Pravana Purple Masque For Blondes Review

Blondes might have more fun, but being blonde isn’t easy. I’ve been coloring my hair different shades of blonde since I was about 12 years old (other childhood blondes know that this is when puberty often turns your hair from its beautiful natural golden hue to an unflattering shade of ash not-so-kindly referred to as “dishwater”), and the maintenance life is real. Not only is there constant upkeep of roots, but no matter how good your colorist is, you’re eventually going to be dealing with… the dreaded brass. When it comes to the pitfalls of being blonde, going brassy is at the very top of the list. Professional colorist Clara Purvis, who founded the Noordwyck Salon in Brooklyn, informed me that there are endless factors that can lead to a cool or neutral blonde turning brassy. “Using a shampoo containing strong sulfates, sun exposure, and even [showering with] hard water containing excess mineral build-up can lead to premature fading and oxidation of the color,” she warns. That means that each time you step into the sun or wash your hair — just daily life and the passing of time — there is wear and tear.

For the quiet luxury fans who are eager to achieve what TikTok girlies are referring to as old money blonde — a hue of rich butter blonde that leans toward the warm side — the risk of quickly going brassy is dangerously high. Going to the salon and getting a toner every other month or so will keep your tresses bright, but it’s a significant expense. (At the average salon a toning visit can cost up to $100!). But of course, that’s not the only way: there’s sun protection, water filters, color-safe shampoos, and, of course, purple hair products. On the color wheel, purple and blue are at the opposite end of the spectrum as yellow and orange, so the pigments in purple shampoos theoretically should cancel out shades of brass. However, there are hundreds of purple products on the market, each one claiming to be the best. Pravana’s The Perfect Blonde Masque, which currently boasts a 4.5 rating with over 1,000 reviews on Ulta, has die-hard fans praising its unmatched toning abilities — and a few even claiming it replaced their monthly toning appointments with their colorist. As the shopping team’s resident blonde, I knew I needed to investigate these lofty claims for myself.