Victoria Wurdinger

Beauty Detectives Blog

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Covering Gray? This Makes Grow-Out Easier:

covering gray hair
If your hair is over 50% gray, see a pro. Redken Cover Fusion was used for this client at Royal Marie Atilier in Los Angeles.

If you’ve been covering up gray at home, chances are the box color you’ve been using comes pre-mixed or with peroxide right in the kit. But did you know that too-strong peroxide or developer can over-expose the undertones in your hair, making it look red which shows contrasting roots too soon? For better grow-out and more long-lasting color, use this trick, which American Board Certified Colorist Deborah McCann uses at McCann & Company, Inc. in Dublin, OH.

“I use a permanent color product and 10 volume peroxide,” says McCann. “This creates a long-lasting ‘stain’ that appears softer next to roots as hair grows out. Also, the lower volume of developer does not expose too much undertone in the hair.”

Ideally, pair the color with a few soft highlights on top, and roots will look even softer as they grow out. Unless you’re proficient with highlighting kits, talk to your colorist about the concept. If you’re ready to try it on your own, get the color and peroxide at a beauty supply store, where you can ask for a shade recommendation and ask about timing. Then mix the developer and color in equal parts and leave on for 20 to 30 minutes, or as long as was recommended. Add highlights later, or not.

If your hair is dry, damaged or has already undergone a chemical treatment, always ask a professional to do the job. Another caveat: It only works if less than 50% of your hair is gray. Any more than that and the stain won’t cover well.

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The Makeup Show

If you’re a professional makeup artist, hairstylist or nail teach—or even a consumer—you’ll love the ideas behind these 4 finds from The Makeup Show, held in NYC recently. (www.themakeupshow.com)

1. Black|Up . This luxury cosmetic line for women of color (in the U.S. for 5 years now) is right in step with the show’s new initiative, “The Skin That I’m In: Diversity in Artistry and Application. According to Director of Education and Artistry for The Makeup Show James Vincent, “There should never be a model of color in the runway without the right skin tone…no one should feel ‘other than’ because of race or age.” At a panel discussion, artists explored the obvious fact that artists should be able to work on all skin tones and shared favorite products. According to a Black|Up spokesperson, the brand’s points of difference include its wide range of undertones from yellow to orange to red, plus the fact it stays stable on oily skin and is matt, not sheer or shimmery.
Black Up Cosmetics

2. Canada’s cruelty-free FACEatelier showed off Erase Ultra Camouflage duet, a concealer that is based on color theory. It includes a mango red shade that erases dark purple and blue under-eye circles and bruises. Next, the pure white is gently applied so the color can be custom-adjusted to become neutral. Follow with powder to set it if you want, then pat on skin-tone matching foundation. President and CEO Debbie Bondar also told us that “the round face is back; artists are tired of over-contouring.” (In other words, Kardashian-makeup fatigue is having its effect.)
faceatelier

3. At Static Nail, the first “reusable manicure” comes from pop-on nails you can repaint, reshape and reapply. The latest offerings were the “Galaxy” and “Black Tie” designs, already seen on the red carpet at this year’s Emmy awards. (All designs are limited editions.) The reusable nails require no acetone to remove; just pop them off and re-appy. If they don’t pop-off with ease when you apply pressure to the sides, just wait another day. You can wear them for about two weeks or remove and re-apply them up to 6 times within an 18-day period—just in case the aren’t office-right. According to the company, nails techs using them have increased profits by one-third.
Static Nails

stataic-nail

4. Deep Sea Cosmetics. “Divine” –or is it? This Skin Tightening Instant Face Lift works for under-eye puffiness, if you can master the application without getting white power lines. (It’s much like Instantly Ageless, but I found it blended better.) However, the same product is found on sites like Amazon, with a different name: “Adore.” The ingredients don’t seem to be the same. And no one seems to pay the $800 online price at the parent website. Similar products are being sold out of pop-up shops and Kiosks, and you’re always offered deal after deal. A lower price and this one free, etc. etc. And, there are numerous online complaints about how products like these are sold. If it works for you, comparison shop for prices and ingredients. It’s unlikely you’ll have to pay over $100.

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Home Color Vs Salon Color

There’s lots happening in home versus salon haircolor that you may not have heard about. Here’s the lowdown–research thanks to Don Francis.

an-in-salon-class

Venture capital firms are investing millions in technology companies that help consumers order color online. They assume everything will be done via mobiles or tablets, and are creating systems to upload selfies, get a haircolor recommendation, order online and download how-to videos and instructions.
Some salons are selling home color. One has colorists consult, create a custom formulation and provide instructions. Consumers can order online, based on a retouch schedule.
1 in 5 of those with incomes of $100,000 or over used home color in the past year.

What can you do?

Create 3-D techniques…have something newer than Ombre, explain that home color is created to work with several natural shades and all will have different results, use a professional brand client’s can’t get in a store, and accommodate re-touch schedules. For those short on cash, present a trendy “rooted” look, stagger the start-and-stop points of highlights or keep the client close to natural. Don’t forget to talk about brass–a common side effect of home color.

Don’t forget to keep up with the latest in education.