Color Theory Formulas
Every formula built on one principle: complementary pigments create neutralization, partial complementary combinations create dimension.
Creamy Vanilla Platinum
Cool-leaning cream blonde with body that never reads grey
The melt uses NB's blue undertone to intercept orange at level 7 while VB introduces violet-blue higher up to fight yellow. At the ends, 10WG pushes vanilla warmth, 10GI adds champagne beige, and 10AA's green base pulls back excess warmth.
Toasted Honey Bronde
Multi-tonal warm blonde that shifts in different light
6N is the neutral anchor while 7NB keeps the shadow zone from going coppery. Three different warm blonde expressions layer at the ends — 9WG reads buttery, 9G brings sunlight, 9GI prevents brassiness.
Smoky Mushroom Melt
Moody, editorial cool with alive dimension
5N gives true mid-depth neutral. The ends use 8T titanium for steel-silver smoke, 8VB ensures no warmth breaks through, and the small hit of 8GI keeps the mushroom alive and three-dimensional.
Iced Espresso Brunette
Cool, expensive brunette — cold brew, not hot chocolate
4N builds rich dark-chocolate base. 7AA leads because its green base cancels warm copper-red tones at level 7. 7VB handles orange, 7NB balances so you don't skew too green or violet.
Rose Gold Champagne
Blush champagne that reads 'Is that her natural color?'
7RB weaves in red-brown for warm mauve shadow. At the ends, 9RB delivers soft rose-copper, 9P pastelizes the rose, 9GI transforms pink into champagne territory.
Sun-Drenched Bronze
Liquid bronze that catches light like metal
Cool base against warm ends creates powerful dimension. 8C deposits liquid bronze, 8G pushes toward honey, 8WG softens and butters the whole thing.
✦ Janine's Signatures ✦
Signature Formulas
My personal favorites. These are the formulas clients fly in for.
Gunmetal Ash
Deliberately smoked shadow root melting into clean, airy blonde
Titanium at level 6 deposits smoky, metallic coolness that reads deliberately placed. Creates graphite-to-platinum gradient that looks intentional and modern.
Golden Hour Velvet
Rich warm blonde with violet sophistication underneath
8VG is the star — violet-gold carries warmth but violet's refinement. This separates it from just another warm blonde. The VG creates dimensional, three-dimensional warmth.
Violet Frost
Editorial mahogany shadow dissolving into lavender-platinum
7M creates plummy, wine-stained shadow. The ends are pure ice: P sheers the deposit, T adds steel, NB keeps yellow eliminated. The contrast is what makes this editorial.
Soft Platinum
Your-hair-but-platinum — wearable, not severe
The secret is 9NW: that whisper of natural warmth makes platinum wearable versus severe. Pure cool at level 10 can read grey; NW softens without warming.
Espresso Silk
Brunette sorcery — single-level dimension that makes brown look expensive
This is how you make brown hair look expensive. Tonal shift without level change — light bouncing between cool and warm within a narrow band creates internal reflectivity.
Amethyst Frost
Fashion-forward lavender-platinum without fully committing
10VV is double violet — true lavender-lilac at level 10. 10N grounds it, 10P sheers it out. For the client who wants purple-platinum space without full fashion color commitment.
Shades EQ Tone Reference
Understanding the letter codes is what turns formula building from guesswork into architecture.
Questions About a Formula?
DM me on Instagram — I love talking color theory and helping stylists figure out the perfect formula for their clients.
@colorbyjanine