Image credits: Cosmopolitan
The blonde money piece has become one of the hottest hair color trends in recent years. This bold yet versatile look features bright blonde highlights framing the face, creating a striking contrast against the rest of the hair.
The money piece has been spotted on celebrities like Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and Emma Stone, sparking interest among style influencers everywhere.
But what exactly is a blonde money piece, and how did it become so popular? In this deep dive, we’ll explore the origins of the trend, its continued rise to prominence, how to achieve the look, and expert tips for maintaining it. Whether you’re looking to give your tresses a fresh update or simply want to understand the craze around this fashionable style, read on for an in-depth guide to the blonde money piece.
1. The Origins of the Blonde Money Piece
The blonde money piece is essentially face-framing highlights, with a bright blonde color concentrated around the hairline and front sections. According to colorist Natalia Romaniuc, this technique has been popular among hairdressers for decades. However, the trend exploded into mainstream popularity around 2018 as more celebrities and influencers embraced the look.
Romaniuc suggests the blonde money piece gained momentum as an edgier take on traditional highlighting techniques.
Image credits: Joico
While subtle highlights softly brighten tresses, the money piece makes a bold statement. “It’s like when you’re driving you want to turn the volume up for your favorite song,” Romaniuc says. “The money piece lets you turn up the volume on your hair.”
The term “money piece” is credited to colorist Olivia Smalley. As Smalley explains, when highlighting someone’s hair, she would refer to the face-framing sections as the “money pieces” since placement is key. The name stuck, and now the blonde money piece is recognized across the hair industry and beyond.
2. Why So Popular? The Appeal of the Blonde Money Piece
There are several reasons this eye-catching color technique has become so popular in recent years.
According to Los Angeles-based colorist Nikki Lee, a major draw is its versatility and how it flatters a wide range of people.
“It’s incredibly versatile and can be customized based on your base color, skin tone, and personal style,” Lee explains.
Image credits: Glamour UK
The highlight placement also cleverly maximizes impact. By concentrating bright colors around the face, the money piece creates the illusion of fuller, thicker hair. “It really helps frame the face in a flattering way,” Lee adds. “It adds dimension and brings out your features.”
The blonde money piece also allows you to try a trendy hair color style without fully committing. It’s a more subtle alternative to dyeing your entire head platinum. “You still get the fun pop of light color without having to compromise the health of your whole head,” notes Lee.
Celebrity hairstylist Justine Marjan echoes this sentiment, sharing that money piece highlights have become popular among her clients. “Many are incorporating it as a low maintenance way to dip their toe into the cropped color trend,” she says.
Finally, the versatility and customization potential of blonde money pieces add to the appeal. Whether you opt for a bold, platinum slice or subtle sunkissed accents, there’s an option for everyone.
3. How to Achieve the Blonde Money Piece
Image credits: Google Images
Ready to hop on the blonde money piece trend? Keep reading for step-by-step guidance straight from the experts.
- Choose Your Base Color First, consider your current hair color and complexion when customizing this look. “The money piece will look different on a blonde than on a brunette,” explains celebrity colorist Kacey Welch. Lighter bases provide high contrast, while darker bases create a more subtle, blended effect. But there are no hard rules. “It’s all about personal preference,” adds Welch.
- Assess Hair Health Next, have your stylist assess the current state of your strands. The face-framing sections will require lightening to achieve that eye-catching blonde. “The stylist needs to consider the integrity and condition of the hair to determine if lightening is viable,” explains Welch. Color-treated hair still damaged from previous processing may not be able to withstand a dramatic money-piece makeover just yet. Be patient and opt for baby lights or balayage to gently transition your hair health first.
- Strategize Placement When considering placement, Welch suggests focusing the most intense highlights on the smaller face-framing sections around the eyes, cheekbones, and chin. This targets the money pieces to areas most visible when hair is pulled back. “Concentrating bright blonde here gives you the most bang for your buck,” she explains.
- Customize Color Depth The depth and tone of your blonde pieces can be customized, too. “I always ask clients how bold or subtle they want their money pieces,” explains colorist Karissa Schaudt. “Some want a high-contrast pop of platinum, while others prefer a soft sun-kissed look.” Communicate your preferences to guide your colorist’s formulation.
- Lighten Strands Gradually To protect hair health, colorists use foils to isolate and gradually lighten the money piece sections step-by-step. “Quick, heavy lightening all at once can damage the hair,” cautions Welch. “I like to start a bit under the desired result, then tone and perfect it.” Expect the process to take a few hours. Be patient – the finished result will be worth it.
- Tone and Finish: Once lightened, a toner is applied to cancel out any unwanted brassiness and customize the blonde’s undertone. “I use a violet-blue toner for icy platinum,” notes Schaudt. “For a golden money piece, I glaze with peach or beige toner.” This personalization takes the money piece from generic to bespoke.
After toning, don’t forget lightweight conditioning or a bonding treatment to reinforce weak areas prone to breakage. Protecting those delicate, lightened strands will help your blonde money piece maintain its brilliance.
4. Maintenance Tips for Blonde Money Pieces
Speaking of brilliance, maintaining your money piece’s vibrancy requires diligent upkeep. Here are key ways to keep your blonde money pieces looking their best, according to the pros.
- Schedule Regular Touch-Ups
Due to lighter and warmer colors, your money piece highlights will grow out faster than the rest of your hair. “Plan for a gloss or full highlight touch-up every 4 to 8 weeks,” advises Schaudt. Book appointments with your colorist regularly to catch pesky roots before they become too apparent.
- Use Purple Shampoo: “Use purple shampoo 2 to 3 times a week to keep blonde tones crisp and bright,” instructs Welch. The violet pigment in these shampoos neutralizes brassy orange and yellow tones. Lather up and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing for optimal results.
- Deep Condition Frequently: The lightened pieces around your face require extra moisture and TLC. Use hydrating masks and bond-building treatments at least once a week. “Nourishing those fragile money pieces helps them hold onto color vibrancy for longer,” explains Schaudt. Don’t skimp on conditioning your most impacted strands.
- Protect From Elements Shield your precious blonde money pieces from environmental damage. Use a heat protectant before hot tools, a UV-protecting spray before going outdoors, and a shower cap when bathing to maintain your investment.
- Consider Lower Maintenance: Alternatives If the high-maintenance nature of super blonde money pieces sounds daunting, consider more subtle options using balayage, baby lights, or bronde. “The upkeep for darker, natural-looking money pieces isn’t as rigorous,” notes Marjan. A brown sugar blonde or buttery melt provides a lower-risk way to sample the trend.
5. Expert Insights on the Money Piece Trend
To dig deeper into the origins and appeal of the blonde money piece, we consulted some professional hair colorists for their expert opinions:
“It’s a super-flattering look because it brightens your face, accentuating your facial features, and your own base hair color,” explains colorist Natalia Romaniuc. “Best of all, this technique works on any color of hair and really can suit everyone, whether you’re a warm blonde or a deep, cool, chocolate brown.”
“The main inspiration for this throwback trend is probably ’90s-era Geri Halliwell,” says Romaniuc. “It’s just been a little bit more refined and softened to suit the 2021 market.”
“We are able now to work with the clients’ more natural color and offer them services such as money piece highlights to immediately update their look with very little effort. And, of course, less time in the chair, meaning they’re more affordable and maintainable,” Romaniuc adds.
“It looks organic and natural, but still has a soft pop to the front,” explains colorist Laura Gibson, describing Hailey Bieber’s subtle money piece look as a lived-in, natural-looking honey blonde with a touch more lightness around the face.
“To get that Hailey Bieber look, ask for a weaved-in seamless or baby light money piece using a face-framing technique,” suggests colorist Richy Kandasamy. “That means natural root color and just a few seamless highlights around the face.”
The insights from these hair color professionals help demonstrate the versatile appeal of the blonde money piece and its rise to popularity. Their expertise provides helpful tips for achieving everything from bold platinum pops to subtle sun-kissed accents.
6. The Blonde Money Piece: Striking Yet Sophisticated
With its chic contrast and face-flattering effect, it’s no wonder the blonde money piece has become a massive hair trend. When strategically placed around the face, those eye-catching pops of platinum make a fashionable statement and bring out your best features.
Yet, for all its wow factor, the money piece still retains a sophisticated edge. “It’s flashy but in a more refined, expensive-looking way,” analyzes Welch. The concentrated placement prevents it from looking brassy or overdone.
Image credits: Latest-Hairstyles.com
Ultimately, the money piece allows you to join a hot styling craze without a drastic makeover. The strategic lighting enhances your natural beauty rather than overwhelming it. So don’t be afraid to strike it rich by adding this golden trend to your look.
With proper placement, care, and maintenance, your new blonde money pieces are sure to stop traffic and turn heads wherever you go!
