8 Trending Holiday Hair How-Tos with Formulas – Color

When you think of the holidays, what hairstyles and colors come to your mind? Classic updos? Icy blondes? What about red and green split-dye? There are no wrong answers—it’s all about what makes your client shine as they celebrate with their friends and family.

These PRAVANA Senior Artistic Educators and Collective Members are very familiar with what’s trending this season and what looks you might be getting requests for. If you’re unsure of how to execute or just simply need some inspiration, here are eight trendy holiday hair looks and how the artists executed them using PRAVANA.

NEW ChromaSilk Smokey Series

Smoke out unwanted warmth for a sultry-meets-sophisticated look with PRAVANA’s NEW ChromaSilk Permanent Crème Hair Color Smokey Series. Available in four blended blue-based smokey shades, ChromaSilk Smokey Series colors neutralize unwanted brassiness so color can fade on-tone. Perfect for balancing on higher and lower levels, the Smokey Series controls warmth when lifting natural hair and creates smokey brown and blonde shades. The resulting neutral and cool tones are perfect for some stunning holiday hair.

“Reverse Smokey Ombré” by @ML_Methods

Lightening: PURE LIGHT Blonding Crème + 20 vol Crème Developer

Base: 30g ChromaSilk Crème Color 9.8 + 10g Smokey Series shade 8.92 + 60g 10 vol Crème Developer

Ends: 15g ChromaSilk Smokey Series shade 5.92 + 15g Smokey Series shade 6Nt9 + 10g ChromaSilk Crème Color 6.34 + 10 vol Crème Developer

1. Utilizing a Platinum Card technique, pre-lighten the hair to a level 9-10. (Check every five to ten minutes until proper level is reached.)
2. Shampoo with Intense Therapy, apply Silk Degrees Prep & Treat for five minutes, rinse, and dry completely.
3. Spray the hair with Purify & Revive PRIME spray.
4. Section hair into a standard quad sectioning leaving out the hairline halo.
5. Starting in the back two zones, take a diagonal back ½” slice.
6. Apply your base formula to the first 3-4” (depending on hair length) and your end formula 1” lower. Utilizing your index and middle finger, blend the two formulas together in the transition area.
7. Next take a diagonal back ½” micro slice and repeat the step above but this time only bring the base formula down 2”. This will help the look blend more seamlessly.
8. Alternate slices and micro-stitches until the back of the head is complete.
9. Moving to the front two zones, repeat this same process, but over direct each slice or micro-stitch forward for a smoother blend.
10. Finally, for the halo apply the base formula from base to ends.
11. Process for 30 minutes, utilize the Color Protect Regimen.
12. Style as desired.

“New Cool” by @sassations

1. Prep the hair with PRAVANA Purify & Revive PRIME to diminish any minerals.
2. Section the hair by dividing the hair in half taking a parting from ear to ear.
3. Divide the front half of the hair into two sections by taking a parting from the crown to the forehead.
4. Divide the back into three sections by taking a horizontal parting along the occipital bone, then divide the section above into two sections by taking a vertical parting from the crown to the bottom section.
5. Starting in the nape taking horizontal partings, tease the hair once or twice, weave out highlights in the remaining hair and applying PRAVANA’s PURE LIGHT Blonding Creme mixed with 3 parts PRAVANA 20 Volume Creme Developer.
6. Repeat the same process with diagonal back partings on the sides and horizontal partings on the top, leaving out less hair in between the foils at the hairline and ½” everywhere else.
7. Process at room temperature until you reach a level 8.
8. Shampoo only with PRAVANA Color Protect Cleanse, then rinse and dry the hair completely.
9. Apply ChromaSilk Creme Hair Color 5.92 mixed with 1.5 parts 10 Volume Creme Developer as a shadow root dragging the color down 2-3”.
10. Apply ChromaSilk Creme Hair Color 8.92 mixed with 1.5 parts 10 Volume Creme Developer to the mid-lengths and ends blending the transition point where it the color meets the shadow root well.
11. Process 30 minutes at room temperature.
12. Cleanse and condition with PRAVANA’s Color Protect regimen and style.

Fun & Funky Color

“Ribbon Candy” by @bxpfeiffer

VIVIDS Custom Formulas:

• Green Formula: VIVIDS Green 30g + VIVIDS Aquamarine 30g
• Pink Formula: VIVIDS Magenta 30g + VIVIDS Neon Pink 30g
• Silver Formula: VIVIDS Silver 60g + VIVIDS Orange 5g
• Base (Light Pink) Formula: VIVIDS Pastels Pretty in Pink 15g + VIVIDS Pink 15g + 2 drops VIVIDS Magenta
• Dark Pink Formula: VIVIDS Magenta 20g + VIVIDS Clear-Dilute 10g
• Blue Formula: VIVIDS Blissful Blue 15g
• Green Formula: VIVIDS Pastels Blissful Blue 10g + VIVIDS Pastels Luscious Lavender 5g + Blue Topaz 1g + 2 drops VIVIDS Yellow + VIVIDS Clear-Pastel 10g

1. Prep the hair with PRAVANA’s Purify & Revive PRIME to diminish any minerals that can cause lighteners to puff or swell.
2. Pre-lighten using your favorite global blonding technique and PRAVANA’s Pure Light Ultra Lightener 30g + PRAVANA 20 Volume Creme Developer 60g.
3. Process up to 55 minutes checking every 5 to 10 minutes until you reach a level 9.
4. Diminish previous color in the mid-lengths and ends by applying PRAVANA’s Pure Light Ultra Lightener 30g + PRAVANA Zero Lift Creme Developer 60g for 5-15 minutes.
5. Shampoo with PRAVANA’s Intense Therapy Cleanse and apply PRAVANA’s Silk Degrees Prep & Treat for five minutes.
6. Dry the hair completely.
7. Divide the hair into four quadrants.
8. Apply the Green formula at the base of one half of the head, blending into the Silver formula.
9. Repeat the same technique with the Pink formula at the base of the other half of the head, blending into the Silver formula. (Pro Tip: Adding a few drops of ChromaSilk VIVIDS Orange to the Silver formula helps to neutralize and cancel any residual blue that was left in the mid-lengths and ends.)
10. Process 30 minutes at room temperature.
11. Rinse with cold water and high water pressure until the water runs clear and apply PRAVANA’s Color Protect Condition.
12. Rinse and style as desired.

“Holiday Split Dye” by @kayla_boyer

VIVIDS Custom Formulas

• Green Formula: VIVIDS Green 30g + VIVIDS Aquamarine 30g
• Pink Formula: VIVIDS Magenta30g + VIVIDS Neon Pink30g
• Silver Formula: VIVIDS Silver60h +PRAVANA Orange 5g

1. Prep the hair with PRAVANA’s Purify & Revive PRIME to diminish any minerals that can cause lighteners to puff or swell.
2. Pre-lighten using your favorite global blonding technique and PRAVANA’s Pure Light Ultra Lightener 30g + PRAVANA 20 Volume Creme Developer 60g.
3. Process up to 55 minutes checking every five to ten minutes until you reach a Level 9.
4. 4.Diminish previous color in the mid-lengths and ends by applying PRAVANA’s Pure Light Ultra Lightener 30g + PRAVANA Zero Lift Creme Developer 60g for 5-15 minutes.
5. Shampoo with PRAVANA’s Intense Therapy Cleanse and apply PRAVANA’s Silk Degrees Prep & Treat for 5 minutes.
6. Dry the hair completely.
7. Divide the hair into four quadrants.
8. Apply the Green formula at the base of one half of the head, blending into the Silver formula.
9. Repeat the same technique with the Pink formula at the base of the other half of the head, blending into the Silver formula. (Pro Tip: Adding a few drops of ChromaSilk VIVIDS Orange to the Silver formula helps to neutralize and cancel any residual blue that was left in the mid-lengths and ends)
10. Process 30 minutes at room temperature.
11. Rinse with cold water and high water pressure until the water runs clear and apply PRAVANA’s Color Protect Condition.
12. Rinse and style as desired.

Classic & Glamorous

“Holiday Style” by @amandakay.hair

1. Cleanse the hair with PRAVANA’s Color Protect Cleanse and Condition.
2. Apply PRAVANA’s Polish & Reunite to well towel-dried hair to prep and smooth the hair and dry the hair completely.
3. Spray PRAVANA’s Fresh Dry Shampoo for texture and hold.
4. Take a headband section dividing the front of the hair from the back.
5. In the back section, create a pull-through or bubble braid by braiding the hair and gently pulling out the sides of to create “bubbles.”
6. In the front section, curl the hair using a 1.25” curling iron and set the curls with PRAVANA’s Super Shape Hair Spray.
7. Utilizing a topsy tool, pull the curls randomly through different areas of the braid.
8. Pin anything that feels loose with hairpins.
9. Attach flowers organically with bobby pins.
10. Set the style with PRAVANA’s Super Shape Hair Spray which has a brushable medium hold.

“Winter White” by @colorbriehappy

1. Prep the hair with PRAVANA’s Purify & Revive PRIME to diminish any minerals that can cause lighteners to puff or swell.
2. Section the hair by creating a halo section from one inch behind the hairline all the way around the head clipping the rest of the hair up and out of your way.
3. Pre-lighten with PRAVANA’s Pure Light Ultra Lightener 30g + PRAVANA 10 Volume Creme Developer 60g using a full highlight technique taking sliced foils all the way to the scalp in a back-to-back pattern in the halo section, then taking sliced foils with minimal hair dropped out all the way to the scalp for the rest of the hair above the halo.
4. Process up to 55 minutes checking every five to ten minutes until you reach a level 10.
5. Tip out the mid-lengths and ends by applying PRAVANA’s Pure Light Ultra Lightener 30g +PRAVANA Zero Lift Creme Developer 60g for five to ten minutes to brighten previous lightening.
6. Shampoo with PRAVANA’s Color Protect Cleanse, rinse and towel-dry the hair.
7. Apply PRAVANA’s Platinum Toners in Platinum Lilac 30g + Platinum Sand 30g mixed with PRAVANA’s Zero Lift Creme Developer 90g.
8. Process five minutes at room temperature.
9. Rinse and apply PRAVANA’s Silk Degrees Prep & Treat for seven minutes.
10. Rinse and style as desired.

“Snow White” by @georgeeblancoo

1. Prep the hair with PRAVANA’s Purify & Revive PRIME to diminish any minerals that can cause lighteners to puff or swell.
2. Pre-lighten using your favorite global blonding technique and PRAVANA’s Pure Light Ultra Lightener 30g + PRAVANA 20 Volume Creme Developer 60g.
3. Process up to 55 minutes checking every five to ten minutes until you reach a level 10.
4. Shampoo with PRAVANA’s Intense Therapy Cleanse, rinse and towel-dry the hair.
5. Apply PRAVANA’s Express Tones Clear 60g + Pearl 10g + Violet 10g + mixed with PRAVANA’s Zero Lift Creme Developer 120g.
6. Process 20 minutes at room temperature.
7. Rinse and apply PRAVANA’s Intense Therapy Condition.
8. Rinse and style as desired.

“Frozen” by @kayla_boyer

1. Prep the hair with PRAVANA’s Purify & Revive PRIME to diminish any minerals that can cause lighteners to puff or swell.
2. Pre-lighten using your favorite global blonding technique and PRAVANA’s Pure Light Ultra Lightener 30g + PRAVANA 20 Volume Creme Developer 60g.
3. Process up to 55 minutes checking every 5 to 10 minutes until you reach a Level 10.
4. Shampoo with PRAVANA’s Intense Therapy Cleanse, rinse and towel-dry the hair.
5. Apply PRAVANA’s Express Tones Smokey Silver 20g + Ash 10g + Violet 40g + Clear 40g mixed with PRAVANA’s Zero Lift Creme Developer 120g.
6. Process 10 minutes at room temperature.
7. Rinse and apply PRAVANA’s Intense Therapy Condition.
8. Rinse and style as desired.