What is a hair toner and how exactly does it work?
A hair toner corrects the tone or reflect of the hair.
They are usually packed with neutralizing pigments (typically violet or blue).
These pigments correct for yellow and orange and brassy hair.
Hair toners are generally combined with developer, just like color. However, mixes may be different.
Development times are also typically shorter than for regular color.
What are the best toners to get to blonde?
The four toners below are very good at achieving excellent white blonde results.
Ugly Duckling "Pearl" toners have a lot of violet pigments and will produce pearl-grey white blonde results
Ugly Duckling "Silver" toners have a lot of blue pigments and will produce pure silver white blonde results.
Use the "Intense" versions if there is still significant yellow left in the hair and you need to remove these.
Use the "No-lift" versions if lift is not really required that is to say, if the hair has only minimal yellow.
Also use the "No-lift" version for repeat toning applications and cases where you have a darker base underneath which you don't want to touch too much.
These toners are all best used with 20 Vol developer.
 Intense Pearl Blonde Toner 100V |
 Intense Silver Blonde Toner 100B |
 Pearl Blonde Toner 10V (No-Lift) |
 Silver Blonde Toner 10B (No-Lift) |
What are the best toners & colors to get to ultra white blonde?
If your client is looking to get to ultra white blonde, the following colors and toners give excellent results.
The Blue Based Blonde Colors, especially Extra Light Cold Ash Blonde 10.1b, Very Light Cold Ash Blonde
Grey Based Colors: Silver Grey, Smoky Blue Grey and Metallic Grey
Violet Based Toner: 10.2 Extra Light Cool Blonde
These are all regular blonde colors, not toners. It is better to process these for the full 30 minutes, with a 1+1 mix.
You will get better color results that way.
 Extra Cold Ash Blonde 10.1b |
 Very Light Cold Ash Blonde 9.1b |
 Silver Grey |
 Smoky Blue Grey |
 Metallic Grey |
 Extra Light Cool Blonde 10.2 |
Can you show me actual examples of hair toned with Ugly Duckling toners and blonding colors?
Examples of Hair Toned with Intense Pearl Blonde Toner 100V.
Hair by Cody Darnell
Hair by hairbyjose
Example of Hair Toned with Intense Silver Blonde 100B
Hair by Nina Sukhovetskaya
Examples of Hair Toned with No-Lift Pearl Blonde Toner 10V
Hair by Elona Taki
Hair by Elona Taki
Can you recommend me a fool-proof technique to use a toner to achieve great color results?
Follow our 3-step blonding technique and you will be sure to achieve excellent blonding results.
STEP ONE
First, lift any part of the hair that is too dark to a level 9 or level 10 before you do any toning. Good consistent pre-lightening is really essential for good toning.
Use our new Brilliant Blondexx Bond Protect Lightener with 20 Vol or 30 Vol. Developer (20 Vol only near the root).
Make a mix of 1 part lightener to 2 parts developer and really saturate the dark regrowth area or the whole head depending on what needs lifting.
Start applying at the back in case of full head applications.
In the case of regrowth applications apply on the dark regrowth first. Then stretch to other areas if you feel they also need further lifting.
The goal is to lift the hair evenly and consistently all the way up to level 10 for best results
See pictures below for hair that has been correctly pre-lightened)
A common mistake is to not lift sufficiently - don't do this or you won't get a really nice result!
Once you have done this, you are ready to tone.
Here is a client whose dark regrowth we lifted and prepared for toning:
Before Bleaching & Toning: Very Dark Regrowth, Blonde Ends
After Bleaching, Before Toning: Dark Regrowth lifted and equalized with ends. Hair is at Level 10.
Hair Before & After: Ashley
STEP TWO
CHOOSE YOUR UGLY DUCKLING TONER & APPLY
Choose your Ugly Duckling toner from the Ugly Duckling toners above
Ugly Duckling toners are very very fast acting, and typically neutralize in around 10 minutes. So you do need to be alert and watch while they are on processing and be prepared to rinse when done.
Only use 10 Vol developer if you have really lifted well and you are confident that there is minimal yellow left.
Otherwise, use with 20 Vol developer for best results. You will get better release of yellow pigments and better toning that way.
Apply on towel dried hair. It can be still wet. Just make sure there is no excess moisture.
If you are using an Ugly Duckling toner, mix 1 part of your chosen Ugly Duckling toner with 2 parts developer.
If you are using a regular Ugly Duckling blonding color, mis 1 part hair color with 1 part developer.
Section the hair starting from the back, using fine sections.
Start applying wherever the hair is the most yellow or the most brassy.
Work fast because the toner works fast and you want to give your whole head an even processing time.
Leave out the last inch nearest the roots when you apply, and return to this section at the end. Hair processes faster on the root area due to the heat of the scalp.
As you apply, you will see the hair turn grey with a purple or grey or blue hue.
This is normal, it shows that the toner is doing its job of neutralizing yellow and brassiness.
Normally 10-15 minutes is enough.
Once again, remember to watch the roots in particular carefully - do not over-process there.
A mix of Ugly Duckling Intense Pearl Blonde Toner 100V and 20 Vol. A fairly runny mix will allow you to work faster. Which is what you need.
STEP THREE
USE PURPLE SHAMPOO & MASK TO GET RID OF ANY REMAINING YELLOW AFTER TONING
- Rinse hair with Purple Shampoo, massaging thoroughly for 5 minutes as you do.
- Then apply Purple Mask.
- Leave the mask in the hair for 10 minutes.
- Ugly Duckling's Purple Shampoo and Mask contain very intense pigments.
- These will neutralize any remaining yellow and take your hair to ultra white blonde.
- They are also low pH and will help to close the hair cuticle after the lightening and toning process.
- Only use Purple Shampoo and Mask after toners, not after regular blonde colors (10.1b, 9.1b, Silver Grey, Smoky Blue Grey, Metallic Grey, 10.2 etc)
- This is because you will lose the unique vibrancy of the above colors if you put purple shampoo on top!
Learn More About Ugly Duckling Purple Mask Here
FINAL RESULTS
After toning: Hair by Ashley
Toner Used: Extra Light Cool Blonde 10.2
This is the same model after bleaching and toning.
CAN YOU SHOW ME THE BLEACHING LEVELS & GUIDE ME AS TO TONER CHOICE?
- Use the chart below to figure out which Ugly Duckling toner to use:
- Ugly Duckling has 2 types of toners: Intense Toners and No-lift toners.
- If your hair is either level 9 or level 10 it means that there is minimal yellow left. In which case you can use use Ugly Duckling No-Lift Toners
- If your hair is either level 7 or level 8, it means that you still have yellow in your hair which you need to get rid of. in this case, it would be better to use Ugly Duckling Intense Toners.
- If your hair is darker than level 7, eg level 5 or level 6, it means that your hair is too dark and brassy to use toners directly. Use Brilliant Blondexx Bleach first, then tone with Ugly Duckling intense toners
- If you have low lights that you wish to keep, then you must use the No-Lift Toners.
CAN YOU SHOW ME SOME OTHER COLORS I CAN MIX IN FOR EXTRA STRONG TONING & MORE VIBRANT FASHION RESULTS?
Silver Grey, Smoky Blue Grey & Metallic Grey
- Intense Violet Blonde 7.22
- Purple Grey
 Purple Grey |
 7VV/7.22 |
Pearl Blonde 10V Mixed with 7.22
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO SEE AN UGLY DUCKLING TONER APPLICATION:
Featured Products
What Developer Should I Use with Toner?
We generally recommend 20 Vol developer, mixed in a ratio of 1 part toner to 2 parts developer. This will allow you to open the hair cuticle more, kick out more of the unwanted yellow, and achieve color vibrancy and long lasting ashy results.
Only use 10 Vol developer when you have lightened the hair to very very pale yellow, level 10. (see below). Here, 10 Vol would be enough. Otherwise, stick with 20 Vol.
A case where 10 Vol developer would be enough
Can I Use Toner Without Developer?
No you can't. All Ugly Duckling toners require developer.
Can I Use Toner with a No-Lift Developer?
If you have low lights that you don't want to get lifted, use our no-lift toners with 20 Vol developer for a short processing time and you will be OK.
Q. Do you apply toners on wet or dry hair?
You can apply Ugly Duckling toners to wet or dry hair. If you have bleached your hair prior to toning, no need to blow dry. Just towel dry to get rid of any excess moisture.
How often do you need to apply toner?
Ugly Duckling colors are quite vibrant, but all hair color fades. So very probably your toned hair will also fade and require re-toning every 6 weeks or so. You may just need a no-lift toner at this point in time.
Can't I just use your Purple Shampoo and Mask to tone?
Yes purple shampoos and masks do tone, but they are really more correctly viewed as maintenance products. You will get better results if you tone first, then use Purple Shampoo and Mask.
Can I mix a toner with a regular color?
Yes you can do that. All Ugly Duckling colors are inter-mixable.
I want to bump up the level by one when I am toning. What should I do?
Use our intense toners (either pearl or silver) with 20 Vol and mix in Clear with it 50/50.
Do hair toners damage the hair?
Not if you use them correctly.
Which is the best toner for orange hair?
If your client's hair is orange, it means you have not bleached enough, and if she is looking to go blonde, you should not use toner at this point. You should instead bleach first and get the hair up to pale yellow. Then tone with any violet or blue based toner. We would suggest intense pearl blonde toner or intense silver blonde toner, 10V/10.2 or 10.1b or Silver Grey depending on your shade preference.
What is the best toner for yellow hair?
If even after bleaching your client's hair still has a lot of yellow in it, we would recommend intense pearl blonde toner or intense silver blonde toner. These toners have an extra booster which are great at kicking out stubborn or resistant yellow. They are also intensely pigmented.
The intense pearl blonde toner contains a lot of purple pigments. It produces a pearl/grey white blonde result.
The intense silver blonde toner contains a lot of blue pigments. It produces a silver/natural white blonde result.