These days, anything that makes a stylist’s life better is welcome news. Pravana’s launch of their first range of permanent, neutral brown-based shades, ChromaSilk Blended Neutrals, features pre-blended, neutral tones offering up to 100% gray coverage. Available in June, this introduction of seven easy to use, grab-and-go shades means one less thing to think about when stylists return to the salon.

“Everything we do starts with a ‘why’,” explains Pravana Senior Product Development Manager Lissette Cruz. “We go back to our promise, which is to empower the stylist and provide them with products that will enhance their businesses and their lives. We’re not going to present new colors without a purpose, so we look at our portfolio and at the needs in the market to determine what will provide value to the stylist.”

In the development of Blended Neutrals, Cruz and the Pravana team began to look at color conversions, meaning, when a stylist was using one color line and then they converted to Pravana, what was it about Pravana that brought them to the brand? “The number one comment we would get when someone converts to Pravana is they loved that we had a cool blue base in our ChromaSilk Naturals line. And when we took it a step further, we found out that they were also looking for a ‘neutral’ base.”

Which brings us to the important difference between “natural” and “neutral,” a distinction that Cruz says is often overlooked and misunderstood. “Our ChromaSilk Naturals have a slightly cool, blue-tone which counteracts warmth. The Blended Neutrals are made up of balanced portions of your primary colors—blue, yellow and red—for well-balanced color that works on nearly everyone.”

Cruz says these colors can also create some peace of mind. “It’s very hard to make a truly neutral color but these are pre-blended with such a rich base, they’re all you need to get multi-dimensional tone. We don’t want stylists to be stressing about color mixtures or matching color, especially knowing that some of their clients may have done some at-home coloring. Because of the neutral base, you’ve got these beautiful nuances and the color is saturated but not matte.”

The “hero” of the line, Cruz says, will be the Neutral Ash Blonde Level 7. “We know a straight ash will be green and muddy, but this is what you might call ‘born this way’ color. It’s perfect if I’m covering grey on someone who is already light because this level and tone is calibrated—you don’t have to think about it.”

Returning to the salon following COVID-19 closures, stylists will be learning new ways of working in a changed environment. How to create a neutral shade doesn’t have to be one of them.

“When you come to our brand you join a community,” Cruz concludes. “We don’t just provide a pdf of product knowledge and send you on your way. In addition to products that make your work and life, better, you’ll have access to a full customer service team, to brand specialists, to color formulators…to a family.”

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