The Ultimate Guide to Picking the Right Shade of Blonde For You

This icy hue is the lightest on the blonde spectrum and may take the most work to maintain, but it pops in Instagram photos.

The Tip: "That Swedish white blonde is still one of the hottest trends for blondes this season. I love that iridescent shade as seen on Poppy Delevingne," says Paul Edmunds colorist Jack Howard.

The Technique: If you're going for a cool tone, avoid using the word "ash" or "ashy," notes Suite Caroline owner Lena Ott. "When people emphasize ashiness, what I see is that their colorist is over-toning them and they don't feel blonde enough," she explains. She recommends using "cool blonde" terminology instead.

Howard says the quickest way to determine whether you prefer a warm versus cool tone is to see what kind of jewelry you like. "If you prefer silver then you're going to prefer cool or neutral tones and if you like gold generally you'll prefer warmer tones," he explains.

The hue is not nearly as light as platinum but more buttery than white, and it looks great if you have a similar complexion to Kate Hudson. It adds a sunny brightness without the constant maintenance of white-blonde locks.

The Tip: To refresh your color in between visits to the salon, try John Frieda Go Blonder In Shower Lightening Treatment. It softens dark roots while infusing lighter tones for a super-sunny effect.

This warm color, as shown on Beyoncé, works well on natural brunettes or darker blondes who want to keep color appointments to a minimum of every six weeks.

The Technique: Golden blonde looks fantastic when created via balayage, and you can pop the ends a bit more for a more natural effect. Sally Hershberger Colorist Dana Ionato creates a natural look by painting a "V" shape on the hair in small sections. She explains her technique of "working my way up from the nape of the neck toward the front of the head, working with the shape of the head." This leaves a chevron-shaped piece of base color at the root, lightening gradually toward the bottoms. She leaves sections in between each highlighted piece to avoid saturation.

This natural hue, as seen on Gisele Bündchen, incorporates dark blonde, brown and lighter blonde shades intermingled for a natural, beachy effect. "I've found that most celebrities sporting 'bronde' are within two shades of their natural color," notes Howard.

The Tip: With this shade, nomenclature is something to keep in mind. Says Ionato, "Bronde can be a dark blonde with few blonde highlights, or a brunette with a ton of blonde highlights." Make sure to communicate whether you want to be described as a blonde or a brunette if this is your shade of choice.

This pastel-dipped hair hue, like that of Iggy Azalea, is increasing in popularity by the minute and not just at music festivals. Rock it with blonde roots and mid-lengths and you're literally golden. Pass the Manic Panic, please!

The Tip: To keep double-processed ends from becoming straw-like, a mask specifically designed to maintain color will keep everything in good condition. One to try: Kiehl's Sunflower Color Preserving Deep Recovery Pak ($25).

If you are blonde but have a desire to go red, then there may be a solution! A strawberry blonde like Molly Sims's color blends the two hues flawlessly and is a great "training red" to find out how you'll look in the shade.

The Tip: Strawberry blonde is very popular but it can be tricky to nail down the exact shade you're looking for verbally. Ionato suggests bringing at least two photos with you to your appointment and be careful with your word usage, to ensure you get the hue you want.

The deeper blonde hue treads the line between warm and cool, featuring faceted tones of light and dark.

The Technique: Blake Lively's colorist Rona O'Connor says to usher in some sunshine by either softening the overall color by lifting it one shade from roots to ends bringing out the natural warm undertones. Or your colorist can balayage the crown with simulated sun streaks to give the look of sun-kissed hair. "I usually do this with my favorite go-to blonding cream by Goldwell instead of bleach for a softer, natural look," she notes.

Scarlett Johansson's slightly deeper flaxen hue echoes sea sand with lighter and darker tones woven throughout. It is typically created by blending a base color with highlights.

The Tip: When going any shade of blonde, you want to tell your colorist about your maintenance plan. "You don't want to use any shampoos with tints and tones on your own because it could drastically ruin what you have," Ionato explains. She likes to make custom conditioners for her clients infused with hints of shades they've already got in their locks. "That way I can prescribe to them the best way to achieve and keep that love going for long periods of time," she adds.