The perfect blonde: How to find the shade that suits you best
The blonde hair spectrum encompasses a huge range of shades.
From platinum and ash to honey and caramel, skilled colourists can create whatever tone you desire, but how can you tell if it’s the perfect blonde for you?
”The perfect blonde is something that is suitable for the client based on not only their skin tone and eye colour but also the health of the hair, so it’s got to have lots of shine,” says creative director Joe Savine.
During summer, some clients like to take their blonde a bit lighter, but there are no hard and fast rules nowadays when it comes to seasonal shifts.
“Before, people would follow trends a bit more, whereas now I think our clients want a colour that’s bespoke to them,” says senior colourist Steven Kamara.
At Paul Edmonds London, we specialise in customised colour, and our front-of-house team know which colourists to suggest when a new client books an appointment.
“Every client goes to a colourist based on what their expertise is,” Joe explains. “For example, my clients generally prefer a natural, lived-in kind of look with balayage or highlights. I find at this time of year, they might say they want to go lighter or change the tone slightly.”
So, if you’re thinking of going blonde for the first time or want to switch up your shade, what do you need to know? Here, Joe and Steven talk us through three key considerations when trying a new look and how to maintain your perfect blonde…
SKIN TONE AND EYE COLOUR
Ultimately, the perfect blonde is a shade that makes you feel fantastic, but it can help to consider which will flatter your skin tone and eye colour better, a cool or warm tone.
“When you start out in hairdressing, you're taught that if a client has dark roots, dark eyebrows and dark eyes, they’re more suited to the brown side of the colour spectrum,” Joe says.
“But we're in 2025 now, and I think it’s more based on things like your personality and how you wear your hair.”
Steven agrees: “Blonde can suit anyone. If you're working with somebody with darker eyes and skin tone, you’ve just got to choose that type of blonde that's going to complement the client’s skin tone and eye colour.”
On the whole, cool hues such as ash or icy blonde suit cooler skin tones and warm shades such as honey or golden blonde complement warmer skin tones.
“If someone’s got blue or green eyes and a darker base hair colour, often they suit either cool or golden blonde, but if they've got blue eyes and light hair, it’s generally best not to go too dark,” Joe explains.
He says brown-eyed Ariana Grande is a great example of someone who toned down her self-tanning when she transitioned from brunette to blonde: “I'm not saying someone with a darker skin tone can't have light hair, because they can, but this changed how she looked and is really chic.”
Joe also likes blue-eyed pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s golden highlights, but says there’s one major exception to the rule: “With platinum blonde, because it’s such a statement and bold colour, that's where it changes in terms of suitability. I think pretty much anyone can wear a platinum blonde.”
It’s a look some of his male clients love too: “You'll generally find when men go lighter it’s either the soft, sunkissed surfer look or platinum.”
COLOUR PLACEMENT
With the use of balayage (freehand painting of the lightener) and highlights, the placement of blonde tones can make a huge difference to the overall look.
“For example, for someone with darker brown eyes, having golden or beige blonde all the way to the roots might not suit them,” Steven says. “But having it from the cheekbones down, with a darker tone around the eyes, can look amazing and really draw the eyes out.”
Similarly, having visible roots can help to soften a bright blonde look, he says: “Lots of blondes are rocking a bit of shadowing now with a root smudge or root tap because they want a more worn-in look.”
What’s the difference between the two? “A root tap is used to soften the root ever so slightly, but a root smudge means blending your roots with your highlights, so it goes much further down the hair.”
HAIR HEALTH
The health of clients’ hair is of the utmost importance at Paul Edmonds London, particularly when it comes to colour.
“If somebody's had lots of bleach in their hair and the hair is over-processed and damaged we can't work over that hair, otherwise it would cause more breakage,” Steven says.
“During a colour consultation, we’ll always do an elasticity test [by stretching a strand to see how easily it breaks] and a porosity test [by putting a strand in water and seeing if it floats] to see if there’s enough strength in the hair.”
We use bonding treatments, including Innoluxe and Olaplex, as standard during colour appointments, and if a client’s hair isn’t strong enough for a blonde, our colourists might recommend a treatment programme.
Steven says: “Sometimes, if the client's hair is very damaged, we will do a series of treatments to build the strength before we do any colour process on the hair.”
HOW TO MAINTAIN BLONDE HAIR
Silver and cool-toned blondes tend to go brassy as the toner washes out, while biscuit-y and caramel hues become warmer.
To keep your blonde looking fresh, Joe recommends a salon treatment in between colour appointments: “The Collagen Infusion and the Ultimate Protein Repair treatments are amazing for blondes. The UPR in particular is phenomenal for building strength.”
At home, cleansing and styling products targeted at blonde or coloured hair are your best bet for maintaining your salon-fresh blonde.
“Oribe Hair Alchemy is amazing,” says Joe. “It's a fortifying range that strengthens blonde hair. You have the shampoo, conditioner and treatment serum.”
“I also love Shu Uemura Silk Bloom, which provides moisture and protein, then for the hair that's a little bit more brittle, you've got Ultimate Reset. These are your more strengthening ranges.”
To prevent colour fade caused by the sun, Steven says, “Kérastase Soleil is a summer range which has a UV protector creme that my clients sometimes like to take on hoiday. There’s also Davines SU Hair Milk, which is a leave-in sun protection spray.”
Blonde perfection
When it comes to blonde hair, the possibilities are endless, but choosing a shade that complements your skin tone and eyes without compromising your hair health – rather than following a trend – is key to ensuring a timelessly chic look.
Our colourists can help advise on whether a warm or cool tone will suit you best, what kind of colour placement you need, and how to ensure your new hue stays vibrant in between appointments.
Ready to discover your perfect blonde? Book a colour consultation at Paul Edmonds London.
