Redken Blondage: Purple Shampoo for Brass-Free Blondes NZ

If your blonde keeps going warm, yellow or brassy between salon visits, a purple shampoo is the cheapest, easiest fix there is — and Redken Blondage is one of the strongest-pigmented ones we keep on the shelf.

Brass happens to every blonde. Lightened hair is porous, and minerals in the water plus daily light slowly pull it warm. Purple sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a violet-pigmented shampoo neutralises that warmth and keeps your blonde looking like it did the day you left the chair. Here is how to use Redken's version without going lilac.

What Blondage does

Color Extend Blondage Shampoo carries a strong violet pigment that tones brass while it cleanses, and it has a touch of strengthening built in for fragile lightened hair. The Blondage Conditioner keeps a little toning going while it softens and detangles, and the Blondage Colour-Depositing Mask is the weekly deep-tone-and-treat for stubborn brass or when you want hair extra cool and bright.

How to use purple shampoo properly

• Frequency: once or twice a week, not every wash. Use your normal blonde shampoo in between. Over-toning can leave a dull, grey-ish cast.
• Timing: lather and leave it on 3-5 minutes. The longer it sits, the cooler the result — start short the first time and judge from there.
• Gloves help if you don't want purple-tinted fingertips, and rinse your shower afterwards.
• Whiter blonde: use the Mask instead of the shampoo for that week and leave it the full five minutes.

Who it suits

Cool, ashy, platinum and highlighted blondes — anyone fighting yellow. If you are more of a golden or honey blonde and like that warmth, go gentler (once a week, short timing) so you don't flatten the tone you actually want. Grey and silver hair loves it too, for the same brass-killing reason.

For the full at-home toning picture, including toners and glosses, see our hair toner at home guide, and to protect the colour itself read best shampoo for coloured hair NZ.

11% off your first UKIYO order with code WELCOME11. Free NZ shipping over $75. Genuine salon Redken, shipped from our Wānaka studio — online pricing matched to and 10c under the big retailers.