Nature is a funny thing. For humans, biology saw fit to grant mankind with neutral hair hues—think: brown, blonde and the occasional black or red. But, for animals, insects and plant life, the spectrum widened significantly. Nature seemed to say, “Neutral? Never knew her.” Watch any wildlife documentary out there: Vibrant hues and a never-ending stream of color combinations march across the screen. It begs the question: Why not us, Mother Nature?
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Nature is a funny thing. For humans, biology saw fit to grant mankind with neutral hair hues—think: brown, blonde and the occasional black or red. But, for animals, insects and plant life, the spectrum widened significantly. Nature seemed to say, “Neutral? Never knew her.” Watch any wildlife documentary out there: Vibrant hues and a never-ending stream of color combinations march across the screen. It begs the question: Why not us, Mother Nature?
Creative Freedom
Well, as vivids-centric colorists will tell you, Mother Nature needn’t have a say any longer. The public’s embrace of vibrant dye jobs increasingly puts these artists’ creations on display; just do a little scroll of the old ’Gram and Mother Nature’s peacocks are given a run for their money. While vivids colorists’ reasons for going to the bright side may differ personally, they all agree that the freedom of expression that vivids gives colorists is a thing of beauty. “Whether I’m doing a punch-you-in-the-face unicorn fantasy or a subdued smoky natural palette, my formulations are not bound by natural contributing pigment,” says Olympia, Washington-based colorist Bridget House. “My canvas is clear to me and there are no hidden surprises.” Like Mother Nature, Long Island, New York-based colorist Jess Rowland feels unconfined by color options. “They’re endless. You can mix all different shades to create your own. I never use one color out of the tube; I always mix different colors to get my own custom blend,” she says. Add to that, vivids clients tend to be more flexible and, let’s be honest, more creative themselves. “A lot of the time people come in with just an idea of what they’re wanting and give me the creative freedom to do what I think looks best, and that is so much fun!” enthuses @Guy_Tang #Mydentity educator Josh Boynton of Smyrna, Tennessee. And of course there’s the feeling of designing a visually spectacular piece of art that makes the client exude a look-at-me aura—something that colorist John Nguyen of The Grand at Platinum Triangle, California, counts as high on his vivids list. “What I love most about working with vivid and pastel colors is they make a statement. Colored hair exudes confidence. It’s fierce,” he says.
Back to Reality?
Speaking of which: The pandemic had served as a playground for pigment testing for many clients who suddenly found themselves homebound. Now that people are re-entering “normal life” and the workforce, how do you adjust for reality? “Some people are starting new positions or jobs so I’ll suggest more of an under color so it can be easily hidden if need be, but they can still have their pops of color they love so much!” says Rowland. House recommends incorporating natural colors back into the overall palette. “You can turn down the volume of the color by utilizing natural colors in a block color placement,” she says. But Boynton notes not all is lost. “I’m also having a lot of clients come in that are starting to work remote and are trying out new shades; so I’m getting little bit of both,” he says. And, again, in some career fields bold color has become more accepted—and those fields are widening with each passing year.
Changing Artistry and Mindsets
Hair dye isn’t exactly a blip in mankind’s existence. According to the “Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History” by Victoria Sherrow, hair colorants in some shape or form (think: charred eggs or henna) have been around since ancient civilizations—we’re talking hundreds of years ago. But vivids as we know them now are relatively new in haircolor’s evolution, having only appeared on the punk scene in the ’70s, and only within the past decade garnering renewed formulation attention from brands. With this shift comes a whole new way of thinking for colorists. “I believe the introduction of vivid colors forced us as colorists to think of hair color placements and color combinations in a completely different light,” says House. “When I started my career 29 years ago, we were taught to never use colors opposing one another on the color wheel on the same head of hair. Now, even stylists who have never touched a vivid product have had to challenge their own ‘safe’ color placements and typical color combinations.”
Even beyond the chair, vivids force a cultural conversation. “Vivids shift our mindset into thinking what is and isn’t acceptable, right?” Boynton asks. “In the last few years fashion colors and bright hair have become more allowed in work places and it may be because of how popular they have become over time. It’s becoming way more acceptable to have colorful hair in today’s society.”
Hot Vivids Summer
So, what to pick for vivids this season? Here, the pros weigh in.
PREDICTION: RED
“Redheads! I love red hair; it’s my favorite color. It’s also a color that can be achieved even for dark-hair guests.” —Boynton
PREDICTION: COLOR BLOCK PLACEMENT
“I’m loving the shift to color block placements. Not only does it give a ’90s vibe, but it also opens up the possibility of vivids to a much wider demographic. For those who were always afraid to get a full head of fashion color, block placements can be hidden if the situation calls for it. Block placements also cater to those who were reluctant to make the jump to a global lightening service before.” —House
PREDICTION: BALAYAGE VIVIDS
“I’m hoping balayage vivids will be big. Having the darker natural root makes the vivids pop so beautifully, but it is also an easier transition to fall tones and feels right when the time comes.” —Rowland
PREDICTION: PEACH + ROSE GOLD + YELLOW + PURPLE
“I predict that peach and rose gold will be big hits this upcoming season. These hues are pretty on many different skin tones because they’re such warm colors that make the skin and eyes glow and hair look so healthy. We should also be keeping an eye out for yellow—especially a yellow and purple color combo.” —Nguyen
Smart Scheduling for Vivids
Vivids are a huge undertaking and require that both colorist and client be on the same page when it comes to time, cost, hair history and expectations. Here, our pros give their tips on how to align for ultimate success.
Booking: Always schedule an in-person consultation prior to the actual appointment. This will assist in blocking off time correctly for the service, advises House.
In-person consultation: At the consultation, House says you can perform a strand test to determine accurate hair history. Additionally, “the consult helps me figure out how much hair I’m working with, how long it’ll take, and to see if what the guest wants is actually possible for their hair,” Boynton explains. You can also request that clients bring photos of what they have in mind with them to this appointment. “It’s imperative that you and your client are speaking the same color language,” House says. “A stylist’s version of ‘smoky’ may be perceived as too ‘muted’ or ‘matte’ to a client. Or, a client’s version of neon may be a stylist’s vision of pure tone.” At this appointment, House says you can also charge a nonrefundable deposit to secure the appointment and collect signatures for any release forms you have.
Manage expectations: Take the consultation as your time to lay everything on the line, Rowland says. “Fully explain what needs to be done or even what can be done, how much time will be spent in the chair, and after care,” she stresses. “Not only do stylists need to know how many hours to block off for the session, but also clients need to be aware of what it takes to take care of their vivids once leaving the salon in order to get the best life out of them.” The consultation also allows you to “give the best price quote for the service and answer any questions the clients have before booking,” Boynton says.
Trust your intuition: House believe this last item should be added to the vivids colorist’s toolbox. “If the consult takes longer that 15 minutes and you and your client are still not on the same page, it’s okay to determine that you may not be a good fit for each other,” she says. If the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach is there, she believes trusting your gut—and having a five-minute uncomfortable conversation—is better than a future redo or a charge back due to “unrealistic expectations or the inability to get on the same page with your client,” House reasons.
Exciting Placements
Placement is as important as the shades you choose. Here, artists discuss where they see vivids living beautifully.
“Trompe l’oeil is a new painting technique that I’m loving for hair. It means to create the illusion of a three-dimensional object.” —Nguyen
"I have been loving a head of natural tone with a vivid money piece; it is the ultimate statement!" —Rowland
"Color contouring is a hair coloring technique where you can enhance or downplay facial features though the play of light and shadow. For example, with square and round facial shapes, I will apply fashion color through the fringe and down the lengths along the sides of the head. This draws the eye up and down, giving the illusion of length to the face." —House
Application Tips for Seamless Vivids
Brush up on these tips to ensure vivids perfection every time.
Start with a clean brush. “Even if you use your brushes to mix colors together, start with a fresh brush that has no color on it and be precise with your application,” says Boynton.
Begin application on even porosity. House suggests making sure hair is evenly filled first with a clear lipid-based product like a conditioner. “I’ve found that this eliminates any spots or hollows that would occasionally pop up,” she says.
Keep sections tidy. “Avoiding overlap will help eliminate muddy results,” says Nguyen.
Saturation is key. “Make sure the colors are really rubbed in and blended into each other if using multiple tones. Without proper saturation hollow spots will be super noticeable,” says Rowland.
Try These Formulas!
Want to flex your fashion color muscles? Try our pros’ formulas.
Rule-Breaking Pink by Jess Rowland
Colors used: Pulp Riot Semi Permanent in Cupid and Candy, Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids in Wild Orchid, Lisap Milano USA Lisaplex Xtreme Color in Mad Pink and Huemanity in People’s Pink
Pre-lighten to pale yellow blonde. Create custom neon pink to your liking with colors, then apply and process.
Navy Face Frame by Bridget House
Colors used: Matrix SoCult in Black and Admiral Navy
Brazilian Bond Builder Ionic Color Lock
Section off the face frame. Apply Admiral Navy and gently pin it out of the way. Then, apply Black from scalp to ends on the remaining hair, process for 25 minutes and rinse with cold tap water until the water runs clear. Finish with Brazilian Bond Builder Ionic Color Lock.
Superpowered Beauty by Josh Boynton
Colors used: @Guy_Tang #Mydentity Superpower Shades in Magneta Magic, Purple Raven and Blue Mystique.
Base the Rootagé with Purple Raven and blend it down into three shades alternating in diagonal slices throughout the hair.
Undeniably Cool by John Nguyen
Colors used: Shrine in Pink
K18 Professional Molecular Repair Hair Service, Schwarzkopf Professional BlondMe Bond Enforcing Premium Lightener 9+, 20 vol. developer
Prep hair with K18 Professional Molecular Repair Hair Mist and Mask and then lift to a Level 9 using Schwarzkopf BlondMe Bond Enforcing Premium Lightener 9+ and 20 vol. developer. (Note: This is a must or the desired color will not be achieved.) Apply Pink from roots to ends. Process.
Bright On
A vivids colorist can never have enough tools in their arsenal. Check out these offerings.
Oligo Professionnel From Dusk to Dawn Calura Gloss Collection: Inspired by sun sets and rises and created in collaboration with educator J Ladner, this six shade limited-edition collection features rich hues that nod to both dusk and dawn, like Twilight and Early Bird. @oligopro
Schwarzkopf Professional Off-Black Bonding Color Mask: Color a little too vivid? Add Off-Black to the brand’s existing Chroma ID Bonding Color Masks (excluding Yellow) to mute the tone to your liking. @schwarzkopfusa
Goldwell Elumen Play: Choose from eight bold shades, like hot pink and ocean blue, and four pastels, such as mint, that fade true to tone. Hues can also be “erased” using the brand’s Play Eraser up to 100 percent depending on the hair structure and existing color intensity to allow for color swapping and experimentation. @goldwellus
@Guy_Tang #Mydentity #MyRefresh Color Depositing Conditioners: Keep vivids punched up between visits with these seven sunflower-, meadowfoam- and argan oil-infused color-depositing conditioners, which come in seven of Guy Tang’s top-selling shades, like Blue Mystique, and last up to 25 washes while fading on tone. @guytang_mydentity
Lisap Milano USA Lisaplex Xtreme Color: Eight ammonia-free intense colors can be mixed to customize shades and feature vegetable protein complex to help reinforce the hair structure as the hair processes. @lisapusa_official
