Herbatint 9N Honey Blonde Permanent Hair Colour – 150ml

Honey blonde sits at the intersection of light and warm — it's brighter and airier than a mid or dark blonde, but has a soft, golden warmth that gives it a luminous, sun-kissed quality rather than the stark brightness of a cool or ash light blonde. In the Herbatint range, 9N is designated neutral (N) but reads as the warmest of the three neutral blondes due to the golden character of the honey descriptor. If you want lightness with a touch of warmth and glow rather than pure cool brightness, 9N delivers that better than 8N.

9N is the lightest shade in the Herbatint neutral (N) blonde range. Herbatint also offers specific ash blonde and ultra-light blonde variants in other parts of their shade range — check the full Herbatint shade selector or speak to a colour advisor if you want a cooler or lighter result than 9N provides. Within the N range specifically, 9N is the lightest option available.

Yes — the permanent formula is designed to cover grey consistently. Grey hair can occasionally be more resistant at lighter blonde shades, and some people with very resistant grey find that observing the full development time is critical for complete coverage. A strand test on a grey section before the full application will confirm coverage at 9N on your specific hair. Ensuring thorough, saturating application to grey areas — particularly at the roots — will give the most consistent result.

Honey blonde is considered one of the more universally flattering blonde shades because the warmth of the tone complements a wide range of complexions. It works particularly well on warm, golden, olive, and light to medium skin tones, where it creates a cohesive, natural-looking warmth between hair and skin. On very fair or cool-toned complexions, 8N's cooler neutral lightness may read as more natural — a strand test and honest assessment in natural light will help you judge before committing.

Yes — 9N works well as a refresher on existing light blonde hair that has faded, gone brassy, or lost vibrancy. The permanent formula will re-deposit colour and even out the tone. For previously coloured hair, carry out a strand test first to ensure the 9N result is compatible with your current colour — previously coloured hair can absorb new colour differently from virgin hair, and the strand test will tell you what to expect before you apply to the whole head.

At the lighter end of the blonde range, the outcome is more sensitive to your starting colour, previous colour history, and current hair porosity than darker shades where small variations are less visible. A strand test on a hidden section at the back of the head — left for the same development time as a full application — will show you the likely colour result, the degree of grey coverage, and the condition of your hair after the process. This gives you genuinely useful information before committing to the whole head, and takes no more than the development time plus a few minutes of preparation.

Use a colour-safe shampoo and conditioner — sulphate-free formulas are gentlest on colour-treated hair and slow fading significantly. Minimise heat styling where possible, as repeated high heat accelerates colour fading. For the warm tone specifically, a gold or brass-toning conditioner used occasionally can refresh the honey warmth as it fades between applications. Avoid blue or purple toning products, which are designed to neutralise warmth and will counteract the characteristic honey quality of the 9N shade.