Whether you have a full head of blonde hair or just highlights, you know that ‘ick’ feeling you get when your strands start to go brass-y. But as someone who considers herself a platinum blonde at heart (I have naturally brunette hair), I turn to purple shampoo to keep my golden strands in-tact. 

So, I’ll let you in on my favorite one — we don’t gatekeep here: The Kristin Ess the One Purple Shampoo has kept my brown-turned-blonde hair the perfect shade of platinum for over four years now. And the best part? I don’t have to break the bank to get it. It normally retails for $16, but right now, it’s 17 percent off on Amazon. 

Shop now: $13 (Originally $16); amazon.com 

Created by celebrity hairstylist Kristen Ess, the blonde shampoo was designed to  tone, cleanse, condition, and restore shine to blonde and brunette hair.It has an ultra-violet pigment that’s meant to be buildable, meaning if you want more neutral tones, only use it when you start to notice brassiness, but if you have violet or ashier tones, use it as much as you want. The formula is also sulfate-free, paraben-free, and safe to use with keratin treatments. 

A recommendation from my hairstylist at Valor & Violet in Ames, Iowa, I was eager to try it after a long bout with several lackluster purple shampoos. Typically, she recommends in-salon products, but not this purple shampoo; she told me that Kristen Ess is an incredible drugstore brand, so on my way home from the appointment, I stopped at Target to pick it up. I’ve been using it ever since.

For extra context, my hair color is naturally a light shade of brunette, which I dye blonde every few months. It takes only one use of the shampoo to take my brassy, yellow-tone hair and neutralize it to become the perfect shade of cool blonde. On top of that, it leaves my hair shiny and moisturized. 

To use, apply about a quarter-size amount, depending on the thickness of your hair. I mix it with my regular shampoo (the Dae Hair Signature Shampoo), lather it evenly throughout the hair, and leave it in for about 10 minutes before washing it out. 

How often you use it really depends on how platinum you want your hair to be. With previous purple shampoos, I’d have to use it at least once a week, but with this one, I only need to use it about every two to three weeks to keep my hair consistently platinum. Note: If you use it too much, you will start to see shades of violet, especially on particularly light shades of hair. 

If you’re looking for a quality, go-to purple shampoo that won’t break the bank, check out Kristin Ess’ the One Purple Shampoo on Amazon right now while it’s on sale.