This season's standout shade is a rich strawberry copper with the high-gloss finish all your clients want. Featuring gold "saffron" undertones, learn how L'Oréal Professionnel Ambassador Melanie Hasson (@melaniemhasson) avoids hot roots, creates a shiny finish and maintains coppers at home—she's breaking it down below.
How can colorists avoid hot roots when creating coppers?
“Gold is your friend,” Melanie spills. “I used to think adding an 'N' into my root formula would combat a hot root. GOLD is actually what you want to add to balance out that formula, keep it from browning out and add a beautiful reflection.”
What is a common formulation mistake that colorists can avoid?
"You usually don’t need straight red. Remember your client's natural underlying pigment," Melanie adds. "You should be incorporating that into your formula and using it to your advantage. When I’m formulating a copper, if I’ve ever added straight red, it’s looked artificial and it washes out weird."
What are your tips to maintain coppers at home?
“My client washes her hair once a week—this color lasts very long,” Melanie explains. “She comes in every six to eight weeks for her roots.”
Melanie’s go-to shampoo and conditioner combo? L'Oréal Professionnel Vitamino Color Spectrum.
The Formulas
- Formula A (regrowth):
- L'Oréal Professionnel INOA 6N + 7.43 + 7.4 + 10-volume developer
- Formula B (global gloss):
- L'Oréal Professionnel DIA Light 9.03 + 10-volume developer
Steps
1. Apply Formula A to the roots, covering the regrowth.
Pro Tip: Prelightening the hair can create a clean canvas if your client has old color to work through: "When I brought Ally from the dark copper to this strawberry blonde, I did a full bleach-out (off her roots) to lift out all that color and get the most even tone,” Melanie explains.
2. Process, rinse and apply Formula B globally to wet hair at the bowl.
3. Rinse and style as desired.
