Had a client last week who made me question everything about my color matching

I've been doing hair for about 12 years now, mostly in a small salon outside Portland. Last Wednesday a new client came in, she was maybe 60, silver hair, wanted a toner to warm it up. I grabbed my usual shade but she stopped me and said 'you know, my skin tone changes in summer, maybe try something lighter.' I never really thought about seasonal skin shifts for older clients. She was right, the lighter shade looked way better. Has anyone else adjusted their toners by season for silver hair?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantmartinez22d ago

Had a buddy who runs a shop out near Salem tell me a similar thing last year. He had this lady come in with gray hair that he always toned with a cool purple, but she pulled out a picture of herself from a trip to Mexico and was like 'see how my skin looks different here?' He ended up mixing in a tiny bit of warm gold and it turned out perfect. Now he keeps two separate formulas for his gray clients, one for winter and one for summer. Said it was a game changer for keeping them happy.

the_elliot22d ago

Jumped on that same wavelength a few years back with a client who had this gorgeous silver going on. I was using the same blue toner year round, but she came in one summer all tan and it made her hair look flat and kind of muddy. Swapped to a very light lavender tone with just a whisper of warmth, and it was night and day. Now I keep a summer and winter formula on file for her too. Makes a huge difference, especially for clients who spend time outside or travel.

jamesm3822d ago

My salon is in a northern state where we barely see the sun half the year, so I started keeping a separate toner mix for my silver clients around April and another for October. Last spring I had a lady who always used a cool silver toner, but by July she looked washed out. I swapped her to a formula with just a dot of warm gold like @the_elliot mentioned with their lavender trick, and she booked her next appointment before she left the chair. The difference is small but huge - it's basically about matching the undertone of their summer skin instead of fighting it. I keep both formulas labeled in the back now so I don't have to guess.