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MODERN SALON sat down with Samuels to discuss the book, beauty education, mentorship and the habits that help beauty professionals thrive.
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 ...




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.

MODERN SALON sat down with Samuels to discuss the book, beauty education, mentorship and the habits that help beauty professionals thrive.

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