The power of three – three top toning tips

Toning is an essential part of the colouring process, but can also be one of the most anxiety inducing applications a colourist undertakes. Matrix Artist Ambassador, Niall McNulty says: “One of the main reasons toning scares hairdressers is due to allowing the correct amount of time and charging accordingly. Toning is much more than just quickly applying something at the backwash.”

The Power of three – three ways to use toners

We spoke to three hairstylists for their top toning tips... Katie Allen at Mayfive for L’Oreal Professionnel When a toner is processing it always makes the hair appear darker as the product wets the hair slightly. This can make the hair feel and appear a lot darker when the toner is on, but trust your knowledge and the process! I love to tone with L’Oreal Professionnel Dia Light as the consistency of the product is really easy to spread through the hair. As its more of a gel than a liquid, it’s easier to see the colour development whilst it's on. Top toning tip If you have only lightened the regrowth which may only be the first inch or so of highlights, start on the ends first as they are more keratinised and will need longer to develop. Then only do the freshly coloured roots for the last few five mins to match the ends. Matrix Artist Ambassador Niall McNulty The hair, once lifted, needs to be correctly assessed in all lights and throughout the hair, then formulated accordingly to get an even tone throughout, or to blend areas when colour correcting. The Matrix SoColor Sync Acid Range doesn’t affect the client’s natural colour so it’s perfect for balayage and highlight clients. Top toning tip Clean sections when toning hair is a must! Also breaking the head into zones makes it so much easier. I like to alter my formulas and timings to each zone to create dimension and high and lows. This really elevates the colouring or highlighting service to another level. Have a bowl of clear to help dilute and pastelise or stop an area from over toning. Pulp Riot Artist Hannah Button Toning is always perceived as difficult because hairdressers have their desired tone, and just put that on all over, however to get your target shade you need to consider three things. Firstly, any unwanted undertones you need to neutralise, also how porous the hair is. Finally, the level of lift the hair has achieved, you cannot tone with a nine level if the hair has only lifted to seven. Pulp Riot Speed Toners allow you to control the depth of tone by changing the mixing ratios and can deposit colour in as little as five minutes. Top toning tip Don’t panic if you think the toner is developing too dark. More often than not toners can look scary, but you have to trust the process. If you wash it off too soon, the toner will either not have taken, or not last very long. Check out another in our Power of Three series, this time - Dry Shampoo.