At the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, Wella Professionals offered editors a sneak peek of a new permanent hair color, ILLUMINA.

Created to complement Wella’s current hair color offerings, ILLUMINA’s range of 20 shades was five years in the making, has been tested by thousands of stylists worldwide, may be used with any developer, and introduces MICROLIGHT technology, whereby “micro-particles encapsulate the metals left on hair to protect the cuticle and maintain clarity.”

Fabio Sementilli, Creative Director of Wella Professional, said, “ILLUMINA is about clear color, clear shine and clear vibrancy. Women who say they’re afraid to color their hair because they worry about damage will see shining hair that is in great condition. The effects are the same on virgin as they are on previously colored hair.”

Dean Roybal, Head Colorist at Planet Salon in Los Angeles, transformed three models with ILLUMINA, resulting in a “baby” blond with dimension, a rich, glossy brunette, and a light copper with a touch of violet.

“I wanted to showcase some real hair, letting ILLUMINA shine through,” said Roybal. “It’s 20 shades but you can do anything; you get multi-tones, highs and lows, plus grey coverage. It brings the creativity back to coloring hair.”

Appropriate for the Hollywood setting of the launch event, ILLUMINA’s signature luminosity was inspired by virtual animations companies. Maria Castan, Scientific Communications for Wella Professionals explains, “Virtual animation companies have created the most complex software technologies that are able to reproduce, perfect and improve the beauty of ‘reality.’ Similarly, we have brought luminosity in colored hair to the next level of naturalness, perfection and beauty.”

Beginning in January, 2013, ILLUMINA will be available at salons nationwide.

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