3 S’poreans share what it’s like going blonde, & why it’s more than just ‘changing your looks’

Blondes have more fun — or do they not?

Some of us have got to admit that at some point in time, we’ve toyed with the idea of getting a drastic hair makeover and going blonde.

We mean, it’s hard to not think about it when we scroll through social media and look at how good all these celebrities and influencers look.

But in reality, they have a whole team of stylists behind them to constantly upkeep their tresses.

But if you’re just an average Joe like us, changing your hair colour dramatically is always going to be high maintenance.

You’ll need to put in tons of effort, your own money and time to visit the salon as well as change your entire hair routine.

Going blonde — a real perspective

Not only is it expensive to go blonde, but it’s also terribly hard to maintain.

All these monthly touch-ups and bleaching are going to burn a hole in your pocket sooner or later.

However, people who have gone blonde continue to spend money to keep their hair because… it looks good on them.

Standing out in the sea of black Asian hair could leave a long-lasting impression on others, and they do find themselves on the receiving end of compliments.

We spoke to three of our Mothership colleagues who currently have/had blonde hair.

They shed some light on the reasons why they decided to go blonde, the difficulties they’ve faced and what is needed to take care of their hair.

Chose to go blonde because wanted a change

Kane Raynard Goh, a content lead at Mothership, said that he made the decision to go blonde because he’s always enjoyed changing up his look and style and has always wanted to try lighter hair colours.

“It's fun to experiment with colours and to just see what works for me,” he said.

Angela Lim, also a content lead, shared that she went blonde simply because she has never bleached her hair before and wanted to try it.

Aisyah Iskandar, an account manager, said that she wanted a change because she was bored of her hair and overall looks.

She had her reservations at first, but decided to take the plunge.

It turned out to be a good experience because she had fun trying out different tones of blonde, such as silver, pink and yellow.

It made a huge difference to how she looked.

Ego-boosting compliments from friends

In Goh’s own words:

“I always get good feedback from my peers when I go blonde. Not sure if they are patronising me, but it does feel good. One colleague mentioned to me that they couldn't see me with dark hair because my blonde hair has left a lasting impression on their minds.”

Although for Lim, who eventually felt that blonde didn't suit her, her hair was well-received by her partner because it was quite “hip”.

Aisyah also received a lot of support from her friends regarding the change.

“I guess it’s because they admired the courage behind the change. Of course, it also made room for more ‘dumb blonde’ jokes but we all just get a good laugh from it,” she chuckled.

However, not everyone accepted the change in the beginning

Despite the compliments from their peers, it was slightly tough getting the older folks to be a fan.

According to Goh, his parents hated it at first but eventually grew to accept it.

As for Aisyah, she revealed that her mother was shocked but got used to it after a while and eventually grew to like it.

“Occasionally, she would joke and say that I look so much prettier with natural hair. But it’s been so long now (over two years) since I’ve been blonde that I think she doesn’t even remember what I looked like with dark hair,” Aisyah said, adding that her grandmother was also shocked, but nothing too drastic a reaction.

Lim’s family were slightly traditional — they didn’t think it was nice because they felt that Asians should have black hair.

And also, they thought she looked like an “Ah Lian”.

But it’s worth it because it brings self-confidence

Goh confessed that he feels great after the drastic hair change.

“Somehow, I felt more confident. Even bold and edgy too,” he admitted.

As Goh is surrounded by people with mostly dark hair, going blonde made him feel different.

For a person who enjoys dressing up and keeping up with trends, blonde hair pushed him to be more experimental with his wardrobe choices, and motivated him to try new things.

According to Aisyah, going blonde made her feel the best she’s ever felt in her life.

Having blonde hair increased her self-confidence, because it escalated her overall look and vibe.

She also divulged that she didn’t even have to try hard to make an impression when meeting new people because they’d automatically identify her as “the blonde one”.

In fact, bleaching her hair has even taught her life lessons.

“My hair really influenced my life. Ever since I bleached my hair, I feel like it’s just hair. If it’s ugly, you can always change it or wait for it to grow back,” she said.

“The mentality translated into life. I feel like it’s okay if things go wrong, life will find its way again. I became more daring as a person and took more chances.”

Blonde hair is difficult to upkeep, and you’ll need to put in time, effort and money

Both Goh and Aisyah mentioned that they would go for monthly or bi-monthly touch-ups to maintain their hair.

Kane would go for monthly touch-ups, and request his stylist to leave his roots black (about 1cm) so that his hair will look more natural when it grows out.

As someone who pays serious attention to her hair, Aisyah pays a premium to bleach her roots every two months.

On top of that, she uses the purple shampoo at every wash to remove the brassiness so that it doesn’t turn yellow.

Trying out the shampoo and conditioner

Aisyah had the chance to use the Fudge shampoo and conditioner for a week and it turned out to be quite a positive experience for her.

She likes the colour payoff, as well as how vibrant the shampoo and condition made her hair.

It also helped to make the tone of her hair less yellow and more vibrant.

Aisyah was impressed at how it didn’t tint her hair purple, along with the scent that lingered for more than 24 hours.

Using purple shampoo is paramount to maintaining blonde hair

To upkeep blonde hair, you’ll also need to upgrade your haircare.

All three colleagues cited that using purple shampoo is necessary to maintain their blonde locks.

People who have gone blonde or are currently trying to upkeep that hair colour know that just any shampoo won't do.

One purple shampoo you can consider for keeping your blonde locks looking shiny and vibrant is Fudge’s Clean Blonde Damage Rewind hair shampoo.

Not only will it prevent brassy hair, it will also help keep your blonde bright and fresh.

The benefits of using purple shampoo

In just one wash, Fudge’s Clean Blonde Damage Rewind hair shampoo erases damage and unwanted yellow tones.

It claims to have the strongest violet pigment in the market that helps to turn your blonde back from the first wash.

The shampoo’s unique Opti-PLEX™ technology penetrates deep into the hair’s core to repair the harm caused by chemical treatment, ultimately restoring your hair back to its natural virgin condition.

For optimal results, pair the shampoo with Fudge’s Professional Clean Blonde Damage Rewind Conditioner.

Not only does it hydrate your mane, the conditioner also contains FragranceFuse™ technology to ensure that your hair smells great 24/7.

The Clean Blonde Damage Rewind Violet Toning Shampoo (250ml and Conditioner (250ml) bundle costs S$39.60.

Find out more about Fudge’s Clean Blonde range here.

This is a sponsored article by Fudge Shampoo.