Tom Branna, Editorial Director05.01.17
Remember those blue-haired old ladies? Well they’re back in 2017 and they’ve been joined once again by green-haired teens and violet-topped soccer moms. Hair color’s not just about covering gray; consumers expect it to make a statement.
“Hair color has changed so much over the years and people are experimenting more and more, which I love,” noted Clairol Professional celebrity colorist Kiyah Wright. “I expect the direction toward pastel and vivid colors to continue throughout 2017.”
With demand high and a broad palette to choose from, hair color services rendered at salons across the US reached $17.9 billion, according to Cyrus Bulsara, president and founder, Professional Consultants & Resources, Plano, TX. The amount of hair color sold at manufacturers' dollars to distributors and some “direct” sales to salons reached $877 million.
“Growth comes equally from gray-coverage for aging Baby Boomers and the growing trend for ‘fashion-color’ among young, urban adults,” he explained.
Professional Consultants & Resources recently published the 2016 Professional Salon Industry study. Bulsara and his team confirms that the most popular color services are highlights, balayage, ombré/sombre, blonding and whole-head color. Babylights, ecaille, rooted-blondes and vibrants/vivids are also popular.
“Balayage has become a staple classic in the world of hair color,” agreed Wright. “It gives the customer room to grow their color out without feeling the pressure on their budget or lifestyle. It’s also a great option for people who want a subtle change that isn’t too overpowering or drastic.”
The top players in the professional hair color category, according to Professional Consultants & Resources, are:
“Exclusive hair color brands are the major growth drivers, with multiple brands from Wella, Matrix, Redken, L’Oréal and Schwarzkopf,” explained Bulsara.
Mass Mishaps
L’Oréal and Schwarzkopf are mass market leaders in women’s hair coloring, too, although the past year hasn’t been quite as kind to hair color marketers. According to IRI, sales of women’s hair color in US multi-outlets declined more than 3.8% to about $1.4 billion for the 52 weeks ended Feb. 19, 2017. The top five players and their market share:
On the men’s side, however, sales are consolidated at the top by Combe, which boasts a dollar share of more than 93%, according to IRI. Just for Men is far and away the category leader, with the flagship product accounting for 68% of category sales and other JfM variants, such as Autostop and Touch of Gray, adding 22 more share points to Combe’s ledger.
Now, Combe is taking easy-to-use hair color to the next level with the rollout of Just for Men Control GX, which company executives describe as the latest breakthrough technology from Just For Men that makes reducing gray as easy as shampooing.
“It is the first shampoo that delivers permanent color and gradually reduces gray,” explained Ralph Marburger, global VP-men’s gray care and grooming.
According to Marburger, Control GX broadens the appeal of hair color to men who want to do something about their gray, but don’t want to add an extra step to their grooming routine.
“They can just reduce their gray by doing something they are already doing: simply shampooing their hair,” he noted. “Control GX also allows men to decide how slowly or how quickly they want to reduce their gray by adjusting the usage frequency and how much gray they want to get rid of.”
Combe has two patents for Control GX. A media campaign for Control GX, which includes traditional, digital and social media, as well as FSIs, broke in mid-February. Marburger said sales results have been extremely strong, generating excellent category growth. The IRI data concurs; the brand had only been available for a couple of weeks and already broke into the top 10, according to IRI.
A Professional Approach
Combe aside, nearly all of the innovations in hair color start at the salon level before moving on to mass. The past year has been marked with several notable introductions. Redken rolled out a new Refresh Guide that pairs two favorites, Color Gels and Shades EQ. The former is suggested on zone 1 and the later on zones 2 and 3 to maximize color and minimize stress. Next comes Redken pH-Bonder, which is said to protect bonds, balance pH and preserve fiber integrity.
Clairol Professional’s new Flare Me collection offers everything from dusty rose to blush pinks to teal tones and more. The formula’s True2Tone technology is said to provide vivid jewel-tone colors that penetrate the hair shaft and lock in long-lasting color.
New Kadus Professional Permanent Color is a collection of extra rich crème permanent colors formulated with Vitaflection Microspheres, which deeply penetrate each individual hair fiber with 500 trillion Vitaflection Microspheres, according to the company. This state-of-the-art color technology deposits vivid pigments, leaving hair vibrant, supple and alive with multi-dimensional shine, irrespective of hair condition, according to the manufacturer.
Wella Professionals launched Color Renew, a zero-damage color reducer to adjust, change and correct undesired permanent hair color results. It´s a gentle alternative to persulfate products to reduce undesired oxidative color while respecting the natural hair melanin without lightening the natural hair color, according to the company. Color Renew contains “VC2 Technology” which is based on vitamin C and citric acid. Wella Professionals notes that colored hair consists of natural melanin grains and oxidative dyes. The VC2 technology is said to enter hair layers and react with the oxidative dyes and reduce them while protecting the melatonin.
Redken’s new Blonde Addiction shades take golden and platinum blondes to a whole new level, according to Redken artist George Garcia.
“The Blonde Addiction shades are amped up, unique formulas that give a modern, updated feel to these long-term favorites,” he explained. “The composition of shades such as titanium and violet violet help to give longevity to our blonde formulas as well as a modern twist on existing classics.”
According to Garcia, today’s blonde formulas use more high lift color, less bleach, and have a higher dye load than past formulas. Five-plus years ago, he recalled, stylists were automatically turning to bleach which caused the need to over compensate for exposed undertones in the hair.
“Now, thanks to developments like Redken Blonde Idol, all the guesswork has been removed and the result is beautiful, predictable blondes, every single time,” he insisted. “Placement and transitions have also evolved in the last five years which have resulted in softer blondes that look sun kissed and natural.”
To keep all of those blonde locks looking their best, Kevin Murphy took a page from skin care and applied it to his new Shimmer.Me Blonde formula.
“I wanted to create a repairing shine treatment especially for blondes that did two things, gave you instant gratification by making a difference to the look and feel of the hair from the first application and by being a leave in treatment giving you long term benefits that improve the quality of the hair over time,” explained Murphy.
In researching skin luminizers, he found in high-end skin care formulas and specifically a “mica crystal” often used as a concealer or to create glowing highlights on the skin. According to Murphy, these mica crystals are like hundreds of tiny silver and lavender mirrors reflecting light and evening out the appearance of the hair, creating a uniform shine. The Shimmer.Me Blonde formula contains color enhancer optical brighteners to help counteract yellow and gold tones.
“Because it’s a leave-in treatment, the ingredients go on working for 24 hours or more, giving a greater benefit to the hair with each use,” Murphy explained. “We added babassu oil, which is rich in essential fatty acids, to help nourish and moisturize the hair shaft.”
Shimmer.Me Blonde joins Shimmer.Shine, which launched two years ago for women with darker hair or red or gold tones.
What’s in Style?
According to Caroline Kim, global director, Kadus Professional, hair color is moving more toward “natural” and beautiful results. The combination of balayage and baby lights have allowed hairdressers to create customized placements of color that enhance the client’s beauty.
“The hair colors and highlights seamlessly blend into one another which create a very wearable and timeless look,” she added.
Balayage is still trending in a big way, although it’s not only done in the traditional way, according to Wella Professionals top artist and celebrity stylist Claudio Lazo.
“Hand painting just feels good to hairdressers, we like the freedom of customizing our work to fit our needs, making color trends accessible to every level of hairdresser,” he explained.
“The big trends in color for 2017 is toning and shading, the real work of art starts after the balayage or hand painting.”
To create that custom look, skilled stylists use colors that contradict each other and add a third tone to defuse it and make the end look and feel seamless. Actress Drew Barrymore helped stylize “rooted blondes,” which are slowly gaining popularity in cities throughout the US, Bulsara noted.
“Here the ends are a stark contrast color, usually blonde to honey blonde, with a darker, 2-3 inch, natural color root,” he explained.
JF Lazartigue hasn’t introduced any new shades, but the company has revamped packaging. And just because national promotional director Mary Pergoda doesn’t have any new hair colors to promote in 2017, she remains in constant contact with her accounts, getting the scoop on the latest trends in hair color.
For example, Cathie Politis-Fennell, owner of Salon Greco in Atlanta told Pergoda, “You can never be too blonde this year! The lighter the blonde the better!”
Garcia agrees, but with a caveat or two.
“I would recommend that someone who is looking to go blonde for the first time, no matter what their age might be, do so in a transitional manner so that they get a taste for blonde and are able to adjust and grow into their shade,” he explained, adding, “color knows no age, so if you want icy blonde or rose gold hair—you should go for it!”
Among the younger clientele, neon shades and mood colors that change hue when heat is applied to the hair are on-trend, as are pastels For her more conservative clients, the spring trend is balyage. At Images Salon in Las Vegas, ombre, caramel and chocolate shades rule. Owners Joe Berjeaux and Loretta Lobat-Putscher noted that a shadow root with ombre doesn’t require much of a commitment by their customers. In contrast, younger consumers are making big bets: silver to titanium grays, pink purple and other vivid colors. But regardless the color, it’s all about texture and more texture, according to Pergoda.
Cut and color, color and cut. Hairstylists who excel in both arts find themselves in the driver’s seat this Spring.
“Hair color has changed so much over the years and people are experimenting more and more, which I love,” noted Clairol Professional celebrity colorist Kiyah Wright. “I expect the direction toward pastel and vivid colors to continue throughout 2017.”
With demand high and a broad palette to choose from, hair color services rendered at salons across the US reached $17.9 billion, according to Cyrus Bulsara, president and founder, Professional Consultants & Resources, Plano, TX. The amount of hair color sold at manufacturers' dollars to distributors and some “direct” sales to salons reached $877 million.
“Growth comes equally from gray-coverage for aging Baby Boomers and the growing trend for ‘fashion-color’ among young, urban adults,” he explained.
Professional Consultants & Resources recently published the 2016 Professional Salon Industry study. Bulsara and his team confirms that the most popular color services are highlights, balayage, ombré/sombre, blonding and whole-head color. Babylights, ecaille, rooted-blondes and vibrants/vivids are also popular.
“Balayage has become a staple classic in the world of hair color,” agreed Wright. “It gives the customer room to grow their color out without feeling the pressure on their budget or lifestyle. It’s also a great option for people who want a subtle change that isn’t too overpowering or drastic.”
The top players in the professional hair color category, according to Professional Consultants & Resources, are:
“Exclusive hair color brands are the major growth drivers, with multiple brands from Wella, Matrix, Redken, L’Oréal and Schwarzkopf,” explained Bulsara.
Mass Mishaps
L’Oréal and Schwarzkopf are mass market leaders in women’s hair coloring, too, although the past year hasn’t been quite as kind to hair color marketers. According to IRI, sales of women’s hair color in US multi-outlets declined more than 3.8% to about $1.4 billion for the 52 weeks ended Feb. 19, 2017. The top five players and their market share:
On the men’s side, however, sales are consolidated at the top by Combe, which boasts a dollar share of more than 93%, according to IRI. Just for Men is far and away the category leader, with the flagship product accounting for 68% of category sales and other JfM variants, such as Autostop and Touch of Gray, adding 22 more share points to Combe’s ledger.
Now, Combe is taking easy-to-use hair color to the next level with the rollout of Just for Men Control GX, which company executives describe as the latest breakthrough technology from Just For Men that makes reducing gray as easy as shampooing.
“It is the first shampoo that delivers permanent color and gradually reduces gray,” explained Ralph Marburger, global VP-men’s gray care and grooming.
According to Marburger, Control GX broadens the appeal of hair color to men who want to do something about their gray, but don’t want to add an extra step to their grooming routine.
“They can just reduce their gray by doing something they are already doing: simply shampooing their hair,” he noted. “Control GX also allows men to decide how slowly or how quickly they want to reduce their gray by adjusting the usage frequency and how much gray they want to get rid of.”
Combe has two patents for Control GX. A media campaign for Control GX, which includes traditional, digital and social media, as well as FSIs, broke in mid-February. Marburger said sales results have been extremely strong, generating excellent category growth. The IRI data concurs; the brand had only been available for a couple of weeks and already broke into the top 10, according to IRI.
A Professional Approach
Combe aside, nearly all of the innovations in hair color start at the salon level before moving on to mass. The past year has been marked with several notable introductions. Redken rolled out a new Refresh Guide that pairs two favorites, Color Gels and Shades EQ. The former is suggested on zone 1 and the later on zones 2 and 3 to maximize color and minimize stress. Next comes Redken pH-Bonder, which is said to protect bonds, balance pH and preserve fiber integrity.
Clairol Professional’s new Flare Me collection offers everything from dusty rose to blush pinks to teal tones and more. The formula’s True2Tone technology is said to provide vivid jewel-tone colors that penetrate the hair shaft and lock in long-lasting color.
New Kadus Professional Permanent Color is a collection of extra rich crème permanent colors formulated with Vitaflection Microspheres, which deeply penetrate each individual hair fiber with 500 trillion Vitaflection Microspheres, according to the company. This state-of-the-art color technology deposits vivid pigments, leaving hair vibrant, supple and alive with multi-dimensional shine, irrespective of hair condition, according to the manufacturer.
Wella Professionals launched Color Renew, a zero-damage color reducer to adjust, change and correct undesired permanent hair color results. It´s a gentle alternative to persulfate products to reduce undesired oxidative color while respecting the natural hair melanin without lightening the natural hair color, according to the company. Color Renew contains “VC2 Technology” which is based on vitamin C and citric acid. Wella Professionals notes that colored hair consists of natural melanin grains and oxidative dyes. The VC2 technology is said to enter hair layers and react with the oxidative dyes and reduce them while protecting the melatonin.
Redken’s new Blonde Addiction shades take golden and platinum blondes to a whole new level, according to Redken artist George Garcia.
“The Blonde Addiction shades are amped up, unique formulas that give a modern, updated feel to these long-term favorites,” he explained. “The composition of shades such as titanium and violet violet help to give longevity to our blonde formulas as well as a modern twist on existing classics.”
According to Garcia, today’s blonde formulas use more high lift color, less bleach, and have a higher dye load than past formulas. Five-plus years ago, he recalled, stylists were automatically turning to bleach which caused the need to over compensate for exposed undertones in the hair.
“Now, thanks to developments like Redken Blonde Idol, all the guesswork has been removed and the result is beautiful, predictable blondes, every single time,” he insisted. “Placement and transitions have also evolved in the last five years which have resulted in softer blondes that look sun kissed and natural.”
To keep all of those blonde locks looking their best, Kevin Murphy took a page from skin care and applied it to his new Shimmer.Me Blonde formula.
“I wanted to create a repairing shine treatment especially for blondes that did two things, gave you instant gratification by making a difference to the look and feel of the hair from the first application and by being a leave in treatment giving you long term benefits that improve the quality of the hair over time,” explained Murphy.
In researching skin luminizers, he found in high-end skin care formulas and specifically a “mica crystal” often used as a concealer or to create glowing highlights on the skin. According to Murphy, these mica crystals are like hundreds of tiny silver and lavender mirrors reflecting light and evening out the appearance of the hair, creating a uniform shine. The Shimmer.Me Blonde formula contains color enhancer optical brighteners to help counteract yellow and gold tones.
“Because it’s a leave-in treatment, the ingredients go on working for 24 hours or more, giving a greater benefit to the hair with each use,” Murphy explained. “We added babassu oil, which is rich in essential fatty acids, to help nourish and moisturize the hair shaft.”
Shimmer.Me Blonde joins Shimmer.Shine, which launched two years ago for women with darker hair or red or gold tones.
What’s in Style?
According to Caroline Kim, global director, Kadus Professional, hair color is moving more toward “natural” and beautiful results. The combination of balayage and baby lights have allowed hairdressers to create customized placements of color that enhance the client’s beauty.
“The hair colors and highlights seamlessly blend into one another which create a very wearable and timeless look,” she added.
Balayage is still trending in a big way, although it’s not only done in the traditional way, according to Wella Professionals top artist and celebrity stylist Claudio Lazo.
“Hand painting just feels good to hairdressers, we like the freedom of customizing our work to fit our needs, making color trends accessible to every level of hairdresser,” he explained.
“The big trends in color for 2017 is toning and shading, the real work of art starts after the balayage or hand painting.”
To create that custom look, skilled stylists use colors that contradict each other and add a third tone to defuse it and make the end look and feel seamless. Actress Drew Barrymore helped stylize “rooted blondes,” which are slowly gaining popularity in cities throughout the US, Bulsara noted.
“Here the ends are a stark contrast color, usually blonde to honey blonde, with a darker, 2-3 inch, natural color root,” he explained.
JF Lazartigue hasn’t introduced any new shades, but the company has revamped packaging. And just because national promotional director Mary Pergoda doesn’t have any new hair colors to promote in 2017, she remains in constant contact with her accounts, getting the scoop on the latest trends in hair color.
For example, Cathie Politis-Fennell, owner of Salon Greco in Atlanta told Pergoda, “You can never be too blonde this year! The lighter the blonde the better!”
Garcia agrees, but with a caveat or two.
“I would recommend that someone who is looking to go blonde for the first time, no matter what their age might be, do so in a transitional manner so that they get a taste for blonde and are able to adjust and grow into their shade,” he explained, adding, “color knows no age, so if you want icy blonde or rose gold hair—you should go for it!”
Among the younger clientele, neon shades and mood colors that change hue when heat is applied to the hair are on-trend, as are pastels For her more conservative clients, the spring trend is balyage. At Images Salon in Las Vegas, ombre, caramel and chocolate shades rule. Owners Joe Berjeaux and Loretta Lobat-Putscher noted that a shadow root with ombre doesn’t require much of a commitment by their customers. In contrast, younger consumers are making big bets: silver to titanium grays, pink purple and other vivid colors. But regardless the color, it’s all about texture and more texture, according to Pergoda.
Cut and color, color and cut. Hairstylists who excel in both arts find themselves in the driver’s seat this Spring.
