In case some of the words we use sound like pure gibberish and you're lost in the lingo, keeping this translator close by at all times will have you speaking fluent My Hairdresser in no time.
Words we use to describe a Hair Colour
Warm
Warm Hair Colours have Yellow, Red or Orange undertones that bring depth and add a glow to your Hair Colour. Any Hair Colours with Golden, Bronzed, Copper or Red in their name are Warm Hair Colours.
Cool
Cool Hair Colours have Blue and Green undertones that create a sleeker, flatter Colour compared to a Warm Colour. Cool Colours are Ash or Beige Colours.
Natural
Natural Hair Colour can reference two things:
1. Your untouched, Natural Hair.
2. Colour shades that mimic an untouched Natural Colour with no added reflects or pigments that also represent each Natural Hair Colour level.
Warmth
Warmth is used to describe the Warm (Golden, Bronzed, Brassie, Copper or Red) Tones in your Hair Colour. Warmth can also be an unwanted side effect from Lightening or an unmaintained Hair Colour that needs to be Toned down with a Cool Colour.
Rich
Indulgent Colour Tones that bring a mix of depth and brightness into your Colour making it look full and glossy.
Vibrant
Bright Colours such as Coppers, Reds or Violets that are throbbing with energy.
Intense
Colours with double pigments and double the intensity — example 8.44 Intense Copper Blonde has a double pigment of Copper making it a super Intense Hair Colour.
Depth
Depth can reference two things:
1. The darkness of a Hair Colour.
2. When a Hair Colour creates a shadowing effect and the illusion of multiple layers of Hair, making the Hair look thick and voluminous.
Level
A level represents a Colours lightness on a scale of 1 - 10 — 1 being the Darkest, 10 being the Lightest.
Reflect
Reflect can reference two things:
1. To describe a Hair Colour that has a reflect — example any Colour that has point (.) has an added reflect. 8.2 Light Beige Blonde is a Light Blonde with an added .2 Beige reflect. Reflects make the Colour Cool or Warm. Naturals have no reflect.
2. To describe the Warm or Cool Colour reflect that catches the sunlight.
High Lift Blonde
Our Extra Light, Platinum Blondes Range that have added Cool pigments to help achieve a Toned Platinum Blonde without Bleach.
Toning
To counteract Warmth in the Hair you need to Tone it by using a Cool Colour to calm it. If you have Hair that has unwanted Yellow/Brassie Warmth you can eliminate it by Toning your Hair with an Ash Colour to Cool the Warmth down.
Pigment
A pigment is either artificial or Natural. A natural pigment is what creates our Natural born Hair Colour. An artificial pigment is the Hair Colour that changes the Hairs Colour.
When you Colour Remove you are removing the artificial Permanent Hair Colour pigment from the Hair.
When you use Bleach you destroy all the Natural and, if any, artificial pigment in the Hair.
If you have Grey or White Hair, you have Naturally lost your Natural Colour pigment.
Words we use when we are Colouring
Lift
Lift means to Lighten the Hair — example: you are lifting your Hair 3 levels to a Lighter Blonde shade.
Pre lightened / Pre Lighten
Pre lightened can reference two things:
1. Hair that has previously been Bleached.
2. Hair that needs to be Lightened or Bleached.
Deposit
When you are Colouring your Hair Darker, you are depositing Colour over your Hair to make it Dark.
Words we use when we are Colour Removing
Porous
Generally used to describe the state of your Hair, post Colour Removing. Porous Hair, or Hair that has high porosity, absorbs more moisture than normal Hair because the Hair Shaft is open. When you are Colouring porous Hair, you want to choose a Colour a shade or two Lighter than your desired Colour, as the Hair sucks up the Colour a lot faster and deeper into the Hair Shaft.
Hair Shaft
The Hair Shaft is the strand of Hair. It has cuticles that open and close when the Hair is being Coloured, Colour Removed or even while shampooing.
