I’m Celebrating Color 365 Days with Matrix, and I’ve been inspired by so many new color techniques that have hit the scene this year – Chalking, Tie Dye, Dip Dye and POC. These trends aren’t necessarily beautiful, but they’re new, interesting, exciting and very inspiring. Back in the '80s, Madonna and others made dramatic fashion statements that others copied, but today style makers like Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Kelly Osborne and even Lauren Conrad with her dip dyed ends, change looks so often, they don’t want us to necessarily copy their look, they want to inspire us to think beyond the mainstream of fashion and beauty.

Trends start on the street and are refined in salons. Now more than ever, we colorists are servicing guest inspired by style makers. They are coming into the salon to have their ends lightened so they can add pops of color, chalk and dip dye their ends. This is new for us and many question whether or not it’s professional to start a service in the salon that the guest finishes. I always say, if something makes you feel uncomfortable or makes you question if you should do it or not, it’s probably because it’s pushing you out of your comfort zone to try something new. So the answer is: do it – always! (ok almost always).

These style makers are inspiring our guests, so we must be inspired too! We need to get a handle on how to achieve these looks so we can offer them as services in the salon and as techniques for shows and classes. So, in the next couple month, tune in to my YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/patrickmcivor for step by steps on how to create some of the new color trends like Chalking, POC, Dip Dye and Tie Dye.