The Easiest Way to Get Pastel Peachy Hair

For my whole blonde life, I’ve been completely fixated on cool tones. I’d tone frantically and paint purple shampoo on my roots for hours on end. Brassiness was the enemy, and to be exterminated by any means necessary. Here I am, before I was #woke, in all my icy glory.

Yet recently, I’ve been coming around to a warmer hair vibe. Maybe it’s my naturally-warmish-brown rootiness showing through. Maybe it’s all the cute models with peachy, orangey, goldeny hair looks. Maybe it’s me wanting to live up to my namesake (not really), little orphan Annie. But suddenly, hair warmth seems not only un-frightening, but actively desirable.

While “cool down” products for blondes exist in abundance, at every price point, tracking down a “warm up” counterpart is surprisingly difficult. Luckily, eSalon of every-podcast-ever fame offer a massive range of tinted, toning products in every vaguely-natural shade imaginable.

They have a thicker, goopier mask treatment called Devoted to Hue, and a thinner but more concentratedly pigmented formula called Tinted Love, both of which I used in the shade “Golden.”

I used a very unscientific mix of “a bit of each” on shampooed and towel dried hair. The mask is quite thick and gelatinous, which is reassuring when your hair is friend, but difficult to spread evenly. Cutting it with a bit of the tint amps up the colour and makes everything a bit more manoeuvrable.

After leaving on for about half an hour I rinsed to this.

I actually love it. Am I crazy? It’s such a cute little hint of ginger, and as of right now (having washed it since) it fades to a warm, neutral blonde and eventually fades out without staining hair. Essential for one as changeable as me.

The mask also left everything feeling really soft and smooth and undamaged. I imagine on a deeper, natural or highlighted blonde, this would be top yet temporary warmer upper for summer. I even think this would be nice on lighter brown hair, based on the sheeny, sparkly tones it added to my considerable roots. I’m now deeply tempted to try out some other colors — the red looks particularly enticing.

One of the things I really love about beauty is the experimental-yet-temporary aspect of it. You can basically wear a mini-costume every day. Which is why these eSalon products speak to me so — they’re like an all-grown-up version of your teenage Manic Panic moment. Soft, nourished hair plus the warm winds of change? What’s not to like about that.