1 When choosing rainbow hair, you should first consider the brightness of the palette you are going to create.
Does your client want to go all-out vibrant rainbow or would they prefer more pastel, muted tones? I always test out the colours I’m going to use on a swatch map or white paper first to make sure each of the colours are on the same level as each other and are the same brightness. This way I know the rainbow is going to flow well together when the look is complete and there are no surprises.
2 When selecting the individual colours for your rainbow, the world is your oyster. You have so many options it’s up to you how colourful you want it to be. You could use all the colours of the rainbow together or select just a few favourites to give the rainbow a softer look.
By using less colours on the canvas, a softer blend can be created. I like to plan what order I am going to place the rainbow colours in on my swatch map before I apply to make sure the order of the colours flow seamlessly together. Always place your colours in order they appear on the rainbow. Personally, I like to swap out red and use pink in my rainbows instead, as I find the red can be a little harsh for a rainbow blend and stand out a bit too much.
3 My favourite placement for painting rainbows is using the bubble technique using Pulp Riot Semi Permanent colours. I do this by layering up the rainbow colours on magic mesh to paint the perfect rainbow shine line!
When choosing the order I’m going to place my colours, I like to keep the yellow in the centre as I think yellow stands out the most. To highlight my yellow more, I like to use a neon yellow to make it even more of a focal point in the hair. Try it next time, you won’t regret it!
