The Results of Various Toners & How They Work ?

This is the single most common email question/subject I receive and I hope writing a Post about the results of various Toners might help many of you understand the answer.

This answer has 2 separate answers.............. 1 answer would not cover the whole topic. Remember whenever using ANY developer and yes...I mean "ANY"....If you have virgin hair anywhere on your head, that hair will show a "line-of-demarcation" using any Toners or Demi-Permanent Hair Color



 (1)PREVIOUSLY COLORED HAIR
 ( Virgin hair or hair that has never been colored is below) 
 

So it doesn't matter what Volume it is...........USING DEVELOPER CREATES A LINE OF DEMARCATION

(the only exception: if you have Level 10 or lighter) 

 

DURP means : Dominant Underlying Remaining Pigment - which is the annoying color that pops up in almost every single person's hair when lightening. Some of you don't have any DURP at all - but you are few and far between. 
Most of you have tried lightening your hair at some point, that is just a fact I know from talking to so many of you. When you lighten the hair -- the DURP pops out. It is extremely difficult to get rid of by covering it up.
Does DURP only show if you lighten the hair? NO some people have it naturally.

The name of the Tool we have to cover up annoying DURP - is called: "TONER"

Personally my #1 favorite tool on blondes is to apply the lightener 1 more time and lighten it past the brass/gold stage.That way Toners are not necessary, which I feel is why my clientele was so large and grew so quickly.When you can turn out brass-free blondes, the word begins to spread.
I feel many of you Colorists out there are afraid to leave the lightener on long enough or you don't apply enough applications.                                               
 
First of All ..........understand this:

Definition of a Toner -- is any hair color used to deal with the DURP (brass/gold/blorange) leftover from lightening hair. Now this Toner can be a hair color that is used with Developer....and that Developer can be anywhere from 3Volume to 18Volume to create that color into being a Toner as:

 

-- -- -- Developers BELOW 20 Volume theoretically don't    lighten the hair

They don't lighten but they DO leave a line of demarcation.
So it IS really lightening. Because if you have ever seen it, it isn't a darkening line, it IS a line of demarcation though.

To be perfectly honest it can also be any Level and ANY COLOR Toner, for example : ....Asians usually have problems with Red in their dark hair when lightening a little 

 
so.............therefore one can use a Green Based Toner (Darkest Brown ASH in some lines) to conquer that problem which could be as dark as a  Level 3. So Toners are not just for blondes. Toners are for ANY hair color needing to deal with whatever color DURP is in your hair color.

I have Level 8 copper hair, so how does a redhead deal with this? My DURP is GOLD, yes gold is part of copper but many times the hair color is wayyyy too gold. So I look for a Level 8 Red Neutral instead of Level 8 Red-Gold like so many people do. I have tried every single type of Toner in my life and career. 

• LOW - 3Volume Developer 
• 18 Volume Toner.....                                                                     
• Color Touch in 9/16 - it has violet so it works a tiny bit on the gold, but there is no Toner that lasts for 4-6 weeks so it is a never ending game of re-touching.
• I have found that using a Toner even a super low Volume, just is a pain-in-the-ass and never lasts, and I don't know about you, but my GOLD DURP is on my lengths, so to apply hair color on my lengths (my hair is past my bra strap), is difficult to do to oneself That is a lot of hair.
• I have decided on using BOOST & BURST, I have been using Boost & BURST for 15 years, they just were bottles in my shower with no name.
• The Toner I have on my own hair is why many years ago I decided to Shampoo "IN" and Conditioner "IN" my Toner. I find it is the easiest & gives me the most effective result. I LOVE how my hair feels right after.....I truly do. My color is rich there is ZERO Gold. I find this way to be the easiest OVERALL method, especially with long hair.
•  I do it once a week, sometimes I do it in the sink while cleaning or doing laundry, or I will do it in the shower. Sometimes I will apply the shampoo without water at first then add in a little water and shampoo.  Shampoo the hair  then leave in for 5 minutes -- RINSE lightly -- towel dry the hair... -- Apply Conditioner for 10 minutes - while shaving & doing everything else. Rinse lightly and poof it looks superb, it really does - I use Killer Copper 2. It takes less time than breaking out hair color and it lasts a lot longer. Another advantage? If I decide to lighten my hair a Level or 2 (in the Spring) all I have to do is stop using it....use regular shampoo and POOF in a week or two -- its gone and there is NO LINE OF DEMARCATION
• That is how BOOST & BURST were created and sold over the last 1 1/2 year ago...Its why we have H.Ash Brown, for those with Red DURP................Violet Pilot for those with Brass................Breaking Bad Blue for those with BLOrange ...............Wink.Perry.Wink for those with Gold/Brass..............we should have a color for every single color DURP there is.
• I've never really written a Post about BOOST AND BURST and explained things so that is my mistake and I am sorry.

 Prince, Violet Pilot & PERP all work wonders on brass & Gold

(2) VIRGIN HAIR ...hair that has never been colored.

•  Virgin hair will ALWAYS get a line of demarcation, when a Toner using ANY Volume Developer. Yep, even 2 Volume will leave a line of demarcation. In other words, you will see a line on the never colored hair.
• The only Toner you may use on Virgin hair with highlights and not have it color the virgin hair is BOOST & BURST, which is semi-permanent hair color I'm afraid. I know all of these answers are probably not what you wanted to hear, but they are in fact THE TRUTH 
• A toner without the use of a Developer --- ANY developer is the only way you will not color the rest of the hair. Think about it..............why would it only color the lightened pieces? What special thing is mixed in so it will not color the rest of the hair?
• NOTHING
• I'm sorry, BOOST & BURST are your best selection .  Still.
  
  
  

Breaking Bad Blue works wonders on Gold/Blorange