo can be applied just like any other shampoo. The brand recommends a second lather that should be left on for 3 to 5 minutes in order to achieve maximum benefits.
The first time I tried the Color Extend Blondage Shampoo, I took a dime-sized amount in my palm and applied it throughout my damp hair in the shower from root to end, lathered, and rinsed well. Note: The shampoo is super pigmented. If you don’t have gloves at your disposal, your hands may be left with a shadowy purple tint after applying the product. To ensure the best results, I applied a second lather. I let the shampoo sit in my hair for about three minutes before thoroughly rinsing the product fully out. I followed up with the Color Extend Blondage Conditioner on my mid lengths to ends. After rinsing the conditioner, I stepped out of the shower, wrung my hair out, and let it air dry as I normally would.
Before I get into how great my color looked once dry (because it did), I should probably share what my actual favorite part of this shampoo and conditioner system is. As I mentioned before, purple shampoos can be pretty drying for me. Immediately after my first use, I was surprised by how beautiful my hair felt. It was almost as if I had just gotten a salon service.
Now, to the part you really want to hear about. Once fully dried, I could tell instantly that the shampoo had done wonders for my color. My hair looked shiny, strong, and brass-free.
I continued to alternate this shampoo and conditioner system into my weekly routine once or twice throughout the week for about three weeks, repeating the steps listed above. If I had any doubts about purple shampoo before, this product eliminated them.
The final verdict: If you have blonde hair, you need the Color Extend Blondage shampoo and conditioner in your life. After a few weeks of use, I can honestly say this is my new go-to system to care for my blonde. Combined with a killer hair care routine for color-treated hair, your icy hue will never look (and feel) better.
Your Privacy Choices
