Last updated: June 30, 2018

Mermaid Etching with Guy Tang and Rebecca Taylor

Three words: Vivids. Undercuts. Glitter.

Interested? How about Guy Tang & Rebecca Taylor? Now we have your attention. The two social media sensations got together to give you the perfect mermaid colored undercuts and we gotta say… we are LOVING it. And if this isn’t enough for you, Guy and Rebecca will be reppin’ Kenra Professional at BTC’s COLOR, Cut & Style this September 25-28 in Ft. Lauderdale! Come hang with us and you can catch some killer waves and killer education.

Here are Guy and Rebecca’s vivid undercut how-tos!

How-To: Mermaid Splash + Side Shave
By Guy Tang

Color Formulas
Formula A: 30-volume developer + Olaplex

Formula B: Kenra Professional Guy Tang Silver Metallic 8SM

Formula C: PRAVANA Chromasilk VIVIDS Violet

Application

1. Guy applied Formula A to the regrowth, leaving a small amount of space next to the root line to avoid a hot root. He then sectioned this off into quadrants to keep it clean.

2. After the regrowth processed to a pale blonde, Guy added more Olaplex to Formula A and applied it from the blonde roots to the ends. “That way it was a lot more gentle, and I was able to pull it through while erasing her old teal color,” says Guy.

3. After she was lifted to a pale blonde all over, processed and dried, Guy laid down the shadow root in quadrants using Formula C.

4. Finally, Guy applied Formula C directly over the charcoal roots to the ends. Using this violet color over the charcoal gave her a smoky purple root that wasn’t overly bright.

Note: For the final look, Guy gave his client extensions for a little more volume and length. He used a variety of blues and greens, transitioning them down the extension’s shaft, to give it a cool, blended effect.

The Cut

Guy’s client did not have a pre-existing side shave, so he had to create it from scratch. After sectioning the hair, he used a #1 guard to cut away the longer pieces of hair before shaving the area to a uniform length. To finish, Guy went in with shears to etch a spiderweb pattern.

How-To: Mermaid Grunge + Undercut
By Rebecca Taylor

Color Formulas
Formula A: Malibu C Direct Dye Lifter + 20-volume developer + Olaplex

Formula B: PRAVANA ChromaSilk VIVIDS Locked-In Teal

Formula C: ChromaSilk PASTELS Mystical Mint

Formula D: ChromaSilk Vivids Silver

Application

Note: Rebecca really liked her client’s pre-existing color, but it definitely needed a little bit of TLC.

1. Rebecca used Formula A all over her client’s previously-colored hair to refresh her pre-existing blue color for more lift and dimension. She did not touch her client’s virgin hair, leaving a darker band of blue between the regrowth and the pre-existing color.

2. After step one, Rebecca gave her client an Olaplex No.2 Treatment and rinsed at the shampoo bowl.

3. Starting at the root, she applied Formula B to the regrowth, which she then blended down the hair shaft into Formula C at the midlengths and then Formula D on the ends. Rebecca doesn’t use a brush. She blends with her hands to get a smoother, more melted look.

The Cut
To start, Rebecca’s client had a grown-out undercut in need of some maintenance! Using the outlines from the last cut, Rebecca used a #1 guard on dry hair to shear down the hair to a level point. She took extra care to make sure her client’s edges and points were perfectly centered and lined up. She then used a trimmer and a straight razor to really perfect her design.

Let’s Get to Glittering!