BEST New Way To Re-Touch Platinum Hair w/ the Killerstrands Oil Bleach Kit

Re-touching Platinum Hair or Hit that Base.

I received a great little photo from a girl who used our Oil Bleach Kit for the first time and was thrilled with her results. Here she is.............

This is exactly how your color should look, notice she has NO yellow or brass at home!!!...........the color is even and you can tell the hair is super healthy ......She happened to choose platinum white for her toner but once you get all of the brass and yellow out  . . . THEN you will have the opportunity to choose whichever toner you desire, how fun ! ! ! !

You can then choose a Level 8-9- Blond even and the toners are one of the most fun parts about being this color.
WHY??? Because, depending on the brand and tone you use - they will last 3 weeks or so then begin to fade which gives you an opportunity to choose a different one for a different look . 
You also , of course can use the same one - use 13 Volume which  is what you want to have the Toner Stick the most. 

We call the roots in professional hair color the "BASE". Its at the base of the hair lengths and seems to make more sense to the Pros. So that is how I will refer to it.

When Purchasing one of our Oil Bleach Kits. I ALWAYS ALWAYS recommend reading every single Post about going "PLATINUM'' available in this Blog. Its much to much to include in the Kit, especially for the price, but it is freely and easily available  to see throughout the  8 years of Posts about hair on this Blog. Here is the link ....and read them all I encourage you...

We have sold more Oil Bleach Kits, in the past 10 days than we have in this same time frame in the 8 years we have been open, I recently put a few foils in a friends hair so she had light brown hair with some beautiful little blonde wisps in the front. She wanted to try the  ROSE-ANGEL-ROSE Boost Shampoo and BURST Conditioner in the same tone......

we left the conditioner on about 5-6 minutes......I was so excited with how beautiful it was ( she didn't want her photo on the web.......so I ordered a mannequin with her same color and am going to duplicate what I did on her so I can show you. The rose/pink color truly gives the blonde hair and brown a very pretty cast. I know many of you would love this.

People are hesitant I but, there is no reason to be it doesn't turn the hair bright pink at all....it just deposits color and its not bright pink or anything.....as you can see it is kind of a soft rose color...and if its too bright you just shampoo with your regular shampoo once and it will fade/

When you begin the process of coloring the hair, whether it is going to be going platinum or going black....one must always prepare the hair first by SECTIONING it. It is much too confusing and time consuming to do it any other way.

The parts are simple . From ear to ear across the top of the head. and then from nose to top of the spine. That creates quarters.

Attention: Oily Scalp and Dry Lengths Hair?

This is kind of a taboo subject, not many people like to think or talk about........ oily scalps,

but we must sometimes do things in life that are not always pleasant...........yet are necessary.

I am from the camp that believe the scalp is more important than the hair. What? Well I hope you remember some of my previous Posts that explain how the hair actually grows and what goes on underneath the scalp and how each individual hair strand grows.

It still absolutely amazes me the intricacy & monumental  job that actually goes into growing ONE single STRAND of hair. Which is why it is so very VERY important to care for your scalp.

Over the years I have worked with various clients and developed a few little tricks that help the Oily Scalp / yet Dry ends Hair Combination

#1.) Kaaral Scalp Scrub

#2.) Malibu 2000 Scalp Shampoo - another great choice
#3)  Scalp Treatment Packet by Malibu 2000

What you do when shampooing is, you put a dime size squirt of shampoo and add a little water and rub back and forth to create a lather in your hand then put that shampoo on your fingertips. Take that and try to just shampoo just your roots, 1st....... leave that lather on your roots for a few minutes (do everything else in shower) .....then quickly run the shampoo through the lengths very quickly....and rinse. The lengths almost never are very dirty -- because the dirt comes from the scalp, so the scalp is what you need to clean mainly.

Pointing that out helps many.

Leave the lengths out of this process.

Sometimes don't even add more shampoo to the lengths she just pulled the lather from the roots thru to the ends and rinsed almost immediately.........

AGAIN.......... the lengths usually are not that dirty....the dirt would have to travel from the scalp to the ends. .

Then once or twice a week use the KAARAL Scalp Scrub  which also has a conditioning effect when rinsed through. But it has little walnut shells ground up very small so it has a rough texture to it ( just exactly like facial scrubs I'm sure you've tried).

You can use a scalp treatment pack from Malibu2000  maybe every other week ....u will figure out how often on your own.

Then always - always a few drops of Gleam on the hands rub them back and forth really fast and hard it will make your hands HOT -HOT and it will heat up the few drops of Gleam and then just take your finger tips and put that oil on only the tips of the hair, it will travel down a little.....Gleam will heal those lengths if you continue to do this...

There you have the solution to Oily Scalp - Dry Lengths !

KC

Sassy Silver Hair On Saturday

One of the newest and hottest colors people are on the lookout for is "SILVER"...I have been coloring hair silver for over 20 years, that is how long it has been around ! As far as which products work the best, if you are seriously committed to the color is the only way you will truly get it right.

 A little bit of silver looks odd. 
Although Silver slices looks gorgeous, so I kind of take my own words back ! Slices are a technique the Sassoon academy developed many years ago and when looking for a great Sassoon Colorist, just ask them for this technique. Its unique, beautiful and what you see on celebrity/model hair

 The results of the Kenra SILVER METALLICS are in and as I usually do when running Strand Tests I let them develop for 90 minutes. Which I did for these as well. 

Unfortunately, my suspicions were correct. What I did was run 2 Strands on Level 5 hair, which is what you need to do........ to see if it is a truly a permanent hair color. A permanent color has the ability to Lift and Color.........otherwise the color you are speaking about is a Toner or Demi-Permanent Hair Color at best.

As you can see by the above boxes Kenra calls it a permanent color + slips it into the permanent hair color line they have. They have a demi line, the box is half the size and the color range is limited. What I found , is as I expected.

So I ran 5 Strand Tests.......

• 8SM +40Volume on Level 5
• 10SM + 40Volume on Level 5
• 8SM + 10 Volume on Level 9.5 ( Its VIRGIN hair....so if you bleached the hair and applied this Color you may have a little better results because newly bleached hair is like a sponge and soaks up color like nobodies business.
• 8SM +40 Volume on Level 9.5
• 10SM + 10Volume on Level 9.5

The woman that is deciding if she should use these colors I'm afraid is going to be disappointed. I guess somewhere they have the direction to doing this hair color:

The color did not change the Level 5 color AT ALL. Which makes the color not properly categorized if you go by the Level System Rules. I mean there is not 1 organization that heads up the world of Hair Color. I think that would be a great project for someone to take up. I would if I wasn't so ill. They have a tiny magazine called Hair Color but the styles in the magazine are truly a couple years old. I watch Europe. I get my hair color magazines from Europe, I like to see where we will be in a few years. European women are just so much braver than Americans go as far as colour.

But lets look at what will turn Kenra's color into a Demi Permanent - why? BECAUSE IT ONLY deposits color.....and not very well.

As you can see the only color worth its cost is the 8SM.....and it is very pretty, If its applied on bleached out hair it will absorb better because newly bleached hair is like a sponge it soaks up color like nobody's business.





So, you can see here that there is NO lift with 40 Volume and either color, there is ZERO change, so this color is not a PERMANENT Color. It can be a Demi-Permanent color though because the lower numbers DO deposit.
The one Strand Test came apart when I was rinsing it so its kind of a mess but you can tell by the photo that it has not changed the color AT ALL. Both were on there 90 minutes and it is a warm day here as well.

This color is the best and it is beautiful , but again it is color deposited on blond hair, not a hard process to produce. I truly thought they had mastered a new technology.

So you want to begin with blond hair . Bleached lightened is best , so use our oil bleach kit:. Then apply the Kenra 7 or 8 SM

     
We have had nothing but compliments about SILVER BULLET in BOOST & BURST...
'these turn your hair Silver, they are the color SILVER, like they should be ! ! !


But at least everyone now knows exactly what it does.

Color Theory (Sounds Boring, I kno) 100% Necessary To Become Successful Crib Colorist

60% - 80% of You Come To Killerstrands In An Attempt At Fixing A Botched Hair Coloring Experience

Therefore I feel its necessary for me to teach you the tools to correct those disasters, otherwise, why be here? ! So as much as it sounds boring, Color Theory and understanding : the basics of it, is simply mandatory. It gives you the tools to be able to understand how to fix any mess on your own. What a wonderful tool for this new hobby of home hair coloring and becoming a Crib Colorist.

Primary colors are Blue, Red & Yellow and are the basic colors that make up every hair color out there (except, of course, silver/white) and that is in the order of their size of the molecule (or atomic weight - now, don't leave because I said 'atomic'....wait, hear me out)...Understanding the order and size of the primary colors shows you what happens during the lightening process when going from Level 1(black) to Level 12 (Platinum). So many of us go lighter, that is the way of the world for some reason.

When lightening, Blue is the only 'cool' primary color. Most people lean towards wanting more of a 'cool' tone to hair. I mean warm means Brass, Blorange, Gold, Reds. No one wants the first 3 that's for sure and the only way you want red, is if your goal is red hair! When Blue is added to any primary, secondary or tertiary color is is dominant. The new color will be cool....again....good. Its molecular weight (or pigment size) is the largest and BECAUSE of this, it is closest to the cuticle. Why is this bad? Because being the largest pigment means when you begin to lighten hair (even a little bit) it will be the color that is closest to the cuticle and that damn sure means it will leave FIRST! If it leaves first, there goes that 'cool' hue that we all need so much to give our hair that 'cool' tint we talked about earlier. When the hair is oxidized by the ammonia in hair color the hair expands almost immediately, the blue molecule escapes and poof no more 'cool'.

Next is Red, it is also difficult to remove and lastly the yellow which is buried deep down in the hair strand.....the most difficult of all to remove and why so many of you get stuck at Blorange (blorange is the mix of red & yellow: so you see why you get stuck there?) Gold & Brass. The yellow molecule is buried so damn deep, it pretty much always takes bleach to be powerful enough to get it out of that hair strand. See????????

When all 3 colors are in hair in equal proportions you achieve a completely NEUTRAL Blonde or Brown. You know how we all wonder why we can't have like hair like Jennifer Anniston? That is hair that has equal proportions of red, blue & yellow molecules in her hair, there are VERY FEW people that happen to be this lucky. How do I know? I colored over 15,000 heads of hair (yep, my assistants kept track). Do you know how rarely I would have someone in the chair that was a breeze to lighten?  Not even once a month. That is rare.

Secondary colors are made when you mix 2 primary colors. You mix red & Blue you make Violet. That is a secondary color. If you add the opposite of any secondary color to a hair color you are mixing you will neutralize it. For example:

If you have a bigger yellow molecule and brass has become your problem.............look across that color wheel . What color is opposite of yellow (brass) on the color wheel ? Violet...........right? ! Add Violet and you will help cancel out yellow as it is directly across from it on the color wheel. That is why you see so many violet colored shampoos including our own (BOOST & BURST - Violet Pilot). 

Now, I am hoping from that you will be able to understand and pick-out any color you need to neutralize an annoying one you have in your hair color. So brass is yellow, across from yellow is Violet.

Blorange which I refer to a lot, because it is indeed a very common problem. We have calculated that Blorange is both Yellow & Orange cast that would be in your hair ....what colors would you use to counteract Blorange? Blue & Violet (check out the wheel). 

Understanding these basic theories is mandatory if you want to take control over correcting your hair color or planning your hair color and having positive results.

Bleach for the Stars (more about the best lightener there is)

I have spoken of the thrill I get when bleaching a head of hair the most magnificent of colors in the world. . . platinum . . . and then toned with a delicate pastel color, lately, there are so many to choose from. There is the thrill a hair color artist achieves when this has been done perfectly. Which is why I say don't count the world of "bleach" out until you learn and master it the proper way. There are a list of rules that you must follow to perform either the OIL BLEACH or the off-the-scalp bleach application properly - once complete you will be over-the-moon happy with yourself..The hair can look absolutely spectacular which doesn't take much studying at all. 


So many turn their backs to bleaching after one bad experience when it is, unfortunately, just the learning curve of a complex coloring product. Many try to perform miracles by lifting very dark (black) hair and using very high Volume developer and not taking the proper steps. Many will lighten the base first, when lightening the base should be LAST! Many try to lighten hair without using Oil bleach which is the wrong move, you MUST use an Oil Bleach Kit.

Bleach products are highly alkaline and therefore need to be neutralized with a shampoo or a product like INTENSIVE which has an acid pH value, before and after the toner is applied. By taking this extra step you will be able to achieve "EVEN" color and healthy hair. One more consideration that is overlooked is any styling products with a high "bad" alcohol content in the formula (which is 'denatured alcohol'). That alcohol can have a bad effect on the lasting properties of the Toner (which in pastels is so important).

Do not use any type of accelerators or heaters when using bleach, all containers should have the warning NO TO USE HEAT. If you expose hair with bleach on it to penetrating heat without any moisturizer on it, the hair may crack(break). Some Stylists use a dryer as a way to "by time" if they are running behind, or they are just so backed up they don't know what else to do. If you are a stylists and you are reading this in your learning stages.....just put the client in a chair hand them a magazine or I-PAD and apologize for running late, you are better off shampooing the bleach out of the hair and putting a deep conditioner or an oil treatment, than sticking them under the absolute worst thing you could possibly choose...........HEAT!  Heat & bleach are a big giant NO !

Bleach is the opposite of coloring where application is concerned. Bleach applications do not like air penetration and therefore the bleach should be applied thickly. The roots have to be well covered , and has the effect of retaining natural heat from the scalp, making quicker and smoother lifting action.

Never is there a need to apply higher than 20 Volume developer directly to the scalp, only in the rarest of occasions (Level 1 or 2 hair going blond ) and if it is then it absolutely MUST be mixed with Oil lightener. No exceptions. Be sure to bush hair lightly and be sure no metal of any type (glitter,etc.) is in the hair as that reacts horribly with bleach and we wouldn't want that to be the reason you had to stop the process. A close inspection of the hair & scalp is very important to reassure yourself that all is well before you proceed.

2014 Has Come To An End, Check Out Some Industry Statistics, Just FYI

The hair Industry is exploding.


That is why in 2014 shampoo sales rose 4.24% to $2.7 billion. If they had one effective shampoo we wouldn't have to keep trying new ones, although sometimes I feel you all like hopping around trying new ones for the fun of it. I have never done that, when I find a good shampoo that works well for me and does not have any of those yucky sulfates, parabens etc...in them - I am happy and stick with that one bottle. I've never quite understood everyone's yearning to keep trying new shampoos, but I promise you it is a big habit now a days!

Conditioner Sales rose 5.44% to $1.9 Billion, so that indicates there are even less effective conditioners. I do need to tell you that these figures put all the shampoos and conditioners that I just tear apart as the top selling items. 
The top 4 brands?: Suave, Pantene, Herbal essences and Garnier. That makes me ill to my stomach, I just cannot believe it. That all those people are daily destroying their hair, none of those have a sulfate-free shampoo if I am not mistaken.

 Although, there is a light at the end of the tunnel....the new brand Organix (sold in grocery /drug stores - which is Sulfate-Free) has the Pole position and is up there with the big guys ! So that's not too shabby for a line that was sued by the Center for Environmental Health for claiming to be Organic, when it was not! (I'm sure many of your have heard of that group- they go to bat for the consumer -you!) - They sued them stating their name was a lie - & that the ingredients were not in fact - "organic". Which was 100% true. They lost and had to change their name which is now named: OGX ! 
The thing is it is still in the same bottle with everything looking the exact same so people have kept purchasing it enough to put it at the top 5 of all shampoos! That is quite a feat when you have Walmarts, Targets, etc... to include in the vision. OGX shampoo rose 30.4% to $82 million & its conditioners rose 20% to 98.8 million !


The most popular statement on these products is "FREE-FROM:" ....Such as :
Free From:

• Sulfates
• parabens
• alcohols
• PPD's
• etc....

Shampoo went from just cleaning the hair to being the sole product that will give you great looking hair. Remember when we poled over a thousand people back when the BLOG was brand new........Men considered "great looking hair" as their number one choice on a prospective woman they would want to date!