Cool Cover
Talk about a cool group—Matrix’s new SoColor Cool Series features eight shades designed to provide wearable gray coverage without unwanted warmth. For clients with less than 50 percent gray hair, Matrix recommends Cool shades 5NA, 6NA, 7NA and 8NA to provide the best color, balanced with blue to ensure control of strong warm undertones and dark bases. Clients with 50 percent or more gray hair or those with coarse locks will benefit from the Cools 500 Series, which includes 504NA, 506NA, 508NA and 510NA, and provides extra-high coverage while lessening warm undertones. matrix.com —C.R.
Ultra Violet
Matthew Tyldesley taps into his love for cartoons and film to conceptualize new hairstyles, but his inspiration for the Violet Dream collection came from more down-to-earth elements—plums, blackberries, grapes and raspberries. “Violet is an underrated color that can be delicate, sophisticated and dreamy,” says Tyldesley, a Kentucky-based stylist. To get the look, he created a large, slightly off-center diamond at the top of the head and formed a V-shape above the nape and below the diamond. He next applied Redken Chromatics color and 20-volume Oil in Cream Developer across the nape section and sidepieces. He laid down a single foil against the scalp. From there, he applied Up to 7 Lightener to the ends before using a clean color brush to gently blend hues. He repeated this as he moved toward the center of the head, at the sides, and at the bottom of the diamond toward the front hairline. Finally, he applied Shades EQ Cream 06V Violet and 10-volume Pro-Oxide Cream Developer all over. —D.C.
Fine Palette
Explore a spectrum of shades with the new Paul Mitchell Color Shift Kit featuring Shines XG. Free of ammonia, the kit not only uses 100 percent oxidative technology but also offers 52 specially selected shades—including Clear—to foster variety. Also included in the kit is a technique sheet, designed to make it easy for stylists to introduce guests to the new color service. “Not only are these kits an incredible value with free XG Processing Cream, swatch charts and foils, but with the purchase of any 15 tubes of Shines XG, a stylist will receive Paul Mitchell’s new Color Shift book,” says John Paul Mitchell Systems Regional Coordinator Jamie Anderbery. “This beautiful hardcover book includes new color techniques, styling tips and a peek behind the scenes at the photo shoot with the artistic directors.” paulmitchell.com —E.G.