Coloring Curly Hair: Natural Ice

Before. Model had existing grown-out highlights.

Create a diagonal parting at the hairline and take a weave for your first highlight.

Pro Tip: When highlighting curly hair, start the weave right at the scalp—this creates a more natural look. Also, leave out the short baby hairs at the hairline. Highlighting these will emphasize them and make them look broken.

Apply Formula A to the weaved section.

Do two or three more back-to-back weaves, folding foils gently to leave room for Formula A to expand.

Pro Tip: On curly hair, use diagonal sections and weaves (instead of horizontal sections and slices) for the most blended, natural look.

Continue to the other side, then do two more sections of 3 to 4 weaves on each side until you reach the top of the head. Guy always works in a face-frame like this at the hairline so there’s a pop of color whether she tosses her hair to the left or the right.

Move farther back on the head for the next section. At the top, skip an inch – this ensures dimension. Repeat the weave pattern until you hit the back crown.

Begin applying Formula B as the base, starting at the nape. Process, rinse and dry with a diffuser.

Pro Tip: Guy works in vertical sections because it allows him to move across the head faster.

When the hair is dry, apply Formula C at the rootage, which will help blend away the stitch marks and to create a shadow root. Drag some of Formula C down to meet the old highlights for a better transition.

Pro Tip: Guy always glazes dry—this ensures full color deposition, so it doesn’t look hollow, and increased color longevity.

Use Formula D through the mids, melting the two formulas into one another. Vary how high you create the shadow root each time for maximum dimension.

Use Formula E on the ends, melting into the midshaft formulas.

Pro Tip: Add Clear to what’s left over in the bowl of Formula D to create Formula E instead of mixing up new color.

Finished look.

Finished look.