February guest artist Richard Thompson of Mahogany invited his salon Color Director, Vivica Davies, to enhance his powerful cut with imaginative shadings. See the technical for Thompson's Runway Reality hair cut.

Davies' plan: create a star-shaped section along the top, intersecting with the original sectioning for the cut. According to Davies, "This will allow different colors to overlap the sectioned pattern so that the shades blend throughout."  Three shades, a copper blonde, a light golden brown  and a rich chocolate were used throughout for the tone-on-tone design.

Here's the process:

1. Davies sections the hair into a star shape prior to coloring. This mirrors the cut sectioning. 2. She starts the color below the isolated sections, brushing a rich chocolate demipermanent shade from the base areas to the ends. 3. She continues through to the front by brushing the chocolate shades onto circular hairline sections to follow the cut. 4. Moving above the ear, Davies applies a rich, vibrant, copper blonde mixed with 20-volume developer to the base areas of all the triangular sections. 5. She then bumps up the same shade with red and yellow intensifier and 30-volume developer and applies it to the rest of the strand. 6. In the top, she brushes on a low-volume light golden brown from scalp to ends. 7. After Davies covers the shades with foil to protect them, she processes at room temperature for 30 minutes from the last application, then rinses, shampoos and conditions. Click here for more finished looks.

Hair color by Vivica Davies; photography by Roberto Ligresti; model Courtney from IKON; photostyling by Viviana Rodriguez; make-up by David Maderich for Halley Resources and www.mistermakeup.com. Off- shoulder dress and snake belt by HeikeJarick, www.heikejarick.com. Black patent leather top by Izzy Camillieri. Camel dress by Charles Chang-Lima. 

Hair color-For the chocolate shade, Alfaparf Milano's Color Wear, equal parts 6.35 and 6.53 mixed with dedicated developer. For all other color, Alfaparf Milano Evolution of the Color: for the vibrant copper blonde at the base in triangles, equal parts 7.34, 7.43 and 8.34, blended with 20-volume Oxid'o developer; for the intensified copper blonde through strands, equal parts 7.34, 7.43 and 8.34 with the addition of ½-inch ribbon of 6000 (red intensifier) and 1½-inch ribbon of 3000 (yellow intensifier), all mixed with 30-volume developer; for the light golden brown in the top, equal parts 7.32 and 7.13 mixed with 10-volume developer. 

For hair care and styling, Splendore Hydrate shampoo and conditioner; Semi Di Lino Design Gel and Illuminating Finish spray; Seduction Sublime Sorbet smoother, Seduction Delicious glaze and Seduction Pure Veil thermal protector, all by Alfaparf Milano. Fan Out shears; Ergo blow dryer; Alfaparf ceramic flatiron; Voss brush by Mahogany; 7-row brush by Denman; Park comb. Body prepped with Solerra tanning cream; brow shaper by Tweezerman. Nail color by OPI. Lip color by Bed Head.