Find out how one of 2019’s hottest colour trends can help you expand your colour-service clientele.
You don’t need to be a nail artist to have heard of the term “negative space.” If you haven’t heard, well, you’re late to the party because it’s been a big beauty trend for years. It’s become so popular, in fact, that like contouring, strobing and other beauty trends that have crossed over into hair, negative space is about to have its moment.
The Lowdown
“It’s putting the focus on the actual base colour—whether it’s your client’s natural colour or an artificial base colour,” says Eryn Wall, a Wella Top Artist and owner of The Headroom in St. John’s, Nfld. “Typically, there are highlights around the face, but it’s really about letting the base colour shine, with a subtle, not intense, contrast.”
Although the freehand technique used to achieve this look is not new, understanding the verbiage is. Since negative space emphasizes the base colour, the placement of the highlights is key. “I would do thin highlighting around the face, and if I want to accent it a little bit more, I would go in a little lighter on the ends,” explains Julio Rodriguez, artistic director at Valentini Hair Design & Spa in Guelph, Ont. “But if you really want it to be negative space, it has to showcase that [base] colour, so you have to leave a lot of that colour in.”
What’s in it for You?
Not only is negative space colour easy to create, it’s an easy way to help you transition more clients into colour services. “What happens is that once clients start getting into highlighting and adding dimension, they get excited and want more,” says Rodriguez. “And that’s when they’ll get into balayage and ombrè. So it really opens the door for your colour business.”
Rodriguez, who is also a guest artist for Matrix, recommends that the base colour for brunettes be at a level four to eight, and blondes at a natural level six. “When you have that darker base, that’s when the colour really pops,” he says, adding that it can also work on shorter hair for both men and women.
“The key is keeping it blended,” says Wall. “It’s a great way to introduce people to something more subtle and a more tone-on-tone look. It’s a great upsell and that’s something that, as a salon owner, I’m always talking to my staff about.”
Photo Credits: Z.One Concept; Julio Rodriguez
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