If, like me, you've dabbled in a blonde hair colour at some point or other, I'm sure you will know the continual struggle of preserving the high maintenance hue - after all, it's pretty common for bleached hair to go wrong (especially if you're DIY-ing). What you really need? A purple shampoo. Yep, unlike darker brown hair colours, blonde hair has an annoying tendency to fade and become brassy. Thankfully a toning purple shampoo can help prevent this. By switching your regular formula for one that caters to blondes, you'll totally transform your hair. Here's how...

Before you left the hairdressers, they will have applied a toner. These determine the tone of your blonde, e.g. golden or ash blonde. Over time, these shades have a tendency to turn orange and brassy. Certain things will make this more likely. Dunking your head in a chlorine-filled swimming pool, for example, or not wearing a hat on your summer holiday. Newsflash: whether you like it or not, your beautiful blonde will begin to fade, but it's the shampoo you use day in, day out that will make the most difference.

Did you know most regular shampoos contain sulfates? These are cleansing agents that ensure your hair is left squeaky clean. Unfortunately, if used in too high a quantity they can be a bit of a nightmare for blondes, as they strip the hair and in the process remove some of the colour. After a while, you'll notice your hair starts to fade and becomes dull. Thankfully though, a really great purple shampoo will counteract this, and leave locks looking bright again.