Since the lockdown, I’ve been trying to embrace my natural blonde locks and lay off the highlights. Who needs the blonde bombshell look when no one appreciates it, right? However, I realized that my natural blonde color is a bit blah. So, I decided to try out the John Frieda Go Blonder Shampoo/Conditioner, which claims to lighten hair up to 2 shades. Does it really work? Well, let’s find out!
Embracing My Blonde Hair
Growing up, I used to hate my freckles and blonde hair. To hide my freckles, I even used my mom’s foundation, which was always two shades too dark for me. And during my teenage years, I constantly dyed my hair darker, even going for a bright ginger look at one point. Thankfully, as I’ve grown older, I’ve learned to embrace both my freckles and my blonde hair. Being blonde suits my skin tone, complements my freckles, and gives me the perfect excuse for taking a little longer to understand things 😉
Blonde as a Way of Life
It’s funny to think of hair color as a way of life. I’ve often had conversations with people on the phone, and when I finally meet them, they say, “Ah, I knew you’d be blonde. I could tell by your voice/mannerisms/personality/inability to get the point, etc.” Maybe it wasn’t always meant as a compliment, but I’m taking it as one!
The Experience with John Frieda Go Blonder
First things first, the shampoo smells really nice, which is always a good start. While they recommend using the John Frieda Go Blonder shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in lightening spray together, I decided to stick with just the shampoo and conditioner.
Before using the products, my hair looked like this:
And after just one wash:
As you can see, my hair already looks slightly lighter after just one wash. Over the next few washes, it continued to lighten even more. However, besides the lightening effect, it also took away the yellow/brassiness from my hair, similar to what a purple shampoo does. It’s important to note that I don’t wash my hair every day, usually only every 3 days. So, if you wash your hair daily, you might experience a more dramatic effect.
I have different kinds of highlights and low lights in my hair from past dye jobs, as well as my natural blonde roots. This shampoo lightened everything, but the contrast between my natural and treated blonde remained the same, just a little lighter.
Final Thoughts
Is it as effective as getting babylights that make you look like you’ve just come back from a week in Portugal? No. But as someone who is affectionately called “Blondie,” “Barbie,” or “Paris” regularly, this is exactly what I need to get through the winter months.
Before anyone gets upset, let me make it clear that I’m speaking tongue-in-cheek about all the blonde jokes. They’re just jokes, after all. Underestimate me all you want, and I’ll show you what blondies can really do. Or maybe I’ll just prove it in a less passive-aggressive and cheesy way 😉
Overall, the John Frieda Go Blonder Shampoo/Conditioner is a pleasant and effective option for lightening and removing brassiness from blonde hair. Give it a try and embrace your inner blonde bombshell!
Footnote: I acknowledge that this contradicts my previous article about using shampoo bars. I tried this product during the summer lockdown when our shopping options were limited to one weekly supermarket visit, which meant using shampoo in plastic bottles.
