3 mins
MIX IT UP WITH COLOUR
As colourists return to work, FFØR’s UK and international technical educator, Gareth Cook tells HJ why now is the perfect time to experiment with colour and trial the must-have formulations for 2021 and beyond
It’s a very exciting time to be a colour technician. After the troubles and stress of the past year I feel clients will be extremely open to the power of self-expression and change. Clients have been their own stylist for months so now is the ideal time to push creativity and introduce something new to your professional colour service. This can be offering a new sectioning pattern or tonal family. I would also suggest taking time during the consultation process to explore your client’s individual personality and collaborate together to create something that is truly bespoke and personalised for their hair.
Mastering the foundations
I’m a big believer in the idea that to know where you’re going you have to know where you started. For me foundation colour is one of the most important courses a colourist can attend even if you’ve been in the industry for years. I find most students who get a colour result they weren’t expecting discover it was due to a forgotten step or a forgotten piece of information that was given to them years ago.
The understanding of colour theory is paramount. I’d always advise a corrective colour course as well. This allows a colour technician who has already learned the rules to break them, so to speak. Colour correction fills most colourists with fear, but it is something that clients ask for regularly. It’s about taking the fear factor away and education is the only way to do that.
Embracing savvy clients
Social media means information can be absorbed and shared at such a high rate. Clients now have the same access to information as hairdressers. A massive contributing factor to clients’ savvyness is the change and movement of the times. Long gone are the days where being vegan, sustainable or health-conscious were seen as fads. It is a lifestyle that won’t and shouldn’t be going anywhere. Clients want to know ingredient lists and the story behind the brand, so they know where it comes from and the effect it will have on themselves and the planet.
Making colour predictions
Colour has a great deal to do with the psychology of a client and the effect this can have on them. It’s expressionism, a way for someone to feel a certain way with the power of change. We associate light, for example, with youth, vitality and making a fresh start.
We should give our clients results that will make an impact but will also allow them to experiment. I’d suggest FFØR 9 Levels + Highlift Pre-Lightening Powder as it can be used for an array of lightening services such as balayage and global lightening.
FFØR’s five pre-mixed toners feature on-trend shades, including Nordic Ice, Silver Violet and Graphite. These toners allow clients to either gently step into creative colour or make a strong statement.
GARETH’S MUST-HAVE FORMULATIONS FOR 2021
“It’s important to offer clients the cleanest and most natural ingredients possible. Clients are so switched on to the negative ingredient buzzwords within the hair and beauty industry and they are conscious about what they put in their bodies.
I believe a professional free-from hair colour range such as FFØR Hair Colour with its PPD-free, ammoniafree, sulphate-free and mineral-oil free formulation will satisfy client demands.
FFØR Hair Colour has a positive brand message and ethos that is in keeping with the way the industry and the world is moving in 2021.
Plus, it is 100% vegan, crueltyfree and sustainable without compromising on innovation, creativity or giving clients exceptional hair.
FFØR Hair Colour fuses nature with science and contains 80% naturally derived ingredients within each formula. It is enriched with luxurious oils to hydrate and protect while processing. The High:Lift Lightening Powder offers 9+ levels of lift and the choice of 60 shades can be used to experiment with a diverse spectrum to give clients bespoke results.
Finally, FFØR’s Colour Enhance Technology is scientifically created for luminous colour that fights fading.”