REDKEN SHADES EQ 101
Working with Redken Shades EQ for the last fourteen years, I have fallen in love with the pigment options more and more with every new shade launch. Because of this, I wanted to share the reasons I choose to use Shades consistently when coloring, along with a deeper breakdown of why the color line is great for dimensional color services!
Let’s start with WHAT Shades EQ color is and how it works. Unlike many hair color lines, Shades EQ is an acidic hair color. To simply explain, the higher the PH, the more powerful. Having a lower PH, Shades does not have the power to swell the cuticle enough to create lift or lighten the hair. So, if you’re using a demi permanent color line for your root taps and smudges and you’re frustrated with the root shifting (bumping a level lighter) it’s because you’re using an alkaline hair color with a developer that is too strong.
WHY do I love using Shades EQ? Because Shades is an ammonia free acidic hair color that provides unparalleled shine and lasts 20-30 shampoos. Because Shades EQ contains both oxidative and direct dyes it provides both rich color deposit and high tone reflection. To break it down, oxidative dyes go into the cuticle and deposit color inside the hair’s cuticle while direct dyes stain the outside of the hair creating a luxurious reflection. For this reason alone, Shades EQ is perfect for blonde toning! Tons of shine and just the right amount of pigment deposit. On top of this, processing times are short, being anywhere from 10-20 minutes!
Alright, so now that I have explained what Shades can do, let me share a few things that the color line can not achieve so that you know when to choose a different product. Due to its transparency and inability to swell the cuticle a ton, I personally do not recommend using Shades EQ for gray coverage. In some instances, you can use the N and NB series together, on dry hair, for 20 minutes to blend a few gray strands if needed. However, if a client is sensitive to seeing any gray, I always move to using my alkaline demi permanent hair color line for better coverage. As I mentioned, the longevity of this color line is short. This is extremely important to keep in mind when deciding to use Shades. For my dimensional blonding services, I do believe it creates the best shine and true to tone deposit, however, I also inform my client that this will only last about 45 days if they are shampooing every other day. So, in between their full blonding services, I always recommend they schedule a follow up gloss appointment at around 6 weeks. These services are a great way to help build your book, increase your income, and create a healthy relationship of honesty with your client!
Another reason I love Shades EQ so much is because it is so incredibly versatile! I use Shades for:
1.) Filling or re-pigmenting in the hair. Remember the classic rule of thumb! Whenever you are going two shades darker, you must “fill” or re-pigment the hair by replenishing the pigment missing at the goal tone. For example: You have a client that has been platinum blonde for a while and wants to tone it down for a slight change. She’s a level 10 and you're looking to achieve a richer level 8 result. We know that the natural remaining pigment at a level 8 is GOLD (yellow/orange) so we would first need to fill the hair with yellow/orange pigment. I always recommend formulating the fill toning formula one shade lighter than the goal, so I would likely use 09AA+08GG+08C+CLEAR.
2.) Adding dimension back into hair that has been over highlighted. I don’t love to use the word “low light” because that reminds me of the time we used to have high contrast stripes of color for dimension. I prefer to refer to my modern lowlights as “shadows”. The classic rule for low lighting is to formulate one level lighter and one shade warmer than the base color but for shadowing it is slightly different. To create some visual depth with adding dimension, I formulate my “shadows'' 1.5 levels lighter and two shades warmer. Example: The formula for adding shadows into a level cool 9/10 blonde would something like 1/2 9Gi+1/4 9N +1/4 clear
3.) Toning my permanent color touch up clients. I do not believe that the best color results come from adding water to permanent hair color and pulling through for the last 5-10 minutes of processing time. I also do not gloss the ends of my permanent color touch ups while the root is still on. I always emulsify the root color for 3 minutes at the shampoo bowl while I am removing any hair color staining on the skin and then shampoo one time before applying the gloss. I find this is the best way to create an overall harmonious hair color. By keeping the ammonia in the permanent color from reaching previously colored hair, it maintains a beautiful luster and prevents over pigmentation. These gloss formulas are always one shade lighter than the root formula with the tone changing depending on the desired result. Example: 5N Permanent root touch up: process root for 35 mins, emulsify 2 inches with water at bowl while removing skin stain, shampoo once, apply 6GB all over for 15 minutes.
Because Shades EQ is an acid based gel hair color, HOW you apply it is extremely important. Overall, the key to any successful hair color application is to saturate! Since Shades does not have the power to swell the cuticle it also doesn't have the same coverage as other alkaline demi permanent hair colors. In the event that you do not saturate completely, you’ll see color marbleization or “spotty” areas where the color didn’t take. Often, when a new client comes in to see me, I can see demarcation in areas where Shades was not saturated or areas where the previous stylist folded the foil too tight causing a color crease in the dimension. Just as you would with any lightener, make sure to push that color through the entire section using a brush or your fingers when using Shades!
Being able to use shades in so many different applications also comes with different processing times. Here are my go to processing times when using Shades EQ:
Shadows/Lowlights: 20 minutes
Fill Gloss: 15 minutes
Root Tap: 10 minutes
Global Gloss: 12 minutes
Gray Blending: 20 minutes with cap
Clear Gloss with Olaplex: 20 minutes
Pro Tips:
1.) Acidic hair color tends to “grab” onto the hair. It is common to over “ash” your formulas. A little bit of violet or blue goes a long way in this color line.
2.) Don’t be afraid of copper! Adding a drop or a cap full of the C series can create beautiful shine and reflection.
3.) Remember, “RED” in pure form pigment in a neutral tone. Adding orange to red is what creates warmth. Adding violet to red is what creates cool. Example 3/4 9G + 1/4 9RB is a beautiful neutral blonde formula! Why?! Because red is a neutral tone in shades!
4.) There is no such thing as a 5 minute gloss. Most demi permanent hair color has a processing time of 20 minutes. It is important to process alkaline color for the full 20 minutes. Since Shades is acidic and has direct dyes, you can process some color applications slightly less. I do not process for less than 10-12 minutes for any application using Redken Shades EQ.
5.) Charge accordingly! Your gloss pricing should be at least 40% of your haircut cost + $10. This is because you should always calculate your hourly minimum rate. For most stylists, your hourly rate is what you charge for your haircut and style. So if your haircut is $60, your gloss price should be $60 x 40%= $24 + $10= $34. The $24 covers your time and expertise and the $10 covers the cost of the color product.
6.) Customize your formula! Any colorist can take 9NB and use it straight as a gloss. However, every hair color should be viewed as a custom project. Most of the time I’ll incorporate at least two different shades in different ratios into one gloss formula to customize the color!
7.) Know the color product knowledge! If you’re marketing or labeling yourself as a “Advanced” or “Master” colorist, it is so important to know your color theory! You should be able to clearly explain to a client the chemistry behind each color line you use and why you love it! Start with reading up on the differences between permanent, demi permanent acidic and alkaline color, and semi permanent color. Understanding what each product is and what it is capable of doing will allow you to know which product to use and how to explain the color longevity to a client.
8.) Always identify the underlying pigment you are working with! Bring it back to hair school when thinking about the pigment you’re trying to either enhance, neutralize or diminish. When enhancing, add a tone one shade warmer. When neutralizing use the same pigment or one slightly cooler. When diminishing use the tone use the complimentary or opposite pigment. Example: working with level 9 with a natural remaining pigment of Yellow. Orange=enhance. Gold or Gold/Violet=neutralize. Violet=diminish. Notice how for a level 9, there is not blue in formulating a gloss unless you are looking to create a gray or metallic result!
My favorites:
Level 10: 010VG, 010Gi
Level 9: 09V, 09GB, 09Vg, 09RB, 09Vro, 09G, 09NA, 09AA
Level 8: 08V, 08Gi, 08GG
Level 7: 07N, 07NA, 07GB, 07G, 07C
Level 6: 06GB, 06G, 06NB, 06WG
I hope sharing my knowledge of Redken Shades Eq will shed some light of various formulas and applications for your color clients! Every colorist has unique ways that they formulate and apply this acidic demi permanent hair color so I encourage you to play around with different formulas and customize your own favorites!
Til next week, keep slaying the color game!
XOXO
Bobby
