How to Get Perfect Two-Tone or Multi-Color Hair - Q&A with Master Colorist Stephanie Nimmer
Written by Stephanie Nimmer & Kathryn M, D'Imperio Saturday, 14 March 2009 00:58
Changing the color of your hair accomplishes many things, from revamping your look to revitalizing your mood. 
Two tone hair coloring can make you look younger, older, more mysterious, more serious, and the list goes on. You can lighten your hair for summer, darken your hair for fall, or go with a completely outrageous color scheme to let out your wild side.
Two tone hairstyles can be a lot of fun and of course, a welcome change from your everyday hairstyle. Two toned hair makes you seem daring, courageous, and a bit wild and mysterious. You can also pull off a more conservative two toned hair look with two tone highlights for your hair.
“Anyone can throw one - or one thousand - colors on a head of hair, be those colors blonde, brown, red, pink, hot purple, blue, infinity,” said Stephanie Nimmer, who is a Master Colorist for Godiva Salon in Buckhead, Atlanta. “However, it takes an artfully-trained stylist with a great eye for color to PLACE those colors perfectly within a gorgeous hairstyle.”
Two tone hairstyles can be created at home or at the salon. If it’s your first time trying to two tone your hair, you might consider visiting your favorite hairstylist for an expert two tone hair coloring experience.
“Unless I can make my client's color and style work together in synergy, neither cut nor color make sense,” Nimmer says. “The most stunning cut can be brought down by unfortunate color, and a gorgeous color can be made smarmy by a bad cut. That said, all of this has to work its magic within the constraints of the salon guest's face shape, texture, and strength of hair, coloration of skin, client personality, comfort zone, etc.
“I need to design a look that my salon guest can wear with confidence, one that is tailor-made to her (or his) needs. Unless I do all of this (in a timely manner, no less), I am undermining the very industry I am so passionate about.”
Stephanie Nimmer kindly shares the following Q&A interview with us regarding tips on two tone hairstyles and two toning your hair.
“Please allow me to begin by saying that I have always believed that hair looks best when presented in a ‘family’ of color,” she says. “Basically, that means three blondes, three browns, three reds, or an artful combination of all three. Perhaps a light, medium, dark of one tone, or a light, medium, and dark of each tone. A client can create a multi-toned look that is as subtle or dramatic as she wants, using a three -toned formula. Even if the desired outcome is two-toned, an extra color, be it lighter or even darker, can really bring out the desired contrast.”
Nimmer says some of the top trends include “a one-process golden blonde with a few cool ash highlights, or a few ash lows… a warm copper red, with cool red accents coming from the length underneath, or the reverse.”
Q. – Life Love Beauty: Are these styles easy to create at home, or better off in the salon, or both?
A. – Stephanie Nimmer: “Of course, I am going to agree that in-salon color is the way to go! However, if budget is a concern (and all stylish girls know that there are ways to create ‘gorgeous-ness’ without a big budget), call your local fabulous salons and ask to be on their ‘model list’. Any great salon (such as mine) will have a list of house models who all get the latest cuts and colors, performed by the up-and-coming stylists of the salon. A note to house models... you must be open to cut and color trends and to change!”
Q. – Life Love Beauty: What lengths work best for two-tone hairstyles?
A. – Stephanie Nimmer: “It truly depends on the color pallet desired. If the placement is designed to go with the style, then ALMOST any length can work. Some length of hair can make it easier to create a style, I will admit. Very short layers on the top make for hard work, as the hair does not ‘flow’ into the rest of the style.”
Q. – Life Love Beauty: What cuts / angles work best for two-tone hairstyles?
A. – Stephanie Nimmer: “Any style that has room for movement. Again, I am really all about three colors working in a family. If a client is sporting a gorgeous classic long, medium, or short style, then two or more colors can work stunningly. Just make certain you have enough length to support your color palette, otherwise you can end up looking like a ‘bomb-pop.’”
Q. – Life Love Beauty: What textures – wavy, curly, etc. – work best for two-tone hairstyles?
A. – Stephanie Nimmer: “It can all work, if the placement is correct. Curly hair is most fabulous when it has several colors running through.”
Q. – Life Love Beauty: What would you suggest for someone who isn't quite brave enough to take the plunge to a full two-tone style? Highlights?
A. – Stephanie Nimmer: “Highlights are always a great option for anyone. By definition, highlights give dimension to hair, bringing hair back to its child-like state, and don't most people want their hair to look like a child's, after a trip to the beach?”
Q. – Life Love Beauty: What kinds of highlights are popular now?
A. – Stephanie Nimmer: “Wow, any and all... I am loving the look of warm and cool mixed together on the same head....”
Q. – Life Love Beauty: Once someone has a two-color hairstyle, what is the best way to style it? Accessories?
A. – Stephanie Nimmer: “I just bought a couple of fab headbands... a Vera Wang that is black with almost-gaudy HUGE rhinestones, and a Theory one that is Patent Leather. Both look great on any color hair, and any age....my seven-year-old daughter loves them as well.”
Q. – Life Love Beauty: What products will people sporting these two color or multi-color hairstyles want to pick up?
A. – Stephanie Nimmer: “Today's women need a simplified arsenal of product; styling tools that can go from day to night. Tools that can support volume, yet create smoothness. Tools that can add shine and control, yet remain clean and weightless.
“Today's women need a personalized arsenal of WMD's... or, ‘Will Meet Demands’ ...in other words, products that multi-task, just like the women of today!
“The new Super Skinny Relaxing Balm is amazing! I like to cocktail it with the classic Sculpting Foam, as the two make for terrific control, volume, and smoothness. I add the Extra-Body Daily Boost for lift at the scalp, and I finish it all off with Firm Finishing Spray (all from John Paul Mitchell Systems). Perfect for today's clean, long-lasting styles.”
Q. – Life Love Beauty: Do you have any general care tips for two-tone color styles?
A. – Stephanie Nimmer: “Gently cleanse with appropriate shampoo and always moisturize and/or strengthen according to your climate and hair type. I LOVE the Modern Elixirs Color Therapy!”
Q. – Life Love Beauty: How often should those with two tone hair get their hair dyed again to keep the style vibrant?
A. – Stephanie Nimmer: “Dyed... such a naughty word, I kind of like it again! Most hair color is ready for a refresh in four to six weeks, depending on type of color, length of hair, formulation, etc. If vibrancy is the goal, two-week refreshers are recommended. I love to create a juicy-toned shine treatment (think Marm alade, mixed with Chianti; or Titanium mixed with a Latte; or Pink Champagne mixed with Topaz, etc.), followed by a specially formulated color conditioner (that I can specially mix and formulate for take-home) treatment.
“Five weeks is a good benchmark for most types of color. Highlighted hair (where some of the natural hair is left natural) can go longer, about 10 to 12 weeks.
“A good rule of thumb:
The further from the natural foundation (color), and/or the more hair that receives color, the shorter the maintain cycle (three to six weeks). The more natural hair left, and/or the closer the colors to the natural, the longer the maintain cycle (six to 12 weeks). More dramatic results require more frequent touch-ups, less dramatic results can sometimes result in less frequent touch-ups. For grey coverage, four weeks is average. For grey blending, six to eight weeks is usually sufficient.”
He was my very first love, first kiss, first feeling that I couldn’t quite describe, and I was his. We were so young though and just before the snow season started he and I parted ways. I knew that this would be ok, not because I would ever move on, but because we had a whole life time to find our ways back to each other.
We worked at a ski resort together and that winter and I was forever trying to make my impression on him. I figured that when he was finding the freedom, independence, and adventure that he was looking for, he would see that I too was finding those things, and conclude that we could do all of that together and that it would be even better.
Trying to impress this upon him while working in a run down ski chalet’s cafeteria was quite difficult though. When it was time to bake the giant chocolate chip cookies, the ones that made parents wonder why ski club wasn’t helping their kids lose their baby fat, well I wouldn’t just bake them. I hand shaped each into hearts, snowflakes, animals, even the circle ones were suns and moons as I handed them out with a smile to my regulars.
And what crazy girl would take on the very most dangerous and dreaded job of all, emptying the fryer at the end of the night, well that would be me of course! Anyway it couldn’t be that heavy. I saw that by the time a full day’s orders of French fries and chicken fingers had been made, half the grease vat had dripped onto the floor anyway. I realized maybe that wasn’t such a convenience as I sailed in the air, landing on my tush, a bucket of congealed fryer remains landing on top of me. And that was just what I did at work.
Out on the slopes I would be the fearless girl that dropped in the half pipe, that played chicken with the trees just like the boys . . . that accidentally fell off the chair lift and had the entire hill shut down.
That winter passed, and quite a few after that, but eventually my first love came back. I had traded in mountains for the ocean and was living in Florida. He flew half way across the country to tell me in person that he loved me and was never able to forget me. He confessed that he almost gave up pursuing me because I seemed so independent, adventurous, and free.
Each year that we go home to visit our families for Christmas and New Years, as husband and wife, we make sure to take a trip to our ski hill. Even if we can’t get in a ride we park at the bottom of the hill and talk about that winter.
Editor's Note: The views are exclusively in the authors' perspective and do not necessarily represent the views of the Web site or its management. Sandra D. Bricker's book, Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas, is available at Amazon.com!
“Stephanie is one of Atlanta’s best keep secrets,” said Tony Promiscuo, salon owner and master stylist. “She has been hired all over the world to inspire and teach hair color to thousands. We are thrilled someone with her tremendous talent and experience is now accessible to our clientele.”
About the Expert:
Stephanie Nimmer is a Paul Mitchell Hair Care International Platform Artist working as master colorist at Godiva Salon in Buckhead, GA.
Godiva Salon (www.godivasalon.com) is located on the second level of the Peach Shopping Plaza at 2900 Peachtree Rd. Suite 210 in the upscale Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia.
Bookmark this:
