Hair Color Resources

Even if you already know a lot about coloring hair, these hair color resources are a great reference for both new and experienced cosmetologists! It doesn’t hurt to brush up on the basics or follow a guide when you’re converting color formulas!

Included are the following hair color brands:

💋Joico

💋KENRA

💋Paul Mitchell

💋Pravana

💋Redken

💋Schwarzkopf

💋TiGi

💋Wella

*Please contact me for resources on brands that are not listed here!

 

💋Joico


Vero K-Pak Color

I love the K-Pak line from Joico! I first used their K-Pak treatment mask when my hair was damaged during our many beauty school experiments. It’s a thick, rick hair mask that’s a great addition to any hair care regimen. Secondly, I tried their K-Pak Vapor Flat Iron.

I was skeptical at first, but it was on sale and my favorite flat iron had finally seen it’s last days. The K-Pak flat iron infuses your hair with a special heat protecting solution that nourishes as it styles your hair. If you have thick or coarse hair then it’s a great flat iron for you!

*Click here for special techniques and formulas from Joico!

Age-Defy

Bring back the glorious look and feel of youth with Vero K-PAK Age Defy, the first haircolor proven to reverse the four key signs of maturing hair. The Age Defy permanent crème palette offers the largest selection of gray coverage shades on the market, plus three anti-aging must-haves in each tube of color: softer, more manageable texture; renewed luster and vibrancy; top-of-the-line conditioning.

Color Intensity

This is one of my top picks for vibrant hair color! I’ve used several brands on myself and my clients, but color intensity seems to last the longest and provide the brightest, deepest shades. I was obsessed with purple peek-a-boos at one time and I only had to touch up the color every 3 weeks! I also like Paul Mitchell’s Ink Works…you can be more creative with that product than with color intensity because of its consistency.

Lumishine

Joico Lumishine transforms hair from the inside out with breakthrough ArgiPlex Technology, delivering astonishing shine, color longevity, and overall healthier hair—guaranteed!

  • Hair with up to twice the shine
  • 100% replenished and restrengthened hair
  • Nourishing protection that seals in moisture, softness and shine for up to 30 full shampoos

 

 

💋KENRA


KENRA Color Manual

KENRA Color Shade Chart

KENRA Haircolor Conversion Guide

 

 

💋Matrix


Lightener

Designed to remove natural and artificial hair color, best used to create highlights, all over blonde or change previous artificial hair color depth and tone. Color is long-lasting (permanent), and leaves a line of demarcation.

Semi-Permanent Containing no ammonia or peroxide, semi-permanent hair color does not require mixing with a developer. Color lasts up to 12 shampoos, depending on the shade and is perfect for low-commitment fashion color results on the fly.

Demi-Permanent Deposit-only hair color, best used to match, deepen or change tone of natural hair color. Color is long-lasting (four to six weeks), and leaves little to no line of demarcation.

Permanent Lift and deposit hair color, best used for grey coverage or when altering the natural hair color is desired. Color is long-lasting (permanent), and leaves a line of demarcation.

Grey Coverage Whether you are looking for 50% or 100% grey hair, from a classic color to a modern color, Matrix offers a range of options for coloring grey hair without the need to formulate or use additives.

 

 

💋Paul Mitchell


The Color

Low-ammonia hair color offers outstanding vibrancy and provides natural-looking end results.

  • Intensifies, neutralizes and enhances natural hair color, and blends or covers gray.
  • Long-lasting color fades on tone.
  • Works with Paul Mitchell® Cream/Clear Developers available in volumes 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40.

The Color XG

A rich, creamy permanent hair color with 86 brilliant shades that deliver exceptional coverage and vibrant results.

Flash Back

A full range of tones for men quickly and discreetly conceals gray hair and delivers natural, lived-in results.

PM Shines

Demi-permanent translucent, hydrating hair color that:

  • Enhances, intensifies or neutralizes natural hair color.
  • Refreshes hair color between color services.Blends gray.
  • May be used on the same day as a relaxer or other chemical service.
  • Adds condition and shine with no color deposit using Clear Shine alone.

PM Shines XG

A beautiful palette of 51 shades plus 1 Clear Shine offers opaque, deposit-only, tone-on-tone color brilliance and gray blending, as well as up to 1 level of lift.

  • No-ammonia formula is easy to mix and apply.
  • Color lasts 4-6 weeks and fades on tone.

Ink Works

Provides vibrant, pure tones or an “aura” of color. Available in 6 intermixable shades: Yellow, Red, Hot Pink, Purple, Blue and White.

Click here for PM Inkworks Hacks!

Dual-Purpose On/Off Scalp Powder Lightener

  • White, dust-free powder lightener.
  • Fast-lifting base, combined with natural conditioner oils, lifts up to 7 levels quickly.
  • A gentle fragrance offers a soothing experience.
  • Even lift with control makes it ideal for any lightening technique.

Lighten Up Blonding Paste

  • Non-irritating on even the most sensitive scalps.
  • Offers up to 5 levels of lift.
  • Creamy beeswax base is easy to mix for effortless, flexible application.
  • Resists drying out.

SynchroLift Ultra-Quick Blue Powder Lightener

  • Exclusive balanced bleach technology lifts up to 7 levels quickly and gently.
  • Features potato starch and zero fragrance for pleasant coloring experience.
  • Mixes to a creamy consistency that resists swelling.

 

 

💋Pravana


Chromasilk

ChromaSilk is enriched with pure silk and keratin amino acids to provide unmatched shine, silkiness and long-lasting color. This low-level ammonia formula preserves the integrity of the hair and allows colors to perform both as permanent and demi-permanent simply by using different ChromaSilk developers.

Pravana Vivids

Vivids imparts long-lasting, rich creative color with brilliant shine. With more than 25 inter-mixable shades to choose from, the Vivids collection offers stylists complete creative control with an infinite color palette.

 

 

💋Redken


Blonde Idol

Create the coolest blondes for every client, from balanced beige to icy platinum. Blonde Idol High Lift offers 12 never-brassy shades in a conditioning cream base. Up to 5 levels of lift in 1 step – perfect for balayage, highlights and more!

*Freehand Lightener Tips: perfect for balayage and hand-painted highlights; do not use in foils, mesh, or plastic; mix exactly as directed or it will not process properly; always mix at least two scoops at a time for optimal results; do not rinse too early…even though you think it’s time to rinse it’s probably not ready!

*These tips are from my personal experiences with using Redken Freehand Lightener! It is unlike other powdered lighteners and if you do not follow these tips then you will not get the results you’re looking for.

Chromatics

Oil Powered. Care Obsessed. Zero Ammonia Permanent Haircolor.

*Redken Chromatics developer is only available in 10, 20, and 30 volumes. In my experiences with this haircolor line I have found that it does not lift as expected. I do not recommend using this haircolor for blondes unless your client is 75%-100% gray or no darker than a level 8.

I use Redken Color Fusion instead of Chromatics for lifting blondes. The Blonde Idol high lift series is also a great choice!

Color Fusion

Natural looking, multi-dimensional results with condition and shine.

*The Redken Color Fusion line also includes a gray coverage hair color line! Cover Fusion is one of my favorites for gray coverage. It never disappoints and always provides great coverage with beautiful shades.

Color Gels

Rich, saturated results with exceptional gray coverage.

Shades EQ

The haircolor that thinks it’s a conditioner! Or so they say…

*Use Redken Shades EQ Gloss series for beautifully glazed haircolor or toning highlights. This color line does not lift!

Men’s Color Camo

5 Minute Custom Gray Camouflage Color Featuring advanced technology, Color Camo camouflages gray hair in 5 minutes. Processing for 10 minutes or using darker shades will deliver deeper, darker coverage. With six shades, cool tonality, easier application, low maintenance results, Color Camo has everything you need to take your men’s color business to the next level!

 

 

💋Schwarzkopf


BlondeMe

Essensity

Igora

 

 

💋TiGi


Gloss

Fully intermixable, no-ammonia demi-permanent creme haircolour, that delivers a tone-on-tone low commitment colour service.

  • Lasting up to 20 shampoos
  • High impact shine
  • Covers up to 75% non-pigmented hair*Wide variety of usage capabilities and results from full head application, to toning and refreshing techniques.
  • 1:1.5 mixing ratio
  • 20 minutes processing time * when using activator 20vol/6%.

Creative

Fully intermixable permanent creme haircolour, ideal for use fundamentally or creatively.

  • Up to 100% coverage of non-pigmented hair
  • Up to four levels of lift
  • High-impact shine
  • Ranges from natural to neutral, intense to pastel results
  • 1:1.5 mixing ratio
  • 35 minutes processing time

Mix Master

Fully intermixable permanent creme haircolour, consisting of concentrated tones and a clear to dilute and boost.

  • Up to four levels of lift
  • 1:1.5 mixing ratio
  • 35 minutes processing time

Lightener

High-performance lighteners that deliver fast, efficient lift. True light violet base helps to camouflage unwanted warm tones. Contains Hydrolysed Keratin and Aloe Vera. True light white is comprised of a white, fine powder. Infused with amino acid, chamomile, and sugar crystal.

  • Up to 7 levels of lift
  • Up to 40 minutes processing time

Lift

Fully intermixable high-lifting creme haircolour, formulated to lift and tone in one application.

  • Up to five levels of lift
  • Lift and tone in one application
  • Use on or off scalp
  • 1:1.5 mixing ratio
  • 35 minutes processing time

 

 

💋Wella


Color Charm & Lightener

Wella color isn’t my favorite. I’ve tried it, but I would only use it if there were nothing else available.

 

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About The Author

Erika

Professional Hairstylist | American Board Certified Haircolorist | Makeup Artist | Beauty Blogger

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