9 Color Tips For Your Best Blonde
It’s always in to be a blonde—but the season of blonde is officially here. We’re talkin’ about those sun-kissed locks and beach-blonde hues that everyone is asking for. Recently, BTC joined Matrix Artistic Director Robert Santana for his Programs of Passion class at Andreas Hogue Salon and it was all about those blondes! The class, “B to B: A Brunette’s Journey to Lightness” taught different ways to better your blondes, from going over new coloring techniques to perfecting the business side of your color game.
Exclusive Blonding Tips from Robert Santana!
1. Play with the Light
When working with blondes you want to create natural light. As you move up the head, switch up the placement of your color by using thicker-weaved sections or painting in a V-shape to create even more movement in the hair. Watch Robert demonstrate:
2. Saturate Her Hair
When applying lightener it’s super important to use enough product on the hair. Stylists sometimes skimp out when targeting the midlengths and the ends. So when you think you’ve used enough, use more!
3. Hard Lines? NEVER.
Robert talked a lot about diffusing the coloring process and feathering your lightener on the head and at the root to avoid hard lines. Blondes want to look natural and sun-kissed, and hard lines totally disrupt that style.
Pro Tip: Don’t get caught up if you apply too much lightener or apply it on the wrong area, simply use your finger (while wearing gloves) and wipe it off. No big deal!
4. Lived-In Blondes
Robert explained a quick and easy technique to create a totally lived-in blonde with a naturally rooted look. Section off the hair using elastics and go in tight to the root in some areas and a little looser in others. Then freehand paint the lightener onto the ponytail sections. Be sure to saturate the hair.
5. Test-Strand Her Hair
While some stylists think test strands add unnecessary time to your process, Robert swears by them. If you have a new client, you never know how their hair is going to take the color and it’s a lot easier to spend 30 extra minutes to perfect a test strand than spend 4 hours on a color that doesn’t look amazing.
6. It’s OK to Say No
If a client comes in and asks you to do something you’re not comfortable doing or you don’t think it’s possible in their scheduled time, it’s OK to say no. Think about the takeaway. Everything goes on social media these days, so it’s important for your work to look good and for your client to be happy.
7. No Time? No Problem
We just learned it’s OK to tell your client no. But don’t just say no and walk away! Use their appointment to do an in-depth consultation, do a couple test strands and give her a trim—you don’t have to charge for the test strands. Help your client understand you can get them where they want to be by setting yourself up for success, understanding their expectations and then allotting for enough time to complete the color transformation.
8. Help Her Protect Her Investment
Just because your clients leave your chair after their appointment doesn’t mean they should stop using your products. After coloring your client’s hair, whether you highlighted, balayaged or added all-over lightener, using the right products at home is key and totally necessary. Educate her on how she can best protect her investment.
9. Practice Your Color
When a client comes in wanting a big haircut, practice coloring on her cut hair. This is a good way to learn and see how color takes to different hair types and colors.
Robert Santana, Jodi Kinney and Andreas Hogue
just chillin’ after a long day of blonding!
