Shanti: Shanti’s thick and lustrous hair is the perfect texture for this full, modified bob. The design is made more dramatic by applying a rich, all-over chocolate (level 4 with 20-volume) to her natural level 3. For the cut, get a heavy buildup of weight by establishing a perimeter with horizontal graduation and low elevation. Use square layers in interior for height. Take vertical sections around the center of the head and hold out at 90 degrees, removing the weight between the perimeter and where the square layers fall. Frame face with low elevation, walking the scissors to keep a strong, solid shape. Channel hair when dry to remove excess weight.
Nicole: Give excitement to a style like Nicole’s sleek, graduated bob by putting bright highlights against a warm, cherry-brown base. Create highlights by applying a lightener with 20-volume in sections as modeled on Nicole. Lift to desired shade, rinse and then apply toner mixed in equal parts of Wild Mahogany and Red Alert. For the cut, use diagonal graduation to establish shape and width in the exterior. For movement with an asymmetric feel in the interior, use concave layers to a side part. Cut asymmetric fringe using a freehand technique. Take half-inch sections in the frame and stagger lengths with low elevation to create separation and interest.
Joel: Joel’s edgy design commands plenty of attention on its own, but violet highlights over a blue-black base makes him stand out in any crowd. For the color, apply a blue-black semi-permanent Diacolor from roots to mid-shaft. Tip the ends with a 30-volume lightener, protect ends by wrapping with foil and then process. First rinse out blue-black, then remove foil and rinse. Apply Level 4 mahogany violet toner to towel-dried tips. For the design, start by sectioning the interior away from exterior at crest line. Scissor-over-comb the exterior, close to head shape. Using horizontal graduation and a razor, bring interior down and cut in exterior, producing an undercut effect.
Mark: Stay cool by day, and go wild by night with Mark’s reversible design. For the color, apply level 5 ash all over, leaving one slash from the apex to the corner of the eye untouched. Apply level 3 neutral to the slash. Let both process 30 minutes. For the design, section out a horseshoe-shaped segment to separate the exterior from the interior. Consistently use vertical graduation in exterior. For the center section, direct hair to the top of the crest to be cut, making the center longer than the crest line. Hold hair up for square top, and, using texturizers, remove weight section by section to keep the length.
Nina: Nina’s all-over red is a great complement to the season’s bright colors, while her pixie cut adds attitude. For the color, apply level 5 true red with 20 vol. peroxide all over and let process 35 minutes. For the design, use vertical graduation to build weight on the occipital bone in the lower back panel. Blend the weight at the occipital without removing the weight by consistently using round layers in the back panel. Continue using the guide from the back panels for the front panels. Taking diagonal sections, travel forward with the guide to gain length on the guide, making the front slightly longer than the back. Use a razor to apply the fringe and then slide down the front edge to meet the side panel.
Monica: Give your client a jagged design like Monica’s, then accentuate with shades of blonde and brown. For the color, section off front band from behind the ear over the top to opposite ear. Using back-to-back foils from the side part, alternate three shades: level 9 with a yellow-orange base with 20-volume; dark blonde semi-permanent; and lightener with 20-volume. Make a circular section at the crown and place back-to-back foils in a radial pattern, alternating the level 9 blonde and dark blonde. From below the circular section to the nape, apply dark blond in a block of color from roots to ends. Process until the lightener has reached the desired shade. Rinse off darker foils first.
For the design, using two-inch sections around the head, start in the back panel with a pivot shape from the apex and end at the nape. Take the first three sections at horizontal and elevate for a graduated edge. Cut the next sections into deep V’s to finish off back panel. Take two-inch vertical sections in front panels, starting from the center part and finishing at the hairline. Elevate close to natural fall, and continue the V shapes to the hairline, leaving the fringe and a two-inch section for the frame. Cut the frame with low elevation to produce a fringe. Then take one-inch sections down the edge and cut independently into diagonals that are shorter near the hairline and longer toward the center of the face. Dry hair and channel to create movement three to four inches above the perimeter without disturbing the outside shape.
