Fern the Barber: A Love for Color, Inside the John Paul Mitchell Systems’ Colorways Launch & More
Known for creating precise and playful artwork on hair, Fern Andong (@fernthebarber) continues to raise the bar by sharing his work, mastering the perfect balance between cosmetology and barbering. With over 250k Instagram followers, Fern is the Lead Brand Ambassador for John Paul Mitchell Systems and is a six-time #ONESHOT Hair Awards Finalist.
BTC Editors caught up with Fern to get an inside look at their latest launch: John Paul Mitchell Systems’ Colorways, the newest technology in Vibrant Semi-Permanent Hair Color.
A Love For Color: Leading the Colorways Launch
With a quick scroll through Fern’s IG, you’ll find a vibrant feed full of bold pops of color and artistic hair painting. Naturally, Fern was the perfect person to lead the Colorways launch. “Throughout my career, I’ve always loved playing with color. Since the beginning, it allowed me to get creative and enhance my haircuts,” Fern told BTC.
Scroll through the slides to see some of Fern’s incredible work with Colorways:
“With this collection, the goal was to show the world the versatility Colorways can offer with rich, vivid tones on all hair textures,” Fern adds. “I wanted to step out of the box and create looks for John Paul Mitchell Systems that were different and pushed the boundaries a little.”
Using Colorways In The Shop or Salon:
With the increase in male clients requesting beard and hair color, we were not surprised to learn which of Fern’s clientele were requesting vivids the most: “I’ve been seeing more men coloring their hair in barbershops with bleach and toning and freehand coloring with fashion colors,” he told BTC, as Colorways have been his go-to for creating these looks. “I’m seeing brighter tones like vivids and neons. Lots of pastel requests, too.”
Photo Credit: Instagram via @fernthebarber
“Inspiration comes from everywhere for me. I think Colorways gives me that outlet to get creative and be whatever I want to be,” Fern adds.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @fernthebarber
Unleash Your Creativity With 9 Intermixable Shades: Click Here To Learn More!
How To: Blue Ombré Buzzcut
For this look, Fern told BTC that: “The concept was inspired by urban, graffiti art and cool tones with vibrancy. I used three Colorways: Gray, Blue and Aqua. And the look fuses together with the two bold black ‘X’’s inspired by the American artist Kaws.” Keep scrolling to get the steps for Fern’s full bleach and tone process—plus, his creative color application.
Formula A (lightener): John Paul Mitchell Systems Synchrolift 1 scoop + 2 oz 30-volume Cream Developer
Formula B (toner): John Paul Mitchell Systems The Color Ultra Toner Platinum 2 oz + 2 oz 5-volume Cream Developer
Photo Credit: Instagram via @fernthebarber
Scroll through the slides to get the steps:
Why Are Colorways Essential For This Look?
“I love that I can get rich, bright colors that don’t bleed into each other with Colorways,” Fern says. Beyond the importance of maintaining a precise application without bleeding, Colorways also fade slowly and on-tone: “The colors don’t turn into a weird color when they’re fading, they just get lighter and lighter,” Fern says.
How Can You Maintain Fashion Colors?
“Your hair is a fabric, just like clothes. So, I treat it as such,” Fern explains. “For example, only use cold water to wash. That will help keep the vibrancy of colors. And shampoo as little as possible: That will help your color last longer, too.” It’s also important to use low heat when styling: “It takes longer to set the style, but this maintains the vibrancy of the color.”
Get ready to screenshot a list of his go-to products:
- John Paul Mitchell Systems Dry Shampoo: To avoid shampooing hair as frequently to help with color fading.
- John Paul Mitchell Systems Forever Blonde Shampoo, John Paul Mitchell Systems Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo or John Paul Mitchell Systems Awapuhi Wild Ginger Hydrasoft Shampoo: Investing in a high-quality shampoo and conditioner is essential to maintaining vivid colors. These are Fern’s favorites!
- John Paul Mitchell Systems Hot Off The Press Thermal Protection Hairspray or John Paul Mitchell Systems Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Thermal Protection Hairspray: When styling vivid colors, heat protectant is a must.
This Is The Key To Long-Lasting Vivids… Click Here To Learn More!
