Kristina Russell - Colourist

22/03/2025

Golden coppers and strawberry blondes are the most challenging base colour to create a "natural-looking" colour, when grey coverage is needed.

Am I right, hair friends?!

Clients don't want a colour darker than their natural regrowth, but they also don't want their greys showing. It’s a fine balance!

This client came in for her second visit after we used a semi-permanent colour on her first appointment. She loved it, but after 2-3 weeks, the greys started peeking through. We had a chat, and she shared her feedback. I told her that I'd need to try a few options to find what works best for her. This helps set realistic expectations and shows that I care about getting the results right.

After discussing it, we agreed that grey coverage was the priority. Since she's an actor and needs continuity for her camera work, we decided on a permanent colour. I went for a half-head tint, colouring only the top half where she had around 5% grey.

I chose to keep the underneath (without any grey) uncoloured for now. This avoids losing that natural zone and variations that all natural redheads have.

Let me break it down for you👇

I started by applying colour to the top for 15 minutes, then worked the front hairline and pulled some through to the ends to maintain natural highlights.

I chose to use .au KIN COLOKIN Cosmetics the 100% coverage possible, and I love the lighter colour options in this range for my natural strawberry blondes.

🧡Here’s the formula I used👇

• 20g KIN Colour 8.34 (Light Golden Copper)

• 10g KIN Colour 9.3 (Light Peach Blonde)

• 10g KIN Colour 9.0 (Light Blonde)

• 40g 10 vol developer

The goal was a natural, seamless look. My camera is an actor & needs minonal fade and regrowth. I think we nailed it! 🙌🙌🙌

Any questions? Let me know in the comments below.

Haircolour by me with Russell 🧡 Hair Colour & Educator for Hairdressersncosmetics CosmeticsKIN CosmeticsConceptual Brands | Elevating Haircare

21/03/2025

Yesterday was a blast!
I was invited back on Sunrise morning TV to chat all about hair nevers — the stuff I really wish people would stop doing at home.

Here are a couple of the fancy photos… and one that gave me a proper giggle, which was sent by a family member who was watching 😂

Thanks for having me back Sunrise on Channel 7 🧡

I've uploaded the 3 minute conversation on my website. Click here to watch it >>> www.kristinarussell.com.au/press

17/03/2025

🚨 HAIRDRESSERS—IS 40 VOL ON SCALP A BIG NO-NO? 🚨

If you’ve ever been told that 40 vol peroxide should NEVER touch the scalp, you’re not alone! It’s one of the biggest myths in the industry. But here’s the real question… Can you use 40 vol on scalp safely? The answer is YES—but only when done correctly!

In Episode 190 of Colour Kristina Talks Podcast, I’m diving deep into this controversial topic. You’ll learn:
✅ When & why 40 vol works for on-scalp colour (without the damage!)
✅ How to lift darker bases to copper & strawberry blonde—without bleach!
✅ The right way to use high-lift tints for reds & coppers
✅ What to avoid to prevent breakage & scalp irritation

If you want stronger colour results, better lift, and more confidence behind the chair, this episode is a must-listen! 🎧✨

🔥 Hit play now & take your colour skills to the next level! →
www.kristinarussell.com/190

10/03/2025

This is your final call to grab your ticket for Code Red: Foundations of Red & Copper Hair Colouring—a livestream 3 hour online class, including 2 step by step techniques, and Q&A.

Comment 🚨and I'll send you the ticket link.
 
All I can say is this:
I’m just a rad AF Hair Colour Educator standing in front of you, telling you to get out of your own way, stop guessing, and start confidently formulating reds and coppers.
 
It works. And it’s worth it.
 
As are you.
 
In my CODE RED 3-hour class, you’ll learn how to avoid root glow, banding, do a copper retouch without hot roots and retouch a greying redheads tint without brown-out, and miscalculations—so you can finally feel confident with reds and coppers.
 
Join us before we go live in 15 minutes! It’s go time! 

🔗Click the link in my bio to grab your ticket before doors close.

Or comment 🚨 and I’ll DM you the link.
 
See you in class.

09/03/2025

Run. Don't walk.

My red and copper hair colour fundamentals class is happening tomorrow, and there are still a few tickets left!

Pop a 🚨emoji in the comments, and I'll send you the class link.

If you want to colour a greying copper client without root glow and know how to retouch every copper without browning the ends, now is the time to learn the best techniques to avoid common mistakes like root glow, banding, and browning out.

But hurry because today is the last day to get your 🚨CODE RED: principles of red & copper hair colour LIVE CLASS ticket! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃

🙋🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️❓WHEN is the live class happening?
It's 9AM for me, but I get it, you're probably not in the same city as me, so let me break it down for you 👇👇👇
For our international hotties, here’s the time conversion for key cities:

🇺🇸USA Central Time: Monday, 10th March at 5 PM
* USA Eastern Time: Monday, 10th March at 7 PM
* USA Pacific Time: Monday, 10th March at 2 PM

🇨🇦* Toronto, Canada: Monday, 10th March at 7 PM
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿* London, England: Monday, 10th March at 10 PM
🇦🇺* Sydney, Australia: Tuesday, 11th March at 9am
* Brisbane, Australia: Tuesday, 11th March at 8am

🧡If you can’t make this class live, buy a ticket and watch the replay instead!

Comment the code red emoji >> 🚨and I’ll send you the class link.

🔗 Link also in my bio.

Got questions? Send me a DM. Let's chat x

09/03/2025

Salon clients expect you to be confident with all colour techniques—especially reds and coppers.
 
But what happens when a client with 7 weeks of regrowth sits in your chair? She loves how her copper has softened but needs her roots done. She doesn’t want her colour to go brighter, fade too light, or look patchy.

Do you know exactly how to approach it?
 
Or what about the natural redhead who just found her first greys? 

She’s sitting in your chair, tearing up, not ready for regrowth maintenance but desperate for a solution. Can you confidently guide her through the best options—without making her feel like she’s suddenly high-maintenance?
 
These moments separate a good colourist from a great one.
 
Code Red: Foundations of Red & Copper Hair Colouring is my NEW LIVE CLASS (happening tomorrow!!)I’ve created to help you face these challenges confidently.

⚠️Comment the CODE RED 🚨emoji and I’ll send you the class link via DM.

In this live, 3-hour class, I’ll teach you exactly how to:

✔️Colour a greying copper client without root glow

✔️ Retouch copper hair without browning out the ends

✔️ Avoid common mistakes like banding, hot roots, and uneven lift
 
Don’t leave these moments to guesswork. Let me show you the best techniques for predictable, beautiful reds and coppers—every time.

🙋‍♀️⁉️ I know you might still be sitting on the fence, so let me help you jump off it with this FAQ’s…

Q.) What if I can’t attend the class live?

A.) No worries! You’ll be sent the 6-month replay class.

Q.) Do I need to use a specific brand of hair colour for this class.

A.) Nope! This is a brand-free class. The techniques and colour theory I’ll teach work with any professional colour brand.
 
Q.) Where do I sign up?

A.) Tickets are available on my website. Comment 🚨 and I’ll send you the class link.
 
If your goal is to (finally) eliminate all the guesswork out of colouring reds and coppers, this is the class for you! 
 
Class is tomorrow.
 
Seats are limited. 

⚠️Comment the CODE RED 🚨emoji and I’ll send you the class link via DM.

🔗Link in bio.

09/03/2025

Just last week, you were washing your client’s hair at this basin when her roots were so bright they could be seen from space. F*ck. You smiled through gritted teeth as you wracked your brain on what to do to correct the colour.

The truth is, last week wasn’t the first time. And it won’t be the last. 

Until you learn Creative Color Theory, specific for Redheads.

Are you tired of overthinking copper hair? Let’s make it easy.
 
When it comes to copper and red hair, the real challenge is understanding the level of lift needed and the right formulas to prevent fading and root glow. I get it—there’s so much information out there, but not all of it works with every brand.
 
That’s exactly why I created Code Red: Foundations of Red & Copper Hair Colouring—a live streamed class specifically designed to simplify red and copper hair colour for you. In just 3 hours, I’ll show you how to take all the guesswork out of colouring reds and coppers.

Comment 🚨 and I'll send you the class link.
 
You’ll leave the class feeling confident in every redhead request that comes your way. No more stressing or second-guessing yourself.
 
Join me on Monday (or if you're in Australia, like me it's Tuesday morning!)

Comment 🚨 and I'll send you the class link.
 
🔗 link in bio

07/03/2025

Comment with the emoji 🚨and I’ll send you the link to my live stream class CODE RED before Monday🔗

I’ll be honest: I always thought I didn’t need to my change peroxide strategy for redheads because it was the same for brunettes, but once I tried double process reds for grey coverage redheads instead of colour balancing, I couldn’t believe how my root glow disappeared and I could change it up every visit, without the client coming back with banding.

With a VIP ticket to my new livestream class, happening Monday, you’ll be able to:

🔥 formulate (using any salon brand) light, medium and darker redheads
🔥 colour a redhead client with 25-100% grey without root glow
🔥 do copper retouches on clients without root glow or brown ends

And my favorite part: you’ll be sent a 6-month class pass to access the live stream as many times as you need.

Intrigued? Comment with emoji 🚨 to find out all the details in time to join me live on Monday (or if you’re in Australia like me, it’s Tuesday down under)

🔗 Link also in bio

04/03/2025

If you’re going on stress leave if one more salon client asks for Copper, you need to attend my copper hair colour workshop!

📍BRISBANE - Monday 17th March

👉 I’ll demonstrate 3 models, covering transformations from Blonde or Balayage to Copper, Brunette to Copper, and Red to Copper. Each model will include a detailed colour consultation, teaching you how to transform an Instagram inspo pic into a beautiful (and easily) formulated Copper hair colour.

❌ It’s time to stop creating Copper hair with Red Root Glow!

It’s also time to stop blaming the brand you use.

🔥Hot Roots occur when you miscalculate formulas and make the roots brighter. Much more common with copper than any other colour.

I’ve helped thousands of students become confident AF Hair Colourists with my unique 5-6-7-8 levelling system for Redheads, which works with E👏V👏E👏R👏Y salon brand.

If you want to improve your copper hair formulas, techniques and attract more dream clients - then you 100% need to come along.

Check out the slides ➡️ for all the details

This is the best opportunity to join me at an in-person Queensland event, to ask me anything about Copper hair colour, in an unbiased brand-free workshop.

GET YOUR TICKET TODAY!

‼️ INVESTMENT is $499 including GST (also includes an awesome goody bag, so Yay!!)

⭐️ Tickets are only available via DM! Send me a message on Instagram to book your ticket or to learn more.

01/03/2025

Happy Mardi Gras lovers!! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈
Sydney has been transformed into a Rainbow City for the Gay and Le***an Mardi Gras…. YAY!! 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈
Mardi Gras is a LGBTQIA+ festival that has been happening since 1978, celebrating diversity, inclusivity and visibility for our q***r community.

Sydney Mardi Gras is taking place on the lands of the Gadigal, Cammeraygal, Bidjigal, Darug, Dharawal people who are the Traditional Custodians of the Sydney Basin.

I pay my Respects to their Elders past and present. Always was Always will be Aboriginal Land.
🖤💛🧡❤️

I’ll be celebrating with my q***r logical family & friends! Keep an eye out on the dance floor for us, if you're out celebrating too!

🩵🩷 I am a proud q***r woman and my beautiful life partner Jaz is transgender. We are lucky to be supported by our logical and biological families, loved and respected. We are part of a community that is often underrepresented, especially in a positive affirming way.

I love you boo. 🏳️‍⚧️🤝

🌈✂️I am proudly the Australian Ambassador of The Dresscode Project. The DCP is a global alliance of salons and barbershops committed to providing positive, gender-affirming services for LGBTQ+ clients. My pricing and consultations are gender-free. I commit to embracing diversity and eliminating discrimination in the hairdressing and beauty industry.

✂️ 👉Hey Hair Friends! NOW is the time to offer gender-free hair services, because being LGBTQIA+ inclusive is good for the world and good for your biz.

🎧 There are several LGBTQIA+ episodes on the Colour Kristina Talks Podcast for inspiration, education, and inclusivity training for hairdressers and salon owners to understand how to be a gender affirming salon. 🎧

🔗 Link in bio to listen and read the show notes 🔗 Or listen on Spotify, iTunes or your fave app!

28/02/2025

If you don’t have an actual plan when you’re mixing reds and copper haircolour, you’re basically just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. 😬💁‍♀️🤞🤞🤞

But if you need help formulating reds to make more money and up-level your salon colour clientele in every way imaginable, I’ve got you covered in my new live stream class for hairdressers. When you buy a ticket for my 🚨CODE RED: Principles of Red & Copper Hair Colouring class, you'll get VIP access to the live session and a 6-month replay—so you can stop stressing when your next copper request books in.

Here’s what you’ll get when you buy a ticket for my livestream class:

✅ You’ll learn how to formulate beautiful reds with any colour brand

✅ You’ll learn pro tips and techniques to avoid common mistakes like root glow, banding and brown-out on coppers

✅ You’ll learn my proven 5-6-7-8 levelling system for formulating reds & coppers, which works with every brand

✅ You’ll learn how to do a grey coverage copper (on 25-100% grey) by watching me apply a step-by-step hair colour demonstration

✅ You’ll learn how to do a copper tint retouch (with colour balancing) by watching me apply a step-by-step hair colour demonstration, to understand how to avoid brighter roots or brownish ends

✅ Access to a 6-month replay, so you can watch the class as many times as you need while you make time to practice the techniques

✅ Plus we’ll have a Q+A session in the class, so you can ask me anything about the fundamentals of red and copper hair colour principles, in real time.

💥 GET YOUR TICKET TODAY and save your seat in my live stream class CODE RED >>

You will learn to avoid root glow and banding, retouch a copper tint without browning the ends, and grey coverage for redheads without root glow. It's time to learn the best techniques for colouring red hair and coppers.

24/02/2025

❌ It's time to stop creating Red and Copper hair with root glow!

Here's 3 must-know red and copper hair colour pro tips to avoid mistakes 👇

💾 SAVE THIS POST & send it to all your hair besties

1️⃣ Copper is more often a tint than a semi

2️⃣ Copper retouches are more often a double process than a tint with colour balance

3️⃣ Copper is always a level 7

If you want to colour a greying copper client without root glow and know how to retouch every copper without browning the ends, it’s time to learn the best techniques to avoid common mistakes like root glow, banding, and browning out.

⭐️That’s exactly what I teach in my 3-hour livestream class 🚨CODE RED: Foundations of Red & Copper Hair Colouring.

The 3-hour live class will be hosted on Zoom. When you buy your ticket, I’ll email you a personal class link. After the class, you'll be sent a 6 month replay class, that you can watch on a desktop or any device with an app. Zero tech overwhelm.

📆🇦🇺I'm in Sydney Australia. This class will run (in my timezone) on Tuesday 11th March, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Sydney, Australia Time).

🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇨🇦🗺️🌏
For our international hotties, here’s the time conversion for key cities:

* Chicago (USA Central Time): Monday, 10th March at 5 PM

* New York (USA Eastern Time): Monday, 10th March at 7 PM

* Los Angeles (USA Pacific Time): Monday, 10th March at 2 PM

* Toronto, Canada: Monday, 10th March at 7 PM

* London, England: Monday, 10th March at 10 PM

🎟️ If you can’t make this class live, buy a ticket and watch the replay instead!

Comment the code red emoji >> 🚨and I’ll send you the class link.

24/02/2025

"Why does copper hair fade so quickly and turn brown at the ends?"
 
My answer is always this:
 
The whole entire point of formulating red and copper hair colours is that every level of hair colour has a different tone. For example, level 6 is red, and level 7 is copper. But if you haven’t lifted a copper client’s hair to level 7, it will look brownish to them and brown out over time. 
 
Butttttt, in order to do that, you need to understand how to lift the hair correctly to the right level, without over-processing or missing that crucial tone for copper to pop.
 
If you use my 5-6-7-8 rule to navigate a copper target level and reflect without guessing or getting it wrong, then it’s done its job.
 
That means there’s no right or wrong “why does copper hair fade so quickly and turn brown at the ends”?
 
So the question you should be asking is:
 
“My goal is to achieve L7 Copper on my client who loved it last time, but after 5 weeks, it’s faded a bit. Should I apply the same colour to the roots (which we loved) and colour balance the ends with a demi, or should I pull the tint through to refresh the whole head?”
 
The answer to that question lies in understanding the levelling system, knowing the right formula, and understanding the lift needed.

If you want to colour a greying copper client without root glow and know how to retouch every copper without browning the ends, it’s time to learn the best techniques to avoid common mistakes like root glow, banding, and browning out.

That’s exactly what I teach in my 3-hour livestream class 🚨CODE RED: Foundations of Red & Copper Hair Colouring.

🔥 NEW CLASS ALERT! 🔥
I’m teaching Red & Copper Hair Colour Principles, plus 2 step-by-step techniques in a live online class. Your ticket will include a 6 month replay, yay!

Drop a 🚨 in the comments and I'll send you the link to learn more, and to save your seat now!

🧡🧡 These before and after images show the two techniques you'll learn with me. I pre-recorded them, to maximise our time together, without you needing to wait for the Color to process in a full day live class.

Comment 🚨 and I’ll send you the class link.

20/02/2025

If you don’t have an actual plan when you’re mixing reds and copper haircolour, you’re basically just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. 😬💁‍♀️🤞🤞🤞

But if you need help formulating reds to make more money and up-level your salon colour clientele in every way imaginable, I’ve got you covered in my new live stream class for hairdressers.

When you buy a ticket for my 🚨CODE RED: Principles of Red & Copper Hair Colouring class, you'll get VIP access to the live session and a 6-month replay—so you can stop stressing when your next copper request books in.

⚠️ Comment 🚨 and I’ll send you the class link.

Here’s what you’ll get when you buy a ticket for my livestream class: 

✅ You’ll learn how to formulate beautiful reds with any colour brand

✅ You’ll learn pro tips and techniques to avoid common mistakes like root glow, banding and brown-out on coppers

✅ You’ll learn my proven 5-6-7-8 levelling system for formulating reds & coppers, which works with every brand

✅ You’ll learn how to do a grey coverage copper (on 25-100% grey) by watching me apply a step-by-step hair colour demonstration 

✅ You’ll learn how to do a copper tint retouch (with colour balancing) by watching me apply a step-by-step hair colour demonstration, to understand how to avoid brighter roots or brownish ends

✅ Access to a 6-month replay, so you can watch the class as many times as you need while you make time to practice the techniques

✅ Plus we’ll have a Q+A session in the class, so you can ask me anything about the fundamentals of red and copper hair colour principles, in real time.

⚠️ Comment 🚨 and I’ll send you the class link.

15/02/2025

My love 🥰💕
I'm loving my boo's new blonde. Blowout and highlights by me. All dressed up for friends Susana and Sally's wedding.

🖤My dress with puff ball sleeves by

💄My makeup by the amazing at MAC makeup broadway & styled by me, with creamy blonde toning shampoo for the glow-up

14/02/2025

TICKETS LIVE; more info below 👇

💥The best way to book is via DM

📍BRISBANE - Monday 17th March

Copper hair colour made easy, root glow correction hacks, social media, business chats, and Q+A. I’ll teach you how to take a blonde, a brunette and a redhead to copper.

💸Tickets available for $499. AfterPay available.

>> Location: Calapabala

⚠️ We anticipate this to sell out quickly so pls don’t delay. Tickets are live and available now. 50% sold in the first 48 hours.

👉 I’ll demonstrate 3 models, covering transformations from Blonde or Balayage to Copper, Brunette to Copper, and Red to Copper. Each model will include a detailed colour consultation, teaching you how to transform an Instagram inspo pic into a beautiful (and easily) formulated Copper hair colour.

❌ It’s time to stop creating Copper hair with Red Root Glow!

✅ If you aspire to be a legit hair colour expert, you need to be confident with copper!

DM TO BOOK now before this sells out. See you in class. 🧡

12/02/2025

Slay 🚨RED ALERT: SZA's Super Bowl Cherry hair colour.

Learn more in this blog 👇

Get the Look: SZA’s Super Bowl Cherry Hair ColourBy Shanice RomelusFebruary 10, 2025Celebrity, How To's, Newsredken, Super Bowl, SzaSZA captivated the audience during the Super Bowl Halftime Show with stunning cherry-coloured hair that perfectly complemented her electrifying performance. Celebrity...

10/02/2025

Ice Spice & Tay Tay painting the town red! This duo whispering at the Super Bowl is becoming my fave tradition.

Copper is always trending (if you ask me 🤭), and Ice Spice’s vibrant orange locks at the New Orleans game prove it!

Salon clients love celeb hair transformations—why not suggest a brighter copper next visit for a spice-inspired glow-up for your redhead clients? ✨

But if you feel like quitting every time a salon client asks for a Copper without any red tones, this class is for you!

🔥 NEW CLASS ALERT! 🔥
I’m teaching Red & Copper Hair Colour Fundamentals in a LIVE 3-hour online masterclass with a 6-month replay.

📅 Dates dropping soon! Stay tuned.

💡 Help me shape the class!

Which technique do you want to learn? Comment your vote:
1️⃣ Grey Coverage for Redheads
2️⃣ Copper Tint Retouch (No Root Glow)
3️⃣ Basin Balayage for Redheads
4️⃣ Copper Balayage

Drop 1, 2, 3, or 4 below! 👇