“I Color Melt Every Client, I Can’t Help It!”

The Secrets For Beautiful, Lived-In Color

Wait, color melting every client!? BTC Team Member Ashley Smith (@paintedbyashleymarie) shares the top three tips for her secret weapon on virtually any client! 

More Than Just A Melt

“It’s great for enhancing, deepening, or altering the root color—really the finishing touch to the lived in look,” says Ashley. Color melting can be more than just an appointment on your service list—check out Ashley’s process below for inspo on how to add-on a melt for your clients. 

Ashley’s Color Melt Process:

• Tease—Diffuses and integrates the light and dark pieces together
• Foil work—Placement is key depending on desired look 
• Blending—”What happens in the foil is so important,” Ashley says, blend those harsh lines out!
• Melt—The finishing touch for any “lived in” look 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by EDU | Balayage | Albany NY (@paintedbyashleymarie)

1. Always Add A Warm Tone

“I use warmth in every single one of my blonde formulas. Even my super cool ones!”

Cool tones absorb light, making them sometimes appear a bit darker than anticipated. Throwing some warm tones into your formula can act as a neutralizer to bring the brightness back into blonding!

Formula breakdown using Alfaparf Milano Color Wear Demi-Permanent Hair Color:

Lightener: BB Bleach High Lift 9 Powder + 20-volume developer
Gloss: Color Wear 7.3 + 7.32 + 8.31 + 5-volume ⁣developer

Just look at this GORGEOUS BLEND!

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Balayage Educator | Albany NY (@paintedbyashleymarie)

FREE Of Any Ammonia Or Alcohol—Shop The Alfaparf Milano Color Wear Demi Permanent Color Line HERE!

2. Blend Below Foil Lines

Dragging the color down past where the foils begin is the easiest way to create a seamless blend with transitional tones—be sure to saturate both sides of the section, not just the top!

Pro Tip: Think about the shape of a tear drop when painting a color melt, the front most pieces around the face will begin higher up and the color will be dragged lower down in the back of the head. This is an easy way to make color look super natural without any lines of demarcation. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Balayage Educator | Albany NY (@paintedbyashleymarie)

3. Customize Glossing Shades

One size never fits all when it comes to blending—and it doesn’t have to be complicated! Ashley uses a mix of two Alfaparf Milano Color Wear Demi-Permanent color for this dimensional brunette color way. 

Formula: 

Lightener: BB Bleach High Lift 9 Powder + 20-volume developer 
Gloss: Color Wear 6.32 + 7.12 + 5-volume developer

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Balayage Educator | Albany NY (@paintedbyashleymarie)

Products Used

Lightener

BB Bleach

Alfaparf Milano