The ultimate guide.
Khloé Kardashian was the quintessential brunette—until, well, she wasn’t. Even though we watched her color gradually evolve before our eyes, the day she revealed a full-on platinum blonde dye job we were stunned. Instead of looking super drastic like Kim’s Lucius Malfoy-esuqe transformation, Khloé’s hair had a born-with-it feel that we couldn’t help but gawk at, considering she had ultra-dark hair to begin with.
For brunettes everywhere, it felt like an official endorsement. Goodbye, scary warnings about bleach and damage! Hellooo, my new summer look! But then again, not all brunettes look good with blonde hair…so how do you know if you will? Khloé’s own colorist and Redken creative consultant Tracey Cunningham weighs in with a four-step litmus test on whether or not you should go blonde—and what to do if the answer is “no” but you’re still craving a change.
1. Does blonde hair complement your eye color and skin tone?
The truest test is looking at childhood photos to see if you had any natural blonde in your hair when you were young (but if you didn’t, that doesn’t mean you can’t try it now). Ultimately, you’re looking for a shade that will complement your coloring, keeping in mind that non-brassy, ashier blondes complement cool skin tones, while golden shades work better on warmer ones. It’s also worth noting that blonde can have an especially washed-out effect on yellow undertones.
