Dolly Simons, owner of Papillons in Southern California, has made a lifelong study of the chemistry and physiology of hair, and again and again she has seen how repeated coloring resulted in flat, lifeless, non-dimensional hair. She recognized that when color is pulled through repeatedly over the entire head, the hair color begins to look solid.
Working on her own clients, Simons began layering color in pieces of hair rather than pulling it through the entire strand. Then, one day she decided to add different colors as she layered the sections.
She quickly discovered that the technique created multi-dimensional, shiny, natural-looking color that did not fade as quickly.
“Each time you do the color, different pieces are selected so different pieces are left out each time,” says Simons. “The color doesn’t oxidize as freely.”
Here, Papillons staffer Ana Mirfasi, who has worked with Simons for 10 years, demonstrates the technique. Vanessa’s hair has a two-inch dark ash blonde line of demarcation, over-processed ends and no dimension.
Using “Layered Color,” Mirfasi adds definition and color around the face to brighten and accent Vanessa’s eyes and skin tone.
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