My years working in research taught me more than just what was happening in the beauty industry, it often demonstrated my limited awareness of things. Over the 16 years in R&D that awareness grew and expanded as I learned to open up and assimilate new truths as they appeared. In this blog, my third instalment in the changing world of colours, is the newer category, that was my most difficult to grasp as a Professional; the Mixed Colourers. As always, my intent is that by understanding what is happening around our profession we continue to adapt and position ourselves within this ever-expanding industry.
When I first joined Wella back in the early 90s it was still owned by the Stroher family and the colour business was clearly split into two divisions Professional and Retail. These two categories had very well defined and unique clients. However, the hair colour industry lines have become more blurred it is not so black and white (excuse the pun). Technology has enabled us to discover, learn, research, collect/offer opinions, purchase and use any product we fancy.
Mixed Colourers; individuals who swop between having their hair Professionally coloured and colouring their hair themselves at home. The first time I witnessed this was working in-salon, GenX clients in comparison to their post-war parents were more financially stable and started to purchase second homes, splitting their year between their two properties. While in their home location they regularly visited their Professional but once in their second location (often abroad) they applied their colour themselves.
Another logistic challenge I witnessed was in Sweden where the distance between cities/town is vast and where people live quite a distance from their nearest hair salon which is hampered further by a lot of snow in winter months. Recognising these logistical challenges, Wella Professionals in the past offered a Color Touch kit (unfortunately discontinued), that the Professional could retail to their client during their infrequent visits to top-up their colour at home. Into this same mix is the evolution of different work practices, mixing up how, where and who does their colour. Like their lifestyles their hair colouring needs are flexible. I suspect (personal assumption) the growth of the Colour Bar Concept in my last blog may have been driven by these location fluid individuals.
The mixed colourers are not just driven by circumstance and opportunity there is growing lifestyle group that are not well served by the Professional yet; the conscious colourer. These individuals carefully research and are looking for products that are free from specific ingredients. They are attracted to smaller indie brands that are answering their lifestyle choices. Maddison Reed started originally by offering an online service where you could purchase a home use colour kit, free of all the ‘harsh’ ingredients and full of ‘hair-loving nutrients’. They went one step further, expanding their pure online business to brick and mortar salons. Now you can order your colour online, do it yourself at home or pop into one of their ever expanding Color Bars and have your favourite colour applied by a Professional and even have a colour consultation if desired, bringing DIY Colourers to the Professional.
Then enter more recently the ever-changing trend followers who have mixed budgets but still want the on-trend looks. They look to a Professional to carry out the more complex bleaching/lightening or when needed the bigger transformations and then maintain the top-ups or tonal changes at home. BLEACH London has reached out to this Insta-generation (#bleachbabes) by retailing their products online, in-salon and through BOOTS and Superdrug high street pharmacies. Their philosophy; accessibility, they want anyone who has the desire to colour their hair to do so, irrespective of budget or opportunity.
Please don’t kill the messenger, these are changes in our beauty industry as a whole and not just in hair. With the recent pandemic I feel (personal alert) that there will be a rise in these mixed users as they find themselves unable to get to their beloved Professional. As Professionals we should be asking ourselves, how could we assist them in a collaborative approach to taking care of their hair colour. Or how do we encourage DIY Colourers to supplement their at-home colour routine with a Professional colour service. Or as trends get even more elaborate, do we become the foundation creators and offer tutorials online for these clients to continue experimenting with their hair at home. What I am encouraging here is to think outside the box and that might lead you down a different colouring strategy for your business in the future.
Part 4: I look at clients exiting the colour category.
Stay safe
Caroline
