Justin Toves-Vincilione (@ahappyjustin) of Salon at ULTA Beauty - Midtown Crossing, Los Angeles, says this client came as a happy surprise and opportunity. Toves-Vincilione recently transferred to LA with ULTA Beauty, leaving behind a five-year clientele. “As I am building at my new location, I am finding myself really utilizing my consultation training I had at the ULTA Academy,” the MODERN Artist Connective member says.

This guest initially came in wanting a consultation as she was interested in pastel hair, but unsure of exactly what she wanted. “Before I even sat her down in my chair to chat, she had already found a photo of my work that she liked from my Instagram page. This made it very easy to start a conversation. I thanked myself for always putting my work out there as a reference for my clients to understand what type of work I produce.”

During the consultation, Toves-Vincilione learned that the guest was concerned with 2 things: longevity and fade-out color. “These concerns stemmed from a bad experience she had previously had at another salon, so I wanted to make sure I made her feel confident in coming to me for such a big change.” Based on the porosity of the hair, Toves-Vincilione gave her a realistic fade-out timeline and discussed what refresh appointments would look like in the future. “After we went over which services would work best together to get her the look she wanted, how long it would take and what the investment would be, I booked her appointment for the following week. Guests in the salon that have had a bad experience prior to visiting you really do require extra love and care and I believe that it all starts with a genuine consultation.”

STEP 1: Full Highlight on new growth feathering past demarcation line only when necessary, using RedkenFlash Lift Bonder Inside with 20 volume, increasing developer volume accordingly. Process until the hair is light but not quite pale yellow (approximately 40 minutes on level 2 hair). (PRO NOTE: The yellow undertone will contribute to the formula you apply later, and for rose gold, yellow is always a good undertone to start with. This keeps the formula from pulling hot pink.)

STEP 2: Rinse and tone using Redken Shades EQ .5oz 09G + 1oz 09V + 1oz Crystal Clear for 20 minutes. (PRO NOTE: This will even out the base that will become the canvas for global direct dye application. Pre-Toning with too much violet or no clear will remove too much of the undertone. The goal is to just simple even it out.)

STEP 3: Shampoo with Redken All Soft and condition lightly, usually just enough to detangle. (PRO NOTE: We don't want to over condition because we will be using a high conditioning color in the next step. Sometimes too much conditioner during this step can prevent the color from penetrating fully.)

STEP 4:  Blow dry hair 100% and apply the desired formula, saturating completely and processing for up to 30 minutes. Formula used: MatrixSoColorCult - Equal Parts Sparkling Rose Semi & Starfish Coral Semi  (PRO NOTE: Mixing Matrix SoColorCult Bubblegum Pink with a little bit of Orange Alert is a great alternative formula that provides similar, slightly more vibrant, results.)