Fashion Colors 101
So you want to rock a fashion color? It’s a cool club to be in—however, there are a few things you should know before you dive into the magical, rainbow world of vivid and pastel tones.
First and foremost is the consultation: this is a great opportunity for your stylist to set expectations of what is realistic, not only for your hair but for your desired maintenance. This one-on-one time with your stylist should create a level of comfort, trust, and creative connection. You will want to look out for your stylist’s knowledge and experience with fashion colors—images of previous clients are a great thing to look at, plus we all love a new follower on Instagram. Speaking of images, they really do help when describing what you want. Come prepared to share! The consultation should conclude with a strong process plan including number of visits needed to achieve the desired look, timing per visit, cost, and home care to keep your color vibrant. Fashion colors take a ton of talent and time. Your stylist will be fully focused on you during your appointment and that attention to detail costs more than a basic root touch up. Most stylists require an hourly rate for these services and, let’s be honest, you get what you pay for. Transparency with the cost benefits you and your stylist equally. Most salons will have to order your desired colors previous to appointment, so speak up if it’s out of your budget. We can always create a version of your goal hair that fits better with your budget. Once this “go-to list” has been ticked, it’s time to book your appointment and tell all your friends!
Today’s the day! Trust me, your stylist is just as excited as you are for your big transformation—so be on time and be prepared for an all-day affair. In general, the first step with creating a fashion color is lifting your hair to the level of lightness needed for that specific vivid color. This can be done using foils, all over bleaching, or balayage techniques. Your stylist will pick the best way for the health of your hair and most efficient process. Rember, all hair lifts at different speeds. You may be one of the “lucky ones'' and it will lift in 20-30 minutes, but most clients will need a reapplication after 30-45 minutes, with additional processing time to follow. Once the needed lightness is achieved, your stylist will shampoo all lifting agents out of your hair. This should be followed with a conditioning treatment to even out porosity of hair and rebuild all the proteins lost during lifting. Healthy hair is happy hair, so do not skip this step! Your stylist will then either pre-tone to neutralize any unwanted tones in the hair, depending on your desired fashion color, or bring you back to the chair for a quick blowdry. The drier your hair is, the longer your fashion color will last, so in order to save time, your stylist may blowdry fast, which may cause your hair to look frizzy and unkept. Please know your hair may look a little crazy during this step, but the best part is yet to come!
“Stylist tip: washing your fashion color in cold water at home will extend the life and vibrancy of your desired tone.”
Fashion color time! Most stylists have a strong artistic side and this is the perfect time for that side to shine. Allowing your stylist to focus on technique will deliver the best results. You’re in the home stretch now so relax, eat a snack and stay patient. Most vivids and pastels will need to process at least 25 minutes, but can sit longer to create more depth and longer lasting power. The final rinse will typically be with cold water, this will keep multiple colors from blending into each other or your single color from washing out too soon. Stylist tip: washing your fashion color in cold water at home will extend the life and vibrancy of your desired tone. At Forecast, we use Kevin.Murphy Restore which is a cleansing treatment. What’s great about this product is it puts amazing nutrients back into your hair as it cleanses. The fewer bubbles on your head, the longer your color keeps fresh, so stay away from sulfates in your shampoos when it comes to fashion tones. Vivid colors respond to heat, so make sure you are using a heat protectant before any styling to prevent fading. Kevin.Murphy Heated Defense is one of my personal favorites because you can use it on wet and/or dry hair. So, if you like to skip days between shampoos but still want to glam up your look, this product is an excellent choice to protect those beautiful tones. Lastly, we’ll make a plan for upkeep. I always like to see my clients back in 6 weeks for a check-in, conditioning treatment, and gloss refresher. This keeps communication open about what you loved and what you may want to do differently next time. Take tons of selfies and always tag your stylist!
Stay Vibrant!
Bridgette