OPAQUE VERSUS TRANSLUCENT

HOW TRANSPARENT ARE YOU?


When it comes to professional permanent hair color, hairstylists and salons will always have their favorites. I would like to explain how we choose the different brands of color lines and how our choices affect your hair.

OPAQUE : -adjective
Impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through (i.e. metal, wood).

When you look at opaque color on the hair, its effect is a bit flat because of lights inability to shine through it. The coverage can seem a bit cool in color and it lacks sparkle, which you can get from translucent color. I use opaque colors on clients with hard to cover gray that would prefer not to see any evidence of their pesky white hair. They want the feeling of flawless coverage while still having natural, shiny, healthy hair.

I prefer to use opaque colors on cool brunettes, warm brunettes and curly/thick, hard to cover gray hair. A client’s skin tone also plays a part in my choosing this color. If the client has warm or red tones to their skin, I may choose an opaque color to help keep the appearance on the flatter side, instead of a warm translucent hair color on warm skin. When I use the word flat, keep in mind that opaque colors can be high in shine.

I also allow the client to guide me when making these choices by taking into consideration their opinion on hair color and skin tone.

Here are some examples of opaque professional hair color.

Redken Fusion


Miss Clairol


Framesi


Goldwell


TRANSŸLUŸCENT : -adjective
Permitting light to pass through but diffusing it so that persons, objects, etc., on the opposite side are not clearly visible (i.e. frosted glass, some plastics).

Translucent hair color has more of a sparkle as it allows light to shine through it. The coverage is not as flat as an opaque color; it gives high shine and is flawless nonetheless. I love translucent colors on my light, warm or cool blonds. I also like using it on warm brunettes who don’t seem to mind its luminosity. When low lighting on my warm blonds, I choose translucent colors to keep that luminous effect throughout the hair.

Here are some examples of translucent professional hair color.

Majirel by L’Oréal

Wella


Please look forward to Part 2 as I provide you with a greater understanding of why we do what we do.

Antonio