AS A longtime fanatic of all things hair and beauty, and in particular all things blonde, it recently came to my attention that my surfer-tipped highlights had taken on an edge that I had not agreed to. Some call it brassy, some call it yellow, some call it blorange. Whatever you call it, I wasn’t having it.
The sun is a particularly vicious enemy of coloured hair, and whilst you could be mistaken for thinking its only the darker-haired amongst us who should be concerned of fading, blondes must also be vigilant. No, blonde hair won’t fade the same as darker shades, but it will take on a creeping golden tone as the sun, seawater, chlorine and just daily wear and tear strips back the coolness of your salon-fresh colour. After a summer of exceptional heat and sunshine, this is starting to show.
I’ve been through my fair share of blonde hair care products in my life, starting from when I was a teenager, bleaching my own hair in the bathroom with a bottle of supermarket box colour, staring in horror as it rinsed off to a decidedly not platinum blonde shade. Whereas then I would have relied on a particularly infamous, readily available and incredibly drying purple shampoo as my cure-all, today things are a little different.
Enter, Oribe’s Bright Blonde collection.
Now, even being as hair-obsessed as I am, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at Oribe’s products price tags. Starting at £41, the Bright Blonde collection would be considered mid-to-high-end for the range, and as such, I wanted results that delivered on this not-insignificant investment. Yes, the bottles are undeniably beautiful – I feel a small pang of pride every time I see them on my bathroom shelf – but are they worth the money? The Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo for Beautiful Colour is where we begin.
Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo for Beautiful Colour, £41 for 250ml
Generally, the shampoo is the most important part of any brass-busting regimen. The reason being is that purple shampoos are more pigmented than purple conditioners and open the cuticle, allowing them to penetrate and change the colour more effectively than a conditioner.
The effects of the Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo were noticeable but not incredibly powerful. The pigmentation isn’t as strong as with some brands – where others boast super-strength formulas that will instantly silverise hair, this is tailored specifically to blondes and so isn’t seeking to eradicate all warmth, but softly neutralise it (the brand also includes the Silverati range in its lineup, a stronger formula for silver and grey hair that would also work wonders for icy, platinum blondes). Maybe best of all, it left my hair beautifully soft and manageable whereas most purple shampoos leave it dry, matted and begging for conditioner.
Oribe Bright Blonde Conditioner for Beautiful Colour, £45 for 200ml
As with most brands, the Oribe Bright Blonde Conditioner is less pigmented than the shampoo and works more to support the shampoo than to actively neutralise warmth by itself. It’s more of a lilac colour but beautifully creamy and instantly transforms the surface of the hair upon contact.
I always leave it on for at least five minutes, though I don’t generally notice a huge difference in colour, the condition it’s left in is always wonderful. Most days, this is where I stop and hop out of the shower. The days I don’t, I skip this step entirely and reach for Oribe’s Bright Blonde treatment.
Oribe Bright Blonde Radiance and Repair Treatment, £47 for 125ml
This is where Oribe’s Bright Blonde collection really steps apart from the crowd. I can honestly say it’s unlike any other hair treatment I’ve tried before. Usually, you’d expect a heavy moisturiser type of product, but not here. The treatment is dispensed via a spray bottle, emitting a purple toned liquid that softens hair instantly.
I like to keep an eye on this in the mirror while I apply this as it works so quickly. The first time I used it, I was shocked – within moments of spraying it and combing through my hair I saw the colour start to turn, neutralising all traces of brassiness before my eyes. I was left with a supercool, ashy blonde within a minute. It was so quick that I got a little spooked and rinsed it off before the three-minute mark, a change for me as I generally leave treatments on for the maximum time possible to work.
The first thing I noticed when rinsing it out was the condition – silky smooth, weightless and totally tangle-free. It’s rare that a colour-focused product works equally as well in regards to both colour and condition, but Oribe’s Bright Blonde Radiance and Repair Treatment really is this holy-grail of products that achieves both to great effect.
When used in conjunction, these products have helped me maintain a natural-looking, creamy blonde that says sunkissed rather than scalp bleach. It’s true, there are products on the market that have far stronger neutralisation abilities, but that misses the point of the range entirely. It’s not about total neutralisation, but removing just the right amount of warmth to restore a hyper-natural, clean blonde look, sans brass. Even if you only want to try one from the collection to begin with, start with the treatment, even if just to prove to yourself the effectiveness of the range. You (and your highlights) won’t regret it for a second.
by Thomas Marrington
Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment available at Cult Beauty