8 of the Sweetest Vanilla Blonde Hair Ideas & Formulas
If there’s one blonde hair color set to take the salon world by storm this year, it’s vanilla blonde. Light and bright, cool yet golden; it’s rich in glow-boosting shine and healthy radiance. But how can you be sure if vanilla blonde hair is right for your client? Here’s what you need to know about personalizing this hue in the salon, plus eight formulas to inspire your own creamy creations…
First, What Color is Vanilla Blonde?
Not quite as white as a platinum blonde or as cool as an ash blonde, vanilla is an altogether softer hue that’s brimming with dimension. On first glance, it might appear to be, quite simply, a cool, clean shade of blonde. But look closer, and you may notice hints of ashy gold sparkling through this multi-tonal mane. That’s one of the many great things about vanilla blonde hair color: it’s surprisingly versatile, allowing you to tailor the undertones for a truly bespoke look.
So, What Skin Tone Suits Vanilla Blonde?
We’re firm believers that vanilla blonde is suited to all skin tones – it just comes down to how cool, neutral or warm you decide to take your client’s shade. So, if their skin features cool undertones (think blue or pink tinges), you may want to work with that by bumping up the coolness of their blonde, or even by adding strokes of strawberry for a super-sweet combo. Meanwhile, if they have warm undertones (such as hints of yellow or red) in their skin, intertwining ribbons of peach blonde and gold will have an ultra-flattering effect. And if their skin tone is neutral – meaning it’s neither warm or cool, just somewhere in the middle – you can get creative with a spectrum of hues. Mix up your golds and peaches with a pop of cool vanilla for a look that overflows with radiance.
Of course, whether your client suits vanilla blonde doesn’t just come down to the shade, but also the placement. You can make it softer and more wearable by swapping all-over coloring for seamless strokes of this dreamy blonde. For example, if your client has a dark brunette base they want to work with – not lift and cover – they could keep the root natural and embrace a vanilla balayage or blonde ombre.
8 Vanilla Blonde Formulas to Try with Your Clients
True Vanilla Blonde
Image Credit: @jordannacobella
This is the ultimate vanilla blonde; the truest reflection of the trend, which plays with natural warmth on the roots and coolness on the lengths for a multi-tonal effect. Wella Color & Trend Ambassador Jordanna Cobella created the look by pre-lightening the hair with BlondorPlex first, before turning to the Shinefinity Color Glaze for soft, subtle toning with shine you can feel. Here, you’re seeing a touch of a toffee-tone with 07/13 for a sheer, enhancing root shadow, and a blend of 09/61 + 09/65 on the lengths and ends for that shimmering vanilla pop.
Creamy Vanilla Blonde
Image Credit: @brianacisneros
Frosted, fun and fabulous; this shade is the definition of a creamy vanilla blonde. A look so glossy and glowy, we can’t take our eyes off it. What makes it even more head-turning is the fact that it was actually created on a copper red base, which means the most delicate touch of warmth shines through a combination of cool toners. So, what’s the formula? First, hair was lightened all over with BlondorPlex + 6%, our bond-strengthening lightener which gives you 97% less breakage*. Then, Shinefinity Color Glaze 09/61 was applied all over with the bottle applicator, before 06/07 was applied as a shadow tone to give curls extra depth.
Strawberry Vanilla Blonde
This strawberry vanilla blonde is best served chilled, with plenty of coolness coming through. So, if icier shades are better suited to your client, encourage them not to shy away from this ice cream-inspired look. Crafted by Wella’s Chief Blonding Officer, Zach Mesquit, it was perfected first with BlondorPlex + 6% on the lengths and ends, and Blondor Soft Blonde Cream + 6% on the roots for the cleanest canvas. Then, locks were treated to an all-over veil of Blondor Permanent Liquid Toner /05 + 1.9%; a soft, blush blonde that lends just a kiss of pastel color. Consider us obsessed.
Peach Vanilla Blonde
Image Credit: @joffrey_jara
Peach Fuzz has officially been named Pantone’s Color of the Year 2024, so expect this fruity take on vanilla blonde to be a popular pick. You’ll find a range of pastel peachy hues in the Wella Professionals color collection, but the simplest route to perfecting the trend is with the Color Fresh Mask in Peach Blush. For a burst of peachy goodness that screams ‘time for dessert’, apply it to an already blonde base through clean, damp hair and leave it on for just 10 minutes. Your client can even use it at home – meaning you can stock it on your salon shelves. That way, they can top up the tone in between salon visits, so their peach blonde is always rich with vibrancy.
Ashy Gold Vanilla Blonde
Image Credit: @jhair_stylist
This is what we mean when we talk about blending bright blonde tones with sheer hints of gold. To suit this model’s warm complexion, Wella Professionals Digital Ambassador James Earnshaw mixed a multitude of blondes that struck the perfect balance of cool yet golden. The look was created on a dark brunette base, with BlondorPlex + 6% being used to lighten the hair first. Then, Illumina Color 10/81 + 7/81 + 1.9% was applied to pre-tone any yellow in the hair. Once those formulas had been thoroughly rinsed and neutralized, a root shadow was added with Color Touch 4/71 + 0/68 + 1.9% to lend a lived-in finish. Meanwhile, 9/97 9/16 + 10/6 + 1.9% was swept through the lengths and ends to deliver an ashy gold glow that’s unforgettable.
Rooted Vanilla Blonde
Image Credit: @kingdivinefive
If your client loves a low-commitment rooted blonde as much as we do, they’ll be happy to know that the trend works perfectly with a vanilla tone. Case in point: this dreamy look, which features Illumina Color 6/19 as a root shadow, and 10/36 as a toner on pre-lightened mid-lengths and ends. To give the look some polish, so it feels lived-in yet luxe, finish with a shine spray. We love EIMI Glam Mist for a weightless topcoat of glossiness that – bonus – protects locks from UV damage and humidity too.
Dark Hair with Vanilla Blonde Balayage
Image Credit: @jhair_stylist
A great way for dark haired clients to work vanilla blonde is with a balayage – or, in this case, a curly balayage. This way, they can still keep their natural roots intact, so the regrowth will be soft, seamless and lower maintenance. Here, James Earnshaw has nailed it by pre-lightening dark hair with BlondorPlex + 6%, applied in chunky highlights, followed by a pre-toning session using Color Touch 10/6 + 1.9%. Then, lengths and ends have been toned once more with the coolness 9/97 + 9/16, mixed with the warmth of 8/38 for the most delicate hint of gold.
Dark Hair with Vanilla Blonde Highlights
Image Credit: @biancahdrs
By adding a high volume of highlights and babylights through a client’s dark brunette mane, you can create a contrasting vanilla blonde that goes big on dimension. Here’s proof. For this look, hints of natural brunette were still allowed to peek through, while a cool yet golden blend of blondes delivered major ‘pop’ against the model’s warmer skin tone. Try it on your next brunette mane, using BlondorPlex to create root-to-tip ribbons, followed by Shinefinity 09/02 + 09/36 for transformational toning.
How to Maintain Vanilla Blonde Hair
Keep vanilla hues looking sweet by sharing tips with your client on how to maintain their shade. Here are the three essential rules that will keep their blonde glowing in between salon visits…
1. Repair Hair Damage with a Leave-In Treatment
Blondes look their best when hair is healthy, so after lifting and coloring, recommend your client boosts nourishment at home with the ULTIMATE REPAIR regimen. Packed with skincare-inspired ingredients that revitalize strands from the inside out, the ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo and ULTIMATE REPAIR Conditioner leave all hair types beautifully conditioned from one wash to the next. After washing with this dream team, mist Miracle Hair Rescue from root to tip and let it absorb before styling as usual. The combination of all three products helps to repair damage in 90 seconds**, leaving hair 12x smoother*** with 99% less breakage****.
2. Have a Purple Shampoo Ready
Remind your client to add a purple shampoo to their routine, so if their vanilla shade starts to fade too warm, they can rebalance it with a hint of violet tones. They don’t want their color to look too cool, so remind them to a) only use it when needed, and b) keep it on for the lowest recommended time, unless brassiness is extreme. Our pick for every blonde care kit INVIGO Blonde Recharge Color Refreshing Shampoo, which neutralizes yellow and orange tinges, while leaving locks soft to the touch.
3. Level Up Shine with an Oil
Shimmer and shine is everything when it comes to vanilla blonde, so suggest your client adds one final step to their styling routine: a hair oil. Oil Reflections Luminous Smoothing Oil is our pick for weightless glossiness to tame frizz and flyaways. Simply massage a drop through mid-lengths and ends of hair, then add more as needed. It can be used on damp hair pre-blow dry or dry hair as a smoothing, finishing product. And that goes for all hair types, whether thin, fine, normal or thick and coarse.
Now you’ve got the full lowdown on vanilla blonde hair color, we’d love to see your own creamy creations. Make sure to share them with us by tagging @WellaHairUSA and @WellaEducation on Instagram.
*When using Wellaplex N°2 with Blondorplex, versus Blondorplex alone.
**When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue
***Vs. non-conditioning shampoo.
****When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue. Instrumental test versus non-conditioning shampoo.
