I finally cracked a stubborn toner formula after 8 months of messing with it

There's this dusty rose toner I've been trying to get right for clients with warm skin tones. Every time I mixed it, it either pulled too purple or turned muddy after 20 minutes on the hair. I probably wasted a good $60 in trial bowls and had to comp three different appointments because the color came out wrong. Last Tuesday I finally figured out I was using too much blue base and not enough violet, which sounds simple but it took me 8 months to land on that ratio. I tested it on my sister first and it came out exactly like I wanted, soft without being ashy. Has anyone else spent way too long chasing one specific color mix?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_diana8d ago

Damn, 8 months? That's dedication. I don't think I'd have the patience for that many failed bowls. $60 in product down the drain hurts to even think about. Comping three appointments too, that's real money walking out the door. But man, that feeling when you finally nail it must be incredible. Soft without being ashy is the holy grail for dusty rose.

kellys787d ago

Right??? The struggle is SO real with dusty rose in particular. I had this one client who wanted that exact shade and I swear I went through SIX different formulas before finally getting it right. The worst was when I thought I had it perfect, applied it, and then it oxidized to this horrible muddy brown within like 20 minutes. I practically cried. But when you FINALLY see that soft, velvety finish with zero ashiness? Pure magic. Makes you feel like a COLOR GOD for about five minutes until the next challenge comes along.

young.nora7d ago

Wait, was it the brand of toner that kept messing it up for you?