Beth! Email bonniep@behindthechair.com.

And be sure to continue your color education with Beth's two great training products, available in the BTC Bookstore:

BETH MINARDI ADVANCED COLOR CONCEPTS DVD/VOLUME 1-$149.95

BETH MINARDI EXTREMELY RED BOOK- $59.95 

Dear Beth:
A few of my trendy clients here in Singapore have asked me for pink hair! How can I accommodate their requests?
Thinking Pink

Dear Thinking:
Pink tones can be obtained after the hair has been pre-lightened to palest yellow…almost white. After lightening, the hair must be very carefully shampooed, re-conditioned and dried. Then you can apply the pink toner.
We use several types of direct dyes like Keune Contrast, Wella Color Touch and Manic Panic to create pink. We wrap the dyes in foil and keep them off the scalp as much as possible since they tend to stain.
One tip: be sure to correctly pre-lighten and condition the hair prior to applying the pink toner. An incomplete bleach out, or hair which is too wet, will prevent a wonderful pink tone from developing correctly.

Dear Beth:
How can I learn more about selecting hair color as it relates to my clients' skin tones? Most of the time I feel confident that my decisions are flattering, but sometimes I am clueless! I have been told that I must 'train my eyes,' but that seems kind of vague!
Perplexed by Complexions

Dear Perplexed:
Try to get your hands on a book called Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson. It is about 20 years old. I checked and it is available on Amazon.com. You will find this book very helpful in learning to distinguish skin, eye, and hair color tones, and it will aid you in making better selections.
To 'train your eye,' ask each client to remove all of her face make-up (blush and foundation) before you look at her skin.
Then determine whether her skin is warm or cool. Here's a simple trick: if the client looks good when you drape her with a pink scarf, her skin tone is cool. If she looks better draped in a peach scarf, her skin tone is warm. Start here, and as you become more experienced, you will learn how to factor in other details such as eye color when making your assessments.

Dear Beth:
I have a new client who has been coloring her hair at home. She is more than 50% gray and would like a strawberry blonde result.
For my first attempt, I applied 1/2 8NN + 1/2 1ORO Logics on the new growth, and Redken Shades EQ 9AA on the ends. Afterward, there was still a lot of gray on the shafts and ends, and the coverage on the regrowth was just OK.
My second attempt was 3/4 8NN + 1/4 8 RO Logics. The roots looked hot, the gray was still evident and the ends looked washed out. Now what?
Still Seeking Strawberry

Dear Still:
Try using 1-oz. 8NN + 1/2oz. 8RO + 1/2 oz. 10 RO, mixed with 20-Volume Logics Color Generator on the regrowth area. Make certain to leave this formula on the hair for a full 45 minutes and process at room temperature.
During the last 15 minutes of the retouch, glaze the hair lengths with the following Redken Shades EQ formula: l-oz. 09AA + 1/4-oz. 08C + 1/4-oz. Orange Kicker mixed with 1 1/2-oz. Color Processing Solution.
If after shampooing, conditioning and drying the hair, the color still looks "weak," apply 09AA and Color Processing Solution roots-to-ends and place the client under a warm dryer for 10 minutes. Process an additional 10 minutes at room temperature.
Another great strawberry blonde glazing formula is Shades 09RB mixed with 09AA. Either will help you achieve a great shade.
My redheads always go home with a color enhancing shampoo. Mixing equal parts of Artec Strawberry Blonde and Sunflower will prevent your client's color from fading between appointments.

Dear Beth:
I'm really eager to try foil highlights and lowlights but I'm scared to death! They're very popular in our salon, and I've tried them a few times, but I haven't been happy with the outcome. Two more of the stylists here at the salon feel the same way and we would appreciate any advice.
Fear of Foil

Dear Fear:
Don't be afraid! Jump in and try placing a few lowlights in brunette hair. I assume you know how to wrap foil.
To create great lowlights, remember that a lowlight is darker than the base color. So pinpoint the client's current brunette level, then choose a creamy, no-lift, demi-permanent haircolor that is one or two levels deeper than the client's current color level. After wrapping the last foil, process the color for 20 minutes at room temperature.
When the hair is shampooed, conditioned and blow dried to a smooth finish, you will be able to evaluate the great results.
When you can create gorgeous lowlights in blonde, brunette and red hair, you will truly enjoy, and profit from, your new level of color artistry. Have fun, and let me know how you are doing!

Dear Beth:
One of my young clients loves the look of darker roots with her light hair. Is there a technique for achieving this look? She is a natural Level 6 with lots of highlights.
Dark on Top

Dear Dark:
This very young, "better than natural" effect can be quite dramatic when done correctly.
The best way to do this is by highlighting the hair without first lightening the base. The natural, dark hair left between each highlight produces the look of a darker regrowth.
You can also place a few lowlights at the scalp area, and paint the lowlighting formula 1 1/2-inch or 2-inches up the hair shaft, omitting the ends to create that dimensional, "deep root/light hair shaft" look.

DON'T MISS Two Great Days of Fabulous Haircolor Education with Beth Minardi.  Attend Color America with Beth Minardi, September 24 and 25, Sheraton Hotel,  Chicago,  Ill.

Beth Minardi's new DVD is called ADVANCED COLOR CONCEPTS WITH BETH MINARDI- 149.95. It demonstrates five diverse color techniques, including dimensional coloring on relaxed hair, pre-bleaching and toning, removing black dye, conversion from single process blonde to tone-on-tone blonde and color corrections!

For more information on Beth's classes and special educational opportunities go to the BTC CLASS LOCATOR.