When it comes to shades there are literally hundreds if not thousands
of possibilities so it is wise to start by narrowing down your options.
To kick things off, let’s start by selecting your level. This is how light or dark you want to go, and obviously a strong determination of whether you become a brunette or a blonde. Level 1 is the darkest and Level 10 is the lightest (however some cosmetic brands go up to Level 12).
As a general guide, Level 1 is black (reserved for the Goth kids) and Level 2 is typically the color found is most Asian/Indonesian hair. Levels 8 through 10 are the very lightest blonde (but remember to allow room for margin as every brand is slightly different). We are not concerned with tonality or shade here, just the lightness or darkness of your color.
When it comes to tones you will have three options, cool, neutral or warm. Let’s say for example you have selected Level 4. You now have the choice of Level 4 cool, Level 4 neutral or Level 4 warm. Each of these categories will contain two or three specific shades so you can find the one that is exactly right for you.
An understanding of tones is invaluable when it comes to color correction, for example if your neutral shade becomes ‘brassy’ you can select a shade with cool tones at the same level to balance it out.
There are some tonal selections which might initially seem confusing, for example ‘cool reds’ such as burgundy and merlot shades, these are called secondary pigments and are another means of subtly changing your color.
Get started by finding your level
To kick things off, let’s start by selecting your level. This is how light or dark you want to go, and obviously a strong determination of whether you become a brunette or a blonde. Level 1 is the darkest and Level 10 is the lightest (however some cosmetic brands go up to Level 12).
As a general guide, Level 1 is black (reserved for the Goth kids) and Level 2 is typically the color found is most Asian/Indonesian hair. Levels 8 through 10 are the very lightest blonde (but remember to allow room for margin as every brand is slightly different). We are not concerned with tonality or shade here, just the lightness or darkness of your color.
Next step, pick your perfect tone
Ok, so you have chosen your level, the next step is to select your tone. This is how you tailor your color to your complexion and your wardrobe.When it comes to tones you will have three options, cool, neutral or warm. Let’s say for example you have selected Level 4. You now have the choice of Level 4 cool, Level 4 neutral or Level 4 warm. Each of these categories will contain two or three specific shades so you can find the one that is exactly right for you.
The three options when it comes to tone:
Cool tones
have undertones of blues and greens, and are sometimes referred to as
ash tones. They can be harder to see in darker levels, but at lighter
levels they produce a champagne or icy blonde.
Neutral tones are a balance of warm and cool and do not fall heavily at either side of the line.
Warm tones
have reds, oranges and golds as the dominant colors, represented in
shades such as chestnut brown at a lower levels and strawberry blonde at
the higher levels.
So how do you decide if you are cool, neutral or warm?
One of the best indicators of your perfect tone is your skin complexion and eye colorAn understanding of tones is invaluable when it comes to color correction, for example if your neutral shade becomes ‘brassy’ you can select a shade with cool tones at the same level to balance it out.
There are some tonal selections which might initially seem confusing, for example ‘cool reds’ such as burgundy and merlot shades, these are called secondary pigments and are another means of subtly changing your color.
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