What Would You Do: Her Highlights Are Blorange!
Advice From The BTC Community For When Highlights Turn Out Blorange
Today’s the day your Level 1 client has been looking forward to—she’s finally going to be blonde! So you opt for a mix of heavy highlights and hand-painted lightener and let her process only to reveal…blorange haircolor. 😳 What went wrong? How do you prevent this from happening again? It happened to one confused stylist, so we posed the question to the BTC community to get their advice for lightening natural Level 1/2 shades. Read on to see what they shared and then keep scrolling for a serious breakdown from the “Latino blonding warrior” himself, @ricardojarahair!
“Many of my clients are Latina with dark, Level 1/2 natural shades. What is the best way to lighten this type of hair? I usually highlight them heavily, then apply a Level 8/9 with 40-volume developer to the rest of the hair. Sometimes it looks great…but sometimes it looks really orangey. I’ve also been considering lightening the entire head and then darkening the base with a Level 6/7. What do you think?”
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Products Used
Remember, Go Low & Slow
“Low and slow still on my Latinas! That’s what I do all day, and I tell everyone that it is a process—even with virgin hair—because it’s so dark. And if they want healthy blonde hair and not crispy hair, it needs to be done in sessions. I usually take them to about a Level 6/7 their first session and then a Level 8/9/10 their second session. If they lift to a Level 7, I tone a Level 6 to make sure the toner fully deposits. I always tone one level lower because orange could be so resistant sometimes. It’s really hard but knowing your color line like the back of your hand is key, too! Hope this helps!” – @jesspaintthehair
“My clientele is largely Latina and Pacific Islander. I have never used 40-volume developer because the darker and denser the hair, the more I’m looking for slow and steady. I heavily foil in very fine sections, I’m realistic during consultations and likely achieve an all-around lightest or predominantly blonde in three sessions.” – Maria Clara Cohan
“I would work with their natural level! Anytime you are lifting natural hair with haircolor more than two levels and 40-volume developer, you are only going to expose warmth. Low and slow is the key! Have your client come every 8 weeks at first to add more lightness with lightener until you get to the desired level! It’s a process and takes time. If they can’t understand that, you don’t want them in your chair!” – @maggiegomeshair
“Don’t lighten the whole head—there’s absolutely no need. That’s just rushing and making yourself more work because you’ll have more warmth to kill. And I’d say a Level 8/9 is too high from the Level 1/2. A Level 6/7 is the lightest I’d go realistically. Slow it down.” – @lizzie_lou1987
“LOW AND SLOW! 💕 Schwarzkopf Professional BLONDME Bond Enforcing Premium Lightener 9+ + 10-volume developer does the trick! If they lift to an orange color (Level 6/7) then tone with a blue based toner (should be a liquid demi with less than 10-volume developer, not permanent) and that should look a lot cleaner with less damage.” – @paintedbymk
Thin Sections Are Key
“The tinier the sectioning and the heavier the saturation, the better. I’ve been able to lift just as well with 20-volume developer as with 40-volume developer. It takes longer to process, but if you reapply lightener as it’s processing you can get it there! Also, a little heat helps with resistant hair. But thin, thin, thin sections are going be your best bet in my opinion.” – @bylindsayjune
“As a Latina with Latino clients, I can’t stress sectioning enough. The thinner, the better—and you don’t need to use 40-volume developer. Twenty-volume developer is just as good! Hair processing can’t be rushed, normally it will take about 5 hours to lift out. There are many types of methods to achieve a look but at the end of the day, it’s your creativity and your art. Look up videos or take classes to understand hair itself.” – @hairby_kimpadilla
“Don’t forget when you highlight to remember to take thinner sections. If your highlights are too thick, then they will take forever to lighten and most likely be more orange.” – Hanan Julie Youssef
“My number one rule when lightening darker hair is to always use clean, fine sections. The bigger your section, the harder it’ll be to saturate and you won’t get as much lift as you’re hoping for. I always start with 20-volume developer and work my way up to 30-volume developer if needed!” – @brandirosehair
“As @lisalovesbalayage would say, ethnicity doesn’t matter! Small, thin sections, proper saturation and TIME. Probably your best bet is painting highlights and doing a root smudge. Any oxidative color will be warm when lifting from that dark of a level. It’s unavoidable. I learned in Lisa’s class that you should always lift past the unwanted pigment and tone down or it’s just going to creep back out anyways.” – @twowesthairsalon
Lighten It All, Then Tone It Down
“Always, always, always tone down. Brunettes would rather go a level darker than see any hint of brassiness. So if I lift to a perfect golden Level 8, I will tone down to a Level 7. If I lift to an orangey gold, I will tone down to a Level 6.” – @createdbychloej
“Prelighten the whole head to a Level 8/9, then follow with highlights and a depositing Level 7 color in an ash tone in between foils. This is only for people who have thick, resistant and strong hair that can handle a double process. Charge accordingly.” – Robin Meredith
“I would lift it with lightener and 20-volume developer and then tone with a light ash brown. Lighten a level above your desired tone.” – @schneider.kara
“I just mix foil slices with balayage in foils (to conduct body heat) using 30-volume developer and Redken pH-Bonder. Lift to a Level 8/9 depending on her hair and desired result and tone with Redken Shades EQ 8NA. Of course round one will be more warm but as you provide touch-ups, the color results become cooler and more dimensional.” – Melissa Daniel
“I work with a lot of Latinas and I use lightener with 40-volume developer and Olaplex No.1. Let process (I usually reach a Level 9) and then tone…Most of my clients request ‘Latina Blonde’ which has a bit of warmth in the final result.” – Melissa Collins
“The problem is not when lightening the hair with lightener in the foils. Their concern is when applying Level 8/9 color with 40-volume developer on the hair that is in between (left out of the foils). That’s where the orangey comes in. The best way to achieve a cooler tone would be to lighten all of the hair, then tone back down only those pieces, or to not lift as high and just use a darker color on the pieces left out of the foils.” – @shaynazara
“I always lighten the entire head with lightener and then add dimension with lowlights. So much easier (and healthier) than trying to tone orange. Lesson learned!” – Corinne Beebe Wiedemann
“Forty-volume developer is a no no! First CONSULTATION followed by giving realistic expectations! Then, start the lightening process with at least 20-volume developer and tone. I work with a lot of Latina clients, too, and they can tell from their previous salon experience if their hair is not toned. Good luck.” – @structuredbeauty
And @ricardojarahair BREAKS 👏🏽 IT 👏🏽 DOWN
“Girl, I got you! Latino blonding warrior here! Things I avoid for orange/yellow tones on darker bases: BREAKING THE BASE. Your best bet is to do everything with lightener and then tone. I heavy, heavy highlight with a low volume, like 20-volume developer. NO HEAT ensures minimal damage. Remix your bowl fresh every 30 minutes for consistent results. PAPER THIN sections and SATURATE THAT $H*! heavily. Let the foils sit and then consult, permitting you go back in and reapply to the foils again with a brand new lightener mix and a slightly higher developer if not budging. ALWAYS check the hair for health and this can only happen if the hair can take it (you determine this). And most importantly, LET ‘EM KNOW, ‘Sis, more than likely we will encounter orange but imma try my hardest to get past that $h*!. If not, we will tone and revisit again.’ Or tell them to embrace the warmth. It’s beautiful, inevitable and will always have some left in it if the hair is healthy. Hope this helps!”
But Let’s Not Forget…
“They also need to understand that this will take multiple hours long appointments and cost a FORTUNE! People think they can get the color they see on JLo in one appointment for $300. Not possible! Unless you aren’t charging for your time, products and skill level. It’s a huge undertaking with mega maintenance to sustain.” – @hairbykellymoses
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