It’s all about customized color that works with the cut. At the David Salon in Costa Mesa, California, Nicole Ankenman uses placement to draw attention to focal points. She bases her shade selection on what complements skin tones. Here, the top is broken up with a chevron of silvery beige, which contrasts nicely with the model’s new soft, matte brunette base and livens up her olive skin tone. Placement also enhances her natural curl.

Ankenman’s tips for perfect shade selection and color placement:

1. Make sure lighter pieces are evident on thick, curly hair. Take fine back-to-back slices. If you try to lift larger sections, you’ll get uneven color and an orange unprocessed root with hair that is lighter on the ends.

2. Consider future changes. On this model, the color can be toned to soften the contrast or completely covered if the client wants a change. It also grows out without looking obvious. “This color is non-committal—you can’t see the root of the color placement because of how the hair is cut and styled,” adds Ankenman.

3. Make your color transitional, so it looks different based on how the hair is styled. Here, the model can hide some color splashes by wearing her hair curlier, or showcase them by shifting the part or blow drying her hair straight.

4. Coloring the hairline can be tricky when naturally coily hair is cut super short. Use a color-blocking cream at the hairline and push it slightly into the hair to avoid creating a hard color line or getting color on the skin.

5. To platinumize a shade, lighten to the light-yellow stage, then tone with beige. This creates the customized, contrasting color that dark-haired clients want.

CREDITS:

Hair: Nicole Ankenman

Makeup: Lee Yim

Photography: Taggart Winterhalter for Purely Visual