Maybe it’s the weather getting warmer or the flowers finally blooming, but there’s something about springtime that leaves us ready to reflect and renew all things — including our hair. That’s why hairstylist and colorist extraordinaire Guy Tang’s newest launch for his professional hair color line, Mydentity, truly couldn’t have come at a better time.
Earlier this spring, Tang introduced a new demi-permanent color range called REFLECT, featuring 15 new gorgeous liquid shades— from warm to cool—that enhance, tone, or intensify hair color. For any colorist hoping to bless their clients with Elsa blonde locks or rose-gold strands, this deposit-only hair color is certainly a must-have.
About REFLECT Liquid Demi-Permanent Color
Free of ammonia and alcohol, this demi-permanent color allows for a much gentler process for colorists and their clients, improving softness of the hair and delivering shiny color results that last up to 25 shampoos. Better yet, thanks to REFLECT’s liquid formula, colorists are in for much easier mixing and application to the hair as well as more versatility since the shades can be applied to both dry or damp hair at the shampoo bowl.
However, the biggest highlight of this new range may be the fact that this demi-permanent color processes in just 15 minutes, once mixed with a 6V developer. Most demi-permanent colors tend to process in 20-25 minutes, so for the REFLECT shades to have such a fast processing time is a real game-changer for colorists. Those five minutes that you save by using this color could be spent doing so many other things or even as a quick bathroom break.
And, while there’s many things to love about the REFLECT line—from its stunning shades to its time-saving qualities— Tang stressed the importance of understanding the special meaning behind the collection name. “With everything that I launch, like we have SHADOWS, WICKED, NAKED, and SUPERPOWER—all of these collections have a dual meaning,” he tells The Tease. “It’s not just that this color is ‘naked’ or ‘nude”, but it’s about being vulnerable. Just like with REFLECT, ‘reflect’ is about not only the hair being shiny and reflective, but also reflecting back so we can shine forward.”
My REFLECT Experience
A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to join Tang and his #mydentifiers (aka his fabulous team of stylists) at the Henkel office in Culver City to celebrate the launch of the REFLECT range. Along with receiving a steller demonstration from Tang on the new shades, I actually got to experience REFLECT’s liquid demi-permanent color firsthand for myself.
Now, it’s important to note that I had never actually colored my hair before. To be honest, it’s kind of shocking considering that I work in the beauty industry and regularly cover new hair color launches as part of my job. But, for me, hair color was just something that I never experimented with, mostly because I was fearful of totally wrecking my curl pattern. However, learning that REFLECT’s formula is ammonia-free put me at ease because I didn’t have to worry about my 4C curls being damaged during the process.
With that said, at the suggestion of Tang, I opted for shade 5V (one of the violet shades in the range) for my transformation. As far as the application process, it couldn’t have been easier. In fact, I was honestly mind-blown by how fast it all went.
When it comes to working with REFLECT liquid demi-permanent color on clients, there are a couple different techniques that stylists can use including a fast color melt, a gloss glow up, and a blend & tone. For me, they went the “gloss glow up” route which meant that my chosen REFLECT shade was added to my damp hair—from roots to ends—at the shampoo bowl for a fast color gloss refresh, thanks to the 15 mins processing time.
Following the coloring process, I opted to get a silk press to switch up my style and really add to the transformation. Once everything was done, I couldn’t have been more in love with my new, richer color and the overall gloss effect. My hair felt so silky soft —it was truly unbelievable! Best of all, in the sunlight, very subtle nuances of violet reflected through, which made my hair glisten, shine, and have so much more dimension. All in all, I couldn’t be happier with Mydentity’s new REFLECT range as it truly helped make my first hair coloring experience such a dream.
If you are a colorist who’s ready to help their clients reflect and shine with a fresh, new color this season, you’ll definitely want to make sure that you get your hands on Mydentity’s new REFLECT collection. The shades are currently available at Cosmoprof and Armstrong McCall.
For the latest on all things Mydentity and the REFLECT collection, be sure to follow @guytang_mydentity as well as @guytang on Instagram.
