Lightening the very ends of your hair will offer a soft, sun-bleached look that’s easy to create and care for. Home-lightening kits are available from almost all major pharmacists, and will usually come with protective gloves and an application brush. If these items are not included, it’s important that you protect your skin, clothes and surroundings from the lightening mixture – wrap an old towel around your shoulders and apply in an area without carpet or soft furnishings.

Brush your hair thoroughly before applying the mix, and consider how far up the lengths of your hair you wish to lighten. If your hair is particularly thick, you may wish to let down sections in layers to ensure even coverage. This technique works best on naturally wavy, curly and softer styles – if you have a sharp cut, enlist the help of a friend to level out the back section.

Follow the mixing instructions on the lightening kit, and protect your hands with the gloves provided. Dab the mixture onto the ends of your hair with firm brush-stokes, making sure that both sides of the hair are covered. The beauty of this technique is that it won’t matter if your tips are uneven – it will simply add to the laid back and bohemian feel of the finished look.

Carefully read the timing guidelines on the lightening kit to achieve to shade desired. As red hair pigments as the most resilient to bleach and dye, darker hair may achieve copper blonde and auburn tones after the first application. Mid blonde hair will become much fairer in a shorter amount of time, so it’s important not to leave the mixture on for too long to avoid damage to the tips. Once rinsed, apply an intensive conditioner to the tips to help prevent brittleness or breakage.

Now that your tips have been lightened, you can experiment further with colour-pop and pastel shades for a fun and current look. Pale pinks and purples work especially well on light blondes, giving a pretty and ethereal look.

As your hair grows, have regular trims to maintain a healthy head of hair and repeat the process when necessary. This simple two-tone style will give the effect of soft summer hair that has been bleached by the sun. To enhance this beachy look, scrunch-dry hair after showering or spritz a little salt water spray on the lengths to encourage natural waves. Best of all – there’s no pressure to re-colour your roots!