Bubble Neons, Gray Coverage Highlights & Peekaboo Designs

When the Pulp Riot squad shows up to THE BTC SHOW, expect the unexpected. From technicolor blacklight presentations to a parade of Insta-approved colorists causing chaos onstage, you know it was lit. But all craziness aside, these artists always bring new techniques that will change the way you perceive vibrant color application.

If you’re looking to save time on dimensional pastels and neons, keep up with gray coverage between color services or learn a peekaboo color design technique that gives you complete creative freedom, we’ve got you. Just scroll through to see what the always-bright, always-bold riot brought to the stage! 

Products Used

Hair Color

Faction8

Pulp Riot

It’s a riot. Click HERE to see all the rad photos from Pulp Riot’s artistic presentation! 

1. Bubble Technique

• What Is It?
  Sam Daly (@bottleblonde76) and Kasey O’Hara (@hairbykaseyoh) created this timesaving, satisfying pastel application technique—aka the “bubble technique”—that went viral on Instagram. Panels are stacked on top of one another instead of being separated by foils, mesh or wrap.  
• Why?
  It delivers a full-head application in half the time, looks complex and creates dreamy holographic dimension. That’s why Kat Collett (@katkolors) adapted the technique and broke down the how-to below. 

Get The Steps:

1. Start by taking a diagonal-back panel that is thick enough to hold and thin enough to see through for consistent saturation. Only use 1 mesh to separate the first panel from the hair underneath—the rest of the application doesn’t require mesh, foils or wrap.
2. Working down the panel from roots to ends, apply several semi-permanent colors in 2-inch sections and create harsh lines between colors. Avoiding overlap will eliminate muddy results.
3. Then, take the next diagonal-back section and lay it over the previous panel with no foil in between.
4. Slightly shift the color pattern and paint the same way. Pro Tip: Don’t fully saturate. This will create soft layers of color that don’t penetrate the previous sections.
5. Continue this pattern, shifting the colors slightly with every new section.

2. Gray Coverage Highlights

• What Is It?
  When gray coverage clients come into the salon for a retouch between highlights or blonding appointments, apply high level Pulp Riot’s all-new Faction8 Permanent Color to the roots for a quick touch-up. 
• Why?
  Faction8’s consistency is no-swell, no-spray and no-flake so the color won’t drag down into the client’s highlights and ruin previous lightening work. Doug Theoharis (@doug_theo) swears by its laser application for precise and targeted coverage.

Watch ALL The Stage Presentations From THE BTC SHOW On BTC UNIVERSITY. Click Here!

3. Peekaboo Color Designs

• What Is It?
  Here’s what can you achieve with a foam board, vinyl and some tape. Sam’s innovative peekaboo design technique gives any colorist the creative freedom to map out and execute intricate hair designs with easy application.
• Why?
  For first-timers requesting vibrant or unconventional color or clients who work in a more conservative atmosphere, this technique allows clients to manage the visibility of their creative color designs.

Get The Steps

1. Apply vinyl over a foam or plastic board.
2. Choose the desired panel of hair and lay it over the board.
3. Then, use Post-It adhesive tape to create a design over the hair. This will secure the design and board into place. Plus, Sam claims that this tape is easy to remove without causing breakage.
4. Then paint over the design like a stencil and allow the color to fully process and harden.
5. When you remove the tape, the negative space will create contrast between the base color underneath and the colorful accents. 

Check out the finished result below!

See what went down on Day 1, Day 2 & Day 3 at #THEBTCSHOW 2018!

Watch BTC’s Christen interview the Pulp Riot squad after their mainstage presentation!