You heard it here first, Spring 2025 is getting a major blonde update, and our muse? It’s none other than the ultimate trendsetter, Molly Mae. Welcome Buttermilk Blonde, the ultra-soft, milky blonde shade that’s about to take over your salon mood boards and clients' requests. Although spring tends to lean more towards golden, sun-kissed and warmer tones, this year we are seeing a shift towards something creamier, subtler and effortlessly luxurious. Buttermilk Blonde is the new neutral for blondes.

We sat down with our Alan Howard Educator, Sara Simpson, to discuss the trending Buttermilk Blonde, and how you can achieve this colour in your salons using Quif Professional.

“Buttermilk Blonde is ideal for natural blondes who lift well, usually those with a level 8 base or higher. Once you’ve lifted to a clean level 10, I’d tone with magi:colour 10:13 on its own to get that signature creamy, milky finish.”

Sara’s Top Tip: “If there’s a little gold coming through after lifting, I like to mix 10ml of 10.13 with 10ml of 10:03, using magi:fuel at a 1:1.5 ratio. This gives the perfect balance of beige and softness while still keeping a subtle golden undertone.”

“If you’re a stylist using Quif quint:essential, I’d recommend 10:13 solo on a clean base, but if any warmth remains, try 10ml of 10:0, 10ml of 10:3, and 20ml of 10:13, mixed 1:1 with 1.5% demi fuel.

Sara’s Top Tip: “Remember, when using magi:fuel or your 1.5%, let your formula sit for 5 minutes before application. This step allows the ammonia to evaporate and lowers the pH, creating a more gentle tone-on-tone finish.”

“For my magi:gloss lovers, 10:13 works beautifully on a light enough base, and you can even dilute it with the clear gloss to soften the tone. For a more neutral look, I’d suggest a mix of 5ml 9:02, 5ml 10:0 and 10ml 10:13, with magi:gloss activator at 1:1.5ml, processed for up to 20 minutes!”

As Buttermilk Blonde is the perfect blend of cool beige and subtle golden tones, it’s important to create a flattering, milky blonde that’s not overly warm nor too icy. Bringing a softer edge to the previously popular platinum and ash blondes, Buttermilk Blonde offers a refreshing take that feels neutral yet elevated.

Unlike the traditional balayage, this trend sees a brighter blonde carried right to the root, delivering a more high-impact finish, yet still looking seamless. Your clients will surely achieve the ‘fresh out the salon’ look with this added brightness.

The secret to Buttermilk Blonde’s softness lies in the babylights and subtle face-framing highlights. These delicate touches brighten up your client’s overall look and give the colour subtle dimension, making it the perfect low effort, high impact look for clients.

To keep this colour looking glossy and fresh, regular gloss treatments and colour-safe hair products are the key! It’s recommended that your clients book in for a tone or gloss appointment every 6-8 weeks to maintain the creamy tone and prevent any brass from creeping in. If needed, sparingly use a purple shampoo once a week to help balance out any brass.

Is your salon ready for spring’s biggest blonde moment? Stay ahead of the trend with Quif as this is going to be the shade every blonde client will be asking for…

Want to discover how to create the ultimate blonde, bronde and creative tonal result? Learn all you need to banish the brass and create a bespoke tonal result for every client with our Quif Toning Formulations course at Alan Howard with Sara Simpson herself. For more info, click here.