January 7, 2010

The Magic of Hair Color Mixology

Becoming a Crib Colorist

Mix Colorissimo w/ RenColor & why

I am very, no…. make that ---> EXTREMELY proud of so many of you that follow the KillerStrands teachings and have taken it upon yourself to learn the proper way to color hair. I hear many of you talking in “Colorist-lingo” and speaking about it correctly and in the proper format. Makes me a proud Mama Bear. There seems to be a lot of questions about the mixing of colors when using the Renbow Lines and I can fully understand that.
Why? When I was in Sassoon Academy no one ever mixed the 2 lines together. . .when I got out and was able to order the color myself for my own Clientele…I began reading the Instruction sheets, Color Charts and Inserts that come with the color, I was very thirsty for knowledge back then, much like many of you are now.
It was not until this point though, (about 3 years after I started) that I began experimenting with mixing RenColor and Colorissimo together. I mean why wouldn’t these Master Colorists {that were my Instructors} not teach me the exact ‘correct’ methods of mixing & applying this color? ? ? It took me quite a few years to finally come up with that answer. [... because they never slowed down long enough to read the Manufacturers Instructions and suggestions which is what I did - sometimes 'ego' gets in the way of learning -be careful of that one!].
I highly suggest all of you read the manufacturers instructions periodically on hair color that you are using…you never know when they have changed the instructions so check it all over periodically. So I was not taught the way to use Colorissimo and RenColor together….that was one of the most amazing discoveries of my career…I still remember the day.
RenColor comes in 30 beautiful fashion and pastel shades. To this date I have never seen one other line of permanent hair color with this range and this unusual of colors. I keep waiting for anyone to get close or to understand that as a top Colorist. THIS IS WHAT TONES WE WANT…they may seem a bit unusual to many of you. But you ask any top colorist & most will agree. The thing about Renbow and why it was not nearly as big as any of the other lines? Is because it was owned and run and a famous italian Colorist Renato Bruno. Renato came to America and ended up staying here when he brought the line over… so he has a manufacturing plant and distribution in Italy and throughout Europe and in Pennsylvania & throughout the USA. The bottle contains 2 ounces of product and must be mixed with an equal amount of hydrogen peroxide..
Rencolor provides amazing lift & lasting ability, self-stopping coloring action, no build-up of color on the ends as is so with ALL Renbow colors. RenColor is also know for its superb transparency, unsurpassed conditioning…but mostly > its known for is SHINE!
There are 4 Shade Divisions within RenColor
DUSK ……………..….in Levels 1 to 6
DAWN …………….…in Levels 6 to 10
SUNRISE …………in Levels 7 to 10
SUNSET …………. in Levels 5 to 8
…………………………………………………………………
Lets Begin with DUSK
DUSK - An intermixed base that is predominantly a deep tone. There just isn’t a lot of tones that show up in dark levels. I have watched various companies try and fail -- attempting it. A 3 BRV, pretty much looks like black if you ask me. Or a 4A, which many companies, including both WELLA & Renbow’s Colorissimo have…I have a great eye for color especially hair color but anything below a 5 or especially a 4 is pointless….its just too damn dark. .Hey, I’m all for them keeping them in their lines, I used to use them – I LOVED them & used them all…. I felt bad for the darkies….. they had no fun/no variations…just ask me -- I’ve been the same dumbass Level 8-Red my whole life. . . with a few attempts at other colors, they just look weird on me. I understand boredom in hair color like no body’s business, I’m the queen of boring hair color….its sitting right on my shoulders day in and day out!
Bombshell hair134
The DUSK series has a couple super stars though. If I had to pick #1 I would say it is #3 MOKA. I will give it to the Head of Vidal Sassoons Color Department she told me that MOKA was the most gorgeous, the most rich and the most beautiful Darkest Brown on the planet….gave hair the most shine….and was just stunning. She was dead right, so remember that boys and girls.
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HOW IT WORKS
Gray Hair – Achieves a translucent type of coverage, allowing a shiny transparent effect.
VIRGIN & TINTED – Supplies a sophisticated shimmer of color.
BLEACHED & Highly Tinted—Use with caution. This is the wrong palette for very light hair, I’m sure you can see why ( its way damn too dark! ha ha)
So…my favorite 2 mixtures in the DUSK series are:
#1) Colorissimo 4N – 1 oz. + RenColor #03 MOKA – 1oz.. + + 2 OZ. of 20V Developer ……………The 4N would supply the Gray coverage, or even if you didn’t have gray, this is still the most gorgeous combo.. The color were made to work together like this and when you DO use them to work this way you get the perfect color. For years companies made “Liquid” hair color the way RenColor is made, they found that Liquid hair color imparted an incredible amount of SHINE…BUT, it did not cover Gray as well. So they had to go back to the Tube –(Pigment-rich) Hair Color for that. This is why you mix the 2 together. For both tremendous Gray coverage, and shocking SHINE! Lasts longer than any other line . . . believe I have tried. Renbow is not easy to get, the company has never been into the whole “marketing and sales” like most companies. So I have tried many times to find someone else with as good of coverage/shine/ all of it.
As I have said many times. . . Renbow, USA has been bought out by Paul Mitchel in 2009 . . . . So we will see what happens in this next upcoming year.
#2) Colorissimo 5N (or 6N) – 1/2 oz. + Ren Color 06 Velvet Brown – 1 1/2 oz. ++ 2 oz. of 20V Developer
DAWN…….An intermixed based of Violet and Blue Pigments. These are some great tones for all that brass, blorange, gold and on and on that you all know too well. I know they may not look to delightful on the page, but remember, you use hair color to fight (to oppose) the unwanted tones you have in your hair. Its funny when you are at my stage, I just LOVE the oddest colors, and it wasn’t until KillerStrands until I realized how truly funny the colors I love …are. Remember Renbow is the only company I know of that uses blue/violet for their ASH’s - - the way it is meant to be. ( American companies use green/ grey…YUK!….What color does “grey get rid of?) I
I mean look at the SILVER MINK, how absolutely gorgeous it is. Plus it is a permanent hair color + MOONLIGHT is WHITE…I call it Marilyn Monroe Blonde…Even 25 Opaline is yummy. Dawn and SunRise are my favorite groups…
bombshell mops140
I started to think whether or not I had ever used one of these colors alone…I”m pretty sure I have not. Where with the DUSK group I have used all of them alone - - these tones are all a case for canceling “unwanted tones”
bombshell mops163
HOW IT WORKS
The Dawn series is especially suited for neutralizing unwanted yellow to gold or orange tones.
GRAY HAIR…..NOT recommended for Snow WHITE or pure Gray hair, but will provide a beautiful shimmering effect on salt and pepper gray hair.
Virgin and Tinted – Provides a drabbing effect on excess yellow, gold, orange tones. An excellent series to mix with Colorissimo HIGHLIFT SERIES for one process blonding.
Bleached and Highly Tinted – A wonderful –Toner series for all Blonds. Nearly every single color creates a gorgeous effect on blonds.
In order to make it easy for you, I have added 2 new Blonding Kits – incorporating this new (to you) method of using RenColor in your Highlift blonding process.
. .There are 2 new Kits – that include RenColor (MOONLIGHT) for those that love it ( the highlift Kits are our #1 selling color ) including RenColor w/ a bit of a discount.
Its called:
1) High-Lift Twin Turbo-Kit (5 pc Kit)
Colorissimo 100A + 40V Developer………….Renbow – White Genie…………Rencolor (Moonlight 27)
AND
2) High-lift Turbo Kit (4 pc. Kit)
Colorissimo 100A + 40V Developer…..RenColor (Moonlight 27)
……………………………………….
I will finish this up tomorrow or Saturday. . . . . but wanted to get it started…
Something has happened to the COMMENTs on this Blogging System….they just don’t work very well anymore and I get lots of SPAM Comments, so I have to delete over 1/2 of them. ??? If you have any questions about this … please head to the GROUP and I will try to hang out there this weekend. . . .
thanks,
Killer Chemist
3 comments on "The Magic of Hair Color Mixology"
  1. Please KC! Write an article for us Level Ones! I got the black fever this summer and can't turn back. Us on this super dark end of the spectrum don't get a lot of attention especially when we fall in love with the blackest of blacks.

    Also, could you please write about what you think of Chaz Dean's WEN. I just got it the other day and absolutely love it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. J,
    I answered this in the group, apparently you are not in the group.
    #1: I am not a fan of tinting hair Level 1- BLACK>. I have spent a career keeping clients from making that move, and why? When you want to change, which most people ivariably want to do, it is impossible to accomplish successfully. I mean black is black, there is not a whole lot to black hair adise from putting flashes of color in it. Is that what you mean?
    As far as WEN? I bought it myself, split it up between 5 of us. After a month.... 4 of us did not like it AT ALL, including me.
    It has some bad traits:
    1) Expensive, If you have long hair it takes a lot of "squirts", which makes it become SUPER pricey
    2) This to me is the biggest drawback: Its a conditioner, and I'm opposed to conditioners. The ingredients used in this formula are the same ingredients used to make hand cream/ hand lotions.

    So to me its like trying to clean hair with hand lotion.
    I also think its strange that he keeps the ingredients very hidden, I tried every way possible to get the ingredient list. Because if I would have seen it prior to purchase I would have never made the purchase.

    You asked

    KC

    ReplyDelete
  3. Where is the second part of this post on RenBow. I am really curious about mixing 3 Moka with 5 Sherry Brown or 11 Tropical Dawn. What do you think of mixing Dusk & Sunset shades?

    ReplyDelete

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