Annie Rush, an artist at the Eva Scrivo Salon, puts the finishing touches on an Arctic Blonde created by Meri Kate O'Connor.

Eva Scrivo, owner of the Eva Scrivo Salons (NYC), is considered by many consumer beauty editors and color insiders: “The Queen Of Balayage”. Both Scrivo and staff have balayage and icy blondes perfected. MODERN caught up with her recently to get the scoop on HOW to keep unwanted gold out of platinum shades, which Scrivo shares is one of the most frequent concerns raised at the Eva Scrivo Academy.

Here Scrivo offers five key tips to GET THE GOLD OUT:

  1. EXPERIMENT: “Experiment with different bleaches,” says Scrivo. “We use 4 or 5 different bleaches in our salons. When possible do a test strand. Different bleaches react differently on each head.” Scrivo prefers paste but has tried and still uses all types of bleach.
  2. HEAT: Use heat as a last resort. “This can be quite damaging.”
  3. PROCESSING TIME: Increase processing time if the gold won’t budge. “This is a safer alternative.”
  4. WARMTH: Make sure the client is in a warm area of the salon, away from drafts or vents. “If the client is sitting under an air conditioning vent, the hair may process or lift unevenly.”
  5. TONERS: According to Scrivo, colorists should not rely on toners. “I rarely use toners,” says Scrivo. “Toners can muddy the color. Try to get to the desired shade with bleach. It’s worth the extra effort.”

An Arctic Blonde color design by Eva Scrivo artist Alissa Frum

For more information about the academy and classes on balayage (next one is “The Art of Balayage - Arctic Blonde” to be held Jan. 19, 2015), go to www.evascrivo.com

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