Hair Tutorial Blog

with OMBRE still holding the throne for biggest trend in town, we decided to dig a little deeper into the magic and do a video on the techniques we use to do a blonde BLENDED OMBRE style. lucky for us, jessica was in need of a retouch + color so we’re in luck.

watch the video, read the blog, tell us what you think @nvennhairbeauty & snag our CHEAT SHEET to get the formulas ;)

during this how to, we’re bringing her BLONDE up higher and retouching the color throughout to create a DIFFUSED line with seamless transitions.  here’s where we’re starting from:

TECHNIQUES for BLENDED OMBRE

as always, you want to start by dividing the hair into sections. we generally stick to 4 even quadrants unless the hairstyle calls for a different sections pattern.  

take your time! this style takes a lot of precision.

we’re foiling the WHOLE head back to back.  every single hair on the head is going to be in foils, outside of a few slices we left to keep some of the dark.

this foiling pattern is going to be broken into 2 parts.  take the section into your hand and do a baby WEAVE on the top of the section creating 2 parts. clip the top part out of the way.

with the 1st bottom part of section, you’re going to BACKCOMB the hair. make sure you’re doing proper backcombing and that you’re not tearing or ripping the hair.

prep your foil and FEATHER the lightener over the backcombed section to ensure that you’re breaking up the line from dark to light on the style.

with the 2nd top part of the section, we are doing a BABYLIGHT using the baby weave we created.  

this will act as a veil and further DIFFUSE the line. feather the lightener closer to the root than the previously backcombed section.

here’s where things get a bit more complicated.  

to craft the DYNAMIC and SEAMLESS color, we need to alter the amount of hair that we lighten section to section which will stagger the amount of dark there is in the hair.  

after we’ve completed sections up to her temple, we want to leave a section out to incorporate the original amount of dark color she had.

in order to make this color BLEND naturally, we need to create a babylight at the top of the section left out. this section will replace the bottom backcombed technique in previous foils.

remember to turn your brush sideways and FEATHER the color creating a veil over the previous section.

continue back to the original approach doing a BACKCOMBING section. use another BABYLIGHT to further the fluidity of the veil.  again, we have to paint this HIGHER than the previous backcombed section. rotate the amount of dark you have in your foils by staggering how high you paint your lightener and incorporating sections left out.

after all your foils are in, your client’s head should look a lot like this:

we let the lightener sit for 60 minutes before washing out.

with this process, we’ve got her hair to level 8 or 9. that’s okay for the bottom part of the hair, but we want the BLONDE to be lighter higher up so we’re going to REFOIL the head above the o-bone to get that to a level 10.

PULLING the LIGHTENER further up

at the end of the day, it is ALWAYS better to under-lighten and lighten again than to risk taking over processing the hair.  (especially if you’re new to this OMBRE technique. the foils can take a long time to apply.)

to bring the hair to the level 10 we desire, we’re doing just that.  we start by sectioning:

we’re going to VERY DELICATELY lighten the sections we want to bring to a level 10, taking note not to extend the lightener over the hair that is already light enough.

we watched the lightener by eye and washed it once we achieved the level we wanted.

now it’s time to TONE.

TONING the HAIR

now we’re ready to remove the brassy tones and get this BLENDED OMBRE finished.

apply the toner evenly and allow it to process for the full time.  

in our case, we ended up toning the hair a second time to get out a few pesky brass tones.  as you may have noticed, jessica is asian and with that- her hair will have more pigment.  a lot of time with ethnic hair, you’re going to need to go the extra mile with a second toner to tone out unwanted pigments.

and for the REVEAL of this blonde BLENDED OMBRE:

in total, this style took 6 HOURS to complete. though the techniques take extra love, they are worth the work.  if she wanted to, she could let this style grow out for an entire year and only need to retouch her regrowth and tone occasionally. there you have it! <3

click here to snag our CHEAT SHEET with all the formulas + techniques.

 this beautiful PINK FADED OMBRE is the product of careful planning, expert technique, and a plan for the fade. in this video, we're walking you through the process of the PERFECT FADED OMBRE.

NOTE: the color featured in the thumbnail is after a few washes.  we purposely made this color darker to compensate for the breed of artificial colors and to extend the color life of the hair.  it's part of the technique. dye smarter not harder :)

with balayage and OMBRE hair at an all-time high in popularity, it’s vital to have the perfect application technique for SEAMLESS lines from dark to light.  this style took about 6 HOURS in total to complete but was well worth the wait. an OMBRE HAIR color done right can last for anywhere between 3-12 months depending on your personal preferences, without having to lighten your hair again.  a simple color refresh is all you need for a head-turning style :)

she wants about 2 inches of dark at the top, so we’ll pull the pink up a bit and refresh the color

though your client may have different preferences, the techniques were about to show you will still ensure GORGEOUS ombre hair with a perfect blend from dark to light.

ready to dive in?

1. SECTION the HAIR

like most jobs, you want to begin by dividing the hair into 4 even sections.  we typically go for an even line down the part line, or where they typically part their hair.  the next part goes over the ears by drawing a line that divides the front and back. the final part goes in the back by making 2 even sections split down the middle.  once we have the hair divided evenly into 4 quadrants, we’re going to begin the FOILING process to lighten the hair and move the pink color up.

2. FOILING and LIGHTENING the HAIR

now we are ready to start lightening the tops of the hair.  we’re going to start by taking a small section of hair in our hand and backcombing the portion towards the root.  this helps to ensure that you don’t get solid lines throughout your hair and instead, have a diffused gradient from dark to light that makes the ombre look NATURAL.

then you can begin feathering the lightener on the hair.  turn your brush vertical and begin painting 2 inches away from the root.  when you’re ready to wrap the hair up in the foil, make sure that you remove the ends (as we don’t want them to lighten any further). make sure to stagger the amount of dark you leave in each section. you want a variance within 2 inches to create a diffused ombre. you can stagger 2 inches, then 2.5 inches, then 3 inches, etc.

we used Artego Professional Lightener + 20 vol, but we don’t recommend you do the same. as stylists, we love to try new products and Artego was one of those situations.  unfortunately, we did not enjoy the product as much as our original go-to lightener, so we recommend you use:

• Schwarzkopf BlondeMe Premium 

you’ll repeat this process across the entire head until your client looks like this:

with the foils completed, we allowed the lightener to sit for a full 45 - 60 minutes before checking under the foils.  her hair will need to get to a level 8 or 9 in order for the magenta to shine through.  lucky for us, we attained the shade we were looking for.

now we’re going to take out all of the foils and address the midsection of the hair. we need to strip the previous magenta out a little bit in order to make sure the lighter pink shines through.  to do so, we used:

• Schwarzkopf BlondeMe Premium Lift 9 Levels 

again, you want to turn your brush vertically for painting. DO NOT overlap the bleach on to the pastel, simply bring the lightener down through the magenta.  we left the lightener on for 20 MINUTES before washing out.

3. COLORING the HAIR

now we’re ready to start COLORING the hair.  first, let’s start with the first color: MAGENTA.  we used:

• Schwarzkopf Igora Royal 9.98 - Magenta & Schwarzkopf Igora Royal 9.5-18 - Pastel Pink

you’ll want to use the same 4 section pattern to divide the hair into manageable sections. what’s really important about doing the color is making sure that you have everything sectioned well. color placement is extremely important.  

in the video, you can see jessica has a towel. CLEAN APPLICATION is key!  if any excess dye makes contact with the gloves, you want to make sure you wipe your hands or the hair completely clean if the excess dye is present. artificial colors like the magenta are bold and bleed easily.  we want to make sure that the color doesn’t travel too far down the strand.

we’re going to apply about 2 ½ inches of magenta. the sections you take in your hands to paint should be quite small.

another important aspect of applying the color is making sure to stagger the amount of color you apply to each section.  ALTERNATE  the amount of magenta you put on each section. try to alternate between 2 ½ inches to 3 ½ inches and everywhere in between.  

now let’s move on to the next color: the PASTEL PINK.

you want to SATURATE the hair from root to end with the pastel pink.  make sure that you cover all of the yellows by melting it directly onto the magenta.  massage it through gently and comb it down, making sure to start right where the COLOR MELT begins and comb down.

here’s the color all applied:

we’re going to let it process for a full 35 MINUTES.  after that, we’re going to wash out. even when the hair is wet, you should be able to tell that the color is very evenly blended.

now we’re ready to style.  we use REPLENISH oil by nvenn to restore the hair and replenish it with the oils before blow drying.   this lightweight HAIR MOISTURIZER features a luxurious blend of oils, extracts, and vitamins that SOFTEN, TAME FLYAWAYS, and ADD SHINE to the hair.

we’ll also apply PROTECT beforehand as well.  as a rule of thumb, you want to make sure you always put a layer of heat protectant between each use of heated styling tools.full of organic sea kelp extract and pure essential oils, this rich elixir quickly REFRESHES HAIR without weighing it down. it provides a PROTECTIVE BARRIER, or heat shield, for preventing heat damage and split ends. use it to PREPARE AND PRIME your hair for the best style every day, and spray it on styled hair to reactivate products already in the hair.

last but not least, we’re finishing with SMOOTH. this product helps to TAME FRIZZ and keep your style locked down without looking oily or greasy.  smooth works to CONTROL CURLS, SLEEK STRAIGHT HAIR, TAME FRIZZ and FLYAWAY HAIR. it soothes the hair using organic sea kelp extract and silk proteins, leaving hair shiny and amazingly soft.

this entire process took about 6 ½ HOURS.  however, with a style like this- you have a very low-maintenance color job that often just looks better as it fades.

and AFTER a FEW WASHES:

 today we’re transforming marissa’s hair from a darker auburn color to a dynamic 3 toned CARAMEL BALAYAGE.  for the root, we’re going to apply a darker violet auburn color and keep the middle tone the same as her current color.  the last tone will be the lighter balayage created throughout her hair by highlights.

styles like this CARAMEL BALAYAGE are the perfect way to have a dynamic, head-turning color without sitting in a salon chair every couple of weeks.  though this low-maintenance style may take awhile to complete, it’s well worth the extra bit of love.

watch the video, read the blog, and let us know what you think in the comments :)

COLORING the REGROWTH

to begin, we’re going to section the hair into 4 even quadrants and start by covering her REGROWTH.

the mixture itself will be 40 grams of color and 60 grams of 10 vol. throughout our application, we’re going to work down the hair to bring it a little lower.  remember to turn your brush vertically to make sure the color feathers evenly.

once you’ve got the REGROWTH covered, you can begin adding HIGHLIGHTS throughout the hair. marissa doesn’t want a whole lot of blonde, so we’re going to use an ashy 7 to make sure the red we reveal through lightening is NEUTRALIZED.

creating the HIGHLIGHTS

when it comes to deciding the width of your HIGHLIGHTS, you need to take the client’s personal style preferences.  in marissa’s case, she wears her hair with her natural wave almost every day.  for that reason, i’ll want to use a little bit thicker highlights to make sure they show evenly throughout the hair.  for clients who straighten their hair every day, you’ll want to make sure that you’re using very thin sections for the highlight (less than ½ an inch).

we’re using:

• Schwarzkopf BlondeMe Premium  + 7 vol

to create the highlights, we’re going to WEAVE the hair randomly and BACKCOMB the hair we’ve separated with the weave. apply the foil underneath the hair, and begin applying the lightener at a 45-degree angle.  be careful to not create your weaves exactly the same overtop the last section and remember to STAGGER your painting pattern for a NATURAL look.

towards the top of her hair, we’re going to use 20 vol, we’re going to go smaller weaves with less density.  we want to break up the color without adding too much blonde.  after we’ve continued the process across the entire head, we’re going to let the lightener sit on for 20 MINUTES.

TONING the HAIR

we didn’t dry the hair entirely, because just like a sponge - you want the hair to be a little bit damp. for our toner, we’re using 

• j beverly hills 7.2 which is a blue-based 7 + 5 vol

we apply the toner over the highlights and allow it to sit on the hair for a full 20 minutes before washing the color out and preparing the hair for styling.

STYLING the HAIR

now that we’ve washed the toner out, it’s time to dry and style the hair.  but before we apply the heat, we’re going to apply nvenn’s REPLENISH throughout her hair.  not only will this help provide her freshly dyed hair with the nutrients and it needs to repair, it will also create a layer of MOISTURE for the hair.

after that, we’re going to use some PROTECT to make sure that the blow dryer doesn’t damage her hair and adds a layer of protection.  to lock in the style, we're using FIX flexible hairspray which is the ultimate style primer - volume, light hold, and smoothness.

and now for the big REVEAL:

want the formulas?  click here to snag our cheat sheet for CARAMEL BALAYAGE hair :)

we've had a lot of requests for more videos about permanent makeup so this week we’re doing just that. jessica is our resident permanent makeup technician and she’s going to walk through the process of retouching EYEBROW TATTOOS.

EYEBROW TATTOOS are a great way for ladies who love dramatic brows but want to leave the liner in their makeup bag.  results typically last 1-2 YEARs, but can vary based on your body’s individual healing process, skin type, and skin regimen.  thinking about giving it a try?  watch the video, read the blog, and share your thoughts in the comments :)

NOTE: do NOT try this at home. there is no online guide or at-home tattoo machine that can deliver safe, clean, and effective results. ALWAYS contact a professional.

veronica has already had her eyebrows tattooed before, so technically this is just a touch-up.  if this were her first time, we’d need to draw out guidelines to ensure that our work ends up symmetrical.  this time, we’ll just be retouching the color so all we need to do is go over her brow.

here’s a quick recap of everything we need for the process:

• tattoo machine
• 5 round needle
• sanitary gloves
• topical anesthetic (for ‘freezing’)
• tattoo ink
• swabs for wiping
• antibacterial ointment

prepping the BROWS

as you may have guessed, the process starts with sanitation.  in addition to making sure the brows are clean before your client lays on the table, you’ll want to apply a topical anesthetic to reduce pain, burning, and itching throughout the process.

we use alera skincare.

make sure to put on gloves BEFORE you apply the topical agent.  this will ensure that your workstation stays sanitary.  toss them afterward and grab a new pair before you pick up your tattoo machine.

(in the video, we applied the topical anesthetic with gloves before filming).

MIXING the COLOR

to attain the perfect brow color for veronica, we’re MIXING 3 different colors from biotouch.

• ⅓ gray
• ⅔ as chocolate brown
• +2 drops of olive

we’ve found that biotouch browns tend to have a lot of red pigment behind them, so to neutralize that we added a few drops of olive. (HINT: remember the law of color blog? same concept.)

TATTOOING the BROWS

we’ve chosen a 5 round needle for this job. all we have to do is go over her brow.  we’re going to be focussing on SHADING.  the tattoo pen is set to a medium speed.

we’re going to create lines that are about half a centimeter long. you want to make sure that you’re overlapping the lines and going back and forth a few times.  then we’ll move the needle over about half a millimeter and repeat the process, making sure to overlap just a little.  this will ensure that she doesn’t have any gaps once her eyebrows heal.

remember: you shouldn’t be afraid to touch your client's face and move their head around during the process. you need to make sure that you have a firm grip on what you’re doing and can see the skin as clearly as possible.

will ensure that you can deposit even color as well as see exactly where you’re putting the needle.  as you tattoo the client, you want to make sure that you’re moving slowly in order to ensure the color deposits entirely.  (you’ll probably feel like you’re moving too slow- but trust us! you aren’t.)

PROTIP: remember to hold the tattoo pen in a perpendicular angle. (90 degrees). your needle should only be protruding about a millimeter so that it doesn’t penetrate the client’s skin too deep.

if your client feels any pain, you want to stop and take the time to freeze them. at the end of the day, you want to make sure that what your client has a good experience.  if it’s incredibly painful, that’s what they’re going to tell their friends about the experience.

repeat the process on both brows.  

OUTLINING the BROWS

after we were done shading, veronica’s eyebrows looked like this:

as you can see, they are very symmetrical.  the next step is to outline each brow to make sure they’re nice and crisp.  finally, we’re going to soften the brows.  as you can see, they look very defined and we want them to have a nice natural look.

if you need to check the opacity, use your fingers to pinch the skin and stretch the area to make sure that your color is depositing evenly.

before we begin, we’re going to put another layer of freezing anesthetic.  at this point, we’ve been tattooing for about 2 hours.

in order to see where we need to create the lines, you want to pinch the brows between your fingers. 

outline right along the edge and remember to move slowly. as you move across the brow, be careful as you approach the tail.  move outwards so that your stroke finishes naturally.

PROTIP: if the person you’re working on is bleeding too much, you may be scratching their skin or the needle is protruding too far from the tip.  take the time to get a new needle and slow down.

SOFTENING the brows

now we’re going to make sure that her brows look nice and natural.  to do so, we’ll be employing a technique we call DOTTING. as you may have guessed, this achieved by adding little dots to the outline to help break up the solid line.  make sure to wipe consistently, because you don’t want to end up with a solid line all over again.

another technique you can use is to draw a couple of hair strokes towards the front of the brows.  it really depends on how your client likes to wear their eyebrows.

and now for the final RESULT:

before we let her get off the operating table, we’re going to add a drop of aloe to alleviate the swelling.  now we’re going to put on a little antibacterial ointment. make sure you send your client to the store to buy an organic chapstick to moisturize the brows. like any other tattoo, they will scab and itch during the healing process but you DO NOT want to touch them during the healing process.

as you can see, they look a little dark and blocky but that's simply because of the new ink. we like to call it the sharpie brow phase.  over the course of the healing process, about 30% of the color will be lost and they’ll look PERFECT.

curious about the healing process? here's a quick breakdown:

1. DAY 1: right after you complete the brows, you’ll have the antibiotic on and your eyebrows will be very shiny.  you’ll apply another coat later that evening and move onto an organic chapstick.
2. DAY 2: at this point, they have completely scabbed over and will begin looking less and less like sharpie brows.
3. DAY 3: the scab has begun to heal and as the swelling begins to lesson, the brows will ‘shrink’ a little.
4. DAY 4: they’re starting to crack and lift a bit.  resist the urge to touch them!
5. DAY 5: the peeling and cracking is beginning to progress and we can see the lighter color peeking through.
6. DAY 6: by this point, the brows are really starting to crack and skin is beginning to peal off. this is arguably the most uncomfortable day, but it signifies the end is near!
7. DAY 7: for the most part, the scabbing is all the way peeled off. in about a day, the remaining scab will fall off and you’ll be ready to rock your brows.
8. DAY 8: the process is complete! check it out

 if you want to wake up with your makeup, this is the PERFECT solution.  for a week of discomfort, you can wake up with your brows on fleek for nearly two years :)

what do you do when you have roots and no desire to upkeep your color?  you get an OMBRE of course ;)  today we’re going to show you an awesome technique for clients who love blonde hair (and other hard to upkeep colors) but can’t quite commit to the ROOT TOUCH-UP every 3-6 weeks.  

watch the video, read the blog, and tell us your ideas for turning ROOTS to BEAUTIFUL OMBRE HAIR in the comments.

jess has BLONDE HAIR and as you can see, her roots are starting to come in.  

we’re going to turn this into a DARK OMBRE that’s super low maintenance and absolutely gorgeous.

we’re going to use a 5n j beverly hills +10 vol and BLEND it out for the PERFECT OMBRE.  

when it comes to your hair and color selection, the same rules we’re about to go through apply.

first, you want to APPLY your color to the roots across the entire head.  stay neat and tidy to make sure that you don’t stain any hair you’re not trying to color.  

second, apply your color to blend out the NEW GROWTH.

now you’re ready to move on to the BLENDING PROCESS.  we want to make sure that we BLEND the dark with the light so her hair looks like an intentional ombre and not just grown out roots. her hair is very blonde and we are coloring 4 shades darker. we do not want it to look muddy or hollow. for this, you want to mix 5n j beverly hills + 1 chip size of 6.3 +10 vol and FEATHER the color in. the chip of gold color will act as a fill color so the brown looks rich and pigmented. to feather the color, hold your brush vertically and paint the dark into the light gently with a soft hand.

with each section we paint, we’re going to stagger the amount of dark we paint to create a NATURAL and DIFFUSED line.

once we’re finished, we’re going to let the color process for 15 minutes and then wash her out.

the final product is a BEAUTIFUL BLONDE OMBRE that requires very little maintenance.

so whether you have clients that love blonde hair but can’t quite commit, try this technique to meet their needs. depending on their preferences, they can go a full 4-6 months before their next visit.

want a COMPLETE CHEAT SHEET? click here and we’ll send it straight to your email :)

in this week’s blog, we’re connecting our dear friend amy with GORGEOUS LONG LOCKS with TAPE IN EXTENSIONS. we’re trying out a new product for extensions. they’re european virgin remi hair, so they feel absolutely amazing! in fact, they’re coming soon to our nvenn line :)  

back to the extensions.  as you can see, amy has shoulder length hair.  she wants long locks that look NATURAL and SHINY.  to do that: we’re refreshing her hair color, putting in the extensions, and cutting her extensions and natural hair to work with one another.

in addition to using the extensions to lengthen her hair, we’re also going to make sure she’s styled before we let her leave the chair.  watch the video, read the blog, and tell us what you think in the comments! <3

COLORING the ROOTS and STYLING the HAIR

to cover amy’s roots, we’re using ¾  7jc + ¼ 7n from j beverly hills with a 20 vol.  

we're mixing two colors because want to account for the heat from the scalp. the natural heat from the scalp will boost the color at the roots to create a warmer color than what was previously expected. To account for this, we add 7n (neutral) to balance out the root color making it a true 7gc (gold-copper).

we let the color develop for a full 25 minutes before washing her hair out.  

before we move on to the extensions, we’re going to prep the hair with nvenn’s REPLENISH.  this awesome rejuvenating oil helps protect the hair from damage and MOISTURIZE the follicles.  

simply warm it between your fingers before applying throughout your hair.  pay special attention to the ends of your hair! that’s where you’ll need the most love.

after we’ve applied REPLENISH, we move on to a NEW PRODUCT: VOLUME. this weightless activator will give you all the body you need for big curls or beach waves.  simply apply evenly throughout your hair before styling.

putting in the EXTENSIONS

start at the bottom of the hair and leave about an inch to inch and a half around the entire perimeter of the head.  if you don’t, the client won’t be able to tie their hair back without seeing the extension tabs!  with a perimeter around the head, you’ll still be able to tie the hair back and hide the tabs so no one can see them.

personally, we like to put the extensions in a v pattern. we’ve found that this gives the most NATURAL FLOW to the hair.

back to the EXTENSIONS: we’re going to use two tabs of extensions on the bottom. when you’re sectioning for your extensions, you’re going to want to make sure that you take a thin enough section on the hair that the extensions will tape evenly around them.  on the other hand, you don’t want the section to be so thin that the hair pulls the extension.

the BOTTOM of the HEAD

use the photo above for an example of the amount of hair you should section.  once you’ve got your confident in your section width. take the first extension and apply it underneath the section as close to the root as possible.  press down lightly afterwards.  then take the second extension and apply it directly on top of the first hair extension making a sandwich.

the CENTER of the HEAD

after you finish the first layer, time to move up.  section off about an inch and half and continue the v pattern.

with the thicker section, you’ll be able to incorporate more variation between your extensions evenly across the head.  it needs to be even from left to right to ensure that her hair sits naturally.

from there, we’re going to work around the section line and put the extensions right next to each other.

when you get to the front of her hair, you’ve got important decisions to make.  you don’t want to take the extensions to close to the front of the head or they will be visible when the hair is pulled back. you can leave this out for now and figure it out once all the other pieces are put in. you might decide to incorporate half tabs in the front to finish the look and add some more hair around the front.

the TOP of the HEAD

the top of the head is going to be different for every client.  you’ll need to variate your strategy based on their head shape and how they wear their hair. for amy, we’re going to do a smaller section in the center back before doing one larger section on top of that across the top of her head

for this smaller section, we’re repeating the previous step with her head shape in mind. this fills in and blends the back of the head where she has more short layering. take a look:

as we approach the very top of the head, we do the last larger section. we want to be careful to not extend the widest part (parietal bone) on her head, so that the tabs are easily hidden and not visible. this will also be applied using the v section.

we start about an inch and a quarter away from the front of the head and work towards the center of the back.  then, we’ll start from the opposite side of the head and work our way in again.  after we’ve completed that.

now it’s time to go over your work and fill in any gaps.  we can in amy’s case, we need to fill out the front as well as some of the gaps in the back.

BLENDING the EXTENSIONS

the last step is actually cutting the hair to ensure that your extensions look like a natural head of hair. this is one of the most important parts of extensions. what we’re doing with amy’s hair is blending her hair in with the length by layering and texturizing her hair and the extensions.

cutting the extensions properly will create a seamless look between the natural hair and the extensions. it is also important to texturize every layer of her natural hair so that it sits nicely with the extensions.

and now, the FINAL RESULT:

SILVER HAIR is the trend everyone has an urge to try.  and who could blame them?  it’s ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.  however, it’s important to note that it’s not the easiest color to attain while keeping the hair healthy.

to get the gorgeous SILVER HAIR you’re used to admiring on pinterest, you need to remove all of the blonde, yellow, or orange pigments in the hair.  generally you want the hair to be white before applying the silver color to make sure the color shows through.  but we’re going to show you a NINJA way to get SILVER HAIR if the hair does not bleach all the way to white.

watch the video, read the blog, and tell us what you think in the comments!

we’re starting from a yellow toned blonde with lighter ends. the grey and silver tones will not be able to break the yellow tones, so we need to address those first. if we don’t get them light enough, the color will appear brassy.  

so the process begins with STEP 1: LIGHTENING the HAIR

we’re going to apply lightener directly to the golden tones of the hair, taking note to feather the color into the dark so that you don’t have any harsh lines.  be GENTLE and remember to flip your brush VERTICALLY while feathering the lightener in.

STEP 2: applying the HEAT

once the lightener is applied, we’re going to let is process for a FULL HOUR.  we’re going to sit the LIGHTENER under low and gentle heat to help boost the pigment out. NOTE: this will vary depending on the condition of the hair. it can ONLY sit under heat if it is healthy and strong enough to otherwise the heat will create too much damage.

we’re achieving this LOW and GENTLE HEAT by leaving the heater open to diffuse the heat. by doing this, we help prevent any additional damage from overheating the hair.

STEP 3: washing out and TONING the HAIR

before we apply the SILVER color, we need to make sure we TONE the hair FIRST.  if we don’t, the color will not shine through the hair.

to get the rest of those orange and yellow tones out, we’re using:

once we’ve got the TONER in the hair, we’re going to let that develop for a full 20 minutes before washing it out.

as you can see, we’re still around a level 8 after washing the toner out.  now we’re ready to use our NINJA TACTICS to achieve the SILVER HAIR we’re dreaming of.

STEP 4: applying the SILVER COLOR

to achieve SILVER HAIR with strong pigment, we’re going to mix 2 different formulas.  for the golden area of the hair (the mid-shaft) we’re using:

on the ends of the hair we’re going to put:

we CAREFULLY applied the the mixtures, let them process, and washed the hair out.  the result was BEAUTIFUL SILVER HAIR without the damage of over bleaching the hair to white first.

would you try this #NINJA technique to get silver hair? let us know in the comments! :)

this week, we’ve got another case of box dye but we’re not threatened.  we’re taking our dear friend erin from auburn red hair to a PLATINUM BLONDE with gorgeous shine.  

LIGHTENING the hair from red

as always, the process begins by sectioning the hair into 4 even quadrants.  in this case, we’re making sure each side mirrors the other because our client likes to flip her part around. in order to attain the PLATINUM BLONDE we’re going for, we’re leaving the tiniest bit of root to ensure that she doesn’t have to bleach her hair often.

erin has a TON of hair, so we’re also going to want to be extremely CAREFUL when lightening her hair.  the sections we take into our foils need to be thin enough to saturate all of the hair evenly.

first, we backcomb the hair and begin applying lightener to her ENDS and working up to the ROOTS.  as we approach the roots, we turn the brush to a 45 degree angle and begin melting the line backwards leaving about an inch of dark root.

remember, in order to create a NATURAL looking color you need to stagger the space you leave as the dark roots and the lightener with each foil.

as we reach the top of the section, we’re going to break up the harsh lines with a BABY WEAVE technique.  

once you approach the last section towards the top of the head, you’re going to want to take the lightener to root while still feathering as you paint. repeat the process for the remaining 3 sections and you’ve got a FULL head of foils:

we let her hair process for a full 20 minutes and headed to the sink before TONING her hair.

TONING the hair to PLATINUM

as you can see, erin’s hair has a lot of leftover BRASSY tones that we need to take care of.  this is where TONER comes in.  we apply our formula to her entire head and allow it to process for a full 20 minutes.  then it’s time to wash and style.

to revitalize erin’s hair after the LIGHTENER, we’re going to use nvenn’s REPLENISH restoration oil.  then we’re going to follow it up with nvenn’s PROTECT head shield to avoid heat damage for the blow dryer.

last but not least, we’re adding VOLUMIZER before blow drying her hair and adding a slight curl.

the end result?  beautiful PLATINUM BLONDE hair without a hint of the red there used to be :)

this week, we’re focussing on a fan favorite: the BALAYAGE.

a BALAYAGE is “a technique for highlighting the hair in which the dye is painted on in such a way as to create a graduated, natural-looking effect.”

here's where we're starting from:

our model has very dark hair, so we’re going to employ a few different techniques to the GLOWING DARK BLONDE BALAYAGE we want.

the first step is LIGHTENING the HAIR.  to do so, we’re going to use j beverly hills max lightener + 20 vol + continiuum part 1. this is where FOIL PATTERNS come in. starting at the back, we worked from the bottom to the top of the head.  

separate small section of the hair and remember, a BALAYAGE requires a very diffused line.  to attain that line, we’re going to do a WEAVE.  with the WEAVED HAIR in your hand, you’re going to BACKCOMB the hair.

BACKCOMBING helps to break up the line of dye, ensuring that the color is NATURAL looking.  remember to STAGGER how far your lightener travels up the hair.

on the top of the head, we’re going to add BABYLIGHTS to the back combing section to attain a further diffused effect that we want.  this process starts with a VERY THIN WEAVE over top of the backcombed weave section. feather the LIGHTENER up into the dark hair. for that we’re using: schwarzkopf blondeme premium lift 9 + 20 vol + continiuum part 1

TAKE your TIME with this,  this is where the majority of the BALAYAGE effects are attained.

at this point, the hair has been developing for about an hour.  to protect the hair from damage, we’re going to wash out the bottom foils that have been developing the longest FIRST before moving on to the rest of the head.

now we’re just waiting for the FRONT SECTIONS to lighten.  after it’s processed entirely, we’ll wash it out and head to everyone’s favorite step: TONING the HAIR.

now it’s time to TONE the HAIR.  for this, we’re using j beverly hills ½ 7.22 + ¼ j beverly hills 5.1 + ¼ j beverly hills 7.1 + 20 vol.   we allow that to process for about 20 minutes, before washing it out and styling the hair.

time for the BIG REVEAL:

let us know what you think in the comments! <3

despite how much your stylist will lecture you, she’ll still help when you’ve used BOX DYE.  in this week’s video & blog, we’re doing just that.  when our lovely friend tenaya came into the salon, she had badly damaged hair that was sitting at around a level 6.  she wanted to go from BOX DYE black to BLONDE.

this COLOR CORRECTION is a difficult one, due to the fact that her hair is so badly damaged and she wants to keep ALL of her LENGTH. to do so, we’re going to use various TECHNIQUES and FORMULAS.

what we’re going to start with is COLOR REMOVER.  

using COLOR REMOVER to get rid of old pigment

we mentioned that tenaya’s hair had been BOX DYED above.  we need to address the color left behind by that dye before really diving into the hair.

so we’re going to use pravana artificial color extractor. this will strip the remaining pigment from the previous dye jobs out by shrinking the color molecule and allowing them to be washed out.  

FIRST, we used the clarifying shampoo from the pravana artificial color extractor on her hair.  SECOND, we paint the COLOR EXTRACTOR on the hair from root to end.  AFTER we applied the COLOR EXTRACTOR, we let her sit under heat for 20 minutes before washing it out.

after another thorough round of the clarifying shampoo in, the hair is ready to go. NOTE: really make sure that ABSOLUTELY ALL the pravana and old color molecules are stripped from the hair. coloring after this can cause the old color molecules to reoxidize, so it is a MUST that they are completely gone

after we rough dried the hair, we used the j beverly hills protein spray to give it a little love.  you’ll notice that her hair is still very dark and that’s because the pravana artificial color extractor only removes dyes,  not the natural color of the hair.   

LIGHTENING the HAIR

for the first process of lightener, in order to keep the lightening process for each section the same (and save a few hours of foils), we’re going to apply the lightener to the ENTIRE head.  to preserve her hair, we’ve decided on a BLONDE OMBRE with a darker root color.  

we started by organizing the hair into 4 even sections and starting in the back.  we’re using very thin section to ensure that the hair is saturated.

to LIGHTEN her hair, we’re using schwarzkopf blondeme premium lift 9 + 20 vol + continiuum part 1

to create NATURAL lines, we’re using a FEATHERING technique to apply the lightener and avoid HARSH LINES.  we’ll even paint more on to the sides of the section, rather than the center for a DIFFUSED line. with each alternating section, we’re staggering the length we travel up the head to ensure we’ve got a NATURAL LOOK.

then we let her sit for about an hour before taking a look at the foils:

after we’ve washed the first process of LIGHTENER out, we head back to the chair to do the 2ND process of lightener.  in this case, we’re doing BLONDE OMBRE foils.  when we get to the top of the head, we’re going to use BABYLIGHTS + BACKCOMBING to create seamless color.

using BABYLIGHTS for a SEAMLESS transition

now that we’ve reached the lightest the hair will go in this sitting, we’re ready to incorporate BABYLIGHTS.  again, we’re suing schwarzkopf blondeme premium lift 9 + 20 vol + continiuum part 1 to accomplish this.

BABYLIGHTS are created by taking a natural slice of the hair and create a baby fine weave throughout the hair before clipping it aside.  

we’re going to backcomb the remainder of the section and apply the lightener.

after the lightener gas processed entirely, we’re going to wash it out and move on to TONER.

TONING the HAIR and COMPLETING the COLOR CORRECTION

now we’re ready to TONE the HAIR.  on the top section , we’re mixing ½ schwarzkopf igora royal 8.11 + ½  j beverly hills 8.22 + 2t .

for the BOTTOM of the hair, we’re using ½ matrix color sync 8p + ½ matrix color sync 10p + 2t

we painted the toner throughout the hair, taking note to respect the individual sections and coat every strand of hair.  as the TONER processes, it begins to cancel out the yellow and brassy tones that were exposed from the lightener.  we let this process for a full 20 minutes.

WASHING & TREATING the HAIR

now it’s time to WASH the toner out.  we used nvenn’s WASH, our low-sudsing COLOR SAVE SHAMPOO.  this coconut cleanser is designed to meet the needs of BLONDE HAIR.  it’s gentle, moisturizing, and maintains the COLOR CORRECTION well.

with the TONER WASHED OUT, it’s time to use continiuum part 2.  this treatment will sit on for 15 minutes and help to repair the hair after the treatment it’s undergone today.

STYLING the HAIR

we’ve come a long way after about 8 HOURS of work.  now we just have to STYLE THE HAIR.  

FIRST, we’re using nvenn’s REPLENISH OIL.  

this awesome nourishment oil will help maintain the health of the hair and replenish what has been taken away by processing the hair.  tons of SHINE & COLOR POP. simply rub it through your fingers to warm it and apply it evenly throughout the hair (focussing on the ends).

after we used our REPLENISH OIL, we prepare her hair for heat with PROTECT.  

PROTECT is nvenn’s awesome heat protectant.  you apply this evenly to the hair between each layer of heat to create a BARRIER between the HEAT and YOUR HAIR.  

EX: before the BLOW DRY and before the FLAT IRON.

the FINAL REVEAL

the work well was worth it!  her beautiful BLONDE HAIR looks and feels healthier than before, and she’s thrilled with her color.  

this week, we did our video on HOW to do a FADE HAIRCUT.  which got us thinking: the FADE has been a staple point haircut since the 50’s, but, if you haven’t noticed, it’s never really left, it just evolved.  

need a REFRESHER on what a FADE is?

watch our quick video:

through the years, the standard military haircut and 20s show stopper turned into many different styles of FADE haircut.  now, the FADE is more of a style guide than a single cut. let’s take a look at the different types of fades and how they evolved (and find your new style along the way).

the types of FADES

the general fade, as we stated, started as a standard issue military, but it changed throughout the years.  the major difference in the FADE falls on the side taper and what’s on top.

TAPERS for the head

the TAPER describes the area that is shaved on the fade and where it ends.  the 4 main TYPES of TAPER are:

1. LOW: ending around the ear

2. MEDIUM: ending half way up the head

3. TEMP: ending very high on the head

3. BALD: leaving the top of the head as the beginning and end of the fade

in fact, there’s another type of FADE called the DROP, which removes the separation line between the taper and the top of the head.

but if that isn’t enough for you, this SIMPLE CUT can be kicked up a notch with CUSTOM STYLES.  from simple lines to intricate designs, the fade has become a work of art of the head for many.

image source: therighthairstyles

STYLES for the TOP of the head

the top of the fade has seen many styles through the years, and most of them are a bit longer than the original military haircut.  the FADE tends to find itself more customized like the tapers on the fade with designs and cut outs.

image source: stylemann

and who could forget the FLAT TOP FADE?

image source: therighthairstyles

all in all, the FADE HAIRCUT isn’t going out of style anytime soon.  we expect to see thousands of more variations for 1 simple reason: EVERY man looks good with a FADE :)

are you considering a FADE?  tell us which you’re choosing in the comments :)