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If you're thinking about switching up your hair colour, one shade that's definitely rising up the ranks for this season, is Milky Blonde, which is 2022's new-gen take on bombshell blonde. Picture a glass of milk, pout it into blonde and you have a fresh, silky white-toned blonde that offers up a refreshing summer-ready take on platinum. 

“This shade takes inspiration from platinum blonde but has a more expensive and luxe finish, being achieved by highlighting and lowlighting techniques instead of one all over colour,” explains Dylan Brittain, Artistic Director at Rainbow Room International. Plus, “one of the best things about this hair colour is that it’s not too warm or too cool in tone, meaning it works for everyone, no matter what your skin tone. The colour also looks incredible when paired with a mid-length blunt cut and textured waves for a super trendy finish for the season and to further enhance the colour and the movement it creates within your hair,” he says.

One of the shades most high-profile fans has to be Kim Kardashian, who spent over 14 hours in foils to achieve the milky blonde shade that she debuted, alongside Marilyn Monroe's actual “Happy Birthday Mr President” dress, at this year's Met Gala. But rather than wear a wig for the moment, Kim committed, admitting she fancies sticking with the shade. “I did want a physical change,” she told Vogue, revealing she intends to stay blonde for a while.

While most hair colourists would recommend making such a drastic colour switch in stages (it took Kim's sis Khloe over three months to gradually work her way from deep brunette to bright blonde), if you've also got the itch, you'll need to know exactly what to ask for when you see your hair colourist. 

“By using a combination of highlighting and lowlighting techniques, this not only gives the hair incredible shine, but also a softer finish than that of the platinum blonde hair trend," explains Dylan. “Glimmers of different shades throughout the hair create a more natural appearance, whilst also providing the hair with dimension and depth,” he adds.

There's more than one way to play it, too, whether you want it to look super fresh, or a little more lived-in. “This colour is great combined with a dark root to substitute the lowlights, whereby the dark root can be used as a base colour with subtle thin highlights and babylights scattered throughout the rest of the hair to achieve the milky blonde look. The colour service should be completed in the salon with an ash/pearl blonde toner to give the hair that desired, milky and clean finish,” explains Dylan.

Just be aware it looks expensive for a reason. “This hair colour trend looks incredibly expensive and costly,” says Dylan, because it is. “It requires monthly or bi-monthly trips to the salon due to the root regrowth and to keep the colour looking as fresh as possible,” he says.

And you'll need to up your home hair care game, too. “Milky blonde require investment in at home hair care products to keep the colour looking pristine in between salon appointments,” confirms Dylan.  However on a lighter note, he explains, “the trend is slightly less upkeep than that of platinum blonde, whereby the root will not look as harsh when it comes in and a soft, lived in root is now more on trend than ever, allowing you to have a little more time in between your appointments to keep your blonde from excess damage and looking as healthy as possible.”

As for which products to introduce to your stash, “silver shampoos and masks are a must for maintenance at home with this hair colour to keep brassy tones at bay. They'll also keep the colour vibrant with a glossy shine that helps enhance the finish of this colour,” he says. And look out for bond-repairing plex technology such as Olaplex.

For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk

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