One of the best secrets I’ve ever learned from a hairstylist is the power of a toning conditioner over toning shampoo. You still get a product that cancels out brassiness, but conditioners are typically more nourishing, hydrating, and gentler on higlighted or bleached hair.

As someone who had a tendency to overtone her hair with purple shampoo, I absolutely loved the results I got from toning conditioner instead, and once I switched, I never looked back.

That said, Amika’s Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Strength Repair Shampoo was one of my favorite purple toners (see my review here), so I was curious to see how the conditioner formula would compare.

Below, I share my full review after months of testing Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Strength Repair Conditioner. Keep reading for my before and after photos, pros, cons, if it’s worth it, and who it will work best for.

PS: want to see exactly how it compares to the shampoo? Check out my Amika Bust Your Brass Shampoo vs Conditioner comparison with side-by-side photos and more.

amika bust your brass cool blonde strength repair conditioner review

The Amika Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Repair Conditioner is a dual-action product in that it tones while also offering bond repair. As such, you are either going to love it or struggle with it.

I personally struggled with it, for a few reasons. I love bond repair as well as toning, but the combination in a conditioner formula didn’t work for me. My hair was toned and I did love the results, but the bond repair (with proteins) was just too heavy for my fine hair. When your hair is overloaded with protein, it will feel dry or coated, and this conditioner made my hair feel dry. It was harder to manage and style the next day; even with a silk scrunchie, I had a ponytail crease within a few hours.

That said, if you have platinum blonde or cool-toned hair and struggle with breakage, you may really benefit from this conditioner’s bond repair ingredients. You won’t notice results overnight, but will have stronger hair over time.

As far as toning goes, this conditioner did excel at that. It has a great balance of purple and blue, so it will cancel out both orange and yellow brassy tones. You don’t have to leave it on for long (up to 3 minutes) to see results, either.

I do love the scent of Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Strength Repair Conditioner; it’s Amika’s signature blend of amber and vanilla. It’s warm, but not too sweet or overpowering. I am sensitive to fragrance and really enjoy it.

One last note: the conditioner itself is very thick and surprisingly hard to get out of the bottle. This isn’t a total deal breaker for me, but if you struggle with hand/ wrist function, it is something to keep in mind.

amika bust your brass cool blonde strength repair conditioner before and after

how to use amika bust your brass cool blonde strength repair conditioner

You use Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Repair Conditioner just as you would other conditioners. The secret to getting the tone right is how long you let it sit on your hair. Step-by-step:

Massage conditioner from mid-lengths to ends.
Leave on for two to three minutes.
- For a cooler tone, go for 3 minutes. For neutral hair or more subtle results, 2 minutes is plenty.
Rinse thoroughly.
- Leaving residue won’t brighten your hair; it’ll make your color duller or purple-tinted.

pros

Tones your hair and removes brassiness
Smells great; signature amber-vanilla Amika fragrance
Works effectively on its own; those with neutral hair won’t need to pair it with a toning shampoo
- If you are super cool-toned or platinum, you will either want to leave the conditioner on for longer, or pair it with a toning shampoo for max results.
Also provides bond repair to strengthen hair
True violet color with purple and blue tones to target orange and yellow brassiness
Also works on grey and silver-toned hair

cons

Can overtone your hair if you let it sit before rinsing out or if you pair it with a toning conditioner/ mask
Does not add hydration
Super thick conditioner; you really have to squeeze the bottle to get it out
Made my hair a little frizzy and harder to manage
Mid-range price ($29)

key ingredients

Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Strength Repair Conditioner doesn’t just tone the hair; it also works to repair bonds and strengthen hair over time. Key ingredients include:

Amika’s Bond-Fortifying Technology - targets and strengthens hair bonds that are most prone to breakage.
Vegan Proteins - derived from quinoa; provide keratin-like benefits.
Ultra-Violet Pigments - counteract yellow and brassy tones.

Bust Your Brass is also vegan.

is amika bust your brass cool blonde strength repair conditioner worth it?

Honestly, just kind of. I loved how Amika Bust Your Brass Conditioner toned my hair in one step (no shampoo needed), but my hair did not feel nourished afterwards.

This is because the product focuses more on bond repair (proteins) than hydration. Your hair is stronger, but not softer, and my fine hair really missed that hydration. My hair was a little more frizzy, dry, and harder to work with afterwards, so that is what made this conditioner kind of a miss in my opinion.

If you are someone who blow dries your hair or styles it while it is still wet, you will probably find this conditioner easier to work with than I did! I love to air-dry my hair and have that routine down pat, so when a new product doesn’t fit into my system, I’m more likely to skip the product than change the system.

That said, if you are a cool-toned blonde or have platinum hair, you will really enjoy this conditioner, especially if you pair it with a hydrating leave-in conditioner. Bust Your Brass gives you bond repair while it tones, and that strengthens your hair over time. Cool-toned and platinum hair is more fragile and prone to breakage, so Bust Your Brass really helps to protect your hair as it tones.

Price-wise, $29 is pretty on-par for mid-range conditioner. I wouldn’t repurchase this conditioner, but I know that the one bottle will someone a good 4ish months.

who it’s best for

Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Strength Repair Conditioner is best for:

Cool blondes
Platinum hair
Silver or grey hair
Fine, medium, or thick hair
Brassy hair (yellow or orange undertones)
Those who want to tone their hair in one step (no toning shampoo needed)

who should skip it

You may want to avoid Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Strength Repair Conditioner if you:

Are a warm or warm-neutral blonde
Want a subtle tone
Have hair that is prone to frizz
Have dry hair that needs extra nourishment and hydration

how often to use it

What is tricky about purple conditioner (and all toning products in general) is that the frequency truly depends person-to-person.

The key to remember is that purple toning products will not lighten your hair; they just affect the tone that is already lifted. Using a purple conditioner more often won’t lighten your hair or make it brighter; using it too often will instead leave a purple tint or make your hair color look duller.

Per Amika’s website, those with natural grey or silver hair can use Bust Your Brass every wash.

I personally recommend using purple conditioner once a week (neutral blondes), every 10ish days (warmer blondes) or 1-2x a week (cool or platinum blondes). You can adjust this schedule based on how your hair responds to the conditioner, or pair it with a toning shampoo instead for stronger results.

In general, I find purple conditioners to be gentler than purple shampoos, so you can up the frequency (or leave the conditioner on for longer) without having to worry as much about the drying effects that you get with shampoo.

I like to use purple conditioner every 10ish days. My hair (and skin tone) look better when I lean warm rather than cool, so I will go longer than shorter in between toning washes, if that makes sense.

frequently asked questions

is amika bust your brass conditioner drying?

Honestly, it is one of the more drying purple conditioners I’ve used. My hair was definitely a little harder to manage and more frizzy the next day.

can you use bust your brass every day?

No.

is bust your brass sulfate-free?

Yes. The current formula is marketed as sulfate-free and safe for color-treated hair.

does it work on gray hair?

Yes! My mom has grey hair (salt-and-pepper, but LOTS of grey), and this makes her hair glow.

can you use amika bust your brass conditioner every wash?

I don’t recommend it. Use weekly for warm/ neutral hair; if you are platinum, cool-toned, silver, or grey you can use it 2-3x a week.

do you have to use the bust your brass shampoo with the conditioner?

No. You can pair this conditioner with another purple shampoo or a regular shampoo (like I do) if you only need light to moderate toning.

is bust your brass conditioner good for fine hair?

Yes; it’s moisturizing but not heavy, and tones hair well on its own, so you can stick to the rest of your hair regimen (shampoo, leave-in etc.) that already works for your fine hair.

can brunettes use bust your brass conditioner?

Yes, if you have blonde highlights, balayage, or other lightened sections that tend to become brassy. It won't noticeably tone natural dark brown hair.