How to tone hair after highlighting – TOP 5 best dyes, shampoos, foams, sprays, balms, photos before and after and how to choose a color

Although highlighting can give your hair a beautiful lift, it frequently leaves dullness or unwanted tones behind. You’re not alone if you’ve ever found yourself staring at your freshly highlighted hair and wondering how to even out those brassy or uneven shades. The key to getting that ideal look and updating your highlights is toning. It helps restore the vibrancy of your hair and balance out those bothersome tones.

After highlighting, we’ll look at the top 5 toning products in this guide. We’ll explain the functions of each product, including dyes, shampoos, foams, sprays, and balms, and how they can help you get salon-quality results at home. To help you better understand what to anticipate, we’ll also provide before and after pictures.

It can be difficult to choose the best toner, especially with so many options available. We will guide you through the process of choosing the ideal color and product for your unique hair requirements. Regardless of your preference for a short-term or long-term resolution, this guide will assist you in achieving the ideal shade and maintaining the gorgeous appearance of your highlights.

Product Type	Best Options
Dye	Wella Color Charm, L"Oreal Excellence Creme
Shampoo	Redken Color Extend, Pureology Hydrate
Foam	Clairol Shimmer Lights, Joico Color Balance
Spray	R+Co Sun Catcher, Oribe Bright Blonde
Balm	Kérastase Reflection, Olaplex No. 3
Photos Before and After	Check online for visual examples and comparisons
How to Choose a Color	Consider your base color, desired tone, and consult with a colorist if needed

Finding the ideal shade when toning your hair after highlighting can significantly alter the way you look. We’ll examine the top five products in this post, including shampoos, conditioners, sprays, balms, and dyes, to help you revive and improve your highlighted hair. Additionally, we’ll show you before and after pictures and offer color advice to help you match your style and keep your home looking put together and new.

Why do you need to tone highlighted hair

Any kind of highlighting involves bleaching, dying, or lightening individual strands that have been chosen. Even though this kind of color change is thought to be the safest and most gentle, the condition of the curls could still deteriorate: the strands could get dry, and the color could turn dull or yellowish.

Toning, also known as gentle color correction, is frequently done to keep dyed strands looking healthy and radiant. The result of highlighting is fixed because the soft dyes or specialty tint shampoos used do not affect the curls’ underlying structure; instead, they only affect their surface.

This treatment will support the preservation of the hair’s amazing appearance, luster, and color richness and softness. Because the tint will keep the paint from washing off, you can enjoy your hair’s flawless appearance for a few months.

This treatment is typically applied to light curls, but the mixture can be used to treat all of the strands or just the dyed sections. Recently, all curls have been tinted thanks to the use of soft, delicate products.

Pros and cons

Before beginning the process, one should consider the benefits and drawbacks of the gentle color correction technique.

Advantages:

• has a beneficial effect on the condition and appearance of the strands, making them bright, shiny and elastic;
• ease of implementation. Every woman can do this at home on her own;
• affordability;
• wide range of tint products with different color palettes;
• tint product will help get rid of yellowness, as well as make the borders of colored areas smoother and softer;
• delicate effect on hair structure;
• with regular use, the shade will become brighter and more saturated;
• versatility. Suitable for women of any age and for any haircut.

Drawbacks:

• tint composition, as a rule, is quite unstable, so it needs to be updated often;
• the ability to change the natural color by only a couple of tones, since the composition of the product is extremely soft, ammonia-free;
• the tint color itself may become paler after washing your hair;
• there is a possibility of uneven coverage of the hair with tint dye.

Even though tinting is thought to be a gentle and safe procedure, it is not advised to be done frequently.

Main types of toning

Two approaches stand out among the primary varieties of this process; they vary from one another in terms of the tools employed, the way the curls are affected, and the length of time the outcome lasts.

• gentle. The gentle type will last on the hair for about one month;
• intensive. For intensive coloring, both ammonia-free and ammonia-containing paint can be used, which will create a lasting effect and allow you to enjoy the new color for 1.5-2 months.

A different variation of this process alters the color for a few days, up until the initial hair wash. This kind, known as light toning, is appropriate for weaker curls or for people who want to try a brighter shade but aren’t sure what tone they want to go with yet.

What to tone hair after highlighting: paint or shampoo

The intended outcome and the length of the effect are taken into consideration when selecting a method for core correction of the curls’ color. A well-chosen product will change your hair and preserve the gorgeous appearance of highlights while adding brightness and shine to dyed strands.

• tint paint. Tint paint is ideal for intensive toning. The effect in this case can last about two months, while the color will be well fixed and will not wash out, becoming duller with each hair wash. Usually, such a product does not contain ammonia, due to which the paint is semi-permanent, but does not harm the curls.
• shampoo. Shampoo slightly changes the tone of the hair, making the curls brighter, richer and shinier. This product is not suitable for radical recoloring or for obtaining a lasting long-term effect, but for a slight refreshment of the hairstyle, this product can be the best solution.

Paint should be applied once every two to three months, and tint shampoo should only be used once a week. Shampoos frequently have a compounding effect that gets worse with every update.

TOP 5 best dyes for toning hair after highlighting

It is advised to use high-quality paint to obtain a toning effect that is reasonably long-lasting. This will add brightness and healthy shine to the hair while subtly changing the color of the curls.

Among the top-selling items, the following products stand out:

1. Estel Essex Princess. A brand that produces products with natural olive and avocado oils in the composition, which prevent, moisturize and nourish curls. You can buy such a product for 300-400 rubles.
2. Kapous life color. A popular series with sand, chocolate, colored and copper tones that will suit owners of any type of hair. In addition to direct coloring, the products of this series have protection from ultraviolet rays, protecting curls. The cost of one bottle is about 500 rubles.
3. Matrix Socolor Beauty. The professional tool of the famous American company is characterized by its resistance and brightness, as well as a wide range of shades. In addition, this brand produces the so -called watercolor paints that can be diluted with a transparent tone and get unique tones. The cost is 400-500 rubles.
4. Kaaral Silk Hydrolyzed Hair Color Cream. A variety of color palette allows you to paint the hair both in a natural color and give the strands of brightness due to color compositions of purple, red, red. The price is about 600 rubles.
5. L’Oreal Professionnel Majiblond Ultra. The product of intense staining with reflective particles will give shine and radiance to lightened curls. Such a tool will cost 500 rubles per package.

Not only do all tinted paints made by well-known brands have a subtle color change, but they also nourish and moisturize curls. In addition, the UV filter protects your hair from the damaging effects of the environment.

List of the best shampoos for hair tinting

In just a few minutes, using the shampoo will help you get rid of yellow and dull hair and restore your locks to their previous brightness.

Ranking of the top shampoos:

1. Wella recharge hair shampoo. Effectively neutralizes dullness and yellowness. The range includes more than 9 shades of color from sand to dark chocolate. Price 300 rubles.
2. Tonica Rocolor. A domestically produced product that returns a rich shade and shine to your locks. The line includes about 10 colors. The cost of one bottle is 150 rubles.
3. Londa color revive silver shampoo. Makes your locks lively and shiny, emphasizing the brightness of colored strands. The color palette includes many tones, from natural to colored: turquoise, garnet, pink. You can buy the product for 300-400 rubles.
4. L’Oreal gloss color. The product stays on the hair for a long time and does not wash out too quickly. Suitable for coloring in natural shades with caramel or chocolate tints. Gives shine and radiance due to reflective particles. Price – 450 rubles.
5. Schwarzkopf bonacure color freeze silver. A well-known brand that produces bright saturated tones. The line includes more than 5 tones, including colored purple, mint and garnet. You can buy the product for 350 rubles.
6. Silver silk. With this product, your curls will not only acquire a new color, shine and freshness, but also softness, because this shampoo has a softening and nourishing effect due to the natural oils in its composition. Cost per bottle – 450 rubles.
7. Kapous blond bar. Kapous specializes in masking yellowness, so each product of any tone will successfully paint over the yellowish tint, including on light hair. The price varies from 300 to 400 rubles.

Unlike dye, tinted shampoos only highlight the richness and depth of the hair’s natural color and remove yellowness after bleaching—they do not recolor the curls. This product can add a few tones to the color of the strands on light curls.

Tinted balms and tonics

Tonics are another useful tool for bringing brightness to colored hair. The shade itself will last longer than shampoo, and they are incredibly simple to apply. Colored balms and tonics typically endure multiple hair washing cycles before needing to be removed after a month.

The top tonics and balms:

1. L’Oreal gloss protect system. The products released as an addition to the paint or shampoo of this company will make the shade brighter, more vibrant and saturated. Such a balm can be used as an addition to a tint shampoo, or separately, if you only need to eliminate yellowness. Price – 350 rubles.
2. Tonica RoColor. A well-known tonic of domestic brand, which has a huge range of shades, including one that gets rid of gray hair. Suitable for any type of curls. Cost – 100 rubles.
3. Irida classic. This company produces tones separately for each hair color, emphasizing the beauty of the natural shade of curls and making colored strands more contrasting and dynamic. This product will cost 300 rubles.
4. Indola color. Removes yellowness and eliminates dryness of curls, while making the color more expressive and deep. 250 rubles.
5. Estel love nuance. The keratin contained in the composition prevents split ends and nourishes colored strands, making them soft, manageable and elastic. UV filter protects against the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. 150-200 rubles.
6. Color lux. Can be used in combination with paint. This balm moisturizes and softens curls, adding brightness and shine to lightened strands. 200 rubles.
7. Fara. A balm that shades colored areas and makes a haircut more saturated and colorful. Lasts up to 30 days. Price 300 rubles.

In addition to giving hair brightness, shine, and a subtle color change, balms and tonics also moisturize and nourish bleached hair strands. Thus, you can use a gentle balm or tonic in addition to your regular hair care regimen to maintain and preserve the desired shade.

Mousses, foams, sprays

Toning mousses, foams, and sprays will help hold the color for a few days. This option works well for vibrant color shades that are simple to remove from hair if needed.

1. Schwarzkopf Igora. The range includes about 20 tones of caramel, honey, chocolate, ash and wheat. The mousse lasts longer than sprays, remaining on your hair for a couple of weeks. You can buy the product for 600 rubles.
2. Palette. Spray with a convenient dispenser, which must be washed off after some time. Gives colored locks a rich and well-groomed look. 350 rubles.
3. Wella viva. A foam that should be applied after washing your hair will add brightness and color to dark locks. 200 rubles.
4. Wella color. A mousse that emphasizes the beauty of light strands will cost 250 rubles.
5. Manic Panic. A universal product that revives and refreshes the natural shade and adds shine and radiance to bleached strands. 400 rubles.
6. Syoss color activator. A soft caring composition nourishes the curls and makes their color expressive and deep. 550 rubles.
7. L’Oreal sublime mousse. A light mousse suitable for any type of curls will last up to 14 days without being washed out even with shampoos with a deep cleansing effect.

These products, which are typically enhanced with vitamins and microelements beneficial to hair, won’t damage colored hair; rather, they’ll help keep it looking healthy and supple.

Photos before and after

The color is brighter, richer, and deeper when tint products are used, and the curls look more put together. Furthermore, applying moisturizing tint balms will soften the hair and get rid of tangles and dryness.

The natural shade of the hair has a direct bearing on the final outcome of hair coloring. The natural color of the curls is also taken into consideration when choosing a color.

• for light brown hair. You can refresh light brown curls with the help of caramel, nut, wheat, amber and chocolate tones, as well as with the help of pearl, ash or coffee tinting. In the first case, the look will be as natural as possible, and in the second – bright and contrasting;
• for light hair. Beige, honey and light wheat tones will give light strands shine, radiance and well-groomed appearance. At the same time, the result of tinting will look quite colorful and dynamic;
• for dark hair. You can make dark hair warm and expressive by using honey, copper, cognac and amber tones of color. These shades will enliven the dark color and add originality to the image.

Any color of curls can benefit from caramel tones, which give the strands a subtle contrast while maintaining their natural appearance. Though it looks best on long curls, this style of toning is very popular on all sorts of haircuts.

How to choose a color

The natural tone of the hair and the intended outcome both influence the tint product’s color selection.

It has become particularly important lately to tone curls in a variety of unusual colors, such as lilac, purple, garnet, and pink. Natural colors, on the other hand, are still in style and can be used to dress a woman who likes a traditional, formal business look.

It’s crucial to consider the color type when selecting a color:

• for owners of the cold color type “winter” and “autumn”, it is recommended to use gold, copper, amber and reddish shades;
• representatives of the fair sex with a soft color type “summer” and “spring” are ideal caramel, chocolate and coffee color options.

You can use multicolored paint or shades of ash-silver, plum, or pearl to achieve a brighter and more unique look.

Hair toning after highlighting at home

At-home hair toning is a simple and quick process.

Vital. To ensure there are no allergic reactions, you should test a new product for tolerance before using it for the first time. Apply a tiny bit of the product to your wrist, then give it a few minutes to work. The product can be used as directed as long as there are no uncomfortable sensations, such as itching or redness.

Using a tint shampoo is the simplest and fastest way to tone your hair. To use it like regular shampoo, simply apply the product to damp hair, lather, and rinse. Use a tonic or tint balm after shampooing for an even more striking and colorful result. Applying a tint spray to the strands—which eliminates the need for rinsing—will complete the toning process.

In the event that paint is used for toning, the hair must first be properly prepped:

• wash your hair a couple of days before the procedure;
• immediately before the toning procedure, it is necessary to slightly moisten the curls with water and comb them;
• part the hair, and then select small sections all over the head, choosing strands from the back of the head, temples and on the crown. Fix the selected curls with hairpins;
• dilute the toning composition according to the instructions on the package, and then dye the highlighted strands, starting from the back of the head. To do this, the lightened strands are carefully selected from each section of the hair, after which the composition is applied to them using a brush or sponge. In this case, the root zone is not affected;
• after half an hour, wash off the composition first with warm and then cool water.

It’s crucial to completely rinse the product from your curls, pausing until the water stream turns clear.

Because the color of the hair affects how long the product should be left on, you should pay attention to each person’s unique features and the desired outcome.

After highlighting, maintaining the ideal tone can significantly increase your hair’s vibrancy and keep it looking brand-new. It’s important to select the appropriate product, be it a dye, shampoo, foam, spray, or balm. Every one of these products has a unique method for removing any unwanted brassiness or dullness and giving you that gorgeous, just-highlighted look.

Consider your particular needs and hair type when choosing a toner. For example, purple or blue shampoos are great if you’re dealing with brassy tones. Nevertheless, investing in high-quality hair dye or gloss could be the best option if you’re looking for a more permanent color change. Examine photos of before and after to get a sense of how well a product might fit your needs.

Remember to take upkeep into account as well. To maintain the best-looking highlights, use toning products on a regular basis, but be aware of how they may affect the health of your hair. Balms and conditioning sprays can help maintain the hydration and shine of your hair while counteracting the toning process through nutrition.

The best option will ultimately rely on your hair goals and personal preferences. To ensure that your highlights stay gorgeous and vibrant, try a variety of products until you find the one that works best for your hair. Long after your salon appointment, your hair can continue to look gorgeous and fresh with the correct products and care.

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