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Reds, Purples, Coppers and Golds: Dimensional Formulas by Joico

Learn the steps to create this dimensional finish full of golds, coppers, reds and purples, created by Joico's Sue Pemberton and Damien Carney.

Alison Alhamed
Alison AlhamedEditor in Chief, MODERN SALON
Read Alison's Posts
March 25, 2013
3 min to read


As seen in MODERN's April issue, this dimensional beauty is full of highs, lows, purples, reds, coppers and golds. The result was achievable through strategic partings and color placements, created by Sue Pemberton and Damien Carney. “I started this color placement at a central point then pivoted around the head taking back-to-back, diagonally sliced partings," Pemberton says. "I staggered the partings back toward the crown and then slightly forward, resulting in a darker fringe area, perimeter and triangular section of hair. These darker sections were then surrounded by increasingly deeper rings of color in purple, red and copper/golds.”

The Artist
Sue Pemberton
Joico Vero K-PAK Color International Artistic Director

Formulas/Application
Natural level: 3N
Pre-Lightener: Vero Light + 10-volume (3%) Veroxide
Formula 1: Vero K-PAK Chrome, ½ oz. Really Yellow + ½ oz. RC8 with Vero Chrome Activator
Formula 2: Vero K-PAK Color 7XR with 10-volume (3%) Veroxide
Formula 3: Vero K-PAK Chrome ¾ oz. V4 + ¼ oz. Clear with Vero Chrome Activator
Base Formula: Vero K-PAK Chrome N4 with Activator

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Step 1: Working off a diagonal part, take a diagonally sliced parting and apply the Pre-Lightener about 1/8-inch from the scalp through the mid-shaft and ends. Move down. Working toward the back of the head, continue to take back-to-back, diagonally sliced partings, pivoting around the head shape and staggering into the fringe area, as you pick up both the longer and shorter lengths of the top section and fringe. Do this with about eight back-to-back, staggered partings. Leave a triangular shape that’s ¼-inch wide toward the crown and 1-inch wide toward the fringe un-foiled. Then work off the triangular shape and apply the lightener to about 5 more slices, as you pivot around the head. Leave a piece of longer, dark hair un-foiled. Process to a Level 8 yellow/orange. Then rinse, apply K-PAK Shampoo and re-rinse. Apply K-PAK Reconstructer for 5 minutes, rinse and dry the hair.

Step 2: Working off the diagonal part, take two back-to-back, slightly staggered slices and apply Formula 1. Then take a back-to-back, diagonally sliced parting and apply Formula 2. Next, apply Formula 3 to three staggered, diagonally sliced partings that move into the fringe area and back toward the crown. Apply Formula 2 to two additional diagonally sliced, staggered partings. Then repeat with Formula 1. Finish by applying Formula 2 to one more parting.

Step 3: Leave the triangular section uncolored. Work diagonally, pivoting and staggering the foils, as you apply Formula 1 to one sliced parting, Formula 2 to another sliced parting and Formula 3 to two sliced partings. Then apply Formula 2 to one more parting and Formula 1 to the last parting.

Step 4: Foiling completed, apply the Base Formula to all the remaining hair. Process for 20 minutes. Rinse, apply K-PAK Shampoo, re-rinse, apply K-PAK Cuticle Sealer for 5 minutes, rinse again and apply K-PAK Intense Hydrator for 5 minutes.

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