As every professional hairstylist knows, the key to creating stunning blondes is not just about using the right toners. The lightening process is just as important! Pairing the right lightener and developer not only produces a better end result, but a safe and enjoyable experience for your clients in salon.
Whether you’re creating sun-kissed or icy platinum tones, brand ambassador Mandy Bourke shares how she uses Affinage Professional’s three lightening systems for on-scalp application, balayage, foils and colour correction to achieve a perfect clean blonde every time.
On-Scalp Lightening
Affinage Professional Arctic Blonding Crème is my personal preference for scalp bleaches! Paired with 4.5% Arctic Developer Crème it lifts to a crisp clean blonde without fear of irritation.
I also find the purple tone of the developer helps lift scalp bleaches to the perfect shade of yellow. This neutralising pigment makes toning an absolute breeze!
Balayage
My favourite thing about Arctic Blonding Crème would be the consistency and texture which is perfect for accurate placement without overlapping. This makes it incredible for balayage and freehand highlighting when mixed with 7.5% Arctic Developer Crème, especially lifting from levels 6 and lower.
Foils
I use Affinage Professional Lite Blonde (7 levels) a lot in foil work. When paired with 6% Affinage Professional Infiniti Developer, it creates the most beautiful blonde for clients with a natural level 6, 7 or 8 that a lot of the time doesn’t even need toning! For a full head of foils, it’s perfect for gentle lift on an already blonde or lighter client and the subtle violet tone helps counteract unwanted warmth to leave hair at the palest yellow tone.
I also love the subtle lavender fragrance the purple has. It’s such a change for clients to be able to experience lighteners without horrible fumes!
Colour Correcting
I’m obsessed with Lite Blonde+ (9 levels) for colour corrections. It makes my job so much easier! I love it paired with 6% Affinage Professional Infiniti Developer as it gives me the cleanest lift I’ve ever had from a powder lightener. I do a lot of correcting, so this is definitely one of my favourite products.
The best thing about this product is the fact that you can safely push the limits of lightening without breakage or compromising the cuticle if you’re mixing with the right developer.
How These Products Work Together
So how do Lite Blonde and Lite Blonde+ work together with Arctic Blonding Crème? As I said, I’m quite the colour correction specialist, so having three lighteners that do three totally different things is amazing. When clients have colour banding they want corrected, I apply the Arctic Blonding Crème to the natural roots to create a clean blonde, then remove old tints or root shadows through the mids with Lite Blonde+ for that extra push. I finish the ends with a lighter lift using Lite Blonde.
Having three lighteners means you’re specifically targeting each section of hair with exactly what it needs instead of using something that’s either not strong enough or too strong for particular areas. Together they give you the power to protect the hair and get the best possible lift you can without the risk. It gives you the masters’ edge when you’re hairdressing and clients will love that.
Top Blonding Tip
My biggest tip for blondes is to make sure you’re using the right peroxide. Coming in strong with a higher volume developer is not the best or safest way! I find using lower levels for longer gives hair time to lift without damage. Working with a cleaner, more even outcome makes toning colour corrections and blondes so much easier!
Please contact us or your local Affinage Professional distributor for details on how to purchase Lite Blonde, Lite Blonde+ and Arctic Blonding Creme.