"Bleach and tone."
If you spent any time on YouTube between 2016 and 2020, those three words don't just describe a hair appointment. They carry the weight of a thousand storytime videos, several public feuds, and the unmistakable scent of 40-volume developer. Tana Mongeau didn't just dye her hair; she turned the process of becoming a platinum blonde into a recurring character in her life.
Honestly, it’s kinda wild how a specific salon service became a shorthand for her entire brand. Whenever Tana was about to make a massive life change—or, more likely, whenever she was in the middle of a massive scandal—she went for the bleach and tone. It was the "reset" button for the internet’s favorite "probalematic" queen.
The Viral Roots of Tana Mongeau Bleach and Tone
So, where did this actually come from? For the uninitiated, Tana’s early career was built on high-energy, often exaggerated "storytime" videos. She’d sit on her floor, camera tilted up, and recount the most insane things that happened to her. Somewhere in the mix of being "kicked out of Walmart" or dealing with "stalkers," the phrase tana mongeau bleach and tone started appearing like a ritual.
It wasn't just about being blonde. It was about the intensity of the blonde. We’re talking that bright, blinding, almost-white shade that requires a professional—or in Tana's early Vegas days, maybe a slightly less professional—touch.
She made it a meme herself.
She’d post TikToks or Instagram stories saying she "missed her bleach and tone" whenever her roots grew in more than half an inch. It became a signal to her fans. If Tana was at the salon getting a bleach and tone, a new era was dropping. A new boy, a new house, or a new apology video was usually 48 hours away.
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When Hair Becomes a Brand
You’ve gotta realize that for influencers, physical traits are basically logos. Tana’s hair was her logo. That specific shade of cool-toned blonde, often paired with very long extensions, was the uniform.
But it wasn't always smooth sailing.
The internet lives for a hair fail. One of the most famous crossovers in YouTube history happened when celebrity stylist Brad Mondo reacted to Tana’s hair journey. In a 2018 video, he watched in horror as she attempted to manage her own "bleach and tone" situations or dealt with the aftermath of "ruined" hair. People loved it because it was relatable. Who hasn't tried to fix their life with a box of bleach and ended up with orange roots and a crying fit?
The Mindy Era and the "Bleach and Tone" Identity
There is one specific moment that really cemented the Tana Mongeau bleach and tone legacy: the "Mindy" scandal.
If you weren't there, "Mindy" was a pseudonym Tana used for a former best friend who allegedly hooked up with a guy Tana was seeing. In the legendary storytime video—the one that basically birthed the Cancelled podcast energy—Tana is seen with her signature blonde hair, venting to the camera.
The phrase "bleach and tone" became a way for her community to reference her "old self." When she went darker or tried "bronde" (brown-blonde), the comments were always flooded. "We miss the bleach and tone Tana." "The bleach and tone Tana would have fought back."
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It's basically the influencer version of a battle cry.
Why the obsession?
It’s simple.
- Consistency: In a career defined by chaos, the hair stayed (mostly) the same.
- The Aesthetic: The "Instagram Baddie" look of 2017 required that specific high-maintenance color.
- The Drama: Bleaching your hair to that extent is literally damaging. It’s a metaphor for Tana’s career—burn it all down to make it look bright and shiny.
The Real Cost of Maintenance
Let's talk logistics because people actually search for how she maintains it. Keeping a bleach and tone that white is a nightmare. You’re looking at:
- Purple shampoo every single wash (unless you want to look like a lemon).
- Toner every 3-4 weeks.
- Deep conditioning masks that cost more than a car payment.
- Bond builders like Olaplex to keep the hair from actually snapping off.
Tana has been open about the struggle. She’s joked about her hair "falling out in clumps" or being "fried." It’s that raw honesty—mixing the glamour of a Hollywood blonde with the reality of hair damage—that kept her audience hooked. They weren't just watching a girl get her hair done; they were watching the physical toll of being "Tana Mongeau."
Is the Bleach and Tone Era Over?
In 2024 and 2025, we’ve seen a "New Tana." She’s more focused on her podcast, Cancelled, with Brooke Schofield. She talks about sobriety, or at least "75 Hard" attempts and "75 Soft" realities.
But the bleach and tone never truly leaves. Even when she experiments with darker shades or more "natural" honey blondes, she eventually gravitates back to the peroxide. It's her comfort zone. It's the armor she wears when she's ready to tell a story that will probably get her into trouble.
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Most people get it wrong—they think it’s just vanity. It’s not. For Tana, that specific hair color is a costume. It’s the "Storytime Tana" costume.
How to Get the Look (Without Ending Up in a Brad Mondo Video)
If you're actually looking to replicate the Tana Mongeau bleach and tone, learn from her mistakes. Don't do it in a Walmart bathroom. Don't let a "friend" do it with 40-volume developer while you're three glasses of wine deep.
- Go to a Professional: This is a double-process color. You bleach the hair to a pale yellow (like the inside of a banana peel) and then apply a toner to neutralize the warmth.
- Ask for Ash or Pearl: Tana usually goes for a very cool, almost icy tone.
- Prepare for the Budget: A real bleach and tone at a high-end salon in LA or Vegas (where Tana frequents) can run anywhere from $300 to $800 depending on the length and the starting color.
Tana’s hair journey is basically a map of her career. The highs are bright and platinum; the lows are the times the toner didn't take and things got a little brassy. But through TanaCon, the Jake Paul "wedding," and the endless cycle of cancellations, the bleach and tone remained the one constant.
If you want to keep up with her current hair status or see if she's back in her "Mindy-era" blonde, the best place is her TikTok or the latest Cancelled episode. Just don't be surprised if she's changed it by the time you finish reading this.
Your Next Steps:
If you're planning on going platinum, start by using a deep-conditioning treatment once a week for a month before your appointment to strengthen the hair shaft. Also, check out Tana’s older "Hair Disaster" videos on YouTube—they’re a masterclass in what not to do if you want to keep your hair on your head.