Colour Balancing for Global Colour

This tends to be a hot topic in colour land, just like the controversial debates between stylists that love razors and those that don’t. I am going to break it down into 3 options for colour balancing with the ideal time to use each and what type of client needs which option. And remember all advise that I give you is delivered in a universal language that can be adapted to suit the brand of colour you already know and love… or perhaps you are looking for education to know how to color balance with anew brand you just started using or you just started in a new salon and worry you don’t know what you are doing. I got you! I see you and this episode will support you to know how to paint and know why. 

Show notes for episode 31

Some past episodes to help you with this topic:

Something that I love about podcasts is the fact they are evergreen, which means they are available to listen to now and again and then skip backwards with topics to help serve your educationgal goals. I want to encourage listeners to listen to 3 past episodes to best understand Colour Balancing if you are serious about stepping up your expertise.

• EPISODE 3 – Colour Chords and the secret to haircolour success
• EPISODE 10 – Hot Roots, Hashtags and Color Tips with US Colour Guru and Formulation King, David Stanko
• EPISODE 29 – Hot Tips for Long Roots. Know how to do Virgin Tints Without Banding

the best 3 options for colour balancing faded ends when tinting:

1. Pulling Tint through to ends method

• What? Paint root formula on roots and then just pull the colour through the ends
• Why? Could be a virgin tint approach. But if hair is already coloured it is sensitised and therefore most brands tend to advise that you should use something more gentle to avoid weakening hair and making it unnecessarily more porous.
• How? Some colourists paint tint in the last 10-15 minutes. Or back in the olden days before demi permanent colour hairdressers added some water to their leftover tint in bowl and pulled this trough the ends. It worked! But times and technology have since improved and there are better options
• WHEN I DO THIS – and this comes down to you gotta know the rules to break them. I tend to pull tint through with my redheads.

2. Colour Balancing with Semi versus Demi permanent

• What? Semi is the same as a Demi. It is just different terminology. Typically a semi lasts 4-8 washes and a Demi lasts up to 20 washes. 
• Why? Most suitable for most clients needing a refresh of faded colour. Adds gloss and pigment without damaging the hair. Tone on tone results are possible or going darker with this option.
• How? Can be applied immediately after roots applied. HOT TIP – for even result always apply 1 or ½ level lighter than root colour to avoid your roots looking lighter.
• WHEN I DO THIS – Colour Balancing grey coverage clients, and brunette global colours and classic golden coppers or orange coppers that are repeat clients that I know how to colour match. I don’t do this ever for new coppers. I prefer to do a double process copper to ensure I get the tones and depth where I need it.  I also Double Process all bleach clients and highlight tints as opposed to trying to do that all at once. 

3. Partial Colour Balancing for Dimension

• What? Clients love dimension and texture or they love solid colour. It’s that black and white. Hairdressers probably already know their die hard texture lovers because they dabble with foils and balayage every few tint appointments. For these clients I like to do partial colour balancing or in other words I paint reverse balayage or freehand lowlights.
• Why? I want to keep texture so I leave alot of hair unpainted to keep the faded hair that looks beautiful in tact and only paint some hair that needs depth painted back in
• How? Freehand lowlights or colour balancing can be done the same way as you do your freehand lightening using a demi-permanent or a low vol mix permanent colour. Freehand means exactly that it’s free using your hand, but if you like to use a combination of foilyage and other methods go for it! You are the artist and your client is your canvas.
• WHEN I DO THIS – I do this on so many different types of clients. Basically any client that likes sparkle and texture. Works for Blondes, Brunettes and Redheads.