Lift, then tone

Blonding and Highlights

Partial, full and maximum coverage blonde, always finished with a gloss so the tone is set rather than left raw.

Blonde highlights cut and finished at Shade Studio in Long Branch, New Jersey

Written and reviewed by Shauna Bibi Adri, owner of Shade Studio, eighteen years behind the chair, IBE certified, Milbon trained and Bellami certified.

Updated August 2026

The only hairstylist that gives me the perfect blonde Every. Single. Time. And keeps my hair healthy!
Sophia A., via Google

Blonde is a maintenance relationship

Blonding is two jobs: lightener sets the level, and the gloss decides what that level looks like. Shade Studio offers face frame, partial, full and maximum coverage blonde, and every one finishes with toning. Going significantly lighter is often built across more than one session, and you get that plan at your consultation rather than halfway through.

Blonding is two jobs, and most disappointing blonde comes from only doing the first one. Lightener gets you to a level. The gloss decides what that level actually looks like, whether it reads clean and expensive or yellow and unfinished. Every blonding service here ends with toning, because half a job is not a service.

Blonding is the busiest thing in this studio. A large share of the book is regulars in every four to six weeks, and blonde work is what most of them are in for. That volume is the reason we can be honest with you about what your hair will and will not do: we have almost certainly seen your starting point before.

How far you want to go

Face frame and mini refresh
The smallest way in. Brightness around the face where it shows most, finished with a gloss. A good first step if you are not sure you want a full commitment.
Partial and full blonding
Partial covers what you see in the mirror. Full goes all the way through the back. If you wear your hair up often, full is usually the honest recommendation.
Maximum coverage blonde
The brightest we go. Often built across more than one session depending on what your hair has been through, and always mapped out before we start.

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What to expect

Consultation first for anything beyond a refresh. We look at your natural level, your color history, and the condition of your ends, then tell you what is reachable safely in one appointment. If the honest answer is two sessions, you hear that before you sit down, not halfway through.

Foils or hand painting depending on the result, then processing with a bond step built in, then rinse and tone. Most people add a cut and a blowout, which is worth it: placement that looks incredible wet can disappear entirely in the wrong finish.

Between appointments

A toning shampoo about once a week keeps the tone where we put it. A bond treatment every couple of weeks keeps the hair able to take the next service. If your tone has shifted but your regrowth is fine, a gloss on its own will reset it without any lightener at all.

We are three blocks in from the ocean and it matters. Sun and salt water both pull warmth through blonde faster here than they would for someone living inland.

You can see blonding and highlight work on our Instagram, which is where the freshest work goes first.

Who does this work

Shauna Bibi Adri
Owner, eighteen years behind the chair. Blonding and correction. About Shauna
Samantha Penczak
Lived in color and precision cutting. About Samantha
Pricing
Priced by length, density and how much lift is involved. Current rates live on the service menu; your exact price is confirmed at consultation.

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Questions we actually get asked

Partial or full, how do I know?

Partial covers the top and sides, the pieces you see when you look in a mirror. Full goes all the way around and through the back. If you wear your hair up a lot, or you are going noticeably lighter, full is usually the honest answer.

How many sessions to go really light?

Depends where you are starting and what your hair has been through. Coming from dark or from previous color, maximum coverage blonde is normally built over more than one visit. We will map the whole path at your consultation so you know what you are committing to before you start.

Is a gloss really necessary?

It is the step that makes blonde look expensive instead of raw. Lightener gets you the level; the gloss sets the tone and puts the shine back. Every blonding service here finishes with one.

How often do I need a root touch up?

If you are on a single process, most people are in every four to six weeks. If you are on highlights or blonding, you can usually stretch further because the regrowth is broken up rather than solid.

Will it damage my hair?

Lifting always asks something of the hair, so the job is managing it rather than pretending otherwise. We build a bond step into the service and we will tell you when what you are asking for is not safe in one sitting. Turning down a service is not us being difficult, it is us keeping your hair on your head.

Do I come with clean or dirty hair?

Clean. This is the single most common myth we correct. Product buildup makes accurate placement harder.

Book your blonding appointment

Book your appointment, or call (732) 995-9372. See also balayage and color correction.