3 Things That Make or Break a Vivid Color Application

High-contrast vivid color leaves very little room for error. From preventing color transfer to creating custom shades with less waste, #ONESHOT Winner and PRAVANA Creator Kimberly Ibbotson (@kimberlytayhair) shares the techniques she relies on to keep high-contrast color placements crisp, intentional and low-maintenance.

Looking for inspo? Scroll through some of Kimberly's vivid color work:

1. Secure Every Section

In her BTC University class, Everyday Vivids, Kimberly shares one simple habit that helps prevent color transfer before application even begins. "We want to make sure that there are a lot of clips to secure everything in place. Because we're doing such a high-contrast color palette, we don't want to get anything that we don't want where we don't want it, because it will be harder to correct."

Because correcting color bleed is far more difficult than preventing it, Kimberly prioritizes clean sectioning and extra security before application begins. "Making sure that you have really clean, very precise sectioning and secure clips is going to make a big difference in the process."

2. Start With Clear, Not Color

"If you start with your base color of vivids and then you need to soften it, you're going to end up usually wasting a lot more product in the end," she says. "Always start with your base and add your color to create that palette for you, because you'll save yourself time and a lot of product."