
Rodrick Samuels on The Silent Work, Modern Beauty Education and Why Empathy Wins
MODERN SALON sat down with Samuels to discuss the book, beauty education, mentorship and the habits that help beauty professionals thrive.
Haircolor is an art and haircolorists are artists. With Wella’s new additive Color I.D., salon professionals can express their creativity through sculpting with color.

















According to colorist and educator Mark Debolt, the greatest blonde finishes contain both warms and cools. For this session, Debolt chose to place “oyster” against apricot.
“It works because it looks most natural and interesting,” he says. “It recreates what the sun would do naturally.” Debolt points out that this multi-dimensional color takes the same amount of time as a single process.
Using Wella’s Color I.D., a color additive that allows color to be placed next to color without foils or risk of bleed, Debolt took a double-process blonde with some new growth and applied three shades to the hair, placing at different areas along the strands, divided between the mids and ends.
“There are so many reasons I love Color I.D.,” Debolt says. “It allows for freehand painting and for the colorist to sculpt hair. It’s putting the fun and creativity back into haircolor.”
Debolt uses the additive that alters the texture of the formulation to keep it from bleeding, as an alternative to foil. “It’s faster and easier,” he says, “and less abrasive to the hair. The colors do not blend and allows me to color with intuition.”
CREDITS:
Color: Mark DeBolt
Style: Michelle Lee
Photography: Roberto Ligresti
Makeup: David Maderich
Fashion styling: Rod Novoa assisted by Dennis Pinto
CANDLELIT BLONDE COLOR HOW-TO:
1. Blend colors using Color I.D.
2. Apply shade at the base, just on regrowth to create illusion of depth, using ¼ inch sections throughout. At the nape, go a bit longer to create a deeper depth. Formula used: Illumina equal parts 8/38 and 8/1 with 20-volume Koleston Perfect Crème.
3. While processing, go to the back. Using ½ inch horizontal sections, apply formula 1 to midlengths: Illumina equal parts 9/43 and 8/69 with 10-volume Koleston Perfect Crème to create a blush blonde.
4. Apply formula 2 to ends: Illumina equal parts 10/05 and 8/05 with 10-volume Koleston Perfect Crème. Color created: oyster blonde.
5. In next section, apply formula 3 to the midlengths: Illumina 9/43 and 10/69 with 10-volume Koleston Perfect Crème. Color created: apricot blonde.
6. Now start mixing up color placement at the crown. In this section apply formula 1 to ends. Continue throughout, alternating the shades on different sections of the hair.
7. When applying color to the base area along the top and front, apply just to regrowth.
8. Once all color is applied, twist, braid, connect and “play” — the color will not bleed.
9. Process 25 minutes. Rinse, shampoo and condition.
10. Once dry, pull out 1-inch sections and apply heat protecting spray to the lengths.
11. Use a curling wand to create invisible curls in 1-inch horizontal sections. Place the wand near the base and take the lengths and ends and twist to the smaller end.
12. Clip invisible rods and allow to cool. Then, brush out.
PRODUCTS AND TOOLS:
Color: Illumina, Koleston Perfect, Color I.D., all Wella
Styling: Brilliance Shampoo and Conditioner, Natural Volume Styling Mousse, Thermal Image Heat Protecting Spray, Oil Reflections Smoothing Oil, Stay Essential Finishing Spray, all by Wella Professionals
Spatulas: Sprush
Appliances: Taiff Blow Dryer, HAI Elite Curling Wand
Nails: OPI Get Cherried Away
Lashes: Ardell
Fashions: Carolina Herrera, Michael Kors, Chanel, Vintage YSL, Mimi Lee

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