How-To: Platinum Pink Shadow root to Silver Metallic

Most days behind the chair can be mundane, to say the least.  As hairstylists, we are a creative bunch and the same old request for a trim and blonde highlights doesn't exactly get the creative juices flowing.  But every once in awhile someone sits in your chair and lets you have free reign, and those days my friends, are glorious (picture Unicorns flying over rainbows and glitter raining down from the sky, yes THAT type of glorious!)

In this case, that person that sat in my chair was a long time friend/old assistant/co-suite owner.  She was your usual "blondorexic" client, foils every 5 or so weeks, never any roots (Heaven forbid!) and long-ish fine hair that she NEVER wanted to cut!  I had been pestering her for awhile to let me do an all over WHITE on her hair and cut it into a bob, one day she caved.  She made suggestions of what she would like but left the rest up to me.  The rest is history!

So, this is where we started

This was actually after a few months of doing color melts instead of highlights.  Washed out blonde and lifeless stringy ends (Sorry, Laura)

SO, to get started we lightened, twice using Wella Blonder and 10 and 20vol.  I lifted her to a pale yellow and used Olaplex both times.  

Next, snippety-snip!  Laura got a haircut and 2 rounds of Wella Color Charm T18 toner.  This is my go-to toner for my platinum blondes.  It is a permanent-toner, which means it lifts AND tones.  So that yellow you see there, will magically turn to WHITE!  And once again, Olaplex was used both times!  T18 is on the strong side, so if you have never used it before, you want to make sure that you aren't using it on someone with compromised hair.  T18 + damaged hair = more damaged hair.   

One of Laura's only requests were that we do a soft pink shadow root, so that's what we did!  Using Joico Intensity Light Pink, I applied it to her root and blurred it down a little using clear.  

Fun, huh??!!  It sure was, for about a week (whomp whomp whomp)!  It faded super quick, but that is what we expected.  This just gave us an opportunity to switch gears and try something else and up next was Silver/Violet METALLICS! (yayyyyy, I FINALLY got to try this!) Unless you live under a rock, you know who Guy Tang is and you have seen his work with the Kenra Metallics line. So naturally, I am thinking if I use this line, my work is going to turn out just as flawless as his.  

Who knew I would be right!  F-L-A-W-L-E-S-S!  I used 9VM + Blue and Violet booster at the root and melted it down into 10SM on the ends.  And lets not forget that Olaplex!  

This transformation took about 8-10 total hours (I lost count) and happened over the course of 2 weeks.  It was so much fun and I learned a lot along the way!  My best piece of advice to any stylist trying to achieve any of these colors is that you MUST tone any remaining warmth out of the hair before you start!  That means lift, maybe lift again, tone and then maybe tone again and THEN you can proceed with your desired formula!  Don't be in a hurry and take care of the hair a long the way!   And if your clientele isn't exactly the type to come in and request silver hair, search out a model!  Use social media to post what you are looking for and take a willing participant!  Its up to you whether you charge for product usage, but for me personally, if I am wanting a model to try something on, it will be free of charge.   Let those creative juices flow!

Happy Hair, Friends!