Remember how much you loved your fiercely bright blonde?
And how it shimmered in the sun when you first emerged from the salon?
It was a truly head turning hue when fresh off a little color pick-me-up session.
And that goes whether you opted for a face brightening ombre, babylights, or a smattering of highlights.
But nothing lasts forever. And there is no shade that’s immune from that slow fade into the yellowed, dingy zone.
When so in need of a little color revival it just looks cheap and tacky, doesn’t it?
Naturally there are moves to make to cool things down to keep your blonde blonde.
Any more there is a growing selection of products that add tone without relying on developer. These will brighten your color treated tresses without damage.
Still others prefer to go with more of a DIY toner for brassy hair. Pretty much skipping both the product aisle and a pricey trip to the salon. At least for awhile longer.
Just know that when investigating DIY toner for your blonde hair there are things you’re going to have to figure out.
Luckily keeping your hair off the Yellow Brick Road doesn’t require a PhD in chemistry. But some patience sure helps. Because it’s the fortunate few do it yourselfers who get it right on the first try.
To give you a head start here are 7 questions and answers. To help you cope with the uncertainties that are bound to crop up when embarking on learning how to tone hair with a purple dye.
Ready?
7 Things to Know About Homemade Toner For Brassy Hair
- Q#1: What’s a good rough ratio of Ultra Violet to conditioner?
- Q#2: How long do you want to leave it in on your hair?
- Q#3: Is it best to apply to wet or dry hair?
- Q#4: How long does it take to apply?
- Q#5: What color of Manic Panic is best?
- Q#6: How long will this refreshed color last?
- Q#7: Which color cancels out brassy hair?
Look at these as good-to-know tips. Useful for when those yellow or orange undertones start popping through.
Or just the insights you need to get a handle on when looking to brighten blonde hair gone bleh!
Yet if you’re not up to speed on toners like purple shampoo or conditioner we’re eager to help you out. Just click that link. Our quick guide pretty much tells you all you need to know.
Or say the ins and outs of how to use purple conditioner for blonde hair have escaped you. Well everything you need to get up to speed on that is just a click away.
Meanwhile let’s focus on the seven questions and answers.

Q#1: What’s a good rough ratio of Ultra Violet to conditioner?
Why asking this matters: A proven recipe can help you get consistent results.
Unfortunately everyone’s brassiness situation is different. So there really can be no one right formula answer. Know what I mean?
Yeah I wish there was a magic solution that worked for one and all. Or so much Manic Panic for so much conditioner. But how much Manic Panic you need depends heavily on how brassed up your hair is.
That said don’t underestimate the amount of purple to add. That’s a common mistake those new to this DIY method make.
Yeah it can be scary to see all that purplish goodness staring back at you from whatever you mixed this in.
Especially if you aren’t cool with being seen in public with a purple mane.
Others opposed to purple hair take the opposite tact.
They go lighter than they think is needed because you can always add more dye.
Removing dye? Much harder although you can always dilute with more conditioner.
Then too messing up a little at first is a risk you’ll have to take. At least if you want to learn how to keep your blonde looking nice and icy longer term.
Tip: The rule of thumb is the more intense the yellow you need to treat the more purple dye you need to mix in.
Along the same lines don’t run short of conditioner. You want barrels of the stuff. Literally.
So the best answer here for the recipe to follow is trial and error. Knowing you’ll likely stumble on how much is too much first.
Just don’t panic.
It will wash out sooner rather than later should that happen.
Still here’s a jumping off point if you insist.
You might go with like a ratio of a tablespoon of conditioner mixed with the least little bit of dye. (How many tablespoonful will depend on how much hair your working with.)
See how that goes.
Adjust from there.
Q#2: How long do you need to to leave it in on your hair?
Why asking this matters: The longer you leave the magic potion on your hair the bigger the payoff. That’s because more dye will be deposited.
This also takes advantage of the fact blonde strands tend to be more porous. Which causes them soak up the pigments like like a sponge. So more cooling color will be left behind after your rinse.
BUT…go too long and you’ll liable to end up with more of a pulsating purple shade than neutralized brass. Again, no problem if you’re if you’re okay with a straight-up lavender tone to your mane.
To be safe expect to start shorter and then extend from there. Just don’t be shocked if it turns out that going an hour or longer eventually works best.
Still, again everyone’s hair is different and will react differently to this.
Q#3: Is it best to apply your DIY brass solution on wet or dry hair?
Why asking this matters: How wet or dry your hair is determines how much dye will be deposited. The dryer your hair the more toning color gets deposited. Because the dye doesn’t have to compete with the water for space on your strands.
That said, most apply this on dry hair. Not unlike what some do with purple shampoo. Oh and we also have a comprehensive guide on how to use purple shampoo on dry hair.
Do check it out if you could use a step by step video tutorial showing you the ins and outs.
Q#4: How long does it take to cover your hair?
Why asking this matters: So you can plan your day. Knowing it takes longer on dry hair.
How long it takes depends on how thorough you are and how much hair you have.
If you are parting and sectioning a lot, as you should, you’ll be at it a while. This elephant doesn’t speed skate.
But with more care you will get a better outcome.
Q#5: Which color of Manic Panic is best?
Why asking this matters: A cooler color of purple will help you get to a significantly pale blonder shade.
So when crafting DIY purple conditioner (or shampoo) it’s often best to go with a blue based purplish dye. Or one that’s more violet than plum.
Which is why you want Ultra Violet if you want an icier, more ashy level of blondeness.
In other words dark purple is out. More of a violet is in.
Q#6: How long will this color revival last?
Why asking this matters: Knowing this will give you a realistic idea of the often you’ll need to do this. Because obviously the faster the cooling affect fades the more often you’ll need to whip up another batch.
First longevity depends on how good of a job you do. If you don’t cool down the warm tones enough the brass will bounce back faster.
Assuming you’re doing a decent job most will tell you that in their experience 3-6 washes is about it.
Second it depends on how often you lather up and what kind of shampoo you use. Going sulfate free will extend the life of your color boost longer.
Then too co washing will help stretch it out even further.
While keeping the water temp on the cooler side also helps the renewed vibrancy hang in there longer.
A good rule of thumb may be to put this routine on your calendar like every 10-14 days. That way you’ll keep your shade consistently lightened and blonder.
Plus given this is mostly conditioner your hair will be nicely hydrated, soft and healthy. Always a good thing for a mane that’s been bleached.
So that’s what it takes to fake a trip to salon for a color rehab.
Just one more thing …
Q#7: What color cancels out brassy hair?
Yeah. I know. We’re doing this a little backwards I guess. But better late than never.
Still you need to know which colors neutralize which. So you can mix up the right brew to fix what ails your strands after bleaching.
Now it’s easiest to explain that with the help of a color wheel.
Colors that cancel each other out lie across from each other.
At a glance you can see that purple cancels out yellow.
Then blue cancels out orange.
Why this matters: Knowing this is important so you create the right color toner at home. Which is a must do if you want to get rid of the specific brassy hues that are plaguing your hair.
Even if you’re not a so called “hair girl” maybe you could more ideas like these. If so head over to our Pinterest boards and follow us. You’ll be surprised what styling smarts you can pick up and what questions you can get answered.

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