BTC Exclusive Interview: How Tracey Cunningham Made the Switch to Schwarzkopf Professional

Tracey Cunningham, Jacob Schwartz & Schwarzkopf Professional Celebrate Historic Partnerships at Tappan Collective

Coveted celebrity hairstylists Tracey Cunningham and Jacob Schwartz announced their historic collaboration with Schwarzkopf Professional® earlier this month. As Tracey takes on the role of U.S. Creative Director of Color and Technique and Jacob Schwartz as U.S. Hair Color Trend Ambassador, the duo gathered to celebrate the legendary announcement at Tappan Collective in Los Angeles where their closest friends and colleagues honored them as they embark on their new journey.

Scroll on to read BTC’s exclusive convo with Tracey and learn how she seamlessly made the switch to Schwarzkopf Professional—plus, get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the intimate evening.

Tracey and Jacob with Schwarzkopf Professional USA’s General Manager Michelle Chandler:

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Tracey & Jacob’s Celebration at Tappan Collective

On October 24, Schwarzkopf Professional hosted an immersive dinner event at the beautifully curated Tappan Collective art gallery in Los Angeles. The intimate celebration marked a significant milestone in Schwarzkopf Professional’s commitment to excellence in hair color, as the event drew an impressive gathering of celebrity hair experts and VIP guests. This marked a rare moment when the biggest names in hair came together under one roof to support and celebrate the next chapter for Schwarzkopf Professional, Tracey and Jacob.

Guests included Adir Abergel, Dimitris Giannetos, Gregory Russell, Andy Lecompte, Sami Knight, Bridget Brager, Danilo Dixon, Bryce Scarlett and more. Scroll through the slides to see an exclusive look below:

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

BTC’s Vice President of Influencer Strategy Haley Gable and editor Lauren Freas were also in attendance, offering support through comprehensive social coverage for the professional hair industry to BTC’s 2.6MM Instagram followers:

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com)

Haley, Jacob & Tracey:

Exclusive Q&A with Tracey Cunningham:

BTC: Were there any specific challenges or learning curves that surprised you during the transition between color lines?

Tracey: As we all know, it’s better to be safe, so I recommend doing a trial before trying a new formula on a client. Each client’s hair reacts differently, due to factors like ethnicity, age and hair history, as color simply saturates based on what you are coloring. I even tried mixing formulas together that I thought would be beautiful and tested them on swatches of different shades of hair which was really helpful. I recommend having these swatches available to you as a guide. For example, it helped me see how much more pigmented 6-00 is than 6-0. 

The best part of Schwarzkopf Professional is that it makes its color line user-friendly by naming each shade with a numbering system that makes mixing color so much simpler! It is a game-changer when mixing shades because whether I’m using demi or semi, the numbers align with each shade. It takes the guessing game out which was so helpful when I converted my formulas over.

I have used Schwarzkopf Professional for years throughout my career, but was recently reintroduced by Jacob Schwartz in my salon, and I was blown away. I think you will be too when you realize the saturation this line gives in each application. 

BTC: How did you approach the reworking of your “little black book” of clients’ color formulas?

Tracey: Color, at the end of the day, is chemistry. So, once you understand what works on a client’s hair and gives you the desired outcome, you simply can just tailor your methods to achieve the same result with different products. Experimenting has brought a whole new energy to my work. Improving your day-to-day is exciting and it’s caused me to level up for all my clients. Because of this, I haven’t had to completely rework my “little black book” but have made tweaks to ensure my work still has the consistency my clients depend on. I am all about providing the best possible service to my clients, every single one of them, every single day. Consistency, passion and devotion are the keys. 

BTC: What kind of support did you receive from Schwarzkopf’s team during the transition?

Tracey: I have been blessed to have had Schwarzkopf pros in the salon with me as I tried out each shade and experimented with swatches. I have been depending on the consistency of the same formulas on the same clients for years. Reintroducing Schwarzkopf Professional was a leap of faith based on a ton of recommendations. I’ve loved Schwarzkopf but the fear of change was a little overwhelming, but once I did trials, switching was actually easier than I would have ever thought. 

The outcome was undeniable, gave me a better result and the color deposit/coverage were beyond consistent. Discovering a better alternative makes me more confident in the results I am giving each of my clients. This is why I want to share all I have learned about switching formulas and I’m going to show you all my techniques on how I apply it. I will never look back, so come on and follow! Who would keep using a food recipe when there is a tastier option? Not me, and it’s the same for formulas.  

BTC: What are your current favorite/most-used Schwarzkopf toner formulas? Any hero color products that you can’t get enough of in your day-to-day life behind the chair?

Tracey: I’m seriously obsessed with Schwarzkopf Professional’s IGORA® Vibrance Level 10 Toners and use them on almost every client, I regularly reach for shades IGORA® Vibrance 8-11 and 6-12. One of the many amazing things about this color line is that offer colors that other brands simply do not have. I am SO excited to help develop colors that don’t yet exist (that pros need) and to help to create formulations that other colorists cannot live without.

BTC: What advice would you give other hairdressers/salon owners who are hesitant about switching to a new color line?

Tracey: Change can be scary, but as they say, without change, you can’t grow and improve. All you can do is try. I have tried, succeeded and will do anything to reassure you that I did it and am not looking back! The fear of losing clients, especially post-pandemic, keeps us all up at night. If we offer our clients better, then they will never leave and they will spread the word just by being seen with great color. Word of mouth and phenomenal work are the keys to securing a loyal client base. Your clients are literally walking advertisements so it’s important to not only try your best every day, but to develop strong relationships with your clients to continue the trust. Telling them that you have a better line will only entice them to see the difference and they will with Schwarzkopf Professional! 

Schwarzkopf Professional Artistic Ambassador Patricia Nikole (@paintedhair), Tracey, Jacob and Michelle:

Photo Credit: Schwarzkopf Professional @lexgallegos

Click here to stay up-to-date with Tracey: Her exclusive education, pro tips & fan-favorite formulas are coming SOON!

Products Used

Blonde

IGORA VIBRANCE® Level 10 Toners

Schwarzkopf Professional®

Demi-Permanent Color

IGORA VIBRANCE®

Schwarzkopf Professional®

Hair Color

IGORA VIBRANCE® ACTIVATOR GEL

Schwarzkopf Professional®

Hair Color

IGORA VIBRANCE® ACTIVATOR LOTION

Schwarzkopf Professional®