Why All Bottle Blondes (And Brunettes and Redheads!) Need a Color-Depositing Conditioner

By Marianne Mychaskiw
Updated Jun 06, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
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Though there are many beauty products out there that will claim to change your entire life, anyone with dyed hair can make a strong case that a color-depositing conditioner is one that will actually live up to that claim. Elements like heat styling and the sun's UV rays can cause any hair color to fade, even if it's pretty close to your natural tone, but that doesn't always mean spending more time in the salon chair. Used once a week in place of your go-to conditioner, a color-depositing formula can help to revive the color lost to the elements, and buy you some serious time between appointments. These conditioners are infused with pigments that either help amplify your shade, or neutralize unwanted brassy tones.

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Convinced yet? We put together a list of our favorite color-depositing conditioners for every hue out there—yes, even the pastel and neon varieties. Scroll down to find one to amp up your shade now.

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For Warm Brunettes

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$40
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Add a few pumps of Evo's Mahogany tone to your mid-lengths and ends to instantly take those faded highlights to a rich chocolate tone.

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For Cool Brunettes

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$51
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When your deep brown hue starts to take on a certain shade of orange, apply a layer of Christophe Robin's Shade Variation Care Mask in Ash Brown. The cool blue pigments used in the formula counteract any brassiness to keep your brunette Kate Middleton-levels of rich.

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For Black Hair

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$30
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When your shiny noir hue starts to fade, your best bet would be to go for the darkest, coolest brown color conditioner possible, like DP Hue's Color Boosting Gloss in Dark Brown/Black, as choosing a solid black tone would give off too much an obvious inky appearance.

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For Warm Blondes

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Are your formerly-honey strands quickly approaching platinum after too much time in the sun? Lather, rinse, and run a dollop of Shu Uemura Art of Hair Color Lustre in Golden Blonde ($58; barneys.com) through your wet layers to give your hue a subtle touch of warmth.

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For Cool Blondes

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$27
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Especially if you start with a dark natural base, cool blonde tones run a serious risk of going brassy real quick. Counteract the orange and warm yellow hints with a purple conditioner like Drybar's Blonde Ale Brightening formula—the violet pigments actually help to neutralize all of the unwanted shifts in shade.

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For Warm Reds

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$29
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Because red has the largest color molecule, it slides out of the hair shaft much easier than its blonde and brunette counterparts, making the shade more prone to fading. Make sure to use a flame-toned conditioner like Davines' Alchemic formula in Copper to keep your true auburn hue vibrant.

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For Cool Reds

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$18
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Fact: one bottle of Joico's blue-based true red will last you forever—the color is super-saturated, so just a little bit goes a long way to keep your Jessica Rabbit-esque hue pristine.

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For Creative Color

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Aside from red, unconventional colors like pastel pink, neon blue, or aquamarine can be the hardest of the spectrum to keep looking fresh. Luckily, Overtone Haircare contains conditioners and treatment masques ($45 each; overtone.co) in every shade of the rainbow, silver included. Another DIY remedy? Cut your favorite conditioner with the smallest amount of Manic Panic ($14; manicpanic.com), shake well, and apply with abandon.

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By Marianne Mychaskiw