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Are you tired of conforming your hair color to what's available at the drugstore? Then it's time to take control and start mixing your own fabulous hues of hair color. When you mix your own, you have the final say over how much of each color goes into your personalized color formula. So forget those paint-by-numbers hair colors and start creating your own signature shades.
1.
Unscrew the caps off of all the tubes of color you'll mix. Turn the cap around so that the end with the pointed protrusion faces the sealed top of the color tube. Push the point into the seal until it breaks it. Your tubes of color are now open and ready for mixing.
2.
Decide on your color formula. The last thing you want is a blah hair color, so use at least two (or even three) different colors to create a hair color with depth and tones. One color should be your base (primary color) and the others will be your complementary colors to add tones and highlights to the shade.
3.
Slide the tub key onto the end of the first tube of color. If you don't have a tube key, use your fingers, but you might waste some color. You paid good money for that hair color, so investing in a tube key to get every last bit of color out of the tube is well worth it.
4.
Now, roll the tube key up the color tube, squeezing out the color into the color bowl until you've released as much of that color as you need. Markings on the side of the tube indicate the one-quarter, one-half and three-quarter tube marks. When you've got all of that color that you need, replace the cap on the tube and set it aside.
5.
Grab your subsequent tube of color and squeeze out as much of those colors as needed. Replace the caps on the tubes immediately because exposure to air renders hair color powerless after 30 minutes.
6.
Once all the tube color is in the bowl, use your measuring cup to measure out the recommended amount of developer, then pour that into the color bowl.
7.
With your color brush, mix the tube color and developer together really well. You want to smooth out all the lumps and keep going until the mixture has a creamy consistency. When you've achieved that, you've successfully mixed your tube color and it's ready to apply to your hair. Congrats!
Things You'll Need
1.Tube key
3.Color bowl
5.Latex gloves
2.Developer
4.Color brush
Tips & Tricks
To keep certain colors from showing through in your final hair color, add a little of the complementary color that neutralizes the unwanted color into your color formula. For example, if you don't want any red shades in your hair, use an inch of a green drabber in your color formula to cancel out the red. Want to nix excess yellow in your blond shade? Use a little violet drabber to chase that yellow away.
If you wish, use a small whisk to mix your color and developer together. Just don't use that whisk for any food applications from now on.
Mixing the wrong color-to-developer ratio can cause serious problems. Too much developer and you could slightly burn your scalp. Too little developer and your color might not develop correctly. Read the manufacturer's directions and get the ratio right.
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