If you’ve ever colored or dyed your hair regularly, then you know that it is often very difficult to find just the right color. How often does a color disappoint? How often are color sample wrong? And how often does a new color suddenly look more tired and less radiant than you thought it would? It happens all too often to us! Marriët Gakes, Colour Director at Salon B and B Academy, tells us in this interview how you, along with your stylist, can find the right hair color. Marriët has years of experience in the field of hair color, and has been named the Haircolor Technician of the Year a whopping three times! Her tips and hair color advice hair are the best!
- Your hair color should match your personality and your lifestyle.
- At present the latest trends in hair colors are quieter. Of course there are outliers, and we’ll see some bright colors, but your color should fit you. If you’re the type with a lot of guts to wear a conspicuous color and it fits your lifestyle and the way you dress, then I can make a color statement for you that is super nice.
- A good example is our Dutch Victoria Koblenko [Marriët Gakes has done Koblenko Victoria’s hair for 15 years]. Victoria has really had all kinds of hair colors: copper, dark, white-blonde, and ash blonde. She can actually have any hair color, because she is a natural beauty. She often chooses true colors to make a statement. This really gives Marriet Gakes a business card with motto: “This is my hair and it’s what I stand for.”
- But not everyone can have wear these colors. Often people ask me if I want to give them the same hair color as Victoria Koblenko. Of course I can, but it does not always fit the person or the lifestyle of these women. We want to make them look good. The same applies to very eccentric colors. In some people it is really great, especially if you wear it with guts. And other people I think, “You don’t want this hair color you’re asking for because of the maintenance it requires.”
- Furthermore, you should ask yourself how much you are willing to do for a hair color. When Victoria Koblenko has white-blonde hair, the other side of the coin is that she’s in my chair every three to four weeks to have the outgrowth worked on and optimal color kept up. You should not choose a color statement if you cannot or will not keep it up. It is very important to remember this when you discuss color with your stylist. Do you want to make this commitment to your hair and your hairdresser? How much time and money do you want to spend on your hair?
- If you don’t have the time or it costs too much, then you might opt for soft highlights, perhaps. That require a lot less maintenance than white-blonde hair.
- Choose your hair color based on more than just the hair trends of the moment.
- Many people are only too happy to be guided by the trends they see on television and in magazines when choosing a hair color. But here I want to make one comment. The trends are very nice to give to anyone, but ultimately it should look beautiful on you. Your stylist can help you with a personal consultation. Then you will see together what is appropriate for you and what suits you. Your own preference is ultimately more important than the opinions of others. Color should always be tailored to the individual. So it’s not like golden blonde is in now, so now everyone must go golden blonde. If anyone comes to me and looks much nicer with beige blonde or cool sandy blonde hair, then I advise them to let go of the trends. What is comes down to is that everyone should use the hair color that is most beautiful for them.
- Let a professional stylist give you advice on your hair color.
- The advice of your stylist is very important. That’s why I cut or color anyone, I always just sit down and watch you to see what your ideal hair color is and how it suits you. Using state-of-the-art hair samples, we can select from 80 different hair colors about the size of an average ponytail. We select a color and hold a pony up to your face or drape it along the cheek to get a good idea of how a given color will look on you. This works much better than using small samples from a color book. It is often difficult to imagine how color will look on a person with such small samples.
- Make sure you and your stylist about the correct color you choose. Red is not the same for everyone.
- It’s important to talk about how hair takes color because misunderstandings can result. Red for one person may not be the same red for another. For some people, a copper red is the result, for others it is bright red. That’s why I always ask the customer to describe the color she wants. Is your idea of red gold copper, deep red or berry red? The same applies to brown; it could be “coffee brown” or “cioccolate brown.” We all think we have the same color in our minds, but that is not so. Communication with your stylist is so very important. I also try to speak more truly from the emotion of color and figure out what a person wants to achieve with hair color. Do you want to look softer or more like a power woman? Through these questions, you can respond to the emotion, because color is emotion.
- Tone down facial hair by applying makeup over it.
- It is also important to keep in mind what a hair color does for your face. If a color suits you, the people around you will say, “You look good, you are well rested?” The color livens up your appearance. If the color is not well chosen, you may hear comments that you look tired―are you well?
- A good example of how hair colors and skin colors react to each other is the light hair that Beyonce had a while ago. Everyone wanted that hair color then. I tried to explain that makes a very light color with a darker complexion, dark eyes and dark eyebrows can make your face look ashen. Beyonce can get away with it in photos, mainly because nowadays a lot can be done to adjust the colors on photos and since there is always a makeup artist on duty with Beyonce, there is no chance that her hair will look anything but great with her face and makeup.
- This example shows how important it is to ask yourself whether you are willing to change your makeup to fit with your new hair color. If you do not want to change make-up, it is very important to keep your hair color properly tuned to the skin on your face. But are you willing to work with your make-up to make this happen? For example, if you have a lot of red in your face, you can use a foundation to camouflage the red and then you can wear a hair color that you would normally never work for you, and have a very beautiful face.