Beauty Olaplex No. 4P vs Fanola No Yellow: Purple Shampoo Showdown
Olaplex No. 4P and Fanola No Yellow are the two most searched purple shampoos on Amazon, and they take opposite approaches. Olaplex is a premium bond-building formula that tones while repairing. Fanola is the salon classic: intensely pigmented, affordable, and unapologetically strong. We compared them across the factors that matter most.
| Factor | Olaplex No. 4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Sh | Fanola No Yellow Shampoo |
|---|---|---|
| Toning strength | Strong, controlled | Very strong, aggressive |
| Hair feel after washing | Soft, conditioned | Can feel dry, needs mask |
| Best for | Damaged or fragile blonde | Very brassy, resistant hair |
| Price per ounce | Premium | Budget friendly |
| Sulfate-free | Yes | No |
| Risk of over-toning | Low | Medium-high |
Our Verdict
Choose Olaplex No. 4P if your blonde is damaged, dry, or fragile, and you want toning plus repair in one step. Choose Fanola No Yellow if your hair is very brassy and resistant, you want maximum pigment per dollar, and you always follow with a deep conditioner. For most people maintaining salon blonde at home, Olaplex is the safer daily driver while Fanola is the heavy artillery for stubborn brass.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options in purple shampoo worth considering.
Best for: first-time purple shampoo users wanting gentle maintenance
Clairol Shimmer Lights Purple Shampoo
- Classic salon staple that neutralizes brass and yellow tones
- Formulated for blonde, silver, grey and highlighted hair
- Use 2x per week or as needed
Pros
- Long-trusted, widely available budget option
- Reduces brass after just one use
Cons
- Can be drying with overuse
- Strong purple pigment can tint porous hair
Best for: cool-toned blondes wanting a pleasant scent with their toning
Milk_shake Icy Blond Shampoo
- Black pigment (not just violet) cools brassy tones for icy, ash-toned color
- Milk proteins and quinoa proteins nourish hair
- Sulfate-free toning shampoo
Pros
- Unique black-pigment formula for cool platinum results
- Leaves hair feeling clean, soft and balanced
Cons
- Higher price point
- Dark pigment can stain lighter surfaces and hands
Best for: salon-quality toning at home for platinum and silver hair
Matrix So Silver Purple Shampoo
- Color-depositing purple pigments neutralize yellow tones
- Vegan formula that brightens, tones and adds shine
- For color-treated, blonde, white, grey and platinum hair
Pros
- Salon professional brand at a drugstore-friendly price
- Vegan, free of harmful chemicals
Cons
- Best results paired with the matching conditioner
- Can dry out already-porous hair
Best for: bleached hair needing strong pigment with protein support
Redken Blondage Color Depositing Purple Shampoo
- Pure violet pigments neutralize brassy yellow tones
- Triple Acid Protein Complex strengthens hair while toning
- For blonde, bleached and highlighted hair
Pros
- Strengthens and tones in one step
- Use 2-3x per week for maintained cool blonde
Cons
- Premium salon-brand pricing
- Packaging redesigns can confuse shade matching
Want the Full Picture?
Reading Pigment Strength: Why These Two Behave So Differently
The core difference in any purple shampoo showdown is pigment strength, and you can read it before buying. Fanola No Yellow is famously potent: the formula pours a deep, dark purple, and the violet colorant sits high on the ingredient list. That strength corrects severe brass fast but over-tones just as fast, especially on porous or fine hair. Olaplex No. 4P sits at the gentler end: a lighter purple liquid with the pigment lower on the list, designed for maintenance toning without the drama. There is no objective winner here; each one solves a different problem. Choose the strong formula when brass is severe and hair is healthy enough to handle intense pigment, using it sparingly. Choose the gentle formula for regular maintenance, porous hair, or blonde that is only slightly warm. The showdown mistake is using the strong one like the gentle one, every wash, which produces the dull over-toned hair that fills complaint forums. A smart routine sometimes uses both: the strong formula monthly for correction, the gentle one weekly for maintenance. For the broader field beyond these two contenders, our best purple shampoo guide maps the full strength spectrum so you can place any bottle on it.
The Bronde Zone: When Neither Purple Nor Blue Is Obviously Right
Hair sitting at level 7 to 8, the dark blonde to light brown bronde zone, breaks the simple purple-versus-blue rule. Purple neutralizes yellow tones, blue neutralizes orange tones, and bronde brass is usually a mix of both, which is why neither shampoo alone fully corrects it. The practical test is a strand check: wash a small hidden section with purple shampoo and another with blue shampoo on separate days, then compare in daylight. Whichever section looks more neutral tells you which undertone dominates your brass. Many bronde heads end up alternating: purple shampoo one week, blue the next, which addresses both undertones over time. Some use purple on the lengths and blue on the roots, since regrowth brass and length brass often differ. The mistake is assuming darker blonde needs blue automatically; level matters less than the actual undertone of your brass. If both shampoos leave the hair muddy, the underlying level has likely shifted and needs a salon glaze rather than more toning. For keeping bronde healthy while you sort the tone, our blonde hair care guide covers brightness maintenance between color services.