The Seasonal Brunette

Now that fall is fast approaching, undoubtedly a few of your long term blonde clients will come to you and say “I think I’d like to try something different- I’d like to be a brunette”.  Those of us who have ever stood behind a chair know that this can be a lot of fun or completely catastrophic- many times when a client asks to “go darker”- they perceive anything below a level 6 as “black”….particularly if she’s normally an 8 or higher. Here are some suggestions for when your client decides she wants to take the plunge:

1- Always leave lightness around the face- it doesn’t have to be as light as they normally are, but enough that they will see the difference. If not, you risk the possibility, or I should say, probability that she’ll feel too dark- regardless of what level the end result is and you’ll want to avoid having to rehighlight that hair to keep her from having a complete meltdown.

2- Take the porosity and texture of her hair into consideration prior to formulating.  Improper diagnosis will affect the outcome.

3- Consider using Gloss, Lakme’s ammonia free, jojoba oil based, demi permanent color. Lets be honest- most life long blondes that ask to be brunette eventually revert back to being blondes, some within a matter of weeks. If a client seems iffy and you’d rather not spend time on the repigmentation process, Gloss is a fabulous option! What’s even better is that if she does choose to keep it- the first application now serves as a repigmentation and she’ll get even better longevity the next time around (anticipate her returning 4-6 weeks later at least a level or two lighter than the initial application).

4- If you do choose to repigment- it couldn’t be any easier- it’s done in one simple step with Collage.  What would normally be a lengthy corrective process can be done in half the time!

Follow these guidelines when using Gloss:

-Gloss is sheer, transluscent color- so if there are existing highlights, you will see dimension in your end result, which actually works in your favor.

-Make sure you add warmth to your formula. If your client is a pale blonde, devoid of any warmth- do not use a straight natural or even worse, an ash, independantly. Your end result will be muddy and potentially green. Remember, whatever has been removed from the hair to get her that light now has to be put back in order to make her dark again- so you are compensating for the missing underlying pigment. This same rule applies when low lighting with Gloss, as well.

-Gloss should be applied on clean, dry or towel dried hair- this is ammonia free, demi permanent color, so you don’t want to deposit color over product or oil residuals. Use Teknia’s Extreme Cleanse prior to application. The drier the hair, the more of a permanent hair color effect you will have.

- Spray Master Care Lotion evenly in the hair- do not rinse- apply Gloss formula with 6 volume developer.

-Process 20 – 30 minutes ( no heat necessary). 

 Follow these guidelines when using Collage:

-Shampoo hair with Teknia’s Extreme Cleanse and towel dry

- Refer to Lakme’s  repigmentation chart in your Color Resource Guide to determine appropriate formula for filling, then apply without developer on damp hair, combing out the excess with a wide tooth comb. Process for 10 minutes.

- Without rinsing the filler, apply the Collage target shade directly over it- mixing with Hydrox 10 volume developer. Process for 30 minutes.

Whichever method you choose, follow with Teknia Color Stay Shampoo, Color Stay Conditioner and L2 to seal in the service. Clients should then use these products at home in conjunction with their Ultra Copper, Red or Brown Shampoo and Treatment to maintain the magic that you just created!

Most importantly, have a thorough consultation with your client before picking up your color brush to avoid any major calamity. Remember, just because a client says she’d like to “go back to her natural color”- it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what she really wants- she probably doesn’t even know what her natural color is. It’s always easier to correct something that is too light as opposed to being too dark…and with Lakme you have all of the tools you need to create and preserve your masterpiece.

Happy coloring!