GAME OF TONES Versus THRONES : Platinum Queen? Tinted Oil Bleach : Mandatory

Platinum Hair is the Hair of the Gods

As the end of Game of Thrones drew to a close the requests for blonde's and blonding come floating in the email "in" box Most of the country. . . wanting a nice platinum blonde. I happen to think Game of THRONES turned into a wonderful story to watch. Its now a love story, but the author of the books already told us that now didn't he. I never knew, til Sunday! Now I want Platinum hair !

Daenerys

 Daernery's hair color...they call it silver on the show , it is merely platinum though, she does wear many different wigs so please don't be under the illusion that is her real hair.


 But we have a product that I have not talked about enough. I was telling a fan about it today as we discussed going blonde and my answer was the number one way to go blonde is our blue/violet tinted oil creamy bleach that we make I am most proud of 3 products we make here at killerstrands that you can get nowhere in the world but here. Blue/Violet tinted oil-Creamy bleach 

 

 Gleam and BLAST..........
I've tested this product on many levels of hair color and the amount of yellow and brass it gets rid of simply amazing. I am not exaggerating....... just having the bleach AND the developer tinted with these colors is truly amazing to me. I wish Colorists would try it just to see the difference it makes. It makes going blond 1 full Level easier, because the blue-violet gets in the strands and really stamps out the damn brass and gold so common when lifting hair lighter.

This technique is referred to as double process, which is deceiving and inappropriate in my book, but I suppose I cannot re-write History. The 1st process would be the bleaching, the 2nd the Toner.  . . .Toning is not a "process" its an application - well on 2nd thought it is a process...because anything you apply to the hair is a process.. But there you have the technical name of the process that you can ask for at any good Hair Salon . My suggestion is, if you are thinking of going platinum, go have a consultation first.  Any good Stylist should give out free consults in my book or charge and take it off the price of the appointment. Its expensive if done correctly ...in my book it should never be a rushed procedure taking time when doing major conversions to the hair make the hair healthier and stronger. Let the hair lighten slowly and evenly  by leaving the lightener on for minimum 65-75 minutes, removing it rinsing, and drying the hair and then re-applying . The trick is the re-application, don't waste time leaving the lightener on longer its just simply the wrong method.

A good colorist knows that at about 65-75 minutes the top strength of the bleach fades and slows to to a crawl. To get maximum and safe lift the true trick we all use is reapplying it and NOT using a dryer - EVER. Bleach is not supposed to have heat applied to it and I hear that so many people get stuck under a hair dryer while they wait for there stylist to free-up from the other person they started. DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN.
 
Going Platinum Blond is a statement and a mission . .  I have seen meager timid guys go from mice to men and shy submissive women turn out as dominating after this transformation and I am not exaggerating. Its why Colorists love what they do so much......a good one gives a person a new identity 9 times out of 10 and that is an amazing feeling. 

Its amazing what a hair color 

can do to a personality

When mixing Killerstrands Oil Bleach ... (found in Killerstrands Clinic) it may not seem like it but it is crucial that you mix in the order described.  The creme and oil should connect first. . .  mix well  . .followed by the addition of the Developer. If for some reason you forget and begin doing it the wrong way please stop and start over. I have tried it before and the results were NOT the same - so please remember that. You want the bleach to apply in a nice silky manner so it does not drip . . . nor is too dry - - so the moisture needs to be perfect. 

Following the enclosed personal directions from me......to a T....... will give you that

The usual method of application for a full bleach out is similar to the double application method for single process color. First apply 1 inch away from scalp, then, when the mid-shaft is nearly the desired stage of lightening, apply to the scalp area.

Now here is an alternative method  . . . which when going through my old notes from the Academy, I remembered. It was refreshing enough to read, and my next bleaching will be using this method.

First , apply the bleach. . .scalp to ends . . using the parting and sectioning I have pointed out in previous posts. When the scalp area is the desired stage of lightening . .rinse and shampoo. Dry the hair with a cool dryer. Now with this method you can see where exactly the hair needs its 2nd dose of bleach and you won't have any overlapping or over-bleaching of more vulnerable areas of the hair such as over-porous end or a fine hairline

There is no more meticulous application of product than that for on-the-scalp bleaching.  The rewards for precision are even bleaching, even toning, and hair that doesn't break. Begin the application in the darkest or coarsest area of the hair. Take fine sections with your TAIL COMB. ..thin enough to see through. With re-touches, you MUST be careful of overlapping - - and its easier to just lay a line of bleach at the scalp, then lay the next section against it, rather than smearing the bleach in with fingers.

If you are lifting past yellow be patient. . .GOLD IS ALWAYS the toughest pigment color to eliminate. It will probably take longer to go from yellow to pale yellow than it took bring the natural base to yellow


With double process this is important: When you rinse the bleach - -  be gentle and very thorough.Lukewarm water most efficiently rinses the thick oil bleach . . .followed by a very gentle SLS-FREE Shampoo . .  another rinse and then the final smothering in our Killerstrands INTENSIVE, which will pH balance your hair and stop & lock-in the color . This will completely stop any bleach from continuing to work, HOORAY!  Rinse well and towel dry the hair gently. Leaving INTENSIVE on for 30-45 minutes is always what I end up doing but it is totally optional.  INTENSIVE is a porosity treatment and there is nothing better  for lightened hair than porosity treatment. 






TONER TIME
Check your Toners Directions  most of them can be applied to damp hair or dry hair.  I would truly consider using Boost & Burst if you want or need any toning............why? . Toners are many times an oxidative tint (need a developer) Many of the Professional hair color lines including Wella have enlisted specific colors on their chart to be made into Toners...although using a TONER made just for Toning, will have less ammonia, a lower pH, and in general will be gentler to both head and scalp. Toners only need a very low volume of developer. 

Purposes of toners are to conceal or beautify underlying warmth, depositing the desired hue and evening-out small defects in the bleach-out.I would truly consider using Boost & Burst if you want or need any toning............why? They are not oxidative - they are Semi-permanent - which means they do not use a developer but work just as well on platinum hair, a nice one to start out with is No-MO-Brass or PERP or Violet Pilot.........let your hair calm down and rest after it has been lightened and it will stay healthy and on your head.

 How the toner takes depends on the porosity of the hair . . . and guess what helps the porosity become even after all the up and downs of chemical services? ?  INTENSIVE followed by an overnight conditioning with THRIVEN rinse in cool water in the morning for 8-10 minutes and you will be one very happy Targaryn - I mean Platinum-head .......then go looking for your own Jon Snow.The looks you will get will set you free!

Pretty in Platinum - The Advantages of Becoming Blonde in 2017 { A Shopping List for Turning Blonde - Via the Healthiest Method }

A great idea just came my way via a multitude of questions regarding one particular subject, by many calls regarding the exact same subject. All in the same week ! 

I can always tell when Spring is near, even if I had no idea when it was, this same thing happens year after year. Its amazing to me that people associate lightening their hair with Spring or a SEASON ....it fascinates me. That may be because being a born and bred tomboy from L.A. ...... I have lived in the most boring weather on planet earth all my life, I know - I know many people think this place is the closest thing to NIRVANA, but I beg to differ with every single one of you. I lived in the mountains at 9,000 feet for nearly 10 years and THAT was exciting, actually paying attention to the weather because it 'mattered' in your livelihood - not L.A. you can pretty much assume it will be sunny and warm most days of the year including Christmas  . . .  super duper BBBBBORING & terrible for the climate change problems we are encountering as well ! So everyone is on the "how to become a blonde train and I want to make it very very easy for you.

I can promise you if you go to Sally's and listen to the Bullshit they feed you that comes straight from corporate's mouth, you will end up looking for a website like ours very soon afterward. How do I know? You guys all tell me so ! 

If you go to a Salon , it takes a highly trained Colorist to perform a "healthy".... "bleach & tone (as the process is called). Many try and many fail. If you want to go this route, be SURE YOU FIND SOMEONE who has a portfolio of photos full of brass-free blondes. There is not a reason in Hell that any Colorist today should not have a full portfolio of hundreds of photos of their work. They do not need a professional photographer for this, not when every single one of you is walking around with a 8G Camera attached to your phone that can be used inside of 20 seconds every single time a client leaves.

 If they don't have a portfolio full of their OWN work with NO ONE Else's name attached - of at least 40 heads of blonde hair that is just what you want......Thank them and leave. DO...NOT....BE...ANYONE'S...GUNIEA PIG for BLONDING....unless you are desperate - broke or a bit off your rocker ! Do something else if you cannot afford it, otherwise you will have one big mess on your hands and it takes a very long time to come back from a mess of this kind -- I promise you I have had to cut inches off of peoples hair with blonding gone wrong.

How to become a brass-free....healthy + shiny haired ...tow-Head ?

 I am always happy to map out this road for you....but it hit me today to help even more people who are passing by quickly as well as you Crib Colorists . . . trying to accomplish this - by making a SHOPPING LIST in 1 post. Now I will have something to point to and Know that  you have all been given the proper directions. 

I really worry about that because I know everyone has ended up here after some tiny or gigantic screw up by someone..... Killerstrands has become the landing page for Hair Color Correction in about every sense of the word and every color imaginable..  

To become a brass-free..........healthy & shiny haired......... beautiful Blonde BOMBSHELL - coming from a brunette who has been coloring  and covering up her gray for many years, well that is not something that can be answered in a few sentences.

Not if you want it to come out correctly.  blonding exactly as a highly paid Hair Colorist would do  - - - needs a whole Post and some links for you, to find everything. Most of you that inquire have the exact same set of history that you are starting from so we will go with that for this Post. If you have a different set of statistics then you will need to either make a comment at bottom.....email me.....(or our new method of getting answers from me - TEXTING) .....or call if you really  want to start on this project as soon as possible. 

 Being blonde is where the term "HIGH MAINTENANCE" was formed, so if you have no interest in anything high maintenance, I would suggest changing your goal.  This is a high maintenance operation - when I was in the Salon ( its been many years now...but I charged $750.) my colleagues today are charging well over $1000. The way we do it at the top......... most often it is at least a 2-day affair...........It can be 2 days in a row or 2 days apart within the same week, it simply depends on the issues and people schedules. The statistics we are working with for these directions are the following:

The directions for a bleach and tone are completely different if you have VIRGIN Hair color or if you have previously colored hair in a Level 6 or darker. So this Post is aimed at a person who has the following issues with their hair presently
:
Virgin Level hair Color: Level 1-8,
Gray percentage: 0 - 90% &
Previous Hair Color on hair in any level 1-9  

 
Today the big advantage of having  brass-free - healthy Blond hair is ............ you have a gigantic range of pastel colors that you can either wear or shampoo out. So the fun and the excitement I hear from people all day every day....has given me a whole new insight into the advantages of being Blond in the year 2017!

Killerstrands alone has over 40 amazing colors in the various products like BOOST + BURST + BLAST + BLASTED - which are tinted hair conditioners, shampoos that  and have PIGMENT and or MICA dissolved in them......you can actually have one color in the daytime.................and a completely different color at night time, because you SHAMPOOED the one from the daytime out then put the other one in yourself (its so fricken easy!) -- with absolutely ZERO damage, because the hair color is in the hair conditioner....which makes it come out 100% .................by simply SHAMPOOING IT ! !

  The admiration of platinum locks also stems from years of adulation on lightened tresses. I happen to believe the reason everyone wants lightened locks, stems from how rare it is in natural hair. The # 1 hair color in the world id black! So, this is the complete opposite, its the "grass is always greener"  theory to some extent.

There is a very teeny tiny percentage of VIRGIN BLOND adults walking around, the number is under, way under 10% even !. Sure there is a decent amount of little kids with blond hair, but as we all know as they age and at the very latest when puberty sets in............. those blonde locks have darkened to at least a level 8, if not a lot darker.

In order to be on the same page when we speak about hair color in levels as I have shown you many times before here, below is a Level Chart. The Level Chart coincides with the Level System of Hair Color, which is a scientific protocol of how to properly formulate hair color, this chart enables you and I  to speak in "levels", so then it makes it easier for me to help you. If you said "dark brown hair and I said it, we would both talking about completely different colors. This system keeps everyone on the same page.

The Level system is in place worldwide so it is not a tiny thing us Californians came up with  ! Know these 3 particular Levels about your own hair to make your next color adventure successful.....and especially if you want to go Blond along with us as we make up your shopping List. 

  You need to know these 3 levels:

1. The Level of your Virgin Hair________
2. Level of your Current hair ________ (99% of you have hair color on your hair - the fact is pretty likely it is a different color than your virgin.) and lastly 
3. The Level YOU DESIRE ____! 

Use this chart for those answers:

  
The reason so many questions need to be asked, (I ask you to answer the Killer 18 Questions which you may "GOOGLE") before I will help you. I want to give me the 'right' answer, not just an answer to sell something. I'm too old for that shit....I am more into giving you the correct answer for YOUR problem than anything.  I don't do that to sound like a big-shot.......I do it because it is the one and only way I can legitimately analyze how you can achieve your goal in your hair color adventure....especially if you are going blond. The most challenging of all hair color formula's.

 The reason so many questions are needed is because there is one set of rules for going Blonde if you have :

1. Hair That is VIRGIN ( never been colored) and another set for:
2. Hair That is Colored...and even another set of rules for :
3. Hair That is Brassy Blonde - desires brass-free blond - which is the only way to go really.

This particular post is for -- "going Blonde for those with color on your hair "--  whether it is Crazy colors (any brand),  Demi-Permanent color ( any brand) or permanent Color (any brand).




This might seem crazy to you, but I am just going to make the entire shopping List, for going from Point a to Point Z...............after that I will explain things if I feel they need it.

 #1.) Color Removal. - Everyone dislikes this step, I even dislike it as it is tedious and non-rewarding as a Colorist. But this step is absolutely essential which 80% of hair stylists simply do not give credit to............nor do they perform. I hope all of you Stylists who read my Blog will consider adding this step to your lists of services, it is a great service and removing old hair color is one of the KEYS to having Blond hair look shiny/happy/healthy when finished ! 

For those of you at home, my Crib colorists.............you MUST remove all of the old hair color..........if not all .......close to "all". The absolute best and most thorough way to accomplish this is by purchasing 3-4-5 (I've had people purchase 8 Kits of the product called VANISH ! - (she had pitch black waist length hair & had been coloring her hair that way for 20 years WITH BOXED HAIR COLOR ! ! !  

Most hair stylists across the country use BLEACH to remove old hair color .............. BIG .... BIGGER ....GIGANTIC MISTAKE.  The #1 goal here is to have healthy shiny blonde hair.............anyone can have dry damaged-- breaking off -- blonde hair. Just apply bleach leave it on forever and boom you have dry-damaged breaking off BUT BLONDE hair. that soon you will have to cut off.

Hair Color Remover is used for removing color ..................
Bleach is used for Lightening hair.
Follow those first 2 Rules and you will at least START your blonding adventure on the right foot.

There are only 4 methods that you can use to remove hair color that will keep your hair healthy.Any short-cuts or products not on this list, will ruin your hair, I was the hair color remover queen fopr Malibu for 10 years, its a weird thing to be popular for, but it eventually pays off. Why?
Because slowly - very slowly people learn why it has to be done that way.

• #1.Shampoo Train - A little method I came 
• up with for people who change their color often ( models, rich people, teens, artists, retiree's,poor people who want to be blonde not a good idea btw.,etc..). Process involves using a whole bottle of cheap -crappy shampoo with lots of Sulfates inside - PRELL is on of the best. Shampoo hair - rubbing suds into lengths adding more shampoo creating gigantic lather + clip-up hair on top of head . ADD plastic or even better FOIL Cap. let process for 1-2-3-4 hours....rinse and repeat.  Read posts on Shampoo Train  .
•  
• #2. VANISH -color remover - This is the single best product on the market. It is the most effective the least damaging and if I had my choice this would be all anyone used. Disadvantage? Its expensive. Of course everything wonderful comes with a
  
  price. You can use VANISH up to 4 times in 1 day and if we needed to do hair color for an event this would always be what we would use. it works the best if you remove the color one day and on another day you lighten it. But, that is not mandatory especially when using VANISH. Why is this such a miracle product? ...it reverses the manner in which the hair color got into your strands to begin with, by shrinking the molecules so they may slip back out the strand the same way they came in and that my dear friends is the single most gentle and effective way of removing the color you MUST remove in order to become that banging BLOND you have in mind ! In almost every case, 1 box in not enough. Read up about Vanish color remover - PLEASE 
• #3 Wella Color RENEW - Packets that when mixed with the activator will take out a large portion of your hair color. This product is brand new, it came out 8 days ago and I have not tried it but I have read and studied all about it and have full confidence in it. I have always felt that a combination of all 4 of these methods is your best bet for color removal, so go pile some shitty shampoo on your head right this minute because
  
  honestly you can start this process this very minute you need nothing but shitty shampoo for the Shampoo Train and that gives you a head start, people always remark, that they are shocked at how much color comes out with that method alone. It also teaches you the power of a crappy shampoo. I would start with one of these packets..........then move onto VANISH. If you have lots of Crazy colors in your hair I would use more than 1 of these packets, or the Malibu CPR or DDL PACKETS...I am imagining that they and the color RENEW are almost one in the Same.
• #3 MALIBU C - COLOR PIGMENT REDUCER or CPR packet.......or DDL packet DIRECT DYE LIFTER...........  - I have been using these for 20 years and they come to me from the QUEEN of Hair color ANNIE HUMPHRIES - I assisted her one very expensive evening when she gave one of her last MASTER classes...and she was doing blondes that evening and called ahead to see if we had the malibu PACKETS ALL READY TO GO ( we had zero!! - so it was a keystone cops episode of everyone falling all over each other trying to find some of the damn things) To her, she could not even think of lifting a level 5 brunette (with previous color on as well) without VANISH, Malibu packets and OIL BLEACH !). The other 3 that you should also purchase are QF {Quick-FIX Color Correction} + CP - Color Prepare & MALIBU C the very first one. All of them get the crap from everyone's lousy water out of the hair to give you a
  
  clean-clear  CANVAS on which to place your hair color process. Use one these packets prior to using BOOST, BURST, BLAST & BLASTED for the most vivid results ever.They are inexpensive and worth their weight in gold.  An easier cheaper way of doing this often? Purchase UNdooGoo Shampoo , it has the crystals in the shampoo, so you can shampoo in leave suds on hair for 5-9 minutes, rinse well and POOF a CLEAN CLEAR CANVAS+ + + Ready-To-Color!

That is really the hard part..............be sure you do all of the reading and the remaining items are the OIL BLEACH KITS. AND READING.

Shopping List

• VANISH - color remover - multiple boxes
• Malibu CPR or DDL or QUICK FIX or color prepare packets
• Wella - Color RE-new packet & activator 
• Killerstrands : GLEAM (4oz) + INTENSIVE + THRIVEN (get the Kit save $$)
•  Violet /Blue Oil Bleach Kit (4) - If you can swing it purchase the Salon Size...... over-all it saves a ton of $$. if not purchase minimum 4 KITS. DEPENDS ON MANY FACTORS AS TO HOW MANY YOU NEED.
• DEPENDS ON: DARKNESS OF HAIR, THICKNESS OF HAIR, LENGTH OF HAIR, POROSITY OF HAIR, DENSENESS OF HAIR
• I  RECOMMEND 4 MINIMUM UNLESS YOU HAVE SUPER THIN, LIGHT ,SHORT HAIR. 
• THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM i HEAR AND SEE ARE 2 THINGS....(1) PEOPLE DO NOT APPLY ENOUGH APPLICATIONS, THEY STOP WHEN THEY STILL HAVE TO BATTLE WITH TONERS. THAT IS NOT THE POINT OF GOING BLOND AND USING TONERS. TONERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OPTIONAL NOT MANDATORY. THINK ABOUT THAT PLEASE. ...........AND (2) THEY APPLY THE LIGHTNER TO THE ROOTS(BASE) AT THE BEGINNING. YOU BEGIN BY LIGHTENING THE LENGTHS ---FIRST! ! ! ! ! ,,,,,,,,,,,,LAST , YOU LIGHTEN THE ROOTS, BECAUSE THE HEAT FROM YOUR SCALP WARMS THE BLEACH UP AND MAKES IT WORK TWICE AS FAST WHICH WE DON'T WANT, OR THE ROOTS AND LENGTHS WILL BE DIFFERENT COLORS ! !
• TONER- for the 1st time use either PERP or Violet Pilot, but again....... NOT...the...point! 

You must do all of the following reading there are 4 sections I want you to read all Posts, if you do it will give you the confidence you need to follow through on the Oil Bleaching of your hair as there is a DEMO in there I shot photos of which shows you exactly what to do....

One of the trickiest part s of applying the Oil Bleach kits is knowing that Bleach itself only really works for about 75 minutes, after that it works at a SNAILS PACE 

SO IT IS WORTH IT TO TAKE THE OIL BLEACH OFF THE HAIR AT 75 MINUTES.... RINSE VERY WELL...RINSE 5 MINUTES LONGER THAN YOU THINK.... APPLY INTENSIVE FOR 5 MINUTES.......RINSE AGAIN.

now towel dry............then either air dry or blow dry as the hair MUST BE DRY to apply the oil bleach application again. 
remember to bleach the lengths first...............

While you wait for your order to get there - please do all of this reading it will fly by - besides you WANT to learn how to do this correctly.

reading part 1
reading part 2
reading part 3
reading part 4 
reading part 5

OK there you go,
 now remember when you bring up those links there will be over a dozen posts on every link but you will only see about 6 on the first page, when you get to the bottom click on the arrow or turn page link and keep going until there are no more posts.

The better educated you are on this subject the more perfect your color will turn out. It is not really that hard, it is just a matter of having the proper education under your belt before beginning.........and all the information is here.....

An even better recommendation is to read the entire Blog start to finish it is a mini-cosmetology course and it will help you for the rest of your life.

Enjoy and get that reading under way.......

KC