Surprise “purple mermaid hair” was the birthday present one client received from Jen Puebla Alfaro (@ChromaCrowns), a booth renter out of Serenity Salon in Mission Viejo, California

The client had a previous ombre that went from a level 1 blue-black to a level 10 ash blonde – the perfect canvas to create the dramatic, dimensional purple she had always wanted.

HOW-TO:

“I started by placing some foils around her face and crown to bring the blonde higher. Olaplex was my friend in this process for sure! After her foils processed, I rinsed, did the Olaplex #2, washed, and then followed with a very light conditioner. I then dried her hair to do her base touch up with the Schwarzkopf 1-1 and I also mixed up 3 different purple tones (a dark, medium, and light.) After I finished applying her base color, I then continued with the purple. Starting in the back, I took small sections and randomly selected which color to use. I blended 2-3 colors on the same section but made sure to not do the same combination on the section next to it to keep it random. I processed for 30 minutes and rinsed in cold water. I rinsed the ends first then I made sure to lift the ends out of the bowl while I rinsed her base color so as not to get the ends stained by the dark dye. I followed with a quick shampoo just at the roots and then topped it all off with a deep conditioner and my signature scalp massage.”

Base: Schwarzkopf 1-1 + 10 vol

Joico Color Intensity

  • Amethyst Purple – Light Purple
  • Indigo
  • Clear

“I was definitely feeling my Unicorn Tribe vibes with this one,” said Alfaro, in reference to her membership in the artists’ collective of colorists, cutters, barbers, painters, dancers and all sorts of creative types that support each other through combined efforts and education. The Unicorn Tribe, founded by Alix Maya Clymer (@thereal_omgiloveyourhair), is a group coming together to usher in a new way of being in the arts.

“I am a firm believer that everyone should wear unicorn hair at least once in their lifetime,” said Alfaro. “It, personally, makes me feel confident and unique and I constantly remind myself how blessed I am that I can help someone else feel that way too.” 

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.