MAD ABOUT HUE
Kim Vo on spring's newest looks in haircolor: They're wet, they're spicy and they're spectacular.
With each change of season, your fashion-forward clients start looking for something new when it comes to their wardrobes, hair and makeup. And why not? A new season like spring represents a new beginning—an opportunity to put a fresh face forward and greet the world with an updated persona. And who's their favorite go-to person to help bring about this change? Why, it's you, of course.
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That's why I've assumed the responsibility of keeping you on the cutting edge of what's hot in Hollywood. For spring 2008 the look that's revolutionizing the heads of Southern California's celebrities and style-setters is wet spices.
Now when I say wet, I'm not talking about the grease-ball look that was so popular on runways for a while. The newest wet look refers to rich, deep and vivid color. Think about how denim looks when it first comes out of the washer—how it's darker and more intense—or about the brilliant gloss of freshly washed hair when it's still dripping wet. That's where we're going this spring.
 Katherine Heigl's hair is the buttery color of vanilla-bean ice cream melting in the sun |
The shades of the season reflect a color palette of exotic spices. Blondes are no longer simply blond. Instead, they're emerging in hues of wet chamomile, pale ginger and crushed sesame. Brunettes are transformed into liquid cardamom, nutmeg and clove. Redheads are saturated in cinnamon, cayenne and chili. There's a definite theme here, and my guess is that you and your clients will want to be a part of it.
 High School Musical's Vanessa Anne Hudgens has tresses that bring to mind the color of dewy allspice. |
When adding dimension to these wet, spicy shades, be sure to keep highlights tonal and subtle, avoiding high contrast that will compete with the richness of the base color. And if you're going for gold, bear in mind that adding gold to a color formula is one of the most common mistakes made by colorists. The result is often a shade I call "blorange," which is just about as hideous as it sounds. Instead of pouring on the color, the key is to remove it by neutralizing the hair's own red and orange pigment. Use a color lift with a blue base to take darker hair down several notches until you get the gold you're going for.
And while you're cooking up these new piquant hues for clients, remember to recommend at-home products like PureOlogy NanoWorks Restorative Hair Treatment, Redken Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner, TIGI Bed Head Dumb Blonde Reconstructor and Wella Color Preserve Seal & Shine Drops, which will protect and keep haircolor looking gorgeous. —E-mail Kim Vo at [email protected].