4 Natural-Looking Color How-Tos

When BTC Founder and Creative Director Mary Rector-Gable started COLOR, Cut & Style in 2012, the idea was simple: real education for real hairdressers. So many shows at that time were specifically geared toward avant-garde styles—which yeah, super pretty hair (trust us, we know! We’re still working through all of our Avant-Garde #ONESHOT entries!) but not exactly the tips and tricks that will help you make more money in the salon.

Since then, BTC’s COLOR, Cut & Style has been tailored for hairdressers like you—yeah, you: The badass balayage, valayage, contour-dusting, baby-lighting hair champion of the world—that are looking for the latest in real hair behind the chair! You know what they say: “The better the show at CCS, the more iPads and cell phones in the air snapping those techniques and formulas!”

So to get you prepped for this year’s COLOR, Cut & Style, September 25-27 in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, we’re giving you some of our best natural color formulas from industry icons like Beth Minardi, Kim Vo, Nancy Braun and Team TIGI®! We’re talking balayage, bronding, sombrés and seamless highlights! Get the how-tos!

Click the pics below for the step-by-steps!

How-To: Diagonal Highlights

The artists at TIGI®—powerhouse stylists like Anthony Mascolo, Thomas Osborn and Richy Kandasamy—are known for pushing boundaries! But they do some amazing natural looks, too! Here’s a seamless highlighting look!

TIGI® copyright©olour Formulas
Formula A (Classic Beige): 20g lift 100/82 + 30g 30-volume activator (9%)

Formula B (Biscotti): 20g lift 100/21 + 30g 8.5-volume activator (2.55%)

Formula C (Prelighten): 30g true light white + 45g 8.5-volume activator (2.55%)

Formula D (Ivory): 20g gloss 9/83 + 20g gloss clear/00 + 60g 8.5-volume activator (2.55%)

Get the how-to here!

How-To: Contour Dusting

Celebrity Colorist Denis de Souza, the man behind the looks for big names like Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana and Mila Kunis, knows a thing or two about color! Here’s his formula and technique for the perfect, beachy contour dusting!

Joico Color Formulas
Formula A: Vero K-PAK Crème Lightener + LumiShine 20-volume developer

Formula B: LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquid Color ¾ Clear + ¼ 10NG

Get the how-to here! 

How-To: Sun-Kissed Bronde Balayage

You love Nancy Braun and you LOVE balayage! So do we, and we got ’em both here! See how it’s done.

L’Oréal Professionnel Color Formula
Formula A: Freehand Lights + 40-volume developer

Get the how-to here! 

How-To: Soft Sombré

Blonding master Kim Vo does it again! Here’s how you can give her that sexy summer sombré.

Schwarzkopf Professional Color Formulas
Formula A: 1 part (15g) BLONDME Premium Lift 9+ Lightener + 3 parts (45g) 30-volume (9%) BLONDME Premium Care Developer

Formula B: 1 part (30g) BLONDME Toner Caramel + 1 part (30g) 7-volume (2%) BLONDME Premium Care Developer

Get the how-to here!

BONUS:

9 Color Dos & Don’ts With Beth Minardi

Color Queen Beth Minardi: You love her, you love her color and you love her education! And here, she’s got 9 color dos and don’ts to help strengthen your skills and techniques.

1. Do…Know When To Use Demi Crème vs. Demi Liquid!
What’s the difference? Simple! Use crème to lowlight and cover gray; use liquids to glaze and refresh ends. “Every dispensary should be stocked with both!” declares Beth.

2. Do…Take Care of Your Blondes!
“Blonde hair is like cashmere,” Beth says. “You would never wash your cashmere sweater with Clorox and Tide. You must not allow your clients to use cheap shampoo. Condition them carefully in the salon. Make your salon the home of the conditioning retouch.”

Get the remaining tips here!