FORMULA: Silver To Lavender Sombre

Liz Robson, a hair stylist at Salon Blonde, Davis, California, shared this beautiful color melt with MODERN. "This was the second time we did a lavender color on this sweet client, Ana," she says. "The first time she went a little more subtle with more of an balayage/ombré look. She loved the lavender so much (and because those pastel colors fade so quickly-not much of a commitment) she decided to do more of an all over lavender look with slices/pops of a darker light purple the next time around. It was so fun!"

Here Robson shares the HOW TO:

Step 1: Apply using a balayage technique using Schwarzkopf's Blonde Me lightener with 7 volume developer. Blend up through her hair almost to the base, keeping some of her natural color mixed through especially at the root for a softer grow out (that way when the lavender fades she'll have a pretty blonde balayage).

Step 2: Process for 15-20 minutes, lifting to a nice true blonde. Shampoo. ("Because we had already previously lightened it for her first lavender ombré it had really nice dimension-some pieces were a bit blonder than others giving it a dimensional lavender look").

Step 3: Three different shades are used for this finish, all applied to dry hair. Lavender: PRAVANA Mystical Mint with a dash of PRAVANA Violet ("You can mix in the Violet to your liking making it a lighter or darker purple. I just love this lavender it's Nicole Richie's 'dusty lavender' formula that PRAVANA advertised.") Apply this formula all over her hair( even through her natural color that wasn't pre-lightened) except for the few slices through the bottom that I kept out for the darker purple.

Step 4: For the darker purple blend equal parts of Joico's Orchid and light purple. Apply to slices through the underneath of the hair so it pops a bit under the lavender.

Step 5: Then apply Color Ions straight lavender on a few randomly selected ends.

Step 6: Process for 25 minutes with a processing cap but not under heat. Shampoo and condition with Schwarzkopf Colorsave shampoo.

Step 7: Condition with CHI Ionic Color Lock treatment and process for 5-10 minutes. ("I like doing this for fashion colors to prolong fading as long as possible.")

TIPS: After lightening, do not tone or condition. I didn't tone because it lifted so nicely and I don't condition in the first process when doing fashion colors- I find the direct pigment colors take better on non conditioned hair.