New year, new you? We’re all for it, and so is Shiseido Professional it seems. The beauty brand wants to usher in 2022 with a hair colour range that celebrates new beginnings, individual expression, and bold colour — all while breaking away from societal norms — which makes for a powerful message we can get behind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTVpBW7A-_o
The Campaign
Their signature PRIMIENCE line is a salon-use premium hair colour range that’s all about gender-neutral beauty, and has its own campaign titled Color Has No Limits. Just take a look at the inspiring campaign video above, where we follow the stories of three Japanese models, who each champion diversity and confidence through their hairstyles. “Live as your true selves without limits,” says Minor, an artist who sports pale-toned pink in their campaign photos.
Just like the models, we’re told to embrace looks that dare to defy society’s beauty standards, particularly those that view people via a gendered lens. Men who are free to rock “non-masculine” pink hair, women with choppy mullet-like locks that steer far from our preconceived notions of femininity, these are wholly and beautifully embraced by Shiseido Professional. If you’re looking for some courage to step outside of your comfort zone, or a hair system that resonates with your personal beliefs, PRIMIENCE might be just for you.
What makes the PRIMIENCE line unique?
Believe it or not, the pink, two-toned blue and orange hair featured on their models are considered “neutral looks”. While a little strange to consider at first, what this means is that the hair colours created via the range have a soft effect that enhances one’s natural hair shine and texture, which then caters to each individual’s style effortlessly without overpowering them; these are looks that go with their lifestyle and fashion choices as well.
The key here is that the PRIMIENCE hair colour range, developed by Shiseido’s makeup and hair artists, were inspired by cosmetics during the creation of the line. Similar to how makeup uses colour to enhance our facial features, PRIMIENCE is able to control hair colour and bring out the hair’s natural shine.
This is done by the use of Skincare Technology, a knowledge acquired over the years through extensive research on Asian skin and hair. The expertise gleaned from that is then applied to the range, in order to develop unique hair colour that is as much about one’s natural beauty as it is bold, new colour.
Another concept that’s borrowed from skincare is that PRIMIENCE comes in the form of a hydrating cream that contains S-hyaluronic acid. We all know how the process of bleaching and dyeing often leads to dry ends; in this case, Shiseido Professional has helpfully included the highly-functional moisturising agent, developed exclusively by them, within the range of products, which prevents the loss of moisture while conditioning and moisturising our precious hair strands.
The formula also conditions the cuticle on the surface, the cortical, and the deeper layer of the hair, giving us clear, refined colours with a brilliant, glossy shine. Additionally, efficient penetration of both warm and cool colour pigments, thanks to a DUPLEX Penetration-Enhancing Agent, means we’ll see longer-lasting colour that doesn’t fade as fast.
The Hair Colour Process
For a more in-depth look at the process of hair colouring using the PRIMIENCE range, we turned to NYLON cover star Sam Lo, and their partner, Euphoria who were keen to try out new hair colours — especially ones more suited to their creative line of work.
As a visual artist known for their defiant art pieces and breathtaking murals, Sam, who identifies as they/he, came into the salon rocking a short buzz cut-like hairstyle that was already quite distinct for the artist; they, however, were keen on trying a more daring hair colour. Euphoria, on the other hand, had long brown locks and was looking for an ashy, cool blonde. Thus, they turned to Sean Ng, the colour expert and Shiseido Professional Color Creator at partner salon Shunji Matsuo Ngee Ann City, for a hair refresh.
Shiseido Professional’s recommended hair colour process usually involves these four ranges, each with differing functions:
1) PRIMIENCE & PRIMIENCE ENRICH — the signature hair colour series for silky, shiny results and a grey cover
2) ULTIST — for neutral ashy tones inspired by nature
3) BLEACH MASTER — a customisable bleach system designed for Asian hair
4) COLORMUSE — to create bright and vivid shades
Sean described a dedicated process that took over 6 hours on the chair, mostly because it involved three rounds of bleaching for both Sam and Euphoria. However, he told us that the usual stinging and scalp irritation experienced during the bleaching process is minimised since the formula is mixed with a scalp protector that’s imported from Japan.
Shiseido Professional’s Bleach Master series also caters specifically to Asian hair, and protects hair while neutralising Asian hair’s warm undertones for a more true-to-colour process down the line. The PRIMIENCE range was also used to achieve their desired hair colour — you may look at the series’ colour chart here. Check out the before / after pictures below!
the results
sam’s before / after — from black to a “lived-in” red that’s bold without being too vibrant.
Euphora’s before / after — from brown to a cool-toned blonde that’s still glossy and smooth.
An update — 1 week after
If you’re curious about how their hair looks like after a couple of washes, hairstylist Sean assured us that that’s usually when clients are able to achieve their expected hair colours. The colour of your hair is usually at is most vivid right after the salon trip, which may not be as ideal if you’re looking for subtle, ashy tones — it’s only after a few washes that the colour fades to how you envisioned it, just like the example picture you’d bring in to advise your hairstylist.
This change is most obvious in Euphoria’s hair, which had a slight purple tinge from the toning at the salon, which then faded into a more neutral, true cool blonde that you can spot in Sam’s Instagram post. Hopefully, the results of Shiseido Professional’s PRIMIENCE range will inspire you to try out new hair colours for the new year too.
more about shiseido professional’s priemience hair colour line, at SHISEIDO-PROFESSIONAL.COM.
Find your nearest Shiseido Professional partner salon here: shiseido-professional.com/en/salon-locator.
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