One of the biggest trends in hair color—rainbow hair—isn’t going away anytime soon. “It gives stylists and clients a whole new palette of colors. We don’t have to limit ourselves to just natural color because now we have every hue on the color wheel at our fingertips,” says Shelley Gregory, L’Oréal Professionnel Brand Shelley GregoryAmbassador, who pulls off a Technicolor dream almost every week. “All clients can wear the trend because there are so many ways to make it soft or bright, and it can easily be customized for anyone.” Here, Gregory breaks down some of her favorite winning rainbow looks for you to recreate on your next client.
Seashell Pearl
GET THE LOOK:
- Start with dried, pre-lightened level 10 blonde
- Mix up 5 bowls with L'Oréal Professionnel #COLORFULHAIR:
- 40 grams clear + 4 grams Electric Purple
- 50 grams clear + 6 grams Magenta
- 40 grams clear + 20 grams Pink Sorbet
- 40 grams clear + 4 grams Navy Blue
- 30 grams clear + 6 grams Iced Mint
- Divide the hair into four vertical quadrants. Starting at the nape, take 1/2" diagonal forward subsections and alternate colors in random order to create a watercolor effect. Blend two colors halfway down each strand, covering entire head.
- Process for 25 minutes with no heat and rinse with cold water.
Gemstone
GET THE LOOK:
- Create a full set of babylights on the entire head with L'Oréal Professionel Blond Studio Platinum Plus and L'Oréal Professionnel Smartbond.
- Let process for 30-45 minutes until lifted to a level 8.
- Rinse without shampoo and towel try.
- In three bowls, mix bowl #1 with equal parts L'Oréal Professionnel #COLORFULHAIR Clear and Navy Blue, bowl #2 with equal parts L'Oréal Professionnel #COLORFULHAIR clear and Electric Purple and bowl #3 with equal parts L'Oréal Professionnel #COLORFULHAIR clear and Caribbean Blue. Add L'Oréal Professionnel Smartbond Step Two into each bowl to treat the solution while the color is processing.
- Apply mixtures to towel-dried hair, alternating each 1"-horizontal section with a different color.
- Process for 25 minutes without heat, rinse, shampoo and condition.
Rainbow Light
GET THE LOOK:
- Lighten hair to a level 10 blonde.
- Mix up seven bowls with L’Oréal Professionnel #COLORFULHAIR:
- 30 grams clear + 10 grams Pink Sorbet
- 50 grams clear + 5 grams Caribbean Blue
- 60 grams clear + 5 grams Navy Blue
- 40 grams clear + 10 grams Hypnotic Magenta
- 30 grams clear + 10 grams Sunset Coral
- 20 grams clear + 5 grams Iced Mint
- 20 grams clear + 10 grams Yellow
- Section hair into quadrants and cut out a 2" diamond in each subsection.
- Starting at the nape, subsection a diagonal back 1/2" and apply base to ends alternating colors in rainbow order. When you get to the diamond section, divide into three and use the magenta mix, the yellow mix and the sunset coral mix to fill it in.
- Continue diagonally in the front sections back to the subsections throughout.
- Process for 25 minutes without heat, then rinse.
This color job begins with pre-lightened hair to a level 10 blonde and uses L’Oréal Professionnel #COLORFULHAIR Caribbean Blue, Navy Blue, Pink Sorbet, Hypnotic Magenta, Sunset Coral and a yellow direct dye, all diluted with Crystal Clear.