L'Oreal • Tone Refiner • Hair Color

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*TOP REVIEWER* colfaxt on 6/7/2010 2:22:00 AM more reviews by colfaxt

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is discontinued, so you now need to buy the Loreal Brass Bannisher

I agree with others, it wont fix big brassy oops. Only sublte brass. Always ladies use red gold corrector from Sally Beauty, add drops to your color after you mix, it will eliminate alot of brass before you need this.

I like to use between long times when I dont color like after 4 weeks.

It works great on medium blonde, and champagne blonde.

It does leave your hair waxy for a week, but that only adds to the shine & reduction in brass from shampoos and just blonde junk build up.

I have six boxes stored, cause I knew they were cancelling it.

Excellent product, if you dont need major brass reduction, Leaves your hair nice cool blonde.

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*TOP REVIEWER* PinkSoFoxy on 1/18/2010 2:52:00 AM more reviews by PinkSoFoxy

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I've highlighted my hair for almost 15 years, and there are 3 products that I couldn't live without. L'Oreal Hi-Light Styliste, Sun-In, and this Tone Refiner. My natural hair color is a very dark brown and I highlight it light blonde. Working with such extremes you are bound to get some brassy warm results on occasion, especially near your roots. I use the Tone Refiner after every highlight session. It gets rid of unwanted warmth and that brassy orange tint. However as it states on the box...it does NOT change your base color. It is meant to balance your color and provide a more subtle cooler undertone. If you have a heavy amount of orange or yellow going on you will most likely need a professional colorist to fix it. This is not the product for you.

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vlclark on 4/19/2009 11:09:00 PM more reviews by vlclark

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

This is an OK product. I have used it twice. The first time I think I left it on for 5 minutes and I saw no noticeable difference in the tone of my hair. The second time I used it, which was recently, I left it on for 10 minutes and I could see a slight improvement in tone. However, it did not dry my hair out at all or make it greasy or turn my blonde hair brown. The conditioner that comes with it is awesome! It is very moisturizing and smells fantastic.

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Kitten2007 on 10/18/2008 4:52:00 PM more reviews by Kitten2007

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I was skeptical about this product after reading some of the reviews, and the fact that my hair was very brassy (after bleaching and dying multiple times trying to get my color back to its normal dark blond w. highlights from the dark brown I'd dyed it for a few months). But even as orangey as it started out, it really did have a noticeable effect. I wouldn't say it's 100%, the orange/brass is gone in all of my hair except the roots, but now it just looks more believable of a golden color rather than orange. It really saved me because I've done soo much to my hair lately and just dread the results coming out bad and having to put something else in my hair! It didn't damage or dry my hair out too much, the conditioner really doesnt help much though. And it didn't leave a gloss as the box advertises. But it did get the brass out. it was about $8 at Walgreens, and I left it in for almost 20 mins cuz I forgot to look at the time. Definitely leave it in at least 10 minutes though, no more than 20 I'd think. I'm very happy with the results, I'll just have to see after it's been a few days and I see it in different lighting/mirrors, etc. Give it a try though if you're looking for a quick/cheap fix for brassiness/redness/orangeyness.

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lilpnutski on 11/13/2007 1:20:00 AM more reviews by lilpnutski

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

My hair is right smack between light brown and dark blonde. It has been about 2.5 months since I had my hair professionally highlighted and I (as usual) bought a highlighting product (L'Oreal Styliste - H80) to touch up some of the roots until I am ready to spend the $$ and make the appt with my stylist. Long story short - I watched the time carefully, but probably should have watched the hair color rather than the clock. Yep, you guessed it - brassy roots, not too bad, but not well matched to the rest of my highlights. So, bought the Tone Refiner for Blondes - really unsure about whether to get the Brown or the Blonde toner. So, I applied it to the few highlights that were brassy and some of the surrounding hair (not my whole head). Good news is that the brassy highlights are now more blended, bad news is the brassiness is not completely gone. So, would I buy this product again? Yes, I would since it definitely blended the highlights and added shine. I'm due to go to my hairdresser in a month (3 - 3.5 month intervals) and so will have her fix the remaining brassiness at that time.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

BeaverCleaverReturns on 8/7/2007 11:15:00 AM more reviews by BeaverCleaverReturns

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I recently got highlights that were a bit too gold for my liking. I prefer cool-toned blonde. I purchased this and left it on for about 10-15 minutes. It definitely toned down the highlights and blended them into my hair. I was quite happy with it. And at the end of teh sumer I colored with an ash blonde shade and it really looked. This is a great, inexpensive toner for when you need a quick fix. If you have major brass or need color correction, this isn't the product for you. At that point you really need a stylist to fix it.

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sarahdae on 8/5/2007 7:09:00 AM more reviews by sarahdae

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Ok, this stuff first of all is designed for color treated or highlighted hair, and won't do a darn thing for natural hair. Also, it is made to correct slightly. If your hair is really orange/brassy/dark yellow, you need a SERIOUS toner in an ash/purple shade. This won't fix your problem.
My hair is naturally light neutral brown, with very light blonde highlights. I do it myself, and after I highlight, the hair can seem frizzy, dry, and if I don't leave it on long enough, just a tinge...well..bleachey blonde looking. For years I have wanted that pale, yet belivable blonde!
But I was afraid of using any heavy duty toner/purple shampoo that would turn my highlights purple/blue!
Man this stuff was freaking awesome! I used revlon frost and glo for about 1 hour processing time (cap) the highlights were just about perfect pale blonde, but this stuff made my hair instantly healthy, heavy, and shiney, with less of a bleached-blonde look. I was amazed that the hair looked like it wasn't even damaged from the highlights I used this product immediately after my highlights and it worked great.
I will definitely use it again...it tames the after-highlight frizz look and is absolutely perfect for pale blonde shades. There must be something in it that smooths the cuticle of the hair.
This works great on my fine hair, making a big difference in how it behaves. Try it if you have hair like mine for sure!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

dasseattle on 7/10/2007 12:41:00 PM more reviews by dasseattle

Age: 44-55   Skin: Very Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I have short thick wavy dry brunette hair which I get highlighted about twice a year. Last week, I had it done, and the highlights were just too bright for my liking. I tried to live with it, but there was something about the tone I just didn't like with my skin shade. This product caught my eye, so I bought the brown and used it this morning - left it on for about 10 minutes. As everyone has said, the difference is subtle, but for me, it's great! It did something to the highlights so that they now complement my skin instead of fading me out, and my hair is now incredibly soft and shiny. Will definitely use again.

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djacks1128 on 2/8/2007 6:56:00 PM more reviews by djacks1128

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Seriously...this product did not do a damn thing for my hair except dry it out. I had brassy highlights on brown hair and that is what I still have now, except it is not shinier as promised and is now more dry than before. I even left it on a couple of minutes longer (which might be why it's so dry now). Don't waste your time or money...
In the past I've used the Natural Match Light Ash Brown or Dark Ash Blonde and it has worked very well at getting the brassy tones out. Now i just have to decide whether to do that again or get rid of my highlights completely and go for a nice dark brown.

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feline208 on 1/12/2007 5:32:00 PM more reviews by feline208

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I do my own streaking at home, and since my hair is very dark, it yes, sometimes comes out very brassy. I use to then use a light ash blonde on it to tone it down, but sometimes that left a greenish tinge on the blonde area. This is the most fantastic product ever. I use it after streaking, and in between streak jobs, - it tames the roots and cuts down on the brassiness that seems to come creeping back. I leave it on for around 10-15 minutes.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tualmarebelde on 10/31/2006 10:38:00 AM more reviews by tualmarebelde

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

my mom had dyed my roots a golden blonde color and I went out to buy the brown kit and made the rest of my hair look more ashy and natural instead of the yellow orange look we all detest. highly recommend and works in only 10 minutes. Thank you Loreal!

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briarxrose on 9/30/2006 3:46:00 PM more reviews by briarxrose

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

this really didnt do anything to my hair, i could barely see a change. i wouldnt buy again..because it doesnt seem to do anything. maybe i didnt leave it on long enough...but nothing happened.

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barbarajayne on 5/29/2006 7:56:00 PM more reviews by barbarajayne

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I have always gotten brassy after haircolor and highlights. If I had bleaching sufficient to stop the brass, the toner would leave a blue grey hue. I just decided to live with the brass and tone it down with a darker blonde: in essence, if you can't beat it, live with it. I was getting ready to buy the darker blonde color to counteract the brass when this product caught my eye. What a wonderful product! My hair is toned down and looks natural> for the first time in YEARS. Leave it on for ten minutes though...5 minutes didn't do much for my medium blonde color during the pre color test. Maybe if you hair is a pale blonde, 5 minutes will be sufficient. I still would do 10 minutes> It will just make your highlights slightly less light. You'll end up with a more believable color. I think the negative reviews are from extremely brassy specimens or those that didn't leave it on long enough. You can't go wrong. My hair is shinier from this product> If you're in doubt, do a test strand. This stuff is great in my book.

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reenie123 on 2/20/2006 8:28:00 PM more reviews by reenie123

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

After receiving so much great advice from all of you, I'm posting my first review. Without having read any Alley reviews, I picked this up at Ulta. I've been getting my mousey light brown hair colored for 35 years and I love this product! I go to a salon that does only color...even makes it's own formulations that you can take home in a powder to mix with water when the roots start showing and you can't get an appt. ANYWAY, my base color gets lightened slightly, then hi-lighted. Going for a little more warmth, the streaks came out a little gold/red, which would be fine if I weren't "of a certain age." Using the blonde formula, I kept it on 10 minutes. My hair came out shiney, with the color looking beautifully balanced all over. Best color I've ever had. Not too much or too little. It'd supposed to last 28 shampoos, but I've only used it a week. I just read the other reviews, and I think perhaps the brunette formula doesn't work as well. For light brown on up, I highly recommend!

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*TOP REVIEWER* neekolet on 12/22/2005 7:46:00 PM more reviews by neekolet

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal, Tan   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

i recently had my hair dyed over the weekend. i have naturally black hair but i colored it a few times myself so i decided it was time to see a "professional" because i couldnt achieve the light brown color i wanted without having any red tones in it. the girl that dyed my hair first like bleached it, then dyed, then toned it...i dont know what she did but i didnt like it. nothing i could really do, you know. the color she even dyed my eyebrows looked gross. i was like, what the hell. the color on my hair wasn't that bad. it became a light to medium golden brown but it still had reddish undertones. i was gona go back and have her tone my hair more but then i bought l'oreal tone refiner. i left it on for the whole 10 minutes. maybe a minite or two longer and it BARELY did anything on my hair. maybe just like a LITTLE. i like what it did on my eyebrows though. i know you're not supposed to use this kinda stuff on your face but i still did lol. but anyway, yeah. i dont think it did as much as i would have liked. i should have left it longer but i followed the instructions. oh well. my hair was pretty dry after i got it dyed at the salon and i guess the toner did soften it a bit but that's about it. i would probably repurchase this if i need it.

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jerky283 on 12/3/2005 10:47:00 PM more reviews by jerky283

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Green    

i dont understand what the point of this product was?!!! it did not do anything for my hair. I got my hair highlighted over the summer and i dyed it darker a couple of months ago and now my highlights are brassy from all the processing going on in my hair. I thought this would tone it down some but it didnt. what a waste of time and money

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AnnP30 on 11/14/2005 4:35:00 PM more reviews by AnnP30

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This kinda-sorta got rid of a bit of my brassiness, but didn't deliver on the "amazing shine" it promised. Also, it dried my hair out and left it dull, when originally it looked fairly healthy.

Don't buy this product--it'll turn your hair brassy and dry as straw. If it hadn't been for their false advertising, I wouldn't have bought this thing.

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*TOP REVIEWER* chickety on 10/17/2005 9:01:00 PM more reviews by chickety

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I have a stock of this product in my bathroom. I have been getting my hair highlighted for about ten years. Last year my beloved stylist moved away to Georgia and I have yet to find someone who can match the color I want perfectly like she did. I have dark brown almost black thin curly hair. And I have a lot of it. I do not like any red in my hair. I want light brown/ dark blonde highlights. I went to quite a few salons and paid up to $250 trying to get my highlights done right. I usually left the salon crying or dissapointed at best. I cannot do my highlights myself because I do not want them only on the top, I get them throughout my whole head and that would just be too difficult for me to get right. I finally found a lady who owns a small salon who can get my hair color almost right. She gives me a medium brown base and then a light brown highlight. But she doesn't tone it. One time I mentioned it and she said oh you want me to tone it, and she made the highlights dark and screwed it up. So I have learned to go to this salon, get the double process done. Then a week later I use this tone refiner myself at home... and perfect I love the color of my hair. And this tone refiner gives it such a glossy shine. I am willing to go to this lady still because I only pay her $80 and then about another $10 for the tone refiner and I have the perfect hair color and shiny hair too. This would probably be a good product to use in conjunction with the loreal color expert if you kind of like it but it's not quite right. Sorry for the crazy long post but I had to say I love this tone refiner.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

evemccue528 on 7/23/2005 10:19:00 AM more reviews by evemccue528

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

The effects of the product are subtle, but isn't that the point:) The online product description says that it will neither darken nor lighten hair and even looking at the box I can hardly see a diff. in the before and after pics. It is simply a toner and not a corrective color treatment. If you are putting it on extremely damaged hair, it will not correct and repair.
I used it for the first time and will definitely repurchase. My hair is naturally light brown and I had been using semipermaanent color up until a year ago. I generally like the color of my hair until my recent move from CA to Texas. The hard water had turned my hair brassy and dull. This gave me back my natural blonde highlights and took away all of the brassiness. It is a bit shinier now, but it has only been a day since I did it, so we'll see if it lasts.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

daisyduke on 7/22/2005 10:13:00 PM more reviews by daisyduke

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I give this product a very low, would not buy it again rating simply because it did not do what it claimed. My color had turned out redder looking than I like, I bought the brunette one thinking it would tone down the brassiness. It didn't change anything about the color, and as far as giving the hair more shine, didn't see that either. Wasted my money on this.

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