Clients today are looking to enhance, neutralize, or even intentionally go gray. In fact, 58 percent of women have some gray hair and 32 percent of women ages 40 to 74 are accepting grays and forgoing coloring.
For stylists looking to master this sought-after color, Redken’s Silver Strong collection will be a game changer for their clients’ results. The Silver Strong collection is made up of 10 existing Shades EQ Gloss and Bonder Inside shades, designed to enhance, neutralize, and transform—whether it’s a natural progression towards gray or undergoing a silver blonde transformation. This shade collection is tailored for the modern client looking to enhance, embrace, and celebrate their grays. Check out these expert techniques and formulations using Shades EQ.
Backgrounds and Tonal Breakdowns
The Silver Strong collection is made up of ten existing shades across four Shades EQ families: Titanium, Pearl, Green Natural, and Ash Brown.
Titanium Family: With a silver, blue reflect and black to gray background, this shade family is for all gray and silver looks. Use alone for gray-blending lowlights or cancelling out orange tones when transitioning clients with highlights. When toning with the Titanium family shades, expect a cool finish. The blue tone in this family is dominant and with the black to gray background stylists can achieve dimensional steel and silvery tone.
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Pearl Family: Never too silver, too warm, or too cool. With a blue, violet reflect and a black to gray background, Pearl is for blending, toning, or using as the base for your silver transformation. When toning with the Pearl family, expect soft tonal deposit of any of the Silver Strong shades.
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Green Natural Family: Use this family to tone anytime when lifting through previous deeper level colored hair. With a green, yellow reflect and a black to gray background, this family eliminates red undertones, achieving a cool natural result. When toning with the Green Natural family, expect to see a mattified result. The shades in this family are also great for muting or fattening a tone as it neutralizes red and orange tones.
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Ash Brown Family: With a blue, pearl reflect and a black to gray background, this family will add depth and dimension, giving an ultra-cool, natural lowlight without being too flat. When toning with the Ash Brown family, expect a heavier result and cooler finish.
Gray and Silver Coloring Techniques
Charcoal Chic: Enhance: This service is best for clients with over 25 percent partial gray, seeking to enhance their natural color. Create multi-dimensional looks that celebrate grays with highlights and lowlights. Hero Shades: Shades EQ Bonder Inside 010T Platinum + 09P Opal Glow
Moonlight White: Neutralize and Condition: This service is best for clients with partial to full gray hair, looking to neutralize yellow undertones, add intense shine and boost gray hair manageability. Hero Shades: Shades EQ Bonder Inside 010T Platinum + 09T Chrome Shades EQ Gloss 08T Silver + 07T Steel
Silver Empowered: Transform and Condition: This service is best for clients with gray or virgin hair going intentionally silver blonde. This technique helps create blended balanced tones, while conditioning hair for a dramatic silver transformation. Hero Shades: Shades EQ Bonder Inside 09T Chrome
The Ultimate Silver Blonde Transformation
Source: Courtesy of Adrienne Dara (@adriennedara), Redken Brand Ambassador and SalonCentric #ItTakesAPro Team Artist
“The inspiration behind my client's look for Silver Strong was to showcase the power of the T-series and how it can create a modern blonde with the essence of a smoky undertone. The T-series is multi-functional, whether you are adding it to a formula to make it ultra-cool or using it as the main component to create a light metallic deposit. I wanted my client to have the ease of a lived-in look along with a progressive fade that she will love all the variations of. This is why I opted for the T-series to create a strong cool deposit. My client left the chair feeling ultra-blonde, and because I cancelled so much unwanted warmth, she does not have to worry about the color becoming brassy after the first few washes. This color will give her longevity and help maintain her hair health, Thanks to the power of Redken Shades EQ.”
Silver Tips and Tricks
Source: Courtesy of George Garcia (@georgegarciaredken), Redken Artist
- Since T includes blue, add violet or a hint of red into your formula to keep your result from looking green/flat.
- Clients with a darker base are hardest to convert to gray-blending as their previous color contains too much warmth. Use GN in combination with T or P for added neutralizing power.
- 04ABn can look hollow on higher levels. When using this as a lowlight, add 06NB to help fill in what’s missing in the hair.
- Remember Violet contains red, so adding V will warm your formula.
- P is the N of toning - it works as a perfect base to mix with other colors for complete customization of the final look.
- When formulating for shades like silver or gray, it’s helpful to pre-tone after lifting to neutralize the canvas before applying the final gloss. While this does add an extra step, it is helpful in achieving predictable hair color results.