How To Master The Wella Color Line
How To Get Certified As A Master Color Expert
You can bleach, tone and balayage with great results—but are you really a MASTER of color? Think about the last time your palms started to sweat when a color client sat in your chair: Was it a color correction? A toner gone wrong? Hot roots?
You COULD whisper in the dispensary to figure out what to do, or you could become ultra-confident in your coloring abilities as a Wella Master Color Expert. Being a Master Color Expert (MCE) means that YOU are the one in the salon that advises on complicated corrective color issues. Plus, upon completion of the program, you get in-salon marketing materials to promote your certification and a special business day to learn how the MCE certification can benefit your business immediately (such as higher service prices and ideas to convert non-color clients to color diehards).
Ready to learn more? Here’s the breakdown of how you can become a master of the Wella Professionals color line and become your salon’s go-to, trusted color advisor.
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What Does Being a Master Color Expert Mean?
MCE graduates are certified to master any color situation. You’ll finish the program not only feeling technically prepared to be your salon’s color beauty coach, but to also have an impact on your salon’s color percentage and color objectives. Plus, you’ll enter the MCE alumni community, which gets you special previews to new Wella products, research and development and global trends.
Finishing the MCE program gets you access to a special business day for salon owner and managers, teaching you how to establish couture color services and how to convert color-shy clients to salon services. “After MCE, I increased my service sales 41% in just one year,” said Jackie Timpone, Master Color Expert at Mania Hair Salon.
“The increase in my knowledge, understanding and efficiency with Wella products has definitely increased my profits,” said recent MCE grad Mercy Green (@mercygreenhair). “The month after I completed my MCE, I had my most profitable month in my entire career. I can take on more clients with confidence, I find myself more in demand, and I am able to charge premium prices for my work while keeping my schedule booked out.”
You’ll also get access to special classes from The Wella Studio just for alumni, such as Mastering Color Science, Mastering Color Formulation, and the Master Styling Expert certification. Upleveling your color game will open new education and career pathways, so let’s get started!
Find a Wella Education class that suits YOUR goals: Click here to see the calendar!
How To Start Mastering Wella Color
To become a Master Color Expert, you have to complete a series of prerequisites that prepare you for the certification. These classes make up Color Craft, a three-part series that can be done in person at The Wella Studio or virtually. Here’s the breakdown:
Color Craft I
The first class provides knowledge of Wella coloring as a foundation for reliable problem solving, including hair biology, consultation, efficient formulation and application. This class is when you’ll get a complete understanding of Wella Color and formulation methodology. You’ll learn the influence that artificial and natural haircolors have on formulation, plus how to conduct the ultimate consultation and time-saving application techniques.
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Color Craft II
The second class is all about BLONDING! You’ll learn the intention behind foil placements versus freehand painting, how sectioning and placement impacts the overall look and can reduce service times, and how variations on weaving and slicing can influence the final result. You’ll leave the class with an understanding of the foundational art of dimensional color.
Color Craft III
The final class in the Color Craft series focuses on corrective color. The key to advancing your skills as a color correction specialist is being able to identify what color correction is needed and how to solve challenges efficiently and realistically. That’s why you’ll learn how to identify the cause of color correction to help determine the technique to fix it, such as color balancing and filling or color removal. You’ll walk away with strategies for any type of color correction to boost your confidence in real-life scenarios.
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Beginning the Master Color Expert Program
So you’ve finished all three Color Craft classes…now it’s time to become a MASTER. To enroll in the Master Color Expert program, you must have 5 years of haircolor experience. This six-month program combines face-to-face (or digital) training with an online program that lets you engage with fellow MCE students. You’ll complete your coursework at home over the six months, and the online program will help you prepare for two phases of in-person training days, with each phase lasting 5 days.
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The program is intense, but the reward is great. “To say MCE is challenging makes me giggle,” said Kelsey Higginbotham, Wella brand educator and Master Color Expert. “It is everything—everything you love, everything you fear, everything you hate, all your passion and blood and sweat and tears. It is the greatest learning lesson and journey, and those who survive can call themselves MASTERS.”
Adds Mercy, “I have always had a passion for creativity, and since becoming a licensed cosmetologist, I have strived to elevate my artistic capability and skill—not only for myself, but for my clients, who put their trust in me. I apprenticed in a salon with an MCE graduate, which led me to do my own research on Wella and the MCE program. I quickly found that Wella is incredibly innovative, and always on the cutting edge when it comes to the science behind their products and continuing education.”
For those who want to stay up to date on their mastery, or who want to refresh their knowledge between phases, the Wella Studio added the MCE and MCE Alumni Seminars, plus options for one-on-one virtual coaching sessions with Wella Studio educators that are tailored to meet your personal needs.
