5 Hair Cuts : Can You Put The Name To The Cut ?

The Fringe, The Crop, the Mane, the Shag, and the Bob

the next 5 are on their way...

Hair Color Cowboys Go Crazy

Back to the Books

Had a couple over enthusiastic hair color cowboys plow into coloring without realizing this is a serious business, and improper technique can bring disastrous results. As much as I have been thrilled with many success stories, a couple of disasters can erase it all.

It makes me feel like maybe I have failed and did not stress the importance of reading through the entire Blog and all of its steps. Or maybe my explanations were not clear enough. No, I don't have everything posted yet, that will never happen.

There will always be new procedures to bring up-to-date and refresh but the basics are here and if you plan on trying to learn the CRIB COLORIST method you must review the entire blog.

If you are interested in this process I am teaching here , I think I should put it in perspective for you so you understand what an accidental gold mine you have stumbled upon. I bet it was accidental too wasn't it! People spend $40,000. - $50,000. to go to Vidal Sassoon Academy for a year to learn all the information I am delving out here. FREE. Truthfully only top stylists would recognize it, and why would they be looking for it? They wouldn't. That is a pretty damn good deal for all of you and the only reason I am doing it is >

because I am sick. I had a whole other plan, and this sure wasn't it.

So please,

take advantage of this odd occurrence - use it in the way it should be used....correctly. Please, read through the entire Blog, take a week to do it - if it seems overwhelming or 'too much' ... it doesn't take that long and everyone I ask to do that - 'Thanks me' they really do! Absorb and learn it so you have the advantage

BECOMING LLLLLEVEL HEADED

I want to go back and review some of the Level System. Of course in this small arena I have I have not covered it all. I tried to focus on the important parts, but I realize there are additional areas I must cover so the education is more thorough.

What I'd like to do is to get everyone on Killerstrands talking in 'Levels and Tones', as a Sassoon Colorist that's how we roll. Everyone is known by their hair color level & tone, every single person has one, even if they have never colored their hair. So as you go through your day, as you stand in the line at the post office - start guessing everyone's Level and Tone - practice makes perfect

The first task in learning hair color theory is to understand the difference between LEVEL and TONE. These 2 characteristics of Color are the most important and vital to understanding the concept.

Level, I feel fairly confidant that most everyone understands this concept, it simply refers to the lightness or darkness of hair color be it natural or artificial. If anyone out there is having a difficult time with the concept of "Level" I want you to post a comment at the end of this post OR email me so I know. Everyone here needs to be able to name every person in your life's Level/Tone of hair. Think about that. . can you?

Everyone is a LEVEL 1 thru 12 .

I guess the confusing part comes from the fact that as soon as the major hair color manufacturers decide on a basic 8 Tones, one of the companies decides to add a new tone or two, for Pizzazz! As colorists we are never more thrilled when we hear of a new tone coming down the pike. They call that a Lab-Rat, and sadly I may fit well into that category -- what a loser.

Manufacturers Level Systems vary somewhat from one another. Some products have ten levels, some 11, some 12. Regardless of the variations the lowest number will be the darkest color in any given system - highest number the lightest color.

Levels are precise degrees of lightness standardized across the manufacturer's tonal groups. All colors of the same level will have the same degree of lightness or depth, whether natural (neutral), ash, gold, matte, Pearl, Brown-Red-Violet, or any other tone.

To illustrate this, visualize a tall building, black is the basement and white is the penthouse, graduating from dark to light each story a grade lighter than the one beneath it. That is the International Level System, with numbers identifying those grade of dark to light. If you wash this image with a hue, such as gold, then you have a tonal series. Imagine a "black and White" photograph - in that you are only seeing 'Levels" of color. Before color in our TV's and in our photographs we only had this "tonal" look. Its taking one color and going from the dark to light in each.

TONE

Tone refers to the hue of a hair color, be it natural or artificial. The main tones, or hues, of hair coloring are natural,ash,gold & red...although I would add Brown, matt,pearl, brown-red and a few others.

Another point I know I didn't clarify was the labeling of hair color, so when you go to buy that first tube of color you won't be thoroughly confused by what's printed on the end of the box. Manufacturers usually indicate the tones of their colors with letters: 'A' for Ash ....'N' for Neutral and so on. Numbers are also used to designate 'tone', for instance, if ".1" means ASH , then a Level 6 ASH would be a 6.1. That's the method, my European based WELLA line uses and to make it easier on the end of the box it says : 6/01A, so you get both.

Any color can be described in level and tone. If the sky is blue and darkest blue almost navy along the horizon and then graduates up as you look into the sky. Those are also distinctions in "level". The level system pertains specifically and only to haircoloring.

If you are having problem distinguishing between level and tone, give it some more time. It will come to you. Its just foreign lingo.

FYI: the painters use of these words are totally different than the haircolorists and should not be related -- each has different vernaculars.

Damage Control - Save Those Locks

90% of women use hair conditioners -

YET...

75% say their hair is damaged

Come on girls, what's wrong with this picture? Does this show you clearly now... how pointless a daily conditioner is ?

My dream when in the Salon was always to open a HAIR HEALTH SPA. A spa where the one and only concern once you walked in was the health of your hair - not skin, not body...but hair! I've heard of just a couple in the whole United States, just like spa's take care of skin, salons should take care of hair. Hair needs to be analyzed, deciphered and given an RX so the client learns how to take care of it the proper way. I have spent my entire career teaching my clients what I know about taking care of their hair and I seem to be the only one doing it. When I get new clients that come to me from other stylists they have never heard of any of my advice or knowledge, it blows me away. So I hope to impart on the world what I have been teaching my clients for the past 14 years, that works. It really works.

I am in utter amazement 1/2 the time, why am I the only one trying to figure it out?

A stack of surveys notes that 79% of women are on a quest to solve their damage problem, a hefty amount of people in my book.

After spending 2 years learning Cosmetic Chemistry, I came up with what I feel is the one and only deep conditioner that truly does work to repair hair damage: THRIVEN.

After running tests and surveying Clients opinions for 2 years I am confidant in recommending it as a solution not just a cover-up to damaged hair. No, it does not take a completely dead, lifeless & destroyed hair and give it life, that is not possible. There is a line, a line where the hair can be helped - I've argued to within an inch of my life with chemists that don't agree with me...its hard to define in 'words', I can tell you the minute I feel and look at the hair...which is what makes dealing with hair "online" the most difficult for me. So much of it is visual and in 'touch' and I never realized how much until I took this on. When I feel hair I can tell you whether it can be revived or not...you can feel 'life' in it or not.

What THRIVEN does help, is hair that is:

• malnourished


• damaged


• over-processed


• lifeless


• dry split ends


• fragile


• frizzy


• kinky


• over flat ironed


• dull


• not growing

An 8 ounce jar is $50.00, it can be purchased from Killerstrands through PAY PAL, by sending an email to Killerstrands@gmail.com and placing "PRODUCT ORDER" in the subject space. I don't recommend anything I do not fully believe in, have not tested through my "own" research & lab work and most importantly the results I gained from the over 10,000 heads of hair that have sat in my chair .

I have witnessed this conditioner give shine and luster to hair with none - over and over. If you have any of the above problems and apply this conditioner (at least) 1-2 times a week using the "slumber" method, ------> 'sleep' with it in

It will begin to be repaired.

Watch the magic.

* * * * * * * * * I've been asked about the ingredients of THRIVEN. . . if I was being thorough, I would have posted them up-front, my sincere apologies * * * * * * * * * *



To Purchase THRIVEN and info on the Secret Supplement : the cornerstone of 10,000HEADS..... simply click here and visit KillerStrands new Store :
http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/thriven

Your Hair is Dyeing For You To Become A Crib Colorist

Crib colorist? Home Hair Color can be one of the most satisfying and fulfilling projects you ever take on. There are many of you teetering on that fence. Ever baked a cake from scratch? You know... put every single ingredient in the bowl - - one by one - - mixing after each addition -- baked it and WOW it came out perfectly. The difference in the texture, the smell...dear Lordie the "taste"-- you had no idea the difference would be this remarkeable - and you created it.

Imagine that sensation : magnified 100 times - that's how you will feel after that first time you color your hair . . the CC Crib Colorist method - the proper way.

Its funny I am not finding most of you looking to do this because of the cost . . . I would say 7 out of 10 of you are taking this on because you cannot find a competent Hair Stylist.

Therefore this is being written for all of you for one reason or another want to color your hair at home. In your Crib. I’m going to try my damnedest to skip the bullshit & cut to the chase in this endeavor. Killerstrands #1 goal is and always will be the 'health of your hair' try to remember that is always the basis of my advice and teachings. That is the foundation of Sassoon Theory and Killerstrands Theory, a good one I think - how about you?

The reason for the CRIB COLORIST Program?

So many of you are having your hair destroyed, damaged, and turned ungodly shades of orange, yellow and green all because of boxed Hair Color Kits. You know the ones, from the grocery store, Target, Walmart. Where everything you could possibly need for drop dead gorgeous hair that Heather Locklear has, is magically in this one little tiny box and is sold at a discount store for $8.00. Yes, that is right where dear Heather runs to when she wants her hair colored. She sends her assistant to Walmart for a 'hair color boxed kit' Yeah, right.

In the level of hair coloring I was associated with (Malibu, TV/film, celeb, Hollywood) I was appalled that anyone would even think of using those boxed kits – I mean -- why can’t everyone spend $100. – $200.-$300.00 on their hair monthly? Well, as hard as that is to admit now, is exactly how I thought, and now am asking the world to except my apologies and regrets that I was like that. I can only learn from my mistakes, apologize, improve and try to get back to being a compassionate person. Hopefully with this effort I hope to make-up for that period in my life where I was not seeing clearly. In my previous environments I was not aware of the amount of people that must color their hair at home, for one reason or another. I now, fully understand and want to turn my thoughts, efforts and education to that segment of the Hair Universe. I am pretty much over-trained for it, but that makes it even better. I want to give all of the people that will listen the benefit of all my glorious knowledge. I have become ill, and this is about all I can handle to do - it will be good for me and excellent for you.

My beginnings and education:
There may be many different theories on hair color, I don’t know…I was taught by the best so I have never needed to look anywhere else. I attended Vidal Sassoon Academy for 1 full year, then stayed on to assist Lucie Doughty (my mentor) for the following year to hone my skills as a colorist, which was worth every single minute! She was kind enough to share many tricks and secrets many wouldn't do. England is the so-called “home” of hair color & hair for that matter…with Vidal Sassoon’s head colorist Annie Humphrey's being given the name the “Mother of All Hair Color” of the last 25 years that I know of. She has always set the “collections”…developed the “trends”…made up new and innovative coloring techniques that we as “pupils” (wink) would pick up -copy and spread throughout this country – she was a firecracker and damn what a talent. Everything I know and practice was passed down from her and I have worked directly under her on occasion.

So many of the techniques being done today, Annie was doing 10-15-20 years ago, now retired, she truly is and was the Grand Dame of all hair color I'm sure everyone would back me on that statement. By the way, she is the one that not only introduced me to using the LEVITATION BLEACH on the bleach & Tone process. She had a model to do one day and threw a fit until someone went and found her some Levitation. We were at the Sassoon Academy at the time and had shelves of other products, she just would not do the models hair until we had this particular Levitation Oil Bleach - at that point I hadn't heard of it - we used another brand in the academy. ( I had to drive all over Hell 6 stores it ended up being, finally tracked it down, so I was the hero for a day) I have never forgotten that + plus what I saw on that model was a lifelong learning experience...I too have never used anything else. If she believed in that product that much, I was going to as well. That was 16 years ago and she was 100% correct.

After her, I looked to Lucie Doughty the single most brilliant Colorist in this country (from the UK also) that has since moved over to Paul Mitchell and ( in my opinion) is the Queen today. I look to Lucie to run with the crown for the next decade or two and with the USA trying to catch up in the hair color race, the need to reach across the pond has diminished. What I teach on Killerstrands, is a combo of what I learned from Lucie and my own spin. So, although the education did not come from me: it is my interpretation and my slant on things after years on my own and with my personal artistic twist and input. Being extremely lucky in having some of the best teachers in the world -- I thank my lucky stars all the time.

This is my interpretation of a universal standard that hair color works; it is chemistry like cooking is. Certain ingredients perform certain actions… emulsifiers, ammonia's, peroxides…they need to be used to perform what they were made for. Certain products have no grey, its black and white…its science although in order to come up with various colors and new inventions we are taking new liberties all the time. The method I relay to you, is going to be as absolutely SIMPLE as possible. Any questions at all I hope you will bring up immediately in the "comments" section - Any comments section, it doesn't matter, I get an email right away when any comment is made anywhere on the site.. Asking the questions here will get you the fastest answer, plus it helps me by posing questions I guarantee you other readers are thinking.

To make it absolutely clear my goal for you as a certified CRIB COLORIST is : to STOP purchasing the boxed Kits of COLOR. They are not set up to work properly on your hair, and in my experience, have seen them damage and destroy hair time after time.

I make the professional color available to you if you'd like to purchase it from me through PAYPAL, making sure you understand the "Level System" and some

color theory. The main goal for you is to buy the items separately - where ever you get them from !

Its not that hard, and the only reason they don't push the separate TUBE ... and DEVELOPER method is , they don't think the public will take the time to learn this small system I am asking you to learn. The LEVEL system. Once you understand THAT . . .then you can figure out what tube of hair color and what Volume of developer you should use.

You are still purchasing the same "basic" ingredients, this way you will purchase the proper "volume" developer and "proper level of color & tone for only your hair" the difference that will happen in just making these few little changes will blow you away. You will learn what Level of hair color you can buy that will work and will not.

Not all hair colors work on all hair, there are many limitations I promise you - they don't tell you that one statement on those box kits. There are already many readers that have taken the time to learn the Level System and have written in with their stories, I will begin a section with them very soon. I promise its very simple - - - like learning to cook - the basics. Please go to our GROUP - there is a BEGINNING to COLOR Your Hair at Home section http://groups.google.com/group/killerstrands

This is what you would purchase from Killerstrands to get started :

pH balancer ( it helps the condition & shine- promise)

bowl

brush

gloves come free with every order of hair color

Yes this is a broad statement...because every one's hair is very different but this one color process is the single most common hair color performed in the country so I chose that as an example. This is for that person that maybe is a dishwater blond and wants to be a yummy chocolate brown, so every month she has to touch up her roots with the brown tint and refresh the ends.

In order for you to understand which color you should buy when you go to the store you must learn some very simple basics. So please try to have an open mind, hair color manufacturers ‘think’ the consumer won’t take the time to learn the “Level System".
I disagree.
I feel with a little education, demonstrations and a great website it can be solved and all of you can have the knowledge to pick out your own tube of hair color the RIGHT ONE and the proper volume of developer not the one they think you need - hair color does not work that way. So when you color your hair, you don't have to go back and buy another color and cover it up.

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD TO DO THAT?

From this site alone I have heard of hundreds of women that have had to do that.

That way they are selling you 2 kits

That's not very nice now, is it?

I didn't realize it before I got out into the Salon world and the public. I worked in the Hollywood Glitz world styling with all the tricks of the Trade . . . they are 2 completely different worlds, and I can see why now, as a hair stylist a fairly good size of our business is fixing the disasters created by boxed color kits.We used to call them "job security". . . so why would we want to explain this to anyone?

I have only recently put the whole thing together because I am not working in the hustle & bustle of a Salon.

The Hair Color Manufacturers that make those boxed kits Set You Up To Fail - you either have to purchase 2 kits or send that customer to the Salon to get their hair fixed by a professional - that professional may use that same companies "professional" line of color even.

Either way they are getting you for 2 hair colors - when it only needs to be one.

I have read the back of those kits, I even bought a couple to see what in hell is wrong - after receiving so many complaints & finally having the time to research it..

I don't want to go into it all here - if anyone wants the specifics I have answered many questions on the subject over at YAHOO ANSWERS - under the hair category -" hair color kits ").

What I want you to start thinking about is ...the fix for this, is finally here.

Its already posted, I have been teaching it right along, so you need to begin the series and read pretty much the whole blog up to here. I know it seems like a lot. Sit back and enjoy - I teach a lot of things most every top hair stylist keeps secret...so I would ABSORB - ABSORB it all up if I were you.

Everyone I tell to do that - thanks me.

I try to make it interesting, you can ask questions whenever you want - I answer everything.

Lastly: my illness is terminal, I don't know how long I have left and what will become of this
when I am gone, I am trying to get everything down as quick as possible - I'd like everyone to be able to get the advantages. So I would start learning and reading if I were you. No other Stylist will give up what I have, I've said it before: Stylists are only as good as their trick and secrets.

Mine are here for the world to read and enjoy.

Glam Gothic - Choose A Dark Chocolate Shade for Midnight, Moody, Mysterious Hair Appeal

Embrace the latest in cutting -

the cut is extremely important...as much as I stress there are techniques of color you can do at home, I feel a great cut, the best you can afford is well worth it.

Bring out your inner defiant diva

Paint Drips & Ribbons - Tricks-of-the-Trade - Part 3

Deadly Drips and Ruthless Ribbons is more the Killer Strand method

As you'll see in the head sheet break down, you'll see how the 4 strips were chosen. I chose these to make them easily viewable by you ( not the goal in hair really)
2 Drips and 2 Ribbons
I want you to see how easily they are done,
then refer back to the first post
http://killerstrands.blogspot.com/2008/01/foils-ribbons-and-paint-drips.html
to see how these very simple techniques look on finished hair ...you will be able to relate the photos in that link to how it was accommplished.

Hopefully.

let me know if you have any questions I tried to cover it as simply as this medium would allow

These first 5 fotos are focused on the red paint Drip on the LEFT side , bleach was applied from mid-strand to end, depending on what you are putting this on top of would make a difference in how exactly you apply it. If it is virgin hair you would apply the same way as if bleaching the hair. If color is on the hair you can apply to the strand as well, it will just have to be left on longer. The hair does not have to be super light...the photos of that stage got deleted.- i apologize. The hair only needs to be lightened to a Level 8-9 for most looks

There are hundreds of choices .. of what to do with these pieces of lightened hair- i did the most bold so it would show up in photos the best. I used blue and wished I had used yellow, but couldn't bring myself to (even tho it didn't matter - how weird am I? ) See how I started the bleach at about the tip of her nose for this one?







Then there is the blue paint drips on the left side which were started close to the bottom of the hair with about 2 inches of hair covered with bleach. Rinsed then covered with Blue FUDGE Semi Permanent hair color ( no peroxide) - so these will fade. Look how cool that blue looks peeking out of the bottom of the hair. LOVE IT . You can put color over the bleach, or tone the bleach pieces, make them SILVER...make them black, or make them a gorgeous vanilla blond...there are hundreds of choices to m ake you different. You know why this is a great technique for Crib Colorists? Its easy to apply to yourself. This technique does not necessarily need to be applied to the back of the head and it still looks damn cool, you can change it all the time as well!






Here we have the Red Ribbons and Blue Ribbons (hidden pretty much), see the difference?? ribbons are ON-THE-SCALP , paint drips are OFF-THE-SCALP from a random place chosen on the hair strip - as if the hair was dipped in a paint can

please any questions,

ask