Does your client have level 8 blonde which is looking brassy, warm, and needing a refresh?
And does she also have gray hair?
These are common problems. In this blog we are going to show you how to fix it.
What Is Level 8 Hair And How do You Tone it?
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Hair color levels
Level 8 sits somewhere between medium and light blonde. It's a very common hair color in the US.
Very often women with this hair just want a refresh to take away the warmth, which at level 8 will tend to be orange.
There are a few different solutions here which can deal with this.
8.1b and Ash Blue Additive - The Correction Range
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Hair result after using Light Cold Ash Blonde 8.1b.
Our no 1 recommendation for most level 8 hair would be to use Ugly Duckling Light Cold Ash Blonde 8.1b.
This is a cream based permanent color. It contains blue and ash pigments which are remarkably effective at correcting and toning down orange.
When your main concern is persistent brassiness and warmth at the root or through the mid-lengths, and you want a permanent result with staying power, this would be the color to use.
The "1" in the shade number signals a strong ash base, making it the most powerful neutraliser in this lineup. Whereas the "B' signifies that the ash is blue based.
It is best suited to hair that has significant warmth. Because it is a permanent formula, it commits the hair to a cooler base — ideal if you want long-lasting ash tone rather than a temporary fix.
What if your client's hair is really, really orange?
Then use Ash Blue Additive alongside 8.1b win addition to the 8.1b
Blue sits directly opposite orange on the colour wheel, making it the most targeted tool for neutralising the golden and copper tones that accumulate in both grey hair and oxidised blonde.
You do not need much of it — a small addition to your 8.1b mix intensifies the ash correction without taking the hair too dark or flat.
About an inch of the Ash Blue Additive mixed with a full tube of the 8.1b would be about right.
Think of it as the booster you add when 8.1b alone is not cutting through enough.
Blondify 09B and 09V — The Maintenance Range
Hair bleached and toned with Blondify 09V
What if your customer already has decent colour and wants to keep it looking great with minimal effort?
If she just wants a refresh rather than a major coloring job, then we would recommend Blondify toners.
These are ammonia-free liquid toners.
They process in just 10 minutes and because they are liquid, they are remarkably easy to mix and apply.
Just mix 1 to 1 with 20 Vol developer in a plastic applicator, pour out and rub on the hair - use gloves of course.
So no brush needed.
Because they are ammonia-free, they smell good too.
And being Ugly Duckling toners, you don't need to worry about the pigmentation.
They also have plenty of orange neutralisation.
If you have a lot of orange, use Blue Ash Blonde 09B.
And if your hair is on the lighter side of level 8, with only a little warmth (yellow rather than orange) then use Violet Ash Blonde 09V.
Now let's deal with the Grays
Hair colored with Color Gel 9N and Blondify 09V
Now let's add in the complication of gray hair.
If your client has up to 70% gray hair, what do you do when you want to tone and cover gray at the same time?
The answer is you use Color Gel, an ammonia-free blonding gray hair coverage line.
It also processes on just 10 minutes and is a liquid toner.
Use Color Gel 8N Blonde and mix this with any of the toners mentioned above.
You can also use Color Gel 9N if your client wants to go slightly lighter.
You will find that they are very easy to mix and use in this way.
You will get both toning and gray hair coverage at the same time.
The "N" stands for natural, meaning it contains pure natural hair color, which is what you need for gray hair coverage.
It's a pigment filler, in other words, and will make up for the lack of melanin in your client's hair - which is what white hair is.
Mixing it in equal parts with the toner of your choice from the above 8.1b, or 09B or 09V adds body and dimension while still allowing the corrective work of the ash and blue tones to come through.
If you are new to toning or unsure how much ash you actually need, starting with a 1:1 combination. And tweak the proportions depending on whether you need more toning or more gray hair coverage.
Mix the colors with 20 Vol developer. As much developer as cream color or liquid color that you have used in total.
How to Apply for Best Results
Always apply color to dry dirty hair, ideally hair which has not been shampooed in a few days.
This allows the natural oils in the hair to protect the fiber during the coloring process.
Also, wet hair carries a lot of water and hence dilutes the colour and can lead to uneven results.
Work the product through from roots to ends, giving extra attention to where you need the color to work.
The parts that need the most toning and the parts that need the most gray coverage, in other words.
Leave the product on for around 10 - 15 minutes or when you are satisfied with the color result.
At level 8, the hair is already light enough for the pigment to work quickly, and 10- 15 minutes is genuinely sufficient to neutralise warmth and blend greys without over-processing or shifting the base level.
Rinse thoroughly and finish with a nourishing shampoo and conditioner to close the cuticle and lock in the tone.
We suggest that you use Brilliant Blondexx shampoo and mask.
It will repair and strengthen the hair.
How Often Should You Tone?
Every three to four weeks works well for most people maintaining level 8 blonde.
If you are managing greys specifically, you may find that every two to three weeks gives you a more consistent, seamless blend.
Rotating between products depending on what your hair needs each time — using 8.1b for a deeper correction one month and 09B for a lighter refresh the next — is a smart way to keep the hair healthy and avoid over-depositing pigment.
A Few Final Tips
Always do a strand test before trying a new combination for the first time.
Use gloves if you are going to be rubbing color into the hair.
Resist the urge to leave ash tones on longer than directed — at level 8, even an extra five minutes can push the result greyer or flatter than intended.
The Takeaway
Toning level 8 blonde and blending greys is entirely manageable at home once you understand what each product is doing.
Use 8.1b with Color Gel 8N and Ash Blue Additive when you need serious correction and lasting cool tone.
Reach for 09B when you want a lighter refresh or gentle grey blending.
Turn to 09V when yellow tones or dullness are the issue.
Get that right, and 10 minutes is all it takes to go from brassy and grey to cool, luminous, and put-together.
