What colour is right for you?

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A place to share thoughts post comments and idea's on matters relating to hair colouring skill and techniques and anything industry related.

Getting the shade that compliments your skin, eyes and that you feel good and look good with!.

Yes we as stylist we have a role to play when it comes to consultation. That role is to give the client the best advise we can.  
Create that look chose and recommend  colour or colours that will work for you flattering you. The real  skill is listening to what the client  want's  but also advising on what really works.
That color that look with the wow factor  those colours that make your eyes pop, your face come alive!    
                                                                        

                                                                        

Are you cool?
Your skin tone and eye colour play a big role in helping to determine which hair colour will be best for you there are two main categories, depending on the above: cool and warm.

Cool category:
eyes: deep brown or black brown; Grey blue or dark blue; hazel with white, Grey or blue flecks;

skin tone: very dark brown; true olive (most Asians and Latinos); medium with no color in cheeks medium with faint pink cheeks; medium with golden undertones ;pale with no color in cheeks ;pale with pink undertones ;brown or bronze when you tan;

Natural hair colour: blue black ; deepest coffee brown ; medium ash brown; medium golden brown dishwater blonde; salt and pepper; white.
If you were two or more of these, then you fall into the cool category. Naturally cool people should avoid gold, yellow, red and bronze tones in hair colour. These warm tones have a tendency to make you look sallow and drawn. The best hair colour shades, depending on your skin tone, are shiny raven-wing blacks, cool ash browns, cool blondes in shades ranging from mink to platinum and icy white. You're also fortunate enough to be able to wear many exciting "unnatural" hair colours like lipstick reds, burgundies, and orchids, purples.

Warm category:
eyes: golden brown ; green, green blue or turquoise; hazel with gold or brown flecks;
skin tone: brown with pink undertone; brown with golden undertone; pale with peach or gold undertones; freckled;



Natural hair colour:
Deep brown with gold or red highlights red; strawberry blonde; Grey with a yellow cast; natural golden blonde.
If you were two or more of these, then you fall into the warm category. You should avoid blue, violet, white and jet-black hair, ash based hair colours which will seem to "wash out" your natural colour. Depending on your skin tone and your preferences, you'll find dark, warm browns, rich golden browns and auburn, warm gold and red highlights, and golden blond shades look best on you. Highlighting is a great way to add warm tones to your hair.
See previous blog. On natural high lights using high lift blonde matching shades with your natural colour.
What ever your colouring:
I think the key thing here is does the colour you are choosing for your hair make your eyes pop! if it compliments your skin tone and your eye colour then it's a go!!
Hair Colour cut style it's all part of the bigger picture that is you makeup, clothes, accessories that is you! Says. This is me. Individual stunning stylish!

All possible patients faith and a willingness for change!! hairdressing plays a part in this and that's what makes what we do so special  we have the power to solve problems come up with solutions make a difference. work with our clients to educate and advise them to get that unique look and style.
MikeB2MR
http://www.back2myroots.co.uk/

Blondes for spring and summer:

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Natural looking Highlights
                Blonde For Spring and summer:




Blondes 
Women and indeed some men have a love affair with being Blonde that Healthy, Natural, Sexy.
Trying to recapture that healthy sun kissed look once summer has ended can be difficult some times a disaster but done well following some advise and guide lines can help avoid mistakes.

In these challenging economic times some clients resort to home hair colour always looks so amazing in the commercial the reality is that one has to decide on so many factors when choosing a hair colour and blondes can be very challenging.
The hardest part is choosing the right product and shade so you get the desired lift shade or tone
Working with the  over the counter colour creates many issues for you, the shade fades into either a nice shade of yellow or brassy mess with an orange hue or a nice green tinge

In so many cases Highlights and other techniques start off a boost to enhance a natural look but over time it's very easy to get to that point of needing the roots re touched every 6 weeks more so after a summer of colouring and the ravages from the sun for a more natural blonde look it's time for some low lights the introduction of some tone and texture to those blonde locks!

Lets be honest here! this issue of going overly blonde is caused by both client and stylist the client wants to be that little bit blonder a pick me up, we as stylist thinks hey fine at the end of the day it's another colour job bigger bill higher commission trust me i have been their I don't write this from some place of Judgment just fact and experience.

I am going to post a few different shots in the blog and talk about them for me being successful is of course being busy having good client retention and getting recommendations new clients. over the years i have learned that being honest with clients setting targets goals works really well it earns respect trust and you keep your clients.
It is my firm Belief that good highlights can last 3 months sometimes longer is this bad for business? well consider this a good job that last longer gets you new recommended clients keeps you busy and yet you are not over colouring its working with the client its working with the base colour think of the head and hair as your canvas remember your the artist.



This is a 4 month re growth.needs some help but still looks sort of ok!




  



This client when i first started working with her was colouring her hair with Highlights every six weeks when first done looked nice but roots started showing within weeks the highlights were done with just Bleach/ decolourizer yes makes Blonde but the hair was very over processed due to over lap of the coloring had no shine and the condition was poor she also wanted to grow her hair but found she could not!  she enjoyed being blonde in the summer but was open to the suggestion of low lights over the winter months
The not growing is caused by breakage as fast as it grows it breaks off through brushing combing ect. we talked through all the issue i explained options and a goal of going longer in between services made sense why had it never been suggested before? 
So we started on this new journey together our Goal Long healthy natural looking Blonde hair for my part i asked for a 1 year commitment to see this through here are the results. 

For those interested in the colors used! Natural level 6
A 20 volume Bleach roots only no overlap,
8N with 20 Volume roots only [I know the 8n has a Blue Violet under tone so using it on a natural level six will expose orange in the hair but the Blue Violet will Neutralize it to a beige Blonde!]

Finally a level 6RB beige red, roots to ends but with Demi deposit no lift when going tone on tone or darker lift is not required.
As the season change so the degree or ratio of light to dark can change a constantly evolving colour we only ever coloured from just below the crown forward not a full head this creates natural dimension in the under section depth and makes putting hair up much easier know lines from growing out streaks.
As tip the natural shade of the un-coloured under section is a good guide line for the depth of the low lights if for example a level 6 then choose level 6 low lights they can be warm gold cool but they are in the right shade family.

This formulation does have a very low level of peroxide to activate the colour with out lift.
[in this instance a low Ammonia based colour 0.4%.]
The Short hair shot is the same model -client a few years ago so with patients anything is possible.

This big Blonde look as you can see is the same hair as above volume was left over having put the hair up with back combing and hair spray.
No hot irons. rollers. or styling tools! so anything is possible just play!

Two Examples of a short Funky look Blonde with Highlights, over rich base beige base under section demi deposit. [tone on tone] level 6 finished off with a razor cut.using a feather razor and Clawzs:


Two different looks both Blonde but very different!
Do you need help advise want to spend some time just talking and playing with hair  contact me via my web site for a chat. classes and event can be structured to suit all needs.
Thanks Mike
http://www.back2myroots.co.uk/

A Haircolouring Nightmare.

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Regular postings of fresh new topic's

As professional stylists we are duty bound to offer. The highest standard of professional skilled knowledge, service, technical ability. To do the very best we can without taking short cuts or rushing and charging accordingly for such service.

So why do so many stylist's over book, take short cuts, over charge and then wonder why they lose clients. make mistakes!
This is a true account with out any names of either salon or people.
However i do thank the client for allowing me to share this rather harrowing experience.
I was recently asked advise by a friend living over sea's about going lighter maybe some nice caramel toffee low lights.
My suggestion was seek professional skilled advise from your stylist. Have a consultation. Discuss your goal and optimum colour target. Be honest about past colouring in this instance quite long hair  mid back level sort of Bra strap. Her natural level would be around level 5. The colour used a rich dark brown around level 4. So long term build up would be a issues. Lots of pigment to exposed with build up of darker shade in the lifting process. The roots will lift Blonde very quickly so apply last with low volume peroxide to blend.
Prolonged use of the dark brown colour would. Indicate long term build up of colour mid length's and ends.
So I suggested that she should ask for strand test. Remove a small amount of hair from the nape area and have it coloured. This would require bleaching but applying from the ends up through mid length finally the root. Once lifted evenly apply toner to even out to desired shade and tone.
Why so you may ask? the ends will lift the slowest and will dictate the end result the mid lengths although coloured less still holding lots pigment. So although it will lift more. It may well throw lots pigment in the lifting process this will tend to be very warm copper or orange.
So armed with all this advise and information off she goes to get her new caramel low lights done.

pre having low lights done coloured level 4

Firstly here is the shot of the hair prior to the colouring.

This colouring was always done as deposit only. No lift .when going tone on tone or darker unless you want to add or increase warmth you do not need lifting levels of hydrogen peroxide.

So any build up is just layers of dark pigment. As stated a rich dark brown it matches her skin colour and hazel eyes. 



So many salons over book, don't allow the time and effort to do a job correctly.When things go wrong they may make excuses about the product, may pretend it looks great. It's how it was supposed to look.
But it's the client who. Has to be excited love this new look get what she wants and requested.
They have trusted us. Sat in the chair patiently. They asked all the right questions .They gave us time to decide on the best course of action to take. Having supposedly considered all options.

After low lights

 So why does this happen?
What went wrong? what do you see? what do you think?

Remember request low lights. Caramel toffee. Remember suggested strand test. Consultation . Remember I suggested lift from ends in  allow that the mid lengths may throw orange and roots would lift really quickly.

So lets look at this. Firstly I was shocked. Sad. Appalled by this poor quality job. Caused by taking short cuts with very little thought given to the process or out come! A rush job.
Firstly the the blonde on the roots to eye level really does not work for her. It sucks the colour from her skin and is just a nothing dull boring shade of blonde.
The mid lengths did not lift as much so formed a colour bar, a very bright copper orange the dark pigment lifted out. Finally the mid lengths and ends they only lifted a little so still look solid and dark very little lift.
There is no way by just applying toner this can or could be fixed.  It was doomed to fail. This was caused by some one being lazy, applying bleach de-colouriser roots to ends and just hoping that it may all lift evenly or at least enough to colour balance it! Hoping that whatever pigments exposed could be evened out with a toner. In doing this the tones made the blonde dull had little effect on the orange and well the ends ! Hum Hoping is not good enough!!
The strand test should have been carried out in advance of the appointment. The strand test shown and discussed with client then the process carried out correctly with a great out come. 
Why oh why do we allow this to happen? Why do we let our selves down . Is it lack of time?  Is it Easy money? well hardly if now you have to fix and re do! Lack caring. I really hope this creates some thought and feed back.
This can be fixed. I have advised the person in question what to do. She is having it re done later in the week . I am hoping she will let me have shots of finished job and i will then post and discuss the out come and process.

Enjoy the topic let me know your thoughts

Natural Red heads wanting to go lighter. The issues

Welcome to BACK2MYROOTS B2MR:
Regular postings of fresh new topic's

I don't quite remember when the penny really dropped about understanding hair colour. I don't just mean the application of it . I refer to understanding. Lift. Deposit. Pigment achieving that desired perfect colour and shade.

A challenge in it self but some natural colours are harder to cope with than others. Depending on what the desired shade is.
So lets take a look at our warm shades Reds, Coppers, Rich brunette.
Lets use a scenario of wanting to go lighter. By that  i suggest a Blonde shade. Most people who want blonde do not want to see. Orange or Yellow.
This create many issues for our natural reds and coppers heads, so lets take a look at what may arise and some option of how to address them.

In so many cases the main thing to consider are? How light  to go? What shade of blonde is achievable? The consultation process is key here before making any application of colour, bleach/decolouriser.
With Red pigment being the hardest to lift and control a realistic vision and a game plan are the key to success.
With a natural bright copper colour [sometimes know as ginger]. A bright copper natural base shade would normally be around a level 7 on any shade chart. So quite light and yet full of those pigment tones red and red orange, yellow. To get to any shade of Blonde we have to lift up to and beyond level 9 and infact 10 and beyond and be able to control pigment exposed.

The issue being. As you manage to lift the red and orange pigment out you then hit the yellow pigment bar. Because of the strong pigment in this hair the yellow pigment will be really intense so mistakes can be made when controlling it with a toner.
I have seen so many natural Bright copper heads with attempts at highlights that can look. Green, dull metallic, drab.
The main reason is choice of toner. In many cases we reach as stylists for a toner with an ash base, but lets think about this ash is blue base toner,  blue and yellow make? Green hence the dull drab tone
Consider using a violet base.Why? Well we have lifted the hair removing all the red pigment. There was hardly any blue to start with. So to find a balance of shade we have to replace the missing pigment red and blue, this equals Violet in some cases maybe a blue violet base could be required.
Its all about considering the pigment you have exposed and what your target is. Its also worth mentioning that one needs to consider skin tone and eye colour when taking a natural copper level into blonde shades will it look good!
The same consideration should be applied to rich brunettes although a little blue pigment on the surface you with be lifting from around a natural level 5 into reds then copper orange, my suggested goal here would be a caramel shade not to blonde it will look dull yellow slightly dirty!
Lift to a pale orange yellow shade. Then tone with a blue violet toner. This will re balance the pigment exposed leaving a really rich caramel highlight.

Again when lifting the hair consider skin tone eye colour. A natural brunette will normally have brown or hazel eye colour so to light will wash out the skin and the eyes will not pop!

The main considerations as stated are. Natural hair level, skin tone, eye colour. A realistic vision of lifted goal level. Will the desired look be flattering? It's not our goal to dictate but is is to advise,honestly in the consultation process.

Consider the pigment you will be encountering make sure you have thought through what you are doing and what look you want. It's all about pigment control. Understanding the colour wheel trusting the colour wheel. Yes trusting the laws of colour. Do this and you will not have unwanted tone.

Know your products that is the colours you use know how they work what you can expect from them.



If you are lifting hair that has been previously coloured I would suggest consultation strand test. I would suggest working from the ends into the roots when lifting?

Many more issues can arise from this topic but i hope this creates thoughts and raises some questions maybe even comments.

                                            Mike B2MR



         http://www.back2myroots.co.uk/