(This applies to haircuts, too, by the way; Johnson says some clients at her salon are lengthening their time between cuts and requesting “very structured cuts” that retain their original shape as they grow out.)
Photo: Angela Trakoshis
Photo: Angela Trakoshis
Even Allure editors have tweaked their color maintenance routines to cut costs; while a job as a beauty editor occasionally means gratis color services, it isn’t a “free color every six weeks” kind of situation. Commerce editor Angela Trakoshis went blonde in 2021 and quickly found out that it’s true what they say: “Blondes do have more fun, but it’s expensive and time-consuming to have fun.” Trakoshis used to spend close to eight hours and shell out close to $500 every few months to stay blonde. “My watch and my wallet were over it.” She went back to her natural dark roots in 2023 and hasn’t looked back.
Like me, content director Kara McGrath lived the platinum blonde life for a few years before transitioning back to a much lower-maintenance blonde; her platinum era lasted from 2017 until 2024. “I (finally) started getting sick of spending hundreds of dollars every six weeks,” McGrath shares. She worked with her colorist to find a darker blonde shade similar to her natural color and added “face-framing highlights and a few babylights” for brightness. “Now I only go to the salon a couple of times a year, which has been good for both my wallet and my previously bleach-fried hair.”
Photo: Kara McGrath
Photo: Kara McGrath
Lexi Herrick, Allure’s senior director of audience development, said her sandy-blonde hair was “a firmly rooted part of my identity,” one she maintained with regular highlights. But when prepping for her engagement photos, Herrick swapped the highlights for lowlights, closer to naturally dark blonde. “I look forward to fewer trips to the salon and less impact on my wallet,” she says.
If you’re thinking about paring back your routine, you don’t have to abandon the salon entirely—even if you’re a bottle blonde like me. Blonde has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most high-maintenance hair colors, but you can adapt it to better fit your budget without going brunette. New York City stylist and colorist Charles Brackney Love recommends a classic balayage for long-lasting color, especially with creamy, golden, or “subtly bronzed” highlights. At-home maintenance is also essential to preserve your color, says Johnson; she makes sure her clients use color-preserving products and protect their hair at night (like with a bonnet or silk pillowcase) to stretch out time between appointments.