My first post about Strawberry Blonde Hair and every hair color formula I’ve ever tried is in {this} post. I decided to try a few more formulas for strawberry blonde and documented them here. The photos of the results are labeled below.
Wella Color Charm makes natural red shades and the formula is excellent at keeping color vibrant. For strawberry blondes and reds that is a HUGE deal, as reds always fade the most quickly!
I tried the cream version and the liquid. I felt like the cream did the best job of covering my 90% grey hair. With the liquid I’m still seeing a few greys come through.
The liquid was faster and easier to work with, but the cream did a more professional looking job in the end. It took 3 tubes of the cream to saturate my hair and 2 bottles of the liquid.
It does cost slightly more for me to do the cream, but I prefer it and think it’s the closest look I’ve ever had to salon color at home. Even my friends thought I’d had it done in the salon.
You can shop everything you’ll need for this hair color below, by clicking on the links or photos, or by shopping here on my amazon influencer storefront.
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I tried three different combinations so far. I am not a professional hair stylist, just a gal who is (somewhat) fearless when it comes to at-home color. These are the combinations I’ve tried over the last four months.
FORMULA #1 | 8RG, Titian Red Blonde mixed with 7R, Red-Red
I mixed one tube of each. This is the same combination that I use with the boxed color from L’Oreal. Only I forgot that boxed dye is so much less potent than salon dye you mix yourself.
My hair came out BRIGHT RED.
And I mean bright. I don’t even have a picture. I drove right back to Sally’s the next morning and got a clarifying shampoo to try and strip the red.
But even still, washing it every day with this combo, my hair was red. It took about 3 weeks for it to fade into a dark strawberry blonde. The picture below is from 3 to 4 weeks after I colored it. *I will never, ever do this combo again.* Way too red for my personal preference and skintone.
Formula #1 results (2 photos):
FORMULA #2 | 8RG Titian Red Blonde
I did the shade on it’s own, just to get a base idea of what this shade looks like without any mixing.
My sides came out pretty red still, but the roots at the top looked really good. The body of the hair still had so much red in it from my color whoops above, because I didn’t strip my hair in between these colorings.
8RG Titian Blonde might come out less red on someone who doesn’t have the amount of red I had in my hair. Overall, super impressed with this color. Really pretty.
Formula #2 Results (3 photos):
FORMULA #3 | 8RG Titian Red Blonde mixed with 8G Light Golden Blonde
My favorite combo so far! This was the combo that I tried with the liquid color and so I’m slightly disappointed that the liquid didn’t cover my greys as well.
But the color combo itself is really pretty.
It’s a gorgeous, bright (in the right way) strawberry blonde. The roots came out a teeny bit too light for my personal coloring, so next time I am going to try combining it with one shade darker, 7G, Sunlight Blonde Brown, which is almost my natural hair color before going grey.
But here’s why I like this 8GR and 8G combo: the 8G gave enough gold to compliment the 8RG, but was enough of a “natural” color that it toned down the red for me. The result was a very natural, light and bright, strawberry blonde.
To me, especially in person, this is the color that looks the most like it really just grew out of my head. People have started asking me again if this is my natural color again, which I always take as a good sign.
Related Post | My Current 2021 Strawberry Blonde Hair Color Formula
Formula #3 Results (4 photos):
FORMULA #4 | 8RG + 7G
I tried the 8RG and 7G combo right before traveling to see friends and then go to another friend’s wedding, so I don’t have tons of pics of that color, but here are a few I found.
It started off really dark, almost a brown, with deep shades of red, then over the course of the week (swimming in the ocean, washing my hair) faded to a nice strawberry shade. But that first week I was not a fan of the shade, to be honest.
Formula #4 Results (1 photo):
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Thank you for reading and being a part of the blog! – Molly
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Fantastic info, hope to try it myself as soon as the color I got done at the salon (which is too dark) fades! Thank you thank you thank you :-D
I'm so glad!! This is my favorite new color line, let me know what you think when you try it!!
Molly
Does strawberry blonde hair bleed in the shower?
Hi there, yes the first wash or two I do notice the color bleeding a tiny bit then after that the color is "set" with the Wella formulas. :)
Thank you. By the way do you happen to know, if I am a 7N, like a light ashy brown/blonde. Would the Wella mix work with a 20 developer.
That's what I use it with, but I'm not a hairdresser so I can't say for sure. I'd try that and then adjust each time until you get the right formula for your hair! :)
Have you tried E.Salon.com custom hair color for a strawberry blond color?
Love your posts! Thanks fo much for the information!
I'm so glad you find them helpful! Thank you for taking the time to let me know, so sweet of you!!
Molly
Molly - this is JUST what I've been looking for! I used to use a 7G box dye that has since been discontinued. I have been looking for the perfect replacement ever since. I love your hair color, and it is just like what I used to have, only better! :) If my hair is a little darker and very warm (turns red EASILY) what do you suggest? Thanks, and keep up the awesome posts and videos!!
Thank you, so glad this post helped you!! I think the last combo of Titian Blonde and Golden Blonde might be good for you, or if you want to go a bit darker, you could do Titian Blonde with 7G Sunlight Blonde Brown. This gave me one shade darker hair, def more of a brown than a blonde. Let me know what you pick! :)
Hi Molly, do you have a pic of the result you got with the 8RG and the 7G? Thanks!
I have a question, what care products do you use for strawberry blonde hair? should we use purple shampoo to ease the brassiness? Or will that make it more blonde? which in that case, thats not what we want to achieve a strawberry blonde.
Sometimes I do use purple shampoo when I'm getting brassy, it just tones the brassiness for me, it doesn't seem to make it more blonde. Occasionally I use a red depositing shampoo and conditioner. But I've found with using Wella that my reds don't fade much, so I'm mostly using Kerastase or Living Proof. Sometimes Suave Naturals Moisturizing formula too. I was thinking of doing a whole post on how to keep the color vibrant, this was good confirmation for me that I should!
Thank you! :) I'll be looking forward for your posts!
You are a fountain of information for us red hair wannabes! Quick question... does it matter what color you have as a base when using Wella products? Also, will it pick up existing highlights that were done professionally? I'm so tempted to take the red plunge but don't want to waste my highlight investment!
So glad this helped! My hair is 90% grey, so my color does comes out brighter/lighter than if you were coming from a brown or dark blonde base. I do try to be careful with highlights, I have had them turn green before when putting the red over them! Maybe have a pro do the strawberry blonde first, then touch up the roots yourself? That way the highlights will still come through with the strawberry blonde and they won't turn green on you. Then keep everything up at home :)
Hello this an awesome post! I know it's been up for a while but found it while looking for strawberry blonde colors...Do you think the combination 8g and 8rg would come out similar to yours on bleached hair? Thanks for any reply
Nice color, but this is not the same brand as wella color in the salon. Totally different manufacturer.
Interesting! I find both formulas to be really high quality. I've been happy with both.
great color... the last photo with the tighter curls... a believe soft strawberry blonde, like the lady on American Horror Story, first season. That's the color I want. What was your base color? Right now my hair is probly a 7RG but draby a bit. It was previously bleached blonde for years then I put Argan 6RG and 6C mix which was came out auburn, pretty but too red. So I use color oops to strip the darkness and red out, which is where I am now. I've got orange-gold hair, primed, for coloring, and I've got coconut oil in it for overnight to condition. I love Wella colors, I stick to them almost exclusively.- I want to try your 8RG/8G combo. Any tips? Conditioning, treating?
Thanks!
Thank you! I like the last combo the best as well. And people think it's my natural color, which is a good sign! My hair was a light brown with reddish tones growing up, but I started going grey at 20, and am now about 90% grey. The coconut oil is such a good move! I put in on the bottom 4 inches of my hair before I color too, so my ends don't get fried. Also, if the combo comes out too red or brassy, a good toning shampoo like Clairol Shimmer Lights in Violet has toned down my hair for me. And if you feel like really going for it, Kerastase and Oribe have changed my hair for the better every time I've made the splurge. Let me know how the color comes out!!
Thanks for the reply. I've already got the 8g and 8rg ready to go. Like you I'm naturally a red\golden light brown but have been bleached blonde for years and it's taken a toll on my tresses. My hair was in the middle of my back but I cut off 4 to 5 inches because I was so frustrated with the damage. Recently I tried going light brown, it took too dark and lighter colours are more flattering for an hourglass figure like yours and mine. Well I did a color oops and now I'm a medium brassy auburn. I'll do another stripping to lighten it enough so the level 8 will take, I hope. As for the repairing my hair - I feel like I've tried everything on the shelf. Which kerastase did you use? a shampoo or conditioner, combo, masque? I looked them up and there's tons! I'm willing to spend the money to save my hair because I considered shaving my head and wearing a wig until it grew back LOL! Thanks again. Cheers!
So I am a natural Strawberry Blonde. Over the past few months I have noticed a few grays at the temples. I have always been too chicken to color my hair for fear of it turning orange, but last night I took the plunge. I used the Loreal 9GR, and I have to say....it looks pretty close to perfect. My natural hair had more golden high lights, but so far I an liking this. Today and tomorrow will be the test though, when I go to work we will see if anyone notices a difference. The big one will be on Thursday when my husband cones home from an out of town trip. I'll let you know. Thank you for this site as I read this before taking the plunge. PS-Your hair looks BEAUTIFUL!! :)
Thank you so much!! I'm SO glad your color turned out beautiful. How is it holding up and did people at work and your husband notice?
I used the Kerastase Bain 2 (http://www.kerastase-usa.com/bain_satin_2/E0843800.html?dwvar_E0843800_size=250ML) and I'd like to try one of their conditioners next. The Resistance line from Kerastase also looks great for damaged hair. The masks are supposed to be amazing as well and worth the price tag.
You are fabulous! LOOOVE your color, it looks great on you!
I went red once and my fiance wasn't impressed. Apparently not a fan so I didn't keep it. I've always seen red as a more feminine color so I was sad to let it go.
How do you keep your hair healthy with all of coloring you do? Thanks to you and some personal trial and error I have put together a solid ritual of hair care but the one thing I cant figure out is a good conditioning regiment or other method of preserving hair and treating what is already damaged (did a few color changes myself). Forgive me if I missed your post on this. I'm reading through your blog as fast as possible :)
You are fabulous, thank you for all the sweet compliments on the blog! Ok, so I've been meaning to put together a healthy hair post and this is good confirmation for me that I should. One of the biggest things that I've noticed makes a difference in my hair is putting a pea size amount of coconut oil on the bottom 1" of my hair every day or every other day if your hair is fine. When I do this, my hair looks healthy, when I don't it looks fried. Full post to come!
What brand coconut oil do you use? I have a cooking brand n I think its almost too heavy n has kept color from penetrating.
I use Trader Joe's or Spectrum from Whole Foods. I just buy whatever is on sale, which is probably not the best way to buy coconut oil!
Hand on my heart, this might be the most perfect and comprehensive post on the internet. I have one last session with my stylist to break down the dark color in my hair before I take on starting to color my hair myself (again.) So this post is going to be super helpful.
Also, you're totally a strawberry blonde goddess with a hilarious (writing) voice!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is so nice of you to say. I really hope it helps and that you get the color you want. Please let me know how it goes :)