Have you ever tried to tell the difference between ice blonde and platinum blonde? While many claim blonde hair shades are variations of the same color, we’re here to show you the significant differences between the two shades.
We’ll take you through the ice blonde vs. platinum blonde details and how you could maintain these hair colors.
Also, we’ll show you what these hair shades look like to help you understand which blonde color works best for you.
Ice Blonde
Ice blonde is one of the paler blonde shades that fall on the cooler end. It tends toward the blues and purples as undertones, meaning it lacks the warmth you get with honey shades or even a bleach blonde. To achieve an ice blonde, expect to take your hair to a level 10 (the absolute palest yellow/white stage of blonde).
Platinum Blonde
The platinum blonde also sits at the lightest end of the blondes. It is typically a bright, clear blonde that can lean cool with undertones of silver, pearl, and ash, or warm with hints of buttery gold. You need to have your hair lifted to a level 10 to work into a platinum blonde.
What Does Ice Blonde and Platinum Blonde Hair Look Like?
Ice-blonde hair is the brightest cool-toned color you could achieve. In terms of looks, it’s similar to platinum blonde, but ice blonde emphasizes ashy tones similar to ash blonde hair. However, ice-blonde hair keeps your desired vibrancy that looks almost white.
Platinum blonde hair isn’t the color that allows you to blend into a crowd. Instead, the white, gray, and blonde balance shows why platinum blonde is known as the lightest shade of blonde hair.
The color will always look most vibrant in the sunlight, no matter how subtly you apply tones to your platinum blonde hair.
Also, even though platinum blonde looks silver or icy, it’s still blonde. You might notice some yellow or brassy undertones, so it’s a good idea to use a silver conditioner to reduce that brassiness.
Platinum Blonde Vs. Ice Blonde
While both are level 10 blonde shades, ice blonde and platinum blonde, they still have some major differences.
Stylist’s Tip: While both of these stunning shades sit at a Level 10, getting there usually requires lifting most of the hair’s natural pigment. This high-lift bleaching can severely disrupt the cuticle and increase the risk of scalp burns and breakage. Book a professional colorist to help protect your hair’s integrity.
Cost
Ice blonde and platinum blonde are two of the most expensive blonde shades to achieve because there are multiple steps you need to take to achieve the white base you need, often costing $200-$500+ for the initial double-process, depending on your starting color and location.
After paying for the bleaching, you need to invest money in the multiple salon treatments you will need.
Ice blonde and platinum blonde hair require touch-ups at least every four to five weeks, though it’s more common to go every three weeks.
Maintenance
Whether you have ice blonde or platinum blonde, you need to invest money in a good-quality purple shampoo. Everyone with cool-toned blonde hair must use purple shampoo to prevent fading and keep the shade vibrant.
Platinum blonde and ice blonde require consistent maintenance to avoid losing the deposited toners in your hair. In addition, you need to use color-enhancing purple shampoo to protect your hair while washing. Use purple shampoo only once every 1–2 weeks, not every wash, to prevent over-toning and excessive dryness.
You might consider a silver mask or silver shampoo to support your platinum blonde hair. It can offset some of the yellowing that comes from washing your hair with tap water.
Along with shampoos, you should sparingly wash your blonde hair and avoid using hot water.
Getting blonde hair means you’ll need to bleach your hair to achieve a white base. However, an excessive amount of bleaching causes damage to your hair, so it’s important to maintain color-treated hair by using hair masks to minimize the appearance of damage and restore moisture.
Skin Tone
Both icy and platinum blonde beautifully complement pale or light skin tones, illuminating the face and making light eyes pop.
However, platinum blonde hair can look beautiful on darker skin tones or women with olive skin. If you have a dark skin tone, the yellow undertones add depth to your hair while contrasting your skin.
Summary
Ice blonde and platinum blonde are both light, level 10 blonde shades, but they differ in tone and maintenance.
Ice blonde is a very pale blonde with cool, ashy undertones, leaning towards blues and purples. It lacks the warmth of other blonde shades and maintains a vibrant, almost white appearance.
On the other hand, platinum blonde is a bright, clear blonde that can lean cool with undertones of silver, pearl, and ash, or warm with hints of buttery gold.
Both require significant maintenance, including frequent salon visits, specialized shampoos, and careful washing routines.
They are best suited for paler skin tones, with platinum blonde complementing darker or olive skin tones due to its yellow undertones.
FAQs
Do you still have questions regarding ice blonde vs. platinum blonde? Here are the frequently asked questions about them.
Ice blonde hair is cool-toned with ashy hues, so ice blonde is more white. Platinum blonde can sometimes be warmer with hints of buttery gold, making it look slightly less stark white than the heavily cool-toned ice blonde.
No. Both platinum-blonde and ice-blonde hair fade fast because they are so light-colored and susceptible to discoloration from the sun, tap water, and more.
Expect to get touch-ups every four to five weeks for either shade of blonde.
Both blondes are high maintenance and require regular upkeep, both at home and with regular salon visits.
These shades require your hair to be at a level 10, which requires bleaching that damages your hair. So, you’ll need to pamper your hair with hair masks and other moisturizers to keep your hair healthy.