Toners are one of the most talked-about steps in the blonde hair process — but they're also one of the most misunderstood.
A lot of people assume that if their hair is looking brassy or too dark, they can just slap on a toner and call it a day.
Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work that way.
Knowing when a toner is the right move — and when you actually need to lift first — is what makes the difference between a beautiful blonde result and a big disappointment.
Let's keep it simple.
What Does a Toner Actually Do?
A toner is a color treatment. Its job is to neutralize unwanted warmth or brassiness and shift the hair into a cooler, ashier, or more refined shade of blonde.
Think of it as the finishing step — not the lifting step.
A toner's main goal is to refine the color and to color correct.
Most toners do not lighten the hair.
The exception are Ugly Duckling toners with lift. We will talk about these later in this article.
This is the most important thing to understand: a toner should not be lifting your hair.
If your hair isn't already light enough, a toner will not get you there.
So When Is a Toner Enough?
Look at the chart below and compare it to your hair.
If your hair is already at a Level 9 or Level 10 — meaning it's a very pale yellow or almost white blonde — then a toner is absolutely all you need.
At this level, the hair has already been lifted sufficiently, and the only thing left to do is tone out any remaining yellow or warmth to achieve that clean, cool, or icy result you're after.
For hair at Level 9–10, reach for a toner. You're good to go.
Our recommendation in this case would be to use any one of these toners:
If the hair is truly at level 10:
If the hair is more of a level 9:
- Blondify Natural Ash Blonde 010A - liquid ammonia-free toner
- Ugly Duckling lifting toner Pearl Blonde 10V - cream based permanent lifting toner
- Ugly Duckling lifting toner Silver Blonde 10A - cream based permanent lifting toner.
What If My Hair Is Darker Than a Level 9?
This is where a lot of people get it wrong.
If your hair is sitting at a Level 8 or below — whether that's a dark blonde, light brown, medium brown, or darker — a toner alone will not give you a blonde result.
The hair simply hasn't been lifted enough.
In this case, you need to lighten the hair first using bleach or a lightener, bring it up to at least a Level 9 or 10, and then apply your toner to perfect the final shade.
Skipping the lifting step and going straight to toner on under-lifted hair will either give you a muddy, dull result — or no visible change at all.
The rule is simple: lift first, tone after.
Our recommendation would be to use this bleach:
- Brilliant Blondexx Bleach with 20 Vol developer. It contains Bond Protect and gives very safe and effective lifting of the hair.
Then use a blue or permanent based cream lifting toner such as one of the following:
- 10.1b Extra Light Cold Ash Blonde. The blue pigments in this toner will produce a very stunning white blonde result.
- 10.2 Extra Light Platinum Cool Blonde. The purple pigments in this toner will produce a platinum blonde white result.
What If You Don't Want to Use Bleach?
That's completely understandable — bleach isn't always the right choice for every client or situation. The good news is there are alternatives.
Ugly Duckling offers lifting toners and high lift toners that are specifically formulated to lift and tone in one step.
These are a great option when you want to avoid a full bleach process but still need to raise the hair's level before toning.
They provide lift while depositing tone simultaneously, making them ideal for hair that is naturally light or only slightly below the target level.
However, it's important to have realistic expectations — lifting toners and high lift toners still have their limits.
They work best on hair that is relatively close to the target level and hasn't been previously colored or processed heavily. They are not a substitute for bleach on dark or resistant hair.
These are our 2 high-lift toners. Toners which both lift and tone:
- 100V Intense Pearl Blonde. This will give you a grey blonde ultra cold blonde result as well as 2 levels of lift.
- 100B Intense Silver Blonde. This will give you a very intense white silver blonde result as well as 2 levels of lift.
The Bottom Line
Here's a quick way to think about it:
- Hair at Level 9–10? Toner is all you need. Choose a purple or blue based toner according to the color that you want to neutralize.
- Hair below Level 9? You need to lift first — either with bleach or with an Ugly Duckling lifting toner or high lift toner — before toning.
- Don't skip the lifting step. Applying toner to hair that isn't light enough will not give you a blonde result. It simply won't work.
Toners are a powerful tool — but they work best when used at the right stage of the process. Get the level right first, and the toner will do exactly what it's supposed to do.
