A Rose Balayage out of the Ashes of a Chemical Wasteland
There is a secret to working with over processed hair. Possibly. that secret involves becoming James Miju, but since only one person has accomplished that so far, we’ll have to settle for using his formulas and application method.
Miju is well known for his delicate work with thin, straight, and dark hair. He’s made a career of lifting the color of black strands and spinning them into vibrant pastels and vivid unicorn styles toned by his minimalistic aesthetic and what we assume must be magic. Of course, his careful selection of tools and products and massive knowledge in using them might have something to do with it too. But whether it’s the the workings of a powerful brain, or long-trained expertise in developing color formulas, one of the first words that come to mind looking at this recent creation is magic.
Miju created what he calls a Pale Ash Rose color out of a tricky combination of thin, uneven, and heavily processed hair. His client, Chantelle, had her hair done blue before coming to Miju for a big change, so her hair hadn’t had much time to recover its health.
Here are the gritty details of his process.
Starting Level: Chantelle’s hair was level 10 with level 7-8 banding. It was colored with direct dye and oxidative color and had tape-in extensions in the front for fullness all done a few days before this appointment. The client is recommended to use clarifying shampoo at home to get excess color removed before processing again.
Color Formulas
Formula A (Pre-treatment): 30 grams of Fanola Botolife Filler Intensive Reconstructor+ 7 grams of Fiber Fix Step 1
Formula B (Lightener): 30 grams Oro Therapy Bleaching Powder + 60 grams Oro Therapy 24k Gold Activator 10 vol + 7 grams Fiber Fix Step 1
Formula C (lilac-silver blonde): 59 grams of Oro 10.1e + 1 grams of Oro 4.2 + 90 grams of Oro 10 Vol developer + 7 grams of Fiber Fix Step 1
Formula D (smoked shadow): 50 grams 8.1 5 + grams 5.1 + 5 grams 4.2 + 90 grams of Oro 10 Vol developer + 7 grams of Fiber Fix Step 1
Formula E (rose color treatment): 40 grams of Botugen Reconstructive Mask mixed with 1 pump of Fanola Intense Red Color Mask Shine And Hydration.
Application
1. Remove any hair extensions, brush out tangles, and check the hair for hair strength/quality and color. Apply a Formula A (Pre-treatment) on overprocessed areas first.
2. Start applying Formula B (Lightener) on darkest areas first. Thoroughly saturate areas with darker Level 7 banding. Use papers to isolate these sections. For banding that is level 8, lightly apply product to gently lift these areas.
3. Check hair every 10 minutes for hair quality and color. Wipe off the lightener with a towel if hair becomes too weak or is lifted to a level 9+. Apply Formula A (Pre-treatment) on strands that feels weak. 5 minutes before processing is complete, apply Formula B (Lightener) on any areas where previous color is still present. Rinse when color is generally even or when hair is too processed to continue.
4. Shampoo with Fiber Fix Shampoo and follow up with Fiber Fix N2 Bond Connector Sealing Cream.
5. Quickly apply color Formula C (lilac-silver blonde) on the midshaft-ends and then apply Formula D (smoked shadow) onto the scalp area to start your shadow melt.
6. After 5 minutes apply Formula D (smoked shadow) about 1-2 inch into the midshaft and onto any areas that are not toning out with Formula C (lilac-silver blonde). Allow 15 additional minutes to process.
7. Shampoo with Botugen Shampoo and Apply Formula E (rose color treatment) using a bowl and brush. This will add a rose pink tint that last a few washes. Rinse after 20 minutes.
8. Follow up with your favorite styling products, blow dry and curl with a 1 1/4 inch curling iron.
You can keep up with James Miju’s other creations on his instagram @dearmiju.
And if you’d like to see what other artists are doing with Fanola, definitely check out @fanola_usa.