Achieving the Perfect Blonde in One Sitting: Behind the Chair at Era Hair Studio
There’s something magical about achieving that chef’s kiss blonde in just one appointment – especially when the journey there hasn’t been the smoothest. Recently, we had a client come in with a bit of a colour cocktail going on – think patchy tones, lightened ends sitting at a level 8 with a noticeable orange undertone. She’d been trying to reach that dreamy, ashy blonde (about a level 10 with a pearly tone), but hadn’t quite nailed it. Until now.
This was a full transformation moment, and Ruby took it from the top.
We started fresh with a full head of highlights – the goal was max lift while still keeping the integrity of the hair. Enter the Framar highlighting comb for ultra-consistent highlights, paired with the iconic Framar Pop It foils (if you know, you know). Our go-to bleach? Wella Blondor with 9%. If you’re searching for a bleach that delivers a clean lift without swelling – this is your holy grail. No fuss, no drama, just reliable, high-performance results. Blonde perfection starts here.
While the full head was doing its thing, we addressed the orange ends. To blend everything seamlessly, we backcombed the in-between sections and applied more Wella Blondor (still 9%) to the ends – just enough to neutralise that warmth, and only towards the end of processing. Everything was carefully monitored (about 30 mins under a processor), and then we rinsed with Wella shampoo, ready for the magic part: the root melt and toner.
At the basin, Ruby applied Wella Colour Touch 6/0 with 4% for a soft, natural root melt. Then came the blonde moment: 10/96 with 1.9% pastel developer. This tone is absolute perfection – cool, pearly, and polished. To blend both tones seamlessly, we used the Framar brush kept at the backwash (an underrated hero, honestly). Pro tip: we kept the money piece foils in during the root melt to avoid muddying that bright pop, removing them right before toning so it stays on point.
Toners stayed on for about 15 minutes – and yes, we all know the fear when toners oxidise into the strangest shades (every stylist’s mini heart attack). But we powered through.
After rinsing, we treated the hair to some much-needed love: Wella Ultimate Repair Shampoo, followed by the Ultimate Repair Deep Conditioner – 10/10 for softness, scent, and that silky salon finish.
Then it was onto the cut and blow dry. Our tools of choice? GHD round brushes (a full-circle moment from Ruby’s apprenticeship days), paired with the GHD Helios hairdryer – worth every penny for the power and control. Styling products included Wella EIMI Thermal Image and Root Shoot for volume and heat protection. To finish, we added soft, luxe waves using the GHD Curve tongs.
And just like that – the perfect, clean, icy blonde was born in a single session.
I honestly find such peace writing about these transformations – it’s like sharing a behind-the-scenes moment with all my internet hairdresser friends. If you’d love to see a blog on the tools or products I swear by behind the chair, drop me a message. I could talk about them all day!
With Love,
Ruby
Era Hair Studio - The Hair Edit
