New York-based Liv Murphy is a colorist at The Creative Collective who prides herself on her vivid work—rightly so, as her unique creations are both beautiful and bold. “What I love most about this industry is the encouragement for people to be able to express and embrace their individuality,” enthuses Murphy. “I love being the bridge to someone feeling and looking like their truest self. This is also what keeps my job interesting—no two clients are ever looking for the exact same thing.”
New York-based Liv Murphy is a colorist at The Creative Collective who prides herself on her vivid work—rightly so, as her unique creations are both beautiful and bold. “What I love most about this industry is the encouragement for people to be able to express and embrace their individuality,” enthuses Murphy. “I love being the bridge to someone feeling and looking like their truest self. This is also what keeps my job interesting—no two clients are ever looking for the exact same thing.”
The Art of the Consultation
Murphy shares her best practices for an effective vivids consultation.
- For Murphy, texts work best. “I find that communicating over text or DM first helps give clients time to gather the proper information that I need from them,” shares Murphy. “Typically I will start by asking for clear, unfiltered pictures of their hair currently (back and sides); then, their hair history over the past three years. I ask my clients to include as much detail as possible about their hair history, such as dates of when services were performed and names or brands of products that were used. Finally, I’ll request a few inspiration photos or ‘wish pictures’ of what they are looking to get done. Pictures rarely lie, so I find that this is the best way to be on the exact same page as clients. After I’ve gathered this information, I always give clients a price quote/estimate to ensure their budget aligns with the quality of work I’m providing for them. Vivids are commonly a pricier service so I like to make sure there are no surprises before my clients book with me!
- For the appointment itself, it’s all about the details. “Once the guests are in my chair, I go into more detail by asking about their lifestyle and making sure they understand the level of maintenance that vivid colors require,” Murphy says. “I recommend all of my clients wash no more than once a week (some even go longer) and rinse their hair with very cold water, and only use professional products. I make sure to stress how important proper home care is and that it is the key to ensuring the hair color’s longevity.”