How to do Highlights at Home, Tutorial

I had some dark areas and roots that I wanted to cover and I wanted to make the top portion of my hair lighter than the rest. I tried to put highlights where I thought the sun would naturally make them (except I wanted to give the sun a little help because I don't have that kind of time--so bleach it is!)

What to do:

1. Wearing your gloves, mix the bleach (I also really like Kaleidocolors in violet--it's great for blondes as it removes yellow tones while lightening.)

2. I used 20 volume developer (follow the directions on the package of the product you use).

3. Section your hair off if there are areas that you won't be bleaching. I don't like using foil because I think it's time consuming and annoying, and I've found with using the toner as the second step it fixes any areas where the bleach might accidentally touch other pieces of hair, and blends everything nicely. (With that said, it's always better to be extra cautious!)

4. Avoid the roots when first applying the bleach (the heat from your scalp will make it process faster and you don't want your roots turning out lighter than the rest of your hair--yikes!)

5. Once you've created as many highlights as you'd like, fill in the roots.  

6. Cover with a plastic cap to hold in heat and speed up lightening. 

7. Check frequently until your hair reaches the level of lightness you're going for. 

8. Shampoo and condition. 

Helpful Tips:

*Highlights look great at the top of your hair, near your temples, and a few underneath look nice when you put your hair up--avoid doing them directly on your part if you can because it will look a little less natural. 

*In this video watch how the hair stylist shimmies the handle of the brush to avoid lightening one big chunk. You'll want to try this technique to keep your highlights looking natural! (Don't have a lot of time? Watch what she does at 58s into the video). 

1. Mix the toner according to the directions on the package. I used Wella Color Charm Toner in T18 (lightest ash blonde--used to be called white lady).

2. Use the toner over your entire head (even sections you didn't bleach). It will take out any brassy tones and it will even out your hair as well so you don't get those streaky looking highlights. 

3. Cover with a plastic cap (because it stinks!!)

4. Don't leave the toner on longer than 30 minutes, or your highlights might get a purple (or blue, depending on the toner you choose) hue. I know this from personal experience! ha. Don't make my mistake!) But don't freak out if you do leave it on too long though because the purple will come out with a couple of washes. 

5. Shampoo and use a conditioning treatment after washing out the toner. I like this one because it's intense. 

6. Style as usual.

 Maintenance Tips:

*Use the conditioning treatment or a hair mask like this one (it's only $6!) once or twice per week.

*Use a shampoo made for blonde hair. I like Shiny Silver (it reduces yellow/brassiness that can accumulate over time). 

*Don't wash every day! Dry shampoo is your best friend.

Hope you found this post helpful! If your hair is darker, you'll definitely want to use a different toner than I did, since I chose the lightest option (Wella has plenty to choose from though so no worries). 

Let me know how it goes! 

xoxoxo

And P.S. Positively Amy is not responsible for any highlights gone awry. Proceed with caution!

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