Wella Color Charm Toner

I am naturally a medium-auburn (the dreaded natural reds) and I keep my hair a nearly-silver platinum White for about 9 months now. Doing platinum at home is typically something I'm too lazy to do, but hitting my mid-30's I said to myself: "Nothing other than a boring color really makes you look better/younger after 30....so I should do whatever color is actually fun and not worry about how flattering or age-appropriate it is". And that's how I went from natural brunette with a few highlights to DIY Platinum in *literally* one day. (Yes I had chemical burns because I had to bleach 2x and did so in one day and then toned 2x in the same day, as well).

I don't recommend you do ANY of that unless you are SUPER familiar with your hair type and know how it's going to react to double-processing, certain brands, etc. I have been coloring my hair since age 11, so I feel confident that no matter what I do *wrong* I can fix it. So please keep that in mind in reading anything I post about "blonding" yourself.

Second....the snooty comments from "Professional Cosmetologists" and such are helpful and contain factual advice....but pretending that a Cosmetologist can do a better job that *yourself* at home if you are educated in haircare is blatantly dishonest. I have been colored at the very best salons that charge up to $500.00 for my hair....and frankly, anything other than a $300.00 quality coloring, I can do better myself at home. Including Platinum Blonde, bleaching, toning, and the dreaded root touch ups for a platinum blonde with dark/black roots coming in. I did my full platinum myself and then the first root touch up using Schwarzkopf BlondME Bleach (awesome) with Wella 20 Developer and then double-tone. First I use Wella T10 mixed with T14 and a touch of T050 (which is listed as a "dye" but is a purple additive specifically to add to blonde toners). Then I rinse and apply the T18 (or White Lady) to the roots first.....then the shaft and tips for a much shorter time.

This gives me a solid White - Silver Platinum with NO gold or hot roots and none of the "gold banding" I experienced at my Redken Salon AND at my local Aveda Salon. Both places charged me over $200 (not including tip) JUST to touch up my roots after I'd already done the Platinum myself. BOTH screwed it up and left me with yellow roots that were patchy and clearly showed their inability to listen to the customer when I told them that I have "very resistant roots/hair even when it's virginal hair that's never been colored". The best colorists out there are the colorists who listen carefully to their clients about things that only the client can know about their hair and absolutely change the results. Anyway....after being lazy and going to 2 "fabulous and expensive" salons and getting crappy results, I went back to doing it myself using just Wella Toners (though I still prefer the Schwarzkopf "BlondME" Bleach for up to 9 levels of Lift....I just use it with my Wella Developer).

The T18 IS going to give you a "grey or granny" color at first. That's a GOOD thing. I know it's not the gleaming platinum you wanted to show off to the world, but if you rinse and have this greyish tone....you've gotten the most important thing done: abolishing the dreaded "yellow" hints, tones, or roots. The shaft and tips of hair will fade quickly to whatever color you were going for (likely platinum white to very pale blonde) and the roots will usually stay a bit darker....but not orange or yellow. BUT. If your hair was NOT totally "pastel yellow" prior to using the T18, you will NOT end up with a platinum/pale blonde overall. You'll get light blonde with yellow hints because the rule is that:

Violet-Blue & Violet (T18) covers light yellow and gold (and will appear purple or silver at first on your lightest strands

Blue-Violet & Blue (T14, T10) cover light orange, gold, and cast a silver tone on pastel yellow and whiter pieces of hair

Neutral Tones - will basically tone the brightness of a bleached blonde to a "peachy" color at first and hopefully settle down to a regular "golden blonde", but is NOT good for neutralizing orange, gold, yellow that is unnatural looking.

When I use T18 I have a routine that is NOT pleasant or easy and requires confidence....but gives me much better results than the Colorists at Aveda or Wella Salons can give me.

I bleach my roots and any faded areas with NOTHING OVER a 20 Developer. In my opinion, it is better to have to bleach it twice with a 20 Developer than risk using a 30 or 40 Developer at home. The "speed" of using the 30 or 40 is NOT worth the risk and damage to your hair.

I also add "Bond Angel" to both my bleaches and toners. Bond Angel is like Olaplex. It's a reconstructive/protective ingredient that salons charge a TON of money to add to your coloring and are also expensive to buy online....but the Bond Angel is lesser known and you can buy it on Amazon to add extra protection to your bleaching process.

After bleaching either once or twice depending on your hair's resistance level...I wash with shampoo and then apply a spray detangler (you're not supposed to use conditioner before toner or it won't deposit evenly), but the detangler is very lightweight and makes it MUCH easier to gently "paint" the toner onto your hair when it's not in a heinous knot and can be combed with a wide comb. I recommend any detangler applied just to the shaft and ends.

Then I combine 2 capfuls of Wella T050 (purple) to 1/2 bottle of T10 + 1/2 bottle of T14 (and 20 Developer) to roots and underside of hair first. I find this neutralizes a lot of gold.

Then I rinse and shampoo and repeat the detangler process and apply the T18 to roots first. Wait 15 minutes, then apply to shaft and ends (wait another 7 minutes) and then wash and shampoo. Then I put Bond Angel Step 2 + Coconut Oil on my head & let sit for 30 minutes. Then proceed with your normal routine & let

i had dirty blonde hair when i bleached it once with the wella multi-blonde powder and 40v developer at home. it ended up looking a medium yellow when wet so i put on this wella toner with a developer and it didn't do too great a job...my hair dry looks like a very light yellow and the product got great reviews so i'm confused as to why it didn't work for me??? hmm o well.

I have been using Wella Toners for a long time! if they weren't on the market I would never be a DIY blonde. i have natural level 5 golden brown hair and I am go between a medium pearl blonde to medium champagne/golden blonde. when my hair was super orange right after bleaching I would use t28 and t18. once the brasiness was somewhat neutralized I would use a t11 or t15 to get that beige/golden blonde. If i want to cool it down to a ash blonde I use t18 with a few cap fulls of 050-cooling violet. sometimes it's trial and error when finding the correct toner or even combination for your hair goals. I would recommend starting off by utilizing the colour wheel, but ultimately experimenting until you get it!

Ok, first off...everyone who's complaining about not being blonde lol... you HAVE to be a level 9 or 10 for this to make you go platinum. Secondly if you have any orange tones at all...this ISN'T for you!!! Third EVERYONE who is not blonde will pull ORANGE or relish, it's the color wheel, just chemistry, sorry lol. Also if you have dark hair if you don't use Olaplex...take your time going blog design and even then it's a process. Deal with yellow or orange hair a bit to get perfect blonde that isn't straw, or gummy. Professionalso where trained and educated and understand these things and aren't guessing. Seek a professionals help or knowledge if you want to save and do this on your own. BUT if you aren't a licensed cosmetologist please do not tell everyone here what you've experienced, because you just might had have good luck guessing, but you are not educated by what I've read on a few post and it scares me thinking that somebody might take your advice. Smh.

I am a cosmetologist and am properly educated in this field, so I'm not BSing. I seriously hate when people have hair problems and ruin their hair because of "at home uneducated want to be stylists" false advice. Follow instructions! Developer could be a 10 if it burns to much...you may have sensitivity, so adjust, common sense. But yah wow, dry hair, dumb!

To anyone who has bleached their hair to yellow under tones, run for this product. I used t15 on my hair. I really suggested using a beige or natural blonde!!!! If you use the popular T18, you most likely will pull all the blonde out of your hair to end up with platinum, silver or purple ash hair. You must have pulled your hair to the soft yellow color. Any less, I have no idea what you will end up with. I spent over $300 at three salon who couldn't do what I begged for. I was so upset. So I went to Sally's, bleached out all the much orange they left me with. I took my time with the bleach and lift my hair with a VO of 20. I went from a BRASS to the "soft banana" hair dressers try to lift you to, in about 1hr. (I test stranded everything) lifting to the PALE YELLOW, allows you to go anywhere on the color wheel. I really hope some of you guys go more natural! Watch your toner like a hawk, you will pull out the remain pigments in your hair if you're not careful! Good luck!!! Click on my profile to see my before and after with the T15.
I am a natural dirty blonde maybe a level 6

T15 pale beige blonde does not cancel out orange tones!!! I just got highlights and they look orange. My hair is naturally dark brown so it pulls orange. Will need to get t18 white lady as this seems to be what all recommend on here and YouTube to cancel out orange!

I have been using the Wella Color Charm toner in T11 and T18 (equal parts of each) for the past few months to help keep my blonde hair brass-free and I really do like the toner! It is easy to apply, I don't have to use a full bottle to get my full head despite having really thick hair because of the 2:1, developer: toner ratio, the smell isn't too strong, and it works quickly. My one downside with this product which is pretty significant is that it burns that absolute hell out of my scalp. I don't follow a specific processing time with this toner because I can never stand to keep it on to the maximum processing time- I just know to take it off when I can't take the burning anymore and hope that most of the brassiness has been removed. I'm not really sure why it happens because my scalp isn't particularly sensitive and I've never had any visible signs of damage to my scalp following the usage of this product but it still is an issue for me. Beauty is pain I suppose. The toner is also really fairly priced so for those of us colouring our own hair at home, we can still get beautiful results.

Going from. 4RM in Age Beautiful to white, once I got to the orange stage I used Well a T18 and it brought me to a pale beige blonde that I can deal with while I let my natural white grey grow out..it was wonderful..I've been a colorist for almost 30 years and had never used the toner on myself til now and I'm impressed.

I've bought this toner by Wella so many times and I love it dearly. I am originally a dirty blonde and my hair lifts very quickly. But it seems I have a lot of red or orange mixed with pale yellow when I bleach my roots. I have my hair at a level11 or lightest ash blonde. I have been using Wella for a long time because keeping my hair this blonde you do need to tone or use a purple shampoo. Also I have rust in my water so the T14 works best for my hair. I like the silvery blonde look that my hair gets from this. I started with T18 years ago and love it as well but the T14 just works better for the shade of colour I'm going for.

I want to mix the T14 &18 together as well using more 14 than 18 in my case. I like to use a 10 vol developer to just deposite the product. I start with my roots first leave the toner on about 7 minutes then put the rest through for about 2 more minutes. My hair is very porus so less time is what works for me. I have used 20 vol but not anymore I find the 10 works great for depositing the colour. I use ion sensitive scalp developer as well. This is my favorite toner hands down I will always come back to it. It has saved me from hair disasters in my youth and now today I can bleach my roots tone and my hair looks great. So happy!

Violet toner for harsh yellow tones. You can get the same effect without drying out your hair by mixing 2 1/2 cups vinegar with 1/8 teaspoon purple food coloring and leaving it on your hair for a couple of minutes.