Journey to the Galaxy

I love how blends of bright colors are in fashion right now. Over the years, I have tried every color of the rainbow on myself at some point or another. A few years ago, I went all purple...and had stuck with different variations and shades of violet.

This brings me to today; my mom has always been up for whatever color I wanted to use. Since I was a little girl, she has let me play with her haircut and color...some better then others. Warning, don't let your 10 year old give you highlights. Fast forward 18 years, she still loves for me to play with her hair. My mom lives in California (I'm in Vermont) so we see each other about once a year. Every time I see her we do a fun color and haircut...she has been talking about this visit and color since the last time I saw her. If you know my mom, then a galaxy inspired color is perfect for her!

I see a lot of instagram photos of color similar to this....but it does't show the steps in-between or the cost. I want to break down the steps involved (including price) to see what it takes to have this hair. These prices are for my market in Burlington, Vermont...they can be dramatically different depending on where you live. When I was working in NYC, the prices were much higher.

Before:

She has been growing out her pixie haircut; anyone who has ever done that knows this stage. "the mullet"

Lighten:

I chose to do this with a balayage (freehand painting) technique. There are so many ways to do this step...I went with this one because I wanted to have the graduation of dark to light.

$125+ depending on the length and density of your hair

Color Application:

I use Goldwell Elumen which is a high performance permanent (ammonia free) color. I've been using this product for a long time, and LOVE it! Just know going into a color like this, that it is permanent and hard to remove.

$150+ depending on the length and density of your hair (this may seem expensive, but remember that the product is high quality)

I did her haircut before applying this step so I can place the color where it works for her cut.

$55

At Home Care:

This step is important. You just spent a lot of money on your hair color, don't you want it to last as long as possible? By using Elumen Wash (shampoo) and Treat (conditioner) your color should stay vibrant longer.

$25+