Okay, so I finally got around to trying this caramel blonde hair with blonde highlights thing I’ve been seeing everywhere. Thought I’d document the whole messy process for y’all. Buckle up, it’s a ride!
First off, my hair was a hot mess. Like, grown-out roots, faded color, just generally sad. I started by gathering all my supplies. I grabbed a box of light caramel blonde hair dye, some blonde highlighting bleach, a highlighting cap (the kind with the tiny holes), gloves (duh!), a mixing bowl, a tint brush, and a trusty rat-tail comb. Oh, and a towel I wouldn’t mind ruining!
Next up was the scary part – the bleach! I mixed the bleach according to the instructions, making sure it wasn’t too runny or too thick. Then, I wrestled with that highlighting cap. Getting all those little strands pulled through those tiny holes felt like a real workout, I tell ya! I used the rat-tail comb to carefully pull through thin sections, trying to keep them somewhat evenly spaced.
Once I looked like some kind of hair-helmet-wearing alien, I started applying the bleach to the strands that were sticking out. I started at the back of my head and worked my way forward. I made sure to saturate each strand really well, since I wanted them to lift properly. I let it sit for what felt like forever, checking it every 10 minutes to make sure my hair wasn’t melting off. It took about 30 minutes for my hair to get to the pale yellow stage, the instructions on the bleach said that’s what I was looking for, so I rinsed it out, and then followed with a deep conditioner to try to repair some of the damage I had probably done.
After drying my hair, it was time for the caramel dye. I mixed the dye and applied it all over my hair, roots to ends. I made sure to really massage it in to get even coverage. This time, I just chilled for the recommended time, about 25 minutes.
Finally, the moment of truth! I rinsed out the dye, conditioned again, and then blow-dried my hair. And… I actually loved it! The caramel blonde base was really pretty, and the blonde highlights added some nice dimension. It wasn’t perfect, mind you. A few highlights were a little brassy, and the color wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, but hey, for a DIY job, I’d say it was a success.
Things I learned:
- Highlighting caps are a pain in the butt, but they’re worth it for controlled highlights.
- Don’t be afraid to use a toner if your highlights are too brassy.
- Deep conditioning is your best friend after bleaching.
All in all, I’m happy with how it turned out! Would I do it again? Probably! Just maybe with a friend to help with that darn highlighting cap next time.
