In a hair colour rut? I didn't think I was with my artfully hand-painted balayage blonde locks crafted from the hands of colourist Damien Rayner.
Each time I visited him over the past15 years he would work up the colour with slight variations but always within the highlighted honey blonde parameters. That was until he hinted that a change might be refreshing. New year, new you, and all that hooha.
![Taylor Swift is the mistress of the ever-changing hair colour.](/web/20170129162458im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/z/r/j/b/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtyrk2.png/1485514949465.jpg)
As always, a picture speaks a thousand words so he showed me an image of a beautiful block blonde hair colour that we could experiment with.
That's what the professionals are for: ascertaining whether your hair condition will stand the rigorous colour change process as well as matching the perfect shade for your skin tone and eye colour.
This works both ways: if you want to change your hair colour a picture will give your colourist a much clearer idea of what shade you are after and whether it will suit you.
And so the process began, as I went from Gisele Bundchen-inspired balayage blonde highlights to an arctic-white, mink-blonde, single-block colour.
Think Taylor Swift, the chameleon of hair colour, when she stunned with the coveted punk-inspired bleach-blonde. I was primed and ready for the four-hour-long commitment ceremony.
According the Rayner, "moving from a balayage effect, that is very natural and soft, to an all-over colour is a pretty bold move. You can feel as if you are wearing a wig for a few days after as colouring 100 per cent of your hair has a huge impact."
Yes sir. Rayner lightened the darkest hair first closest to my scalp and then worked on the lighter strands to create an even coverage with Original & Mineral Pearl White which has a very low peroxide level and no ammonia to reduce cuticle swelling and stress on the hair.
The process was very labour intensive as no hair was left unbleached. The scariest part was the first step where my pigment-stripped hair looked like parched straw. Even though I was warned, it was still deeply confronting.
The second phase is the clever toning process that tweaks the naked blonde to suit my skin tone. Rayner melded Original & Mineral Pearl Beige Tone with Pewter.
The reveal was quite nerve-racking but as my hair was blow dried I could see the wonder of the new mink blonde. It did take a little getting used to but now I am fully embracing it and having lots of fun in the process.
If anything, the whole process convinced me that it was worth calling in the professionals rather than doing an at-home dye job, as there's way too much room for error when it comes to going blonde.
Here are some tips for getting the best out of your blonde-ing:
★ Try not to wash hair for three to four days after the process.
★ Keep hair in the best condition possible by using a hair treatment or mask just as you would use conditioner for the next seven days.
★ Original & Mineral Conquer Blonde Shampoo is a purple shampoo to help maintain the colour hold and eliminate any brassiness.
★ To keep those pesky roots disguised before your next appointment (in four weeks), try L'Oréal Paris Magic Retouch Instant Root Concealer Spray in Blonde that washes out with each shampoo.