Killerstrands Top 19 Selling Products -- Couple Surprises ;)

1) 'Killerstrands' INTENSIVE - Porosity/pH Treatment

2) Killerstrands Oil Bleaching Kit - 2 Apps.

3) Killerstrands THRIVEN - 8OZ  Nourishing Overnight Treatment

4) 'Vanish Hair Color Remover' Kits

5) Killerstrands THRIVEN - 16OZ. - Nourishing Overnight Treatment

6) #1 - GO BIG OR GO HOME - KIT

7)

8) INTENSIVE - Porosity & pH Champ

9) Wella Illumin Hair Color

10) Gleam + 8 Oz THRIVEN - 2 Items

11) Pravana Vivids Crazy Color

12) INTENSIVE & THRIVEN - finally have a Kit ( and Gleam)

13) 'Soma' Spray Leave-in Protein.Detangler - Conditioner

14) 'Killerstrands' GLEAM . Anti-Aging Hair Oil

15) Killerstrands 'Illumin' - Dry Oil Facial Moisturizer

16) Kaaral Purify RESTRUCTURE - hair repair capsules

17) 'Travel Hair Dryer' - Home/ Travel Hair Hood Dryer System

18) Tinting Spatulas and Color Shakers

19) 'Killerstrands' GLEAM . Anti-Aging Hair Oil

Some Wonderful Words from Others Which Capsulizes the Killerstrands "Mission"

 Some wonderful words by some amazing and loyal Crib Colorists

 This caught my eye in glancing over Blogger's ability to pick out the Top 10 Posts from my 7 year old Blog/ I highly reccomend you read them as well ! They are on the home page -- right column -- about 1/3 of the way down !

 

 

 

 

At least after being beat up by a handful of women, this girl held her head high & admitted when she was wrong. 
I admire that in any person. 
I bet she is a great Hair Stylist  ;)

KC

kc

Blonde's Battling to Be Blonde, Blissfully

Blonde's or People wanting to go Blonde are a Passionate Group, they all want to be the perfect hue of Blonde without using the proper tool for the job

They want to use the lowest level with the lowest Volume of developer. But in my opinion, you are all looking at the job from the wrong direction.

I think that must stem from poor information somewhere along the line that an non-informed Stylist told them or I don't know how they come with that theory. Maybe from poor results from a blonding experience..BUT, when I go to formulate for a blond in the chair I look for the highest lifting, safest most conditioning product there is. The goal to me is to lift light enough to not have to deal with Toners, but when you want to play with Toners you still can. THAT SHOULD BE EVERY HAIR STYLISTS and CRIB COLORISTS' mind as you go to formulate for a blond.

Picture this, you get stuck on the Level 12 - high-lift color and use it. It did not lift as light as you wanted....your hair makes a mild to the eye but radical to the person CHANGE as you grow older you get darker and you begin to become gray, 2 very annoying features to hair. BUT.......inevitable, just the same ! Now that the color has not lifted lighter, its driving you crazy, and at some point you will have to used Bleach OVER it, because at that point, there is no other way to lighten it. You can choose to go dark but very few Blonde's will choose this until they get older. So now, you have put bleach on top of highlift, because the rule is....color cannot "lift' Color....you cannot put another Level 12 on top of the present Level 12, it will do NOTHING! So this then becomes an endless circle.... can't tell you the amount of people who will continue to try this over and over. 

YOU MUST USE THE RIGHT 

TOOL FOR THE JOB

Strand Test Strand Test if nothing else.
Recently a young woman presented me with a common problem. She did not use the developer in the proper ratio, and therefore did not have enough lift to turn it a nice color. Remember, all High-lifts in + - every brand across the board are double 40 Volume. Highlifts are every color over a level 10, so EVEN Level 11 is considered a highlift and is also double 40. All brands......... worldwide.
So that is where you went wrong. But I don't truly care if you use our color ,but you will have a much better                                                                                                                                    chance of success if you do.it would be better so we

To me that makes ZERO sense you are confirming what I told you ?????????

Do you see how that makes no sense.
SHE switched to bleach.... so if she switched to bleach why would you go back to her, I'm missing something here

I truly don't care what you use

I don't like to argue about hair color.......with anyone
How many times have I said," if you use the right tool for the job - your hair will not be dry or destroyed ".
 Do you know that Gwens hair  (we both use to trade-off doing her touch-ups) is the most luxurious -healthy- shiny hair on planet earth.
What do you think you gain by using a highlift over cream lightener?

However you get to a certain lightness .........has done the exact same thing to the hair...........if you have overlapped, or used the wrong developer or quantity OF it, then you won't have the proper lightening experience but lets just say there is a Level 13, which there is in my head.
Level 13 is platinum/Gwen hair .
 If you want ZERO brass in it without the use of a toner (which, as a colorist I know every girl wants who shows me photos of a platinum or even a sandy head of hair who's DURP isn't going to help, you are at Level 13 - platinum. If you got there with bleach OR with a high-lift it does the exact same thing to the hair. It "LIFTS" out the color in the strands by the combo of 40Volume developer + the ammonia or MEA in the hair color.

Now, if you are talking the condition of the hair - I have tested many times on the same person a foil with Gleam on the hair and my best Cream lightener and 20Volume  VERSUS a lousy Highlift & 40 Volume.

Which do you think was the more conditioned swatch?

Right away and 2 months later it was the Cream lightener. I will confess that we did this on a client who had so much hair she would never know AND my assistants did it on the very underneath of her hair ! Kind of sneaky but we really wanted to know the answer.

Its also OK if you don't believe me.

One thing I will tell you, is country-wide L'Oreal across the board is in a battle with Aveda and Goldwell for the worlds worst color. They all produce DD Delayed Damage. The definition of DD is : hair color turning to shit in 2-4-6 weeks, for ZERO reason of your own.

How many of you walk out of the Salon all proud of your new hair color? Then about 2-4-6 weeks later ( depending on what you had done) your hair begins to start losing color, and volume and begins to feel very dry and damaged ??? That is you experiencing DD. Sooooo very many of you, begin to blame yourselves when it truly is NOT YOUR FAULT. You quickly run to the Beauty supply or mall to find some products that will regain its Zest. I mean of course, there is a little let down from the beginning of be Colored, but I am talking a substantial loss of quality.)

There are really only 2 reasons for DD:

• Hair Colorist does a poor job of coming up with the correct formula  OR
• the color they are using is a lousy brand

L'Oreal Majirel is one of those high-lifts that many of us feel is as close to a cream bleach as you can get exactly like "Chi's"

I used to carry Chi's high-lift and then 1 woman from Ireland called in and complained about it. I have a method I go by, that if one person complains about a product ...I pull it.

Then she sent me her photo...........the color she achieved with the Chi high-lift was finally the correct color.......she was so used to it a bright yellow, that when the brass was gone it shocked her into complaining. I told her alot of people have paid me a lot of money to achieve that platinum.

She begged me to put the product back on and I have not.

I think it is a great product for those who are in between bleach and high lift blonde.

How to Become the Incredible Lightness of Being a High-lift Blonde !

One must accomplish these professional tricks to 

getting the maximum lightness out of a high-lift blonde:

• Apply couple squirts of Gleam apply wherever color is going lightly (Gleam does NOT have silicone in it, if you have other brand oils they most likely have silicone's which screws up the way hair color works - I've never seen 1 oil without silicone in it but Killerstrands i'm sure there is more I just have not found them!
• Use Schwartzkopf blonde booster E-O ( read the pamphlet as I have a lot of things memorized but not the amount of 'booster to color' in every brand very few even have them)
• Ratio of developer to color must be DEAD on EXACT.... which would be for every high-lift in every brand --- 1:2  for every 1 ounce of color add 2 ounces of developer. We call it "DOUBLE 40 "
• Color must be must be applied & processed in a warm/hot room
• must be processed for minimum 55-65 min.
• must use VIOLET developer / 40Volume using Highlift ---  20Volume if using Cream lightener/bleach on scalp
• Rinse out 3 minutes longer than normal - 'light' shampoo not touching scalp
• lightly towel dry
• USE INTENSIVE to lock in color and prevent fading for at least 30 minutes.
• Then we apply the toner............if you do all of that u would have a better idea if the highlift was going to work.
 

If it doesn't look good after all those professional tricks.
I'm sorry but you will have to give into the cream Lightener most likely.
 
Your hair is most likely too dark and has the wrong DURP which is only a matter of genetics, and you simply can't change that.

Remember my rule:

USE THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB

 KC

Wild Side Hair Color Predictions - Summer 2014

Predictions for some beautiful shades of Crazy Color Pastels.

Killerstrands sends the Directions of how to make pastels to achieve a whole head of color or even if you just want the 'tips' of your hair colored with a pastel, it would be fun for a week or 2 , don't let all these photos from creating your own look.  Please check out the lines of crazy color we carry, and just know when you buy any brand you can request the professional secret as to how to pull off the "PASTEL" look you seen in these photos of hair - summer 2014

                       Rose Raspberry                                              

                                Blu Bob

Shrunken UP Violet 

Roots Alive

 Metallica Blue Wave

 Sky - Hawk

Tangerine Dream

 with Illumina Hair Color

and here is the formula:

 

12% =  40Volume

Remember, she has VIRGIN hair tho . . . .  

 

 

 Follow these directions and if you need any help at all join our GROUP

 in which you get to talk to KC about your hair formula or dilemma's or 

whatever your case may be !

Visit Our Store for New, Interesting and always HEALTHY Hair Products, I take the job of reading labels out of your hands, I know ingredients well and I know what they do.

KC

Dye By The Seat Of Your Pants

JUST SAY "NO" TO 
BOX HAIR COLOR KITS 
(and why)

Boxed Hair Color Kits should be banned from the shelves of every store


Plain and simply:
they are FALSE Advertising

I believe the manufacturers should get in trouble, for false advertising!

My goal is for you, the consumer, to have the proper tools to complete a good head of hair color on your hair -- yourself.
But . . . .
it is now time for the system to be revamped into separating the Tube from Developer. That's what needs to be done - very simple, the manufacturers know it, but they need to know YOU know it.

ALL BOXED HAIR COLOR SHOULD BE TRASHED

Because they do not work correctly except for on a small percentage of consumers and even on those, the results are dismal. Those of us that are Hair Stylists, have known that forever and we never say anything . . . why? Because its “job security”. Every single month of every single year we have a number of new clients sit in our chairs that call with the same story, “ I colored my hair at home with a kit and it is destroyed” can you please fix it???

How ridiculous is that?........so they paid $9.00 for the boxed color and $200.00 to get it fixed minimum ! How silly is that?

The huge multi-million dollar companies that run the hair industry…are just getting bigger and bigger and the true “care” for your hair is being lost. The big companies just don’t care. You know those DOVE “real Women campaigns where they show “bigger” women and their hair…..well DOVE still uses Sulfates in all their shampoos, the ingredient that has been proven over and over to cause hair loss, thinning, in women and men. Why? Because it costs pennies. Like I said they don’t care about hair….not really. They almost had even me tricked, then I read the bottle of their shampoo.

A big blow came to me this past month when I found out the one shampoo that I have had all my clients using for the past couple years…PUREOLOGY, was sold to L’Oreal. There just is no end in sight of this, its so sad to me. I will never buy PUREOLOGY again. 

The new recommendations are Milk Shake, LANZA or SUDZZ Shampoos... the staff put 12 of our shampoos through a month long test (incl. me) > I was looking for the shampoo with the best creamy lather which is what you get with the proper ingredients being used, results came back with those 3 being the Top 3.
 
Now as for the Boxed Hair color Kits I am so livid about…
there is just NO way possible that they can put the proper components in one box. Why?
 
Because when coloring hair -- any good colorist has to have at least the KILLER 15 questions answered first, before coming up with the proper formula. Without those questions answered, there is simply no way you can just throw in a box:1 tube of color and 1 specific 

Developer
and claim that it will work on ALL women that purchase it.
So it is a out and out LIE, false advertising and any other form of perjury you can think of.

How about this scenario . . . .



What if a Redhead ...
An African American ...




A Blonde ...


and a Brunette ...
All walk into the store . . . . to buy the hair color of Medium blond in a box....
Which one of those 4 poor unsuspecting consumers is going to have the proper outcome?
Do you think all 4? Hell no, 1............maybe.
 Logically I think most of you can figure that out, that, if they all start with a different hair color...that probably only one of 4 should have a good outcome.
Right?
Yes > Correct.
How in the world.....with one formula in that one little box . . . could all four of them have decent results?
THEY
CANNOT
it is
mathematically/ Scientifically/ chemically Impossible
 So 3 of those people will have hair disasters ..and go seeking help from the closest Salon. 
Well, guess what public (that's you) ?? 
The same people that make BOXED COLOR.........own the companies make professional hair color. So that means they have made you a huge customer of theirs by both ruining your hair, then fixing it ! Now, who feels like you have been suckered?




In that Kit box is:

•  1 tube of color…………… 
• 1  bottle of developer………………………

Yet . . . .
In my Color Room alone I have well over 150 Tubes of different Colors to choose from
Developer comes in 6-10 levels (3 Volume, 5 Volume, 6 volume,10 vol, 13Vol., 15 vol.,20 vol. 25 Volume,,30 vol.,40 volume and even 50 Volume)
So if you were to do the math (if I did math well I wouldn’t be doing this). . . How many options does that multiply to be ??

Zillions. most likely
 
The point being... that all those options are necessary in order for the hair color formula to work properly... you or anyone coloring their hair deserves the opportunity to have the proper hair color when the process is complete. Especially if you are selling a product that is supposed to color hair.
When you buy one of those kits, you are opening a box of Color "FAILURE"
You have about a 20% chance to succeed, and I do not find that to be fair to you at all !.

I’ve written about this subject previously, there are a few variables when planning to color your hair that must be taken into account in order to have the proper rich color without any damage. Those variables are NOT taken into account with those damn Hair Color Kits.

When determining the color formula you are going to apply to your hair > a simple fact like: having dry hair that is porous compared to oily hair that is not….can make a huge difference in the formulation. Just knowing that one fact can prevent hair breakage, and make the difference in having shiny hair when the color process is complete compared to having damaged – dull hair.

Do they ask you those questions when you buy a box of color?
Or print that anywhere to be found?
NO NO NO.
I understand now that people need to be able to color their hair at home, for many many reasons. Convenience I have found is even a big one. I never quite understood the concept before when I was in the Salon,
now I get it.


Would many of you consider baking a cake without a recipe?
Or making cookies without any knowledge of how to measure ....or knowing the difference between a Tablespoon and a teaspoon.
Same thing with Coloring your hair. 

Once you have the basics down, which you can learn by reading this, the Killerstrands Blog, hop over to the Killerstrands Store,  I will show here with links the items I feel you need to begin to learn how to color your own hair professionally:
First of all:

• Join our Group, for a nominal fee monthly, you will get direct help from KC, as well as access to all the people who have come BEFORE you, a wealth of knowledge.
• Purchase the Tools kit
• GLEAM : KS Dry Hair Oil, apply prior to coloring, nightly treatment, truly conditions hair
• Color Wheel
• hair color (from KC in group)
• Peroxide Wheel
• INTENSIVE made by Killerstrands ( pH balancer & porosity equalizer, locks in color after rinsing out. 

 Now, remember I have different directions and instructions than you have ever seen regarding hair color and the processing of it. So open your mind and get ready to begin the path to becoming a Crib Colorist. This is how the celeb's have such beautiful hair....and its just not that hard for you to achieve it as well! ! ! 

You will have to do some reading and you may not quite understand a few of the theories but I am trying like Hell to turn Crib Coloring into a HOBBY on its own, like cooking has become. I feel like so many of you.... male and female, would love that to come true..

So send your friends to Killerstrands, let people know your secret, because the larger we grow the more products we will be able to come up with. 

The Group is kind of a slower procedure, if you want a fast Consultation we have that as well.

Thank you so much and remember The big hair companies are getting your  money twice!

How Do I Correct My Mess... or ...Color Correcting & Hair

Why, When, How, Who About Color Correction

Every Hair Color procedure you do is unique and along that same line can create unique problems. Most Hair Stylists and most of you want to believe that there is a ROCK-SOLID guide to the formulation for every hair color application.......well, there just > is not, nor will there ever be.

 If I took 5 separate women - with virgin hair (never colored or chemically straightened) Level 7 (light brown), with the exact same: shoulder length - straight hair and used them as hair models. We mixed your and my favorite > high-lift: Schwartzkopf 12.19 +Framesi booster PLUS 40Volume violet developer . . applied it to all 5 of them (in the exact same manner) --  processed them in a warm room for 75 minutes.......all 5 would turn out different !!
Why?

These factors are completely different on all 5 of the girls, even though you cannot see them.

1. DURP - Dominant Underlying Remaining pigment
2. condition of hair
3. (PET) Porosity of the hair
4. (PET) Elasticity of the hair
5. (PET) Texture  of hair
6. Natural Base ( within every Level of hair color is variations)
7. Existing tint

All of the 5 factors effect and contribute to the end result. All 5 of those factors will make each one of those 5 girls end up with a different tone of blond, 1 will most likely be brassy (so more would need to be done to hair) - while 1 will be absolutely striking and the most beautiful blond you've ever seen - the other 3 will be varying shades in the middle.  As far as most of you are concerned: you really only need to figure out your own contributing factors and deal with those.

You hair stylists out there . . .its just a matter of experience and the amount of heads you color.  That is what makes a "GREAT" Hair Stylist... one that has learned how each & every one of his/her individual clients hair reacts to hair color. So when they come in to go to lighter in the Spring you can address that without trouble and then go darker in the fall - all care free. 

For you Crib Colorists, all you have to learn is how your own hair reacts to hair color...which really shouldn't take that long. Remember, if you are making a purchase you may ask me questions if you get in a pinch.



Corrective Hair coloring is a subject that can be terrifying to many hair stylists. Many hair stylists don't and won't tackle it. I have found in small towns, there may not be even 1 and that is one of the reasons I started Killerstrands, to help you. Even here in southern California we are full of a billion little towns. Within every town there are usually 40-50 Salons, with 1 or 2 emerging as the "it" Salon, within one of those 2 Salons there should be 2-3 Hair Stylists that can really "cut" hair. . and then another 1 or 2 holding the "Best Colorist" Title. Ask around........there should be one if your scared to try it your self, but you really wouldn't believe how simple is. I have it broken down in steps now I have been doing it so long.

 I, fortunately or not ?!?! was the color correction specialist for Malibu for 13 years. Being an expert at color correction can be both a blessing and a curse. Yes, you receive  top dollar for it, but it also can take days - - depending on the damage or amount of boxed hair color used. I suppose its why I am so opinionated about the pitfalls of boxed hair color - - I spent all those years - - helping people out of the messes they created due to the fact that the company's that make those Boxed Color make it seem like you will have beautiful - perfect color. Something that is so far from the truth. 

That was tough, they came in looking for empathy and that was a very hard emotion for me to muster up. Back then I rarely watched TV, I didn't really know how bad and misleading the advertising is, I guess that's why people buy it. Now I know and I am more sympathetic.

I had so many friends that were just so happy to give their hair color correction cases to me, even people I didn't know would send me their clients all the time.... I'm sure it's still that way in all the cities and towns around you. Color correction is a very difficult subject.... there are no hard and fast rules, there is no "Book of Hair Color Correction Rules" . . .you have to use your experience to conquer it . We try to uncover what has been covered up on your hair. It takes a seasoned, experienced and patient Hair Colorist to tackle this subject successfully.

The reason the color correction is so expensive?

• usually need multiple steps to "fix" the color
• conditioners are essential along the way
• Fillers are most often required
• expertise as a colorist is challenged and valued

As with regular color formulations, you must consider the 3 contributions for the end result:

1. Hair

               a. Base
               b. Goal
    2.   Color
    3.   H2 O2

If hair is damaged or even questionable, you should proceed slowly. Don't take chances. Using deep conditioners (Thriven) along the way. What the hair is missing after old color is removed? LIPIDS.....the only way to restore lipids is to apply oils from nature, such as Gleam....lipids are what give hair shine !

COLORING  OVERPOROUS  HAIR
Uneven porosity can cause an uneven result, because over-porous hair accepts artificial pigment differently. There are different ways to compensate for over-porosity:

• Lipid-Replacement: I have discovered on my own how darn important replacing those lipids from 18 yrs experience. Gleam has NO silicone's, it is very hard to find another oil like that, I have not found one in all these years, your hair DOES NOT WANT silicone's - which is what all the other products have in them. Read the labels !.
• INTENSIVE : I have created a unique product called INTENSIVE (because that's what it is) it IS Intensive ! It has ingredients that will work with your hair and even out the porosity, many use it as a daily conditioner but it truly was made for Color Correction. No one makes one and I don't have any idea -- why?

• the formula: intensify the formula, make warmer, & use a lower volume developer. 10 Volume is usually ideal. Semi-Permanent color or Demi-Permanent  & no ammonia color are great choices.  Because they deposit & don't lift). When lightening - don't use ash.
• how you apply : hair can be dampened with water a little, or with INTENSIVE - to help equalize it
• processing time adjusted: shorten the time, over-porous hair processes very fast

    Over-porous hair tends to reject warmth and accept ash. The more over porous it is, the more it selects out warmth and grabs ash, which is called "abused rejected".
I can not say this enough: " STRAND TEST  -  STRAND TEST  -  STRAND TEST ! "

COLOR  FILLERS

Color Filler :  a hair-coloring product or formula used to pre-pigment previously lightened or over-porous hair, replacing missing underlying pigment (DURP), compensating for over-porosity and preparing the hair for even acceptance of whatever hair coloring follows. Color Fillers are always warm.

Does that make sense to most of you? I get asked about Fillers all the time, they make so much sense to me . . . but when I look at people's puzzled faces when trying to teach them to other Stylists - even . . .I am fairly certain that most of you probably do not understand what they are. Am I right?
How do you know what color to fill with? They are slightly lighter than the underlying pigment of the color you want to achieve, depending on the tonal result desired, porosity and the product used.  So there is no "one color" to use when filling the hair.
Conditioner Fillers - I use these to help recondition damaged overly porous hair. . . this way the conditioner/lipids ( from the oils) can be replaced while the color is working and has the cuticle OPEN, remember there is no other time this happens.

 Apply Gleam + Thriven + the filler . . . is just the prefect way to even the porosity - fill the hair & repair the lost lipids all at the same time.

Color Fillers - in today's world . . .Semi & Demi-permanent colors are used for filling. The Wella Color Touch Line is used by many Colorists, for the longest time they were the only company that had a Demi line. Colorist today. Its the most wonderful line, of Demi permanent colors, it contains the perfect amount of deposit, smells nice, imparts more shine than almost any line of hair color I have experienced . . . its a line of hair color. Which you can get in our store.
There are just a million and one reasons to use the Color Filler. Using color Fillers has several advantages:

• deposits color to faded ends and hair shaft
• helps hair to hold hair color
• prevents streaking & dull appearance
• prevents off color results
• produces more uniform, natural looking color in a tint
• produces uniform color when doing a tint-back

Fillers are most often used for blondes returning to their original brunette base.
Picture a Level 11-12 . . .  something like this:



who is tired of her look and she wants so go back to her original color  - a level 5 B, one of my favorite colors . . .



This is a perfect example of the most common reason for filling hair. See the Level 10 . . . in order to get it to the Level 5 . . . what is missing?
Warmth.  It is a completely blank canvas, all the color is gone, it has been removed . . . because in this case if you had warmth it would be deemed 'brassy'.

 So, in order to get it to this Level 5 - Light Brown - the goal. . .one must fill-IN (where the "filler" name came from) the missing warmth. In hair color, warmth means: reds, golds, oranges, yellows.  Therefore (depending on all the factors we talked about above) Kenra actually has 3 colors that are made to "fill hair" ...finally someone GETS IT ! ! !

First:  Apply Gleam/Thriven to all the hair strands - then apply the filler formula for 20 minutes,. , , which is half the timing of normal hair coloring. Rinse: and be ready for a shocker - - - the hair will be a lovely shade of shocking orange.




But you cannot say it does, not have a warmth!  After the filler Apply INTENSIVE for 10 minutes and then the desired color  .
There you have it - - -  fillers du jour . . .

Here are a couple articles with their opinions about reasons you may need Color Correction:

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