How To Avoid Muddy Tones When Mixing Creative Color

Here’s How To Keep Vibrant Tones Bright When Color Melting

Learn how to color melt vibrant shades like a pro with Ulta Beauty Design Team Member Janelle Eyre (@jeyre.hair)! Keep scrolling to get her three tips that will help you avoid muddy tones when formulating and color melting. When you’re done, make sure to watch the full 40-minute tutorial above for more education. Plus, don’t forget to check out the finished look and grab the formulas!

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1. Avoid Muddy Shades With Your Formulas

Janelle mixes her custom colors keeping in mind how they’ll fade and how they’ll look next to each other to avoid a muddy result. For example, she prevents the orange formula from fading green in the future by adding fuchsia pink. Plus, she creates a blue formula for depth so the brighter shades don’t look muddy against the mannequin’s Level 7 base. When in doubt, always reference the color wheel.

2. Test Out The Colors First

Janelle tests her custom shades on a piece of white and yellow card stock before applying them to her client’s hair. This helps her figure out how the formula will lay against platinum and yellow-toned hair.  She can see if the color looks muddy or needs more work beforehand, so she can apply her formulas with confidence later. 

Check Out The Finished Look & Tap the Beaker For The Formulas!

• Formula A

  Matrix SOCOLOR Cult Orange Alert + Flamenco Fuchsia + Starfish Coral

• Formula B

  SOCOLOR Cult Blooming Orchid + Flamenco Fuchsia

• Formula C

  SOCOLOR Cult Aqua Bay + Admiral Navy + Retro Blue

• Formula D

  SOCOLOR Cult Neon Green + Clover Green

3. Color Melt Carefully To Avoid Muddy Tones

When color melting natural shades, you can vigorously blend two colors together to get a nice melt. Color melting fashion colors requires a more delicate touch. Here’s how Janelle does it:

• First, apply your first shade to a thin section and saturate.

   

• Apply the second formula under the first shade, making sure they don’t touch and blend up.

   

• Once the two colors meet, pinch the hair using two fingers and swirl the colors together until it’s blended.

   

• Continue this step with all shades, for a gentler blend.

Note: If the colors don’t look melted together, chances are they won’t be once the client’s hair is dry. So keep blending until you get the desired result.