Had a client bring in a picture of a cartoon character for a cut

This lady wanted her hair to look exactly like the main character from a show my kid watches, and she was very serious about the blue streak. I mixed a semi-permanent color and did my best, but it looked wild under the salon lights. Has anyone else had to match a color to something that wasn't even real?

3 comments

3 Comments

jesse_west1mo ago

Just saw the part about the cartoon character. That's a whole new level of color matching. I can't imagine trying to mix a blue to match a drawing, especially under those bright salon lights. That must have been a real trip to see finished.

lily_craig18d ago

Yeah, that daylight shift is the real nightmare. I had a friend go full Ariel red and it looked amazing inside. Then we walked to the car and it was this weird, flat orange under the sun. All that money and processing time for a color that only exists under one type of bulb. Makes you wonder why they don't have a "sunlight check" station by the door.

troy_jenkins1mo ago

I saw a video once where a colorist had to match the exact shade of blue from a My Little Pony toy for a kid's hair. @jesse_west, you're right about the lights, but the real kicker is how the color looks in normal daylight after. That bright salon blue can turn into a weird grayish purple once you step outside. I mean, you'd have to add a crazy amount of pure pigment to fight that, and then the hair feels like straw.