2015 - The Newest & Most Unique Hair Color Trend -- 2015

You've gotta love it..........
Stencils and spray temporary hair color
15 years ago I did what I called tattoos on hair where I would bleach the guys/girls hair 

then 'hand paint' on the design. 

On the hair which is the same concept.  It took us a helluva lot longer....... I have a few stencils because I wanted to 'try' them on my daughters & am happy to make up a kit for you if you would like. Just send an email (killerstrands.info@gmail.com) to let us know they would be interested.  The prices would be pretty reasonably prices and it would last to the next shampoo then completely shampoo out. Great for Holidays - Valentines day, St. Patricks, just every single holiday in the month to make others aware of the causes you support.

 

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The Perfect STencil To bow Out with . . .  

           Remember the effort brought

 to the bottom one, the painting! 

                     Michaelangelo would be Proud!                                                                                                                         

When Coloring Hair -- Remember a Few Important Factors

If you are coloring your hair at home and striving to be a Great Crib Colorist, here are a few little tricks I use when trying to create "natural looking hair" when, in fact, it is not.

Say you are my favorite color of hair... a Level 6B.... or the color of Allison Williams hair:

Yes of course the first order of business is to touch up the base every 6-7 weeks, and if you have the proper formula you will be able to go that long. There is something we used to call 'creeping down the strand', which refers to the color you have applied...and that it will creep down the strand as it grows. There are certain brands of hair color that when formulated correctly - will actually creep down the strand as the hair grows out ( a little bit) and those are 'some of ' the brands I carry. Most specifically Wella. I don't know why and cannot explain 'why' - but they definitely DO, when the formula is perfect. I used to think that if the formula was perfect it blended with the virgin color and slid down the hair strand , but once I began my world into studying hair chemistry, I saw that was scientifically... not possible. But I am sure there are some of you that notice this phenomenon ! 
  The Second trick is to purchase a Ribbons of Light Kit ...........

 The first time you should do a few foils on the ENDS of the hair. On a child's hair ( which I always use for my model) the ends are always lighter than the base of the hair. You can either NOT pull it through, OR, put a few foils sporadically on the ends of the hair. NOT, on every single piece, but on random pieces , so it looks natural. Study some photos first of all if you aren't sure.
                                                   

The 3rd trick which is something I always do to my own hair. I take the top 1/4 of my head and I use the color 8/43 which is a Level 8 copper and on the rest of my head I use 7/43. If you notice on every child's head...... the top layer of their hair is a Level or 2, lighter than underneath. Its that way if you live in the sun or not... I have noticed....so I guess that is how GOD wanted everyone's hair to come out of the womb.

The 4th trick which is probably something some of you do, but I will tell you any way. You would purchase the Pip-Squeak Ribbons of Light Kit and place a couple of foils around the face. I suggest just little slivers of hair with cream lightener or powder ( depends on your hair color)...and only process for 5-10 minutes......you can always add some more for longer. Remember in Hair color: Less is More !

The darker hair should always be the dominant color in order for the look to be natural.

Oil Bleach Versus Powder Lightener: Advantages & Disadvantages of Each

I have spoken highly of the praises of Oil Bleach for "on-the-scalp" applications as opposed to "off-the-scalp" applications which it is no good for.

 First of all what's the difference in application? One is applied right on that skin of the scalp and the other is used (off the scalp) in foils and various "off" the scalp applications.  

Highlights or Foil work:

 














After slices it will look like this:

   


 After highlights it will look like this:

Above is the result of: SLICES

See how in the photo to the right there are some variations in color just not distinct ones as in the photo to the left?


Off-the scalp applications include: 
Highlights, Slices, Balayage, Tips, Halo, Veil, Splash Lights, Ombre and all the zillion other names/techniques that will pop-up in the next year or two. The technique "OMBRE" has had the longest and most spectacular impact on both hair & pop culture I have ever seen. So much so, it flip flopped over into the world of fashion. I have a pair of silky pants that blend from white to pale apricot to orange and I still wear them ! Now THAT is a hair trend! 

Highlights the trend prior to Ombre that made the biggest impact never left the world of hair, and to be honest there is not really much I can say about it that I like or liked. We learned a different technique at Sassoon called slices that I feel looks better(more natural) than highlights as you can see above. Although, I must admit there are some good advantages to highlights, just not the ones many of you think you will receive .... so I shouldn't be so quick to judge. I take that back !

Powder lightener consists of a powder-like substance usually blue or violet which is mixed with Developer / peroxide, so it is a fairly dry liquid (once mixed) which "stays in place" is the biggest advantage. It doesn't run and its not liquidy so it is easy to paint on with a tint brush. Another trick of this application is that all lighteners expand, so always apply in a smaller area than you want the action to take place. This is how the biggest disadvantage of lightener takes place.......overlapping. When you overlap last months application with this months, you create breakage or weakness, so I don't like to just say USE LIGHTENER everyone..I'm just not that kind of educator. It takes skill and knowledge....I would recommend reading every post I have written on the subject in this Blog!

 


OMBRE ...... REVERSE OMBRE

 This is what powder lightener looks like:

The looks you will gain from powder lightener and foils is completely different in the outcome.What's the difference and why should one use one over the other is what you can see above I hope.

The consistency of Oil Bleach is . . . shall we say . . . "very liquid".  Its a lipid based lightener + plus + a unique Oil (we use an unscented Gleam) made-up of oils that work the best with hair strands + creme Violet developer + a tiny bit of violet/blue toner powder. So its a very liquid-y creamy consistency (with lots of violet toned ingredients to counteract any brass that may want to come thru!) which makes it easy to work with while spreading it over a wide area (the entire scalp - or just the base on Re-touches).   All the liquid ingredients make it a bit runny...but don't get worried about that . . the consistency is what brings you the moisture, the lipids and all the conditioners. With all good things, there are a few drawbacks you must always weigh the consequences in the entire field of hair color! I find it very easy to work with as do all of our customers after the first go-around. The tremendous advantage is all those lipids, remember how much I talk about the advantages of lipids - fats - oils . . all hugely advantageous to the hair strands on your head. Lipids are the single best conditioner you can use on a hair for condition. This is what Oil Bleach will look like on your head once it is all applied:

 

 Here is the look afterward:

Think Gwen Stefani, Marily Monroe ( who first made this popular btw) and Eminem....

Its not just words, lipids truly work. The hair is made-up of lipids, so when returned they make a complete difference in the condition of the hair. Unlike keratin, I have never found replacing keratin in the hair to be repairing.  If the Oil Lightener didn't work so well I promise you I would have never gone to all the trouble of using it all these years - as a busy Colorist speed is the main goal, I just so happened to plug in QUALITY to my speedy applications, its the only way a Colorist becomes a 'good' Colorist - especially in LA with so much competition.

I've said many times before - - there are "GOOD" alcohols and there are "BAD" alcohols...
Our Oil Bleach Kit uses the 'good' alcohols which is why I go to all the trouble of making it for you. Fatty alcohols are the good alcohols and are derived from natural vegetable oils, denatured (liquid) alcohols are the 'bad' alcohols. Fatty alcohols are ingredients that I used because of their awesome conditioning benefits. When used in hair conditioners (or our Oil bleach) they deposit on the surface of the hair's cuticle helping with moisture, conditioning & Lipid content of the hair strand ... while bleaching the hair at the same time - its perfect. 
The lipid content gives you shine, luster & basically healthy looking hair. So, to me - - - A pure and simple GOLD MINE!

When purchasing products look for these names these are a couple names of "good" alcohols: 

• cetyl alcohol
• stearyl alcohol

  They are effective in conditioners and shampoos alike they provide hair with improved wet combing and give it a smooth feel on drying. When hair is smooth - - it will shine.

So with a little inside knowledge as to how, what & why an oil bleach works versus a powder I hope many of you will look into the processes a little further - we recently had a woman in the group try it and she was over-the-moon with her results.

Foil work and powder lightener also has its advantages, it just completely depends on the look you aspire to.  So there isn't a better choice from one to another........there is a "what-look-do-you-want-in-the-end" selection you would need to consider first. 

I hope that explains the two different lighteners.

Xmas Beards, finally the Men Are Getting Involved !

Xmas Beards

 

 

 

 

How About that for .........
.......................Don Thy Apparel
                                                                     ;)

Check Out : How to Go From Level 7,8,9 to Platinum AT HOME & Pretty Easily !

Lots of you want to make this transition and wonder what the best way to accomplish it at home is. Here is a Demo of another Stylists plan to achieve it and below some of my commentary as to what I feel is the best plan for Crib Colorists to do .... to accomplish the same look.

A Demo On What To Ask For ,
 From a Salon to Get The Result on right side...:

x

Remember there is a LOT to be said for a Great Blow-Dry and some GLEAM

 Before I begin remember something very important about photo stories like this...the photo on the right has her with clean hair that has Gleam or some oil or some serum on it and a 40-minute Blow-Dry done to it. So, I hate when people use such drastic photos when a great Blow Dry can solve many issues. 
But.. a-n-y-w-a-y-
   

The email sent me, asked me if this was the only way for this to be accomplished because her hair looks so beautiful and exactly as she wants hers but knows she cannot afford the cost. As you can see by these head sheets the Stylist is putting hundreds of highlights in. Each one of those little lines is a highlight parting. I only put up half the head sheets -- which are what we use in hair academy to describe which process goes 'where', which direction the part should: go, stop & start. Most importantly: what the Color formula's are ...... and where they each should go. All of that can be wrapped up in that one little tiny piece of paper called a Head-sheet with a silly looking mannequin head......... pencil drawn on! That is a good idea for another Post....explaining Head Sheets! Will do!

It worries me when I see something like this out in the public....because what it does is make you think if you buy a gigantic tub of bleach and apply it to your hair it will look like this and that is so far from the truth my head is steaming! They want you to screw up your hair so that you have to head to the Salon to get it fixed...
Its a completely regular thing for Salons, in Malibu they were referred to as a B.C.D. so it could be talked about without the clients knowing the lingo. They would say .....
 "Uh-Oh !, "Here comes another B-C-D
B - Boxed
C - Color
D - Disaster


Now, as far as reaching the color on the right at home.
Unless you have a family member that is very talented in hair color, putting foils in using that method is going to be impossible, pretty much. Besides if that look on the right is your goal I truly don't feel you need to do foils. I hate to admit this, yet I know I didn't do it....but Stylists will push you to get foils BECAUSE.........it is the costliest procedure. I've just heard so many Stylists around me pushing people to that solution, when a quicker, better procedure will work. Personally, I would rather get this client - 'done' and 'gone' and on her merry way....then I can start on the next person. But Stylists who don't have a lot of clients waiting will - many times - suggest that a whole head full of foils is the way to go. Don't list to it. Stand up for yourself. Tell them you only want color on the top half. .. . . . or you want an Oil Bleach applied. 

To achieve that above look, there is NO variation of color - it is a solid Level 12 hair. Period. You see that right? Well, to achieve an all over platinum look the most convenient, easiest and most appropriate method of getting there? Oil Bleach. We make a Kit which has 2 applications in it and if you are dark, you may need 2 or 3 for the lengths which you do first, which is just like applying color..........no foils. We have a DEMO on this Blog that shows you the proper method of applying the Oil Bleach Kit. So this post is not how to do it but THAT YOU CAN DO IT AT HOME WITH directions which we have on here.

Plus we have the Kit you need to achieve the above look and the procedure's proper name is "Bleach and Tone". Its never just Bleach...
You must always TONE a blond - especially right after lightening.
I will give you my top 3 Toners for "post" lightening.

#1.) Wella Color Touch 10/6 Violet - The violet based colors, help fight any brass leftover
#2.)  Matrix GWEN Toner - SPV - Sheer Pastel violet - a beauty
#3.) Schwartzkopf Igora - 9.5-49 NUDE - This is a bit warmer but also gorge

Here is what the Oil Bleach Kit looks like and directions are here, spend the Holidays discovering a new hobby. I vote we make Home Hair Coloring a hobby. Corporations won't want this, but we do ! !

DEMO: DEMO: How to Achieve Those Never-Ending... Lovely... BEACHY CURLS

 How To Get Perfect BEACHY CURLS

1. The "before" shot!

2. First, you want to take different-sized sections of hair, so your curls won't be too uniform. Take these partings of hair in varying sizes and wrap around the barrel of your curling iron. ( As a hair stylist we use and swear by the MARCEL 1" inch Barrel Curling Iron .... since it won’t flatten your hair and gives you more body). Leave the last couple of inches of hair out to not curl them because they would end up absorbing too much curl—which would end up looking too girly, like Shirley Temple. I also like to curl away from the face (going back, instead of forward) since it makes the curls flow away from your face, opening up your face more.

3. Once you pull your hair out of the curling iron, pull it straight for a few seconds,let the hair COOL WITHOUT TOUCHING IT ! If your curls don't last long a special trick used by all pro Stylists : use simple hair clips like these:

clip the curl in its ROUND shape (leaving out the ends) to the head. That means the hair will cool in a complete round shape on the head.  LET COOL (most important part) 

4-5. Repeat on the other side.

6. Finally, shake out the curls to loosen them up and make them look natural.