The Color of Honey

The Science of the "Law of Color" and How To Color The Hair

Stylists have trouble learning the ''Law of Color'' Concepts. So, I never want you to be hard on yourself. They spend a full year deeply concentrating on these concepts and many times end up with a complete blank stare on their face when finished, so please don't think you should get it right away either ! I am going to be going in order for easier learning the next short while and will let you know when I have stopped.

In my descriptions of how hair color works, some hair color will be tagged (+ color) and it will only add color .... say a Level 3 or level 4 color.....those colors are (+ color) only colors. There are colors that are "lifting color" or will actually bring existing color out of the hair, so those colors will be called (-color)...then there are colors that are (+ & - COLOR).   When you apply color to the hair, you are adding (+ color) color...............so color + color = MORE color, so the hair has more pigment.

 If the color used is addition only, the hair will often but not always be darker. Deposit (+ only) tints are often used as "TONERS" which is described as:changing the tonal value of the hair without changing the lightness or darkness of the actual color of the hair. This is the least complicated method of tinting the hair. Any time the hair is lightened, no matter how little, you are subtracting pigment or (- COLOR). When subtracting color from the hair, one sees a imbalance of natural pigments, as you are altering nature. 

Single-process hair color uses both (-)subtraction to remove pigment &(+)addition to + add artificial pigment 

Now remember when we just studied the primaries. Primary hair colors are Red - Yellow  & Blue.

Remember when the 3 primaries are mixed in exact equal amounts....what color do we get? 
We get black/gray. 
Uneven amounts of the primaries = brown (shades of). That is why knowing the color wheel is important, because every person's hair is derived from the color brown. Black is just a dark-dark brown......and blonde is simply a super super light brown. All colors of hair are derived from the main color brown.

If there is more yellow than red or blue, the brown will be light, even beige. If there is more red than the other two primaries, the brown will be warm brown. And if there is more blue than yellow or red, the brown will be dark and cooler looking.

All virgin hair is a shade of brown: it contains all 3 primaries...which is why understanding the LAW of COLOR is so important to the end result in hair coloring 
                        DURP 
                        Dominant Underlying Remaining Pigment

So as you begin to lighten color at any level (you are not actually dealing with brown, you are dealing with the DURP - which is usually red,orange, gold, or yellow. 

Every single one of you complains about the "warmth"  when you begin to lighten the hair. BLUE is the first color to leave the hair in the lightening process, which leaves Red & Yellow to the eye....100% complete warmth and unappealing to the eye. Although I suspect if things were different and the warmth left the hair first, then to the human eye "warmth" would be the appealing tonal category. That just rings true to the "we always want, what we cannot have ... verbiage . Don't you think?


** Balanced hair coloring comes when all 3 primaries are present. When hair undergoes lightening (pigment is subtracted), even slightly, there will be an imbalance of the primaries.

** Color companies always have separate tonal series, with a GOLD, RED, BLUE/VIOLET, GREEN, Natural.
 

Hair Color Formulating: How To Decide Total Hair Color Needed - Per Application?

Sound Simple? I Don't Feel It Is, Lets See What You Think, After You Read This . . .

There is a simple part of the hair color formula that I did not realize was difficult to understand. Sometimes its the simplest things that I miss, so just keep asking questions, guys and girls. I love to be asked questions.   Many times it's regarding something I assume people know.  I feel all teachers think like that...(or they should).  For those of you leaving 'Comments' on here (and there are a LOT of you), please know that if its a good question that would benefit others also,  I will turn it into a 'Post'  (eventually), so ask what you want to know, and I will cover it.

What you need to know to figure out the amount of color to mix , all depends on the amount of hair you have. So that one thing I can never tell you. Say someone - man or woman has kind of the typical- short cut hair. We call it a "Crop" in the Biz, you know like this example of Pink:

 or this example of this actor:

Both have a crop.
Each one of them needs a completely different " amount" of color to use in the end ...once its all mixed up. In the Salon, the color is the most expensive part of the entire Salon world - so we treat it with care. We measure carefully, we always use Color Tube keys  .to get every last bit of color out of the tube. That is a completely normal occurrence in a well run Salon. To outfit a (small) Salon with just 1 line of hair color in all the colors cost thousands, so it is smart to re-cap the tubes the minute you are done, & save all old tubes of color .

What each of you need to do is to figure out how much color you will need to complete your hair color. Then you work backwards from there in knowing how much to mix. Once you have colored your hair this way you will know how much you need from then on.  Pink will need 1 full ounce less hair color than Robert does (in the above photos) even though they have the same length hair. 

There are so many variables when you are coloring the hair the very first time and especially when I teach this professional manner of coloring the hair (AT HOME!) \. You must also get used to the brand of color you are using.  "X.Factor" hair color uses a ratio of 1 part color to 1.5 ounces of developer. So with that brand you will have more color when it is mixed up than with "Wella Koleston Perfect", which is 1 part color to 1 part developer.

Experience has shown colorists that the less developer one uses, the richer the end color you have, so I always look for hair color with the ratio of 1:1.  That is the big advantage of "Wella Koleston Perfect".............. and that is why "Illumina" works so well. So.......that all needs to be taken into account that first time, men. Don't get all freaked out.  I don't want to scare you away from becoming Crib Colorists.

 So if Pink needs a total of 1 & 1/2 ounces of color how much does Robert need?
About double that- -  he has a LOT of hair even though its the same length (and I can tell its very porous), so I would say he would need a total of 3 ounces - even though its the same length.

Make sense?
I finally posted a photo of my hair  :  

 I know I need a total of 10oz. of color to do my base every 6- 8 weeks. After you color your hair the first 1-2 times you will come up with the amount of ounces you need if you don't know now.
As a professional colorist, one must calculate the color needed for every single head of hair needed all day long. It is quite the chore. My number is unusually high because my hair is bra-strap length, super porous & dense because of my use of the Secret Supplement, Thriven, and the rest of the 10,000 Heads.


Feel free to leave your comments.  I try to get to this every day, but don't always make it!!
However..... I love getting good questions.

Knock Knock...Who's There? MEN, & We Want Our Hair Colored Correctly Too !

SO MANY men could benefit from the Illusion of top quality hair color, its tough to explain exactly what I mean through a Blog, but I know you guys are out there - - looking for me ! 
I simply want about 50 % of you to use our top quality hair color, to color your hair the "same color" your hair already is. Why? To give the illusion we use on film all the time. Every actor you see has died their hair in the manner in which I am talking about. What it does is fill-in the hair strands and skin on a man's head to give the appearance of thick hair..

EVEN IF YOU HAVE NO GRAY HAIR. Why? Because hair color in the quality we carry at KS works to add the illusion of color density to your hair, it will just color your hair the color it is and make it look as though you have a full head of hair  - -  when in fact, you may not - you may even have a decent head of hair, but coloring as I am talking about could offer you the ability to get a job or even!

The look, which you may be able to easily accomplish with just the slightest of trouble, will make it look like you have a full head of hair without any of the problems! 

I would recommend all men purchase 2 tubes of color at the level of their hair color they are..
 I'm terrified of making this too complicated for you.

 Men, you have been having to use Boxed Hair Color crap for way too long now and I'm here to announce : I'm here for you ! Back in 2007 I tried to begin a Blog just for you, as you can see loud and clearly at my other blog : www.razerburn.blogspot.com,
 but it was just too much, so I want to ask the girls to scoot over and let the men come on in... so we can do it all in the same place - @ the same time....It really does go together. Men, I hope you will come out of hiding as well...although its OK if you do not
.
 So with the addition of quite a few new men customers this past week, I have heard from you loud and clearly that you want 2 things for your color which you are not getting in the boxed kits:
#1: EASY
&
#2: NATURAL LOOKING.
I invite you to become a CRIB  COLORIST right along side the women.
In the next week I will be rolling out a couple different product pages designed specifically for you. 

1. Mens Hair Color kit + sample oil
2. 'Annihilate' (mens buckthorn oil)
3. B & B Kit (brow / beard tinting Kit) 

I've made an oil that is designed for men, you use it for 2 reasons: to soften your beard prior to shaving, and apply it to the hair prior to coloring. Using oil on the hair prior to coloring in my world has always been mandatory. There is absolutely no reason you cannot have shiny, healthy hair as well. NO REASON! 

Annihilate is formulated with a base of these some of these oils and in varying percentage's .  Killerstrands oils are  made with a higher quality than any other oil:
Here is a portion of the oils in this formula:

• Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil
• Aloe Vera Extract Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Mixed Tocopherols T50, Natural Vitamin E 
• Argan Oil
• Nettle Extract Oil
• Abyssinian Oil
• Calendula Extract Oil
• Horsetail Extract
• ..............PLUS + another additional 11 extracts included in this formula..........THIS IS WHY THIS WORKS!

there are benefits in each individual oil that I add to this Complex. . .give this a chance so you can see the wonderful healing properties.
 It's the unique combination of oils that makes Annihilate work so well . . . same with Gleam and all my combinations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

With each purchase of of the hair color kit we are giving you a small sample of Annihilate enough for 1 hair color. Or you can purchase a 2 or 4 oz bottle, this oil is good for any scalp/Itchy or dandruff problems you may have Oils are truly miraculous,these oils problems you may have along with dandruff                                                                                                                                               
 
 Currently I already have a few. Including the Free consultation with order offer.  The difference being - if you have the traditional mens hair and it is not as long as say Kid Rock's is, then you only need to answer the following questions:

1. Is hair thick or thin ?
2. What % gray do you have overall ? 
3. Do you have previous color on your hair ? 
4. For how long have you been applying that color? 
5. What is brand?
6. What LEVEL is your Virgin hair (your own with nothing on it
7. What LEVEL is your Color Now?
8. What LEVEL do you want it to be?

 Men, were 50% of my color clientele so I have had a lot of experience in the field. I can tell from what many of you order how simple you want the formula. You cannot get the same result from Sally's color as you can with any of the color lines we carry. From the amount of people coming to Killerstrands I can only deduct that Sally's color creates as many bad results as boxed color. I cannot exactly pinpoint the difference, I can only say that the color doesn't react to removal like any of the higher end lines of color. There is a certain way that hair color goes into the strands of hair...molecularly and that does not seem to happen with the other lines of color is my best guess. .The reasin almost every guy is coloring his hair? To cover gray. He simply wants to cover the gray and keep it the same color. 

The thing is, so MANY OF YOU COULD benefit from the Illusion god quality
I would recommend all men purchase 2 tubes of color at the level of their hair.
 I'm terrified of making this too complicated for you.
I know you want easy.

The Level is how light or dark.
Level 1/2 is black and then Level 12 is Platinum
Level 1 and 2 are too dark for the human eye to even tell the difference, but is Asian or Indian hair color.
 and then submit your answers to the above questions with your order, here: Color with Consultation
Submit those answers with the purchase, there is a little box that holds a lot of info. right as you check out.
When I was forced to end my Salon career nearly 50% of my clientele were men, and in Malibu they were coloring their hair at that time so I thought every man would want to . But as Malibu usually does, it surprises me, and is its own little microcosm in the world!  For some reason, Google is not letting me have access to Razerburn ... so I will begin to write here to you. The reason being is there is already so much information on hair health and hair color right here on Killerstrands .... so the women are going to have to scoot over and make room for you. 

I will begin writing one Post a week to you here, just to you. The hair color you want to use and the Consulting + hair color we offer is perfect for you. I am going to make up a much shorter list of questions for you to answer. The women have to answer 15 questions............. for you men, when you purchase the Free Consultation with Color, youonly have to answer 7 and I will help you!!!

please come join our Yahoo Group, that way you can ask questions of me, do not worry about not knowing what to do, I have no idea what I am doing in the group either I am constantly dropping messages...its really quite funny you would think I know how to work it. . .  but I do not!

Learning Level System Part 3 - The Little Trick to Determine Level

Determining Your (VID-virgin-is-desired) Level  

Choosing your levels, are the 1st step in trying to determine your hair color formula. One of the most important tools in hair color formulation is the Color Wheel. While I was in Hair Academy, we had to make color wheels from scratch one month, then from materials we found in nature the next month, and finally from Crazy Colors the last month. They really wanted us to know it, inside and out and backwards. Which I hope shows you the importance of knowing it. We even sell Color wheels in the store and I just marked them down 40% to make them affordable to everyone.



 Figuring out what Level you are is done a certain way and I apologize if I have not explained this before. Follow these 4 steps:

1. Part away, of lift away a 1/2 inch square of hair ( men, do your best) in the crown area (top) and hold it up in the air away from the scalp, allowing light to pass through
2. Using the Level Chart (we have for 1 penny w/ purchase) choose a swatch you feel matches the hair and place the hair on it. Remember you are trying to determine the depth level (lightness or darkness). Don't part or hold the hair against the scalp-- that will give you an incorrect number as the hair appears darker.
3. Move that level chart along the swatch of your hair to see if it is even from root to tip and note those numbers. Someone could have Level 3 base (super dark) Level 6 mid lengths and Level 10 ends. All of those levels need to be noted, when determining a hair color formula.
4. Determine the "Natural" Hair Color Level, then choose any hair color Level that is on the hair and then the hair color Level you want to be.

Hope That Helps,  
Killer Chemist

Part 2 -- Learning the Level System... #2

The main concern most of you have is how to make the hair color formula you want, to get your hair colored the way you want
What do I use to get the color I want...........is the worlds biggest question.
Without a "method'' you are left to guessing and that is what gets everyone to my front door anyway........so we know that doesn't work.
 If you formulate carefully you can save yourself from the mistakes that are everywhere in today's world of hair color. Planning ahead is good formulation.

Knowledge of basic theory provides good groundwork of formulation skills. Proper formulation is based entirely on Universal Hair coloring principles, specific product knowledge and good answers to the Killer 14 questions.

A good formula ( using any product ) & for any person....always considers the same set of variables -- this set of variables consists of the same set of variables:
THAT is good chemistry.

• Virgin Level___________
• Level it is  ____________
• Desired Level__________                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
• Percentage of gray______
• Texture_______________
• Length _______________
• Ethnicity______________
• Porosity_______________
• Prior color_____________
• Prior Bleach ??_________
• Your coloring__________
• DURP ________________ dominant/underlying/remaining/pigment
• what you can maintain, money and coordination wise__________

                                            

So the only way to get your perfect formula is to consider all of the relevant variables from your answers to the Killer 14 Questions & Answers -- beforehand.  These are the variables that determine EVERY successful formula, no matter who is formulating and what product is being formulating.  The only sure way to get perfect results is to consider all the relevant variables beforehand and shoot for the end, precisely...and THAT is the UNIVERSAL LEVEL SYSTEM of Formulating Hair Color!

This Universal method helps you to make different formulas at different times, which does not have to mean you do not have to pay attention to different manufacturers directions. Doesn't matter which brand I have in my had I ALWAYS ALWAYS read what manufactures have to say. I don't always follow it, but I at least like to listen and take into account what they recommend to do. There is no substitute for the reading of as many directions as possible.


 As a matter of fact I am in the process of writing my own short direction card for each line of color we have in the store, because all of these lines have different ratios attached to them. Which means the ratio of color to developer is different. The theory goes that the less developer used, the RICHER the color. So if that is the case.................which one of these would be the Richest?

• Koleston Perfect........2 to 1
• Color Touch............... 2 to 1
• O & M ...................... 1 to 1                                
• X.Factor..................... 1.5 to 1                                                        
• Matrix........................ 1 to 1
• X.Factor / demi ......... 1 to 1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Answering all of the Killer 14 questions are what will train you to figure out your next hair color formula. So be thinking of them.

 A lot of our Group members were interested in having their own Level Chart so I have made Laminated Level Charts that are 1 Penny if you make a purchase of $20.00 or more . . . or cost $5.80  alone, available in our Store

KC



___________

join our group if you are interested in talking about all things hair + hair color related
Yahoo - Killerstrands Group

____________

 we are running a Special until the end of February,  Free Consultation with Hair Color purchase. Purchase 2-3-4-5 Tubes of color ..OR an Oil Lightener Kit PLUS Consultation,  sometimes we all need a little help

'''From the Beginning ... The Level System and How it Works

I will be going over the Level System for the next few weeks from the beginning and how one comes up with their own formula. There are so many people coming out with "high-end - ($30)" boxed colors or there is those screwballs over on that website I refuse to even speak of, trying to sell you color where they have put all the facts into computer software with hopes of coming up with another Boxed color formula for you.

                         
Boxed color formulas are not-the-answer...these wing-nuts have all asked me on-board, and I have declined gracefully. That is just not the answer, one more boxed-color formula in a fancier box -- because that is all it is.  There is no difference, they think because they have put prettier pictures on their 'box" and that it is on the computer where you can answer questions by ticking "off-a-box" on the computer and it shoots out a answer that it will be correct. They can never steal what it is my mind... and that is going to be used to help you get the proper hair color formula.

That is another reason I am committed to teaching all of YOU to learn 'how' to pick it out yourself.

In today's world, it no longer works to just teach on the Blog.
I resisted it as long as I could...
I didn't want Social Media to take over, because I feel its the death of our society as we know it
I can just see it breaking down the world of "Conversation" and "Contact",
BUT.........
its bigger than me
and even though its against everything I believe in....I am going to have to give-up and give-in and just roll over and do it...
So I apologize but I am now in FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & PINTEREST, the Blog, & the group....I will be teaching a new series called  "From the Beginning ... The Level System". . .which begins right here !!
So, please if you are interested in this series. . . . .
Sign-up for all those entities  you can unsubscribe when done as it explains on bottom of page

I've had some word of encouragement lately which I truly T-R-U-L-Y appreciate

Thank you from the bottom of my heart....


Photos From STYLES FOR 2013 - Great Britain !

 Sent: Friday, January 18, 2013 12:24 AM
Subject:  KC-  thanks for all you do!
i wanted to write a short note to say that what you do  and, what you have done is commendable. Dealing with the public on a daily basis is hard work.
Being self -employed and running a business is challenging at any time.  You have been gracious to me and, willing to help at every turn.  As a male i'm probably the least of your headaches.  You have learned how to handle adversity, overcome obstacles, etc.  Just take care of yourself, delegate to
others, and get needed rest.  I just wanted to drop this encouragement e mail because we all need to hear about good outcomes following the crap that life throws at us. 
take care.,
mike

Sat. Jan 19

To

killertrinity3 killertrinity3@aol.com 

First and foremost I would like to thank you so much for all of your help. Not 
only did you help me with my question, you helped me with my order. You called 
back and made suggestions and that showed me that you care about your customers, 
and not just money. I used to work at a salon and will tell the shop owner about 
your company and your products!!! I will also tell me friends about your company 
as well! Again thank you, thank you so much!!!!!!!!!! I will be ordering from 
you again and every time I need products!!!!!!! :D

Ashley M. 

Thank You,

Again,

KC 

Hair Color Tint Brush. . . Friend or Foe ?

This may seem like the simplest most unimportant thing to talk about but there is a reason the top Colorists in the world all use Tint Brushes compared to bottles or whatever other devices there are out there to apply hair color to the noggin'. As a Colorist I also find the brush I like the most, which just comes from the "feel" of how applying the hair color goes. 

If you were to study in depth about how hair color goes into the hair strand itself, how the strand opens up, lets the color molecules INTO the hair strand and finally closes to keep the hair that "NEW" color...a  Then you would maybe see 'why' when you apply the color... pressing the hair with stiff bristles loaded with hair color is SUPER important. We can actually see the difference. The difference between one tint brush and another say. Many of us have different tint brushes for different applications. 

Of course all Crib Colorists do not need to be that tuned into the Tint brush. But I have been amiss in explaining the advantages to the Tint Brush and why you should always use one and when you do use it to press HARD onto the head and hair. Think of wanting to push that color into your head as hard as possible. I'm sure every single one of you has stood behind someone in line and their hair color is spotty, many times on men, but to be perfectly honest it is just as prevalent on women. Women with boxed hair color purchases. 

Those things need to be outlawed. I know I say this a lot. But we have laws in this country that say 'false advertising' is a CRIME. Well, its time those companies be brought to justice for everyone's horrific hair colorings. That may seem harsh -- but as far as I have experienced through thousands of clients that were devastated when the disasters happened to them. The truly sad part is that "YOU ALL" have thought it was "YOUR" fault when in fact - you had nothing to do with it. You were doomed when you picked up that box.

In closing I would like to show you some tint brushes, we just have one, in the store as I have a hard time getting a lot of you to switch to the Tint brush.  Please let me know if you are interested in us carrying any additional shapes and sizes. But for now here is my favorite - it is crimped and the bristles are very hard which makes it great for pressing the color into the head/hair : KC TINT BRUSH 

 

I have revamped the FACEBOOK page, I am now on TWITTER, We have fired up some PINTEREST boards which will carry photos of hair color and new cuts and trends for 2013.

I wanted to announce the winner of our $100.00 Gift Certificate to the store from the end of December: 
                                   A customer from Canada ! -- Michelle Ranson was the lucky winner ! ! 

Lastly........we have opened a new group, its on the YAHOO platform.......

Please we are looking for Killerstrands / Crib Colorists ....come join our YAHOO GROUP and talk about ALL THINGS HAIR ! !