Purple Shampoo Before and After: 7 Blonde Transformations

Who doesn’t enjoy a good purple shampoo before and after photo compilation? You’ll love seeing how a simple shampoo can transform brassy blonde into luxe-looking color. 

Check out some before and after examples, tips for toning with purple shampoo, and frequently asked questions so you can get the best results. 

Need Purple Shampoo Before and After Examples?

• Purple shampoo contains violet pigments that counter yellow and brassy tones
• Purple shampoo before and after photos show how it neutralizes warm blondes
• Transform too-warm, brassy blonde into neutral or cool-toned shades

Whether you’ve just bleached your hair or have it on your to-do list, you’re probably on the hunt for a great purple shampoo.

This product is the undisputed holy grail for keeping up with toning bright blonde shades in between salon visits, but many people wonder what a purple shampoo before and after transformation really looks like. 

Is purple shampoo really something you need after going blonde? Is it powerful enough to fix a bad bleach job? Can purple shampoo turn warm blonde into an icy, cool-toned shade?

Let’s set the record straight on purple shampoo and what it can and can’t do before we dive into some before and after examples. 

What Is Purple Shampoo?

Purple shampoo is formulated to cleanse and tone your hair. It contains potent violent pigment that physically overpowers the yellow-to-orange brassy tones in warm blonde shades. 

Why purple/violet pigment? This is the color opposite yellow and yellow-orange on the color wheel.

When you add purple color to very warm, brassy tones, the purple actually neutralizes or cancels out the yellowish orange tones.

The result is an overall cooler-toned blonde that looks more modern and luxe and less 90s cap highlights (and you’ll see examples of purple shampoo before and after photos next). 

Purple shampoo is a workhorse, able to transform brassy and too-warm blonde shades into pretty neutral and cool-toned blondes. But it’s not a miracle product. 

Is Purple Shampoo the Same as Purple Toner?

Purple or violet shampoo is a weaker form of toner, which is usually a semi-permanent hair color or pigmented gloss that changes the overall tone (warm/cool) of your hair color. 

Since it’s not quite as powerful as a semi-permanent violet toner and isn’t in contact with the hair for as long, purple shampoo can be used to deliver a subtle but gradual change in the overall color tone. 

It won’t completely transform a very warm blonde shade into an ultra-cool one, but the observable difference after using violet shampoo can be surprisingly major. 

Let’s take a look at some purple shampoo before and after photos so you can see what to expect when you use this kind of toner to adjust your blonde hair color!

7 Purple Shampoo Before and After Transformations

Getting a look at purple shampoo before and after photos will help you develop reasonable expectations for the type of results you might get when using a pigmented shampoo to tone blonde hair. 

While you shouldn’t expect a radical color change with violet-pigmented shampoo, you can set your sights on an overall cooler-toned blonde that looks more natural and bright. 

1. Toned-Down Brassy Yellow to Flaxen Blonde

On ultra-warm blonde colors that scream brassy, even a single application of purple shampoo can make a noticeable difference in the overall tone. 

Here, blonde that borders on yellow gold gets toned down to a more palatable flaxen blonde shade that’s still warm, but much less so. Continued use of purple shampoo can further cool down the tone of the color. 

2. Dull Gold Transformed to Dimensional Light Wheat Blonde

Violet shampoo can make a huge difference in already-light blonde hair with obvious golden or brassy tones. This example shows how a dull, golden blonde looks lighter and brighter with the gentle toning of purple shampoo! 

If you’re able, adding a subtle shadow root or root smudge will help a cooler-toned blonde stand out, reduce your level of maintenance, and look a bit more natural. 

3. Purple Shampoo on Brassy Rose to Neutral Rose Gold

In the before photo, you can see how warm and orange-leaning this shade of blonde was. A few shampoos with violet pigment reveal a cooler overall tone with some warmth left near the roots. 

While it’s not as transformative as a professionally applied toner, it’ll get the job done for a quick fix at home on the cheap. The after photo shows a color that’s much more flattering and less brassy. 

4. Warm Honey Toned to Neutral Taupe Blonde

Warm honey blonde can be a great color – but not if you’re aiming for a cool or neutral-toned shade like ash or taupe blonde. You can turn it around with purple shampoo.

Let the violet pigments in the shampoo neutralize the yellowish brassy tones to reveal a gorgeous new shade of neutral taupe blonde!

5. Blonde Root Touch-Up + Purple Shampoo

Rooty, brassy blonde in the before photo looks tired, dull, and patchy with areas of ultra-warm blonde in between strips of neutral blonde. 

A professional touch-up takes care of the brown roots, while toning with purple shampoo (and possibly a violet toner to achieve these amazing results) makes the blonde cooler overall. 

6. Toning Shampoo and Haircut Transformation

The light blonde color seen in the before photo is uneven, especially toward the brittle ends. You can see the underlying yellow golden tones that make the color appear a little dated. 

An entire transformation was in order for this stunning before and after! A shoulder-length bob haircut tidies the shape up while purple shampoo tones the color to a cooler ash blonde. 

7. Brazen Brass Toned to Strawberry Blonde

If you ever end up with almost-orange brassy tones in your hair after bleaching, remember this purple shampoo before and after photo!

You can always pivot to a pretty strawberry blonde color by countering those brazen brassy tones with a little violet pigment.

The results are a smidge uneven in spots (it’s shampoo, not a true toner), but it’s much better than ending up with unintended copper. 

Should You Let Purple Shampoo Sit In Your Hair?

We’ve all seen the posts on TikTok and Instagram touting the blonde-transforming benefits of applying purple shampoo as normal, then letting it sit for hours or even overnight.

Turns out, leaving purple shampoo in your hair for longer than 30 minutes is never a good idea. You won’t get any additional toning benefits – but it’s almost sure to cause issues. 

As you can see in the picture above, allowing purple shampoo – which contains violet pigment – to stay in your hair for longer than 30 minutes will result in the shampoo staining your hair with uneven purple color. 

The driest, most damaged sections of your hair will absorb more of the purple pigment, resulting in splotches of lilac color that look anything but purposeful. 

Other issues of keeping purple shampoo in your hair too long include scalp irritation, product buildup that mimics dandruff, and over-drying of the hair due to prolonged contact with the cleansing ingredients in shampoo. 

Long story short, don’t exceed the time listed on your purple shampoo directions and instead focus on consistent, weekly applications for the best results. 

Things to Consider

The shampoo brand, application method and time, and current color of your hair will all affect how powerful your purple shampoo before and after transformation is. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind before you start using a violet-pigmented shampoo to tone your blonde hair color. 

• Follow the directions on the bottle. Every brand’s purple shampoo formula is slightly different, so general directions you’ll find online may not be the best instructions for every formula. Make sure to read and follow the directions on your shampoo to ensure you apply it properly and don’t leave it in too long. 
• Use a highly-pigmented shampoo. Try John Frieda Violet Crush Purple Shampoo, MATRIX Total Results So Silver Color Depositing Purple Shampoo, or Redken Color Extend Blondage Color Depositing Purple Shampoo for the best results. These 3 products are all highly-pigmented shampoos that pack more of a punch than cheap or store-brand products. 
• Make sure your blonde shade is light enough. Dark blonde shades see less noticeable results and medium blonde shades can achieve very subtle toning with purple shampoo alone. Light blonde shades will see the best results from violet shampoo, so make sure your base hair color has reached a high enough level if you’re hoping for impactful results. 
• Go with blue shampoo if your hair is brown. Purple shampoo only offers toning benefits to blonde hair. If your hair is brown and you’re dealing with warm, brassy tones, you can use blue shampoo instead. Blue shampoo neutralizes warm orange tones in brunette colors and can be really effective if you want a cooler brown tone.
• Don’t apply purple shampoo to dry hair. Purple shampoo on dry hair was a trending topic for a while, promising to deliver super-charged toning results similar to a professionally applied violet toner. But this method can tint, damage, and dry out your hair. Only apply purple shampoo to wet hair and be sure to rinse it out completely for the best results. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Still wondering about the purple shampoo before and after photos you’ve seen and whether or not you’ll get the same results? Check out the most frequently asked questions to learn more. 

So, Does Purple Shampoo Really Get Results?

We love a good purple shampoo before and after – it’s so satisfying to see how a quick lather and rinse can reveal a more natural, brighter blonde. 

Purple shampoo definitely gets results as long as you’re using it on a compatible base color (light to medium blonde) and have reasonable expectations.

It can’t fix really patchy or uneven color, lighten your hair, or deliver a complete 180 (like going from strawberry blonde to icy platinum). 

We’ve spilled all the details and tips on making sure purple shampoo works for you, but purple shampoo before and after photos are worth a thousand words. 

You can bust brassy tones, achieve a purer, more natural blonde, and keep your color looking fabulous in between salon visits when you start toning once or twice a week in the shower. 

Since maintaining a light blonde hair color can be challenging in itself, it’s really nice that taking care of toning can be as simple as shampooing!