Going Platinum Blonde? Here's What to Buy

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So, you’ve decided to go silver blonde. According to my salon it’s one of the most-requested colors for the summer — especially after Taylor Swift, Kristen Stewart, and Jennifer Lawrence all went platinum to great effect in recent weeks. But from one non-natural blonde to another, let me share a few things no one told me before I went from light brown to white-grey: There are a few things you’re going to need to buy.

1. A Sun-Blocking Hat

Do not let your new white blonde hair in the sun. I repeat, DO NOT LET YOUR NEW WHITE BLONDE HAIR IN THE SUN. If you overdo it, your lovely cool tone will fade out and you’ll be left with a yellow, dry mess (I learned this one the hard way). This is a difficult issue in the summer when everything you want to do is happening outside. To keep from feeling like a vampire, banished indoors during daylight hours, invest in (more than one) sun-blocking hat. San Francisco-based Kin/k Hats has a ton of great felt and straw options in different styles, including the Demi Tease ($152) pictured below.

Photo: KIN/K

2. Black Basics

All the colors you’re used to wearing are suddenly going to look weird on you, and other colors you never went near will look surprisingly flattering. This is different for everyone based on your complexion and tastes, but the safest best is going black — though it’s not a typical pick for summer, it looks so chic with white blonde hair. Pickup a few versatile summer basics you know you’ll want to wear a lot; getting dressed everyday will be that much easier as you figure out what works now and what doesn’t. If you’re not sure where to start, go with items that can be dressed up or down: simple dresses, a tee-shirt or two, and at least one on-trend item like this Splendid cropped jersey jumpsuit ($225).

Photo: Net-A-Porter

3. Dry Shampoo & Purple Conditioner

If you’re considering platinum, you’ve probably at least been told about purple shampoo. Because purple is the exact opposite of yellow on the color wheel, this deeply pigmented product eliminates any sneaky yellow tones. But what you really want for silver-platinum hair is the purple conditioner. The texture of your new hair will be so much more dry than normal that you won’t need to wash it often (and over-washing will also lead to more dreaded yellow). I swear by Davines Alchemic Silver Conditioner ($28.50) — it’s definitely the best one I’ve tried.

Photo: Davines

Speaking of not washing your hair, pick up a good dry shampoo if you don't already have one. I love Klorane's Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk ($20), and keep one of their travel-size sprays in my purse for a midday refresh ($10).

4. Cool Tone Lipsticks

I've worn the same go-to lipstick through five hair colors, and silver blonde is the first one it doesn't work with. The orange-red hue suddenly brings out all the pink in my face, and feels a little too Las Vegas with the white hair. I'm fair-skinned, so I've been trying out cool reds: they pop less and don't compete as much with my bright, white hair. My favorite at the moment is a matte MAC shade called Diva ($17) — their matte lip colors are the only thing that seem to stay on my face without constant reapplication. Again, this will be different depending on your complexion and taste, but a vampy, cool dark red has been working great for Kirsten and Taylor.

A photo posted by Kristen Stewart (@immzstewart) on May 14, 2016 at 1:33am PDT