TingRedken Shades EQEnter theTONE ZONETONERS ARE GREAT, AREN’T THEY? PERFECT FOR BANISHING UNWANTED BRASS, ADDING A TEMPORARY SHADE OR REFRESHINGSHINE BETWEEN COLOUR APPOINTMENTS – BUT ARE YOU MAKING THE MOST OF THEM IN YOUR BUSINESS?30 | PAINT
SCROLL THROUGH YOUR Instagram feed, and you’ll notice thatthe hair colours that get a whole lotta love are the perfectly toned,gorgeously glossy finishes that look almost edible, from biscuitblondes to chocolatey browns and even sugar almond pastels. And,thanks to tags, consumers can see for themselves precisely theprofessional brands being used to deliver this deliciousness. Oftenthese are shades that can be applied as a service that doesn’t costhours or lots of cash. This is the power of the not-so humble toner,and truly its time is now.“Toning should be big news in all salons,” asserts Robert Eaton,UK and Ireland technical director of Wella Professionals and creativedirector of Russell Eaton salons. “We’ve really focused our educationto explore creativity with toners and the technical knowledge thatgoes alongside it. Everything from instant colour, our colour blowdryservice to longer-lasting toners and glossing services. Thereisn’t much you can’t suggest a toner for.”Indeed, the merits of toners are endless – yet so many salons failto make the most out of using them. “Toning should play a starringrole in any salon,” says Steve Rowbottom, co-director of Westrowsalons. “It’s important to educate your clients first and foremost.The biggest misconception we’ve found is clients think toning is forcolour correction, rather than a tool for personalisation.”Steve suggests using simple terminology to point out the colouringoptions during a consultation and explaining how adding a warmer orcooler toner cancels out unwanted tones. “Make it clear what tonersare and how they work with your clients’ hair,” he advises.@blendsalonRedken Shades EQ Toning Tweakments menuWHAT’S ON THE MENU?Sophie Gibson, art team member of salon group Hooker & Young,emphasises the importance of a toning menu. “It’s important tomake it clear that colour is a journey. Creating a menu that keepsthis in clients’ minds ensures you’re on the same wavelength inregards to services provided, products needed and overall cost,” sheexplains. “Offering toner services after a previous colour service isvital for maximising profit and loyalty.”L’Oréal Professionnel Majirel GlowClarifying everything on an easy to understand menu opens upthe potential for developing conversations and interest from clients,suggests Daniel Rice, colour director at Williams & Rice. They mightnot be up for a full colour change but might be willing to try a twist onthe usual. “Satisfying that curiosity can open fresh opportunities witha wide variety of clients; experimenting with tonal shades can leadto something more complex, with more commitment and a moreexpensive service. But toners can also be an inexpensive way ofintroducing colour as a new service to clients.”Redken supports its salons with regular service menu campaigns,each one working hard to deliver beautiful hair that’s perfect forInstagram, driving clients both new and established to try colour andusing beauty vocabulary to chime in with conversations that clientsare hearing elsewhere. With its Toning Tweakments menu, completewith before and after images, guests are offered four distinct servicesusing its Shades EQ portfolio to deliver a real impact on their haircolour, and in as little as 20 minutes. This means it’s a quick backwashservice that can boost the bottom line while illustrating to the clientwhat a big impact toners can have on banishing brass and dullness.“Clients love this!” says Jo Pilbeam from Blend about theTweakments menu. “They can see exactly how to maintain theirbeautiful salon colour and keep the shine without damaging the hair.We got a lot of interaction from clients asking what we used to makethe colours we share on our Instagram feed and asking questionsabout Shades EQ. I think of it as a lip gloss for the hair.”Offering salons an enticing menu of quick colour options at anaffordable price was a driver behind the No Strings Attached Colourmenu from Wella Professionals too, and its new blonde glazingmenu, curated by its UK colour trend expert, Zoë Irwin, aims to leaveno blonde untoned.“Toning and glossing services are an amazing introductionfor colour-averse clients,” says Robert Eaton. “There has beenPAINT | 31