Zoe Wiepert, top colorist at renowned institution Bumble and Bumble, has one of those New York success stories everyone envies but few are brave enough to see through. She came from a small town in upstate New York where she wasn’t sure what she wanted and stumbled on beauty and hair unexpectedly. When her counselor in high school suggested she try beauty school, her first reaction was, “A beauty school drop-out like Frenchie?! I don’t want to have pink hair and be a loser!”
Zoe went to beauty school and turned out the farthest from her fear. After cutting her teeth for about 9 years at a salon in Buffalo, she made the leap to the city by applying to 10 of the top salons and getting offers from 8 of them. She wisely chose Bumble. Now, the company’s color director, editorial and creative technical lead and educator, Zoe rarely stops. From coloring hair for editorial shoots to working backstage at fashion shows (Marc Jacobs, to name one) to coloring her clients and educating other Bumble colorists, it’s a wonder she can get a meal in, let alone maintain a peppy, personable demeanor for her clients. But that she does, and it was nothing short of a delight to sit in her chair while she painted us blonder.
The method she employs is called tipping and it’s meant to emulate the youthful, fresh look of a child whose blond hair looks light, silken and sun-kissed. Their roots tend to be darker and the ends are naturally lightened. In order to achieve this look, she teases the hair first, before painting on the blonde. The result is a soft, natural, organic look that leaves less of a demarcation between the highlight and the root.
“I do it more because I’m a blonde and I do it to myself,” said Zoe. “I know what I want and feel lighter when my ends are lighter. It’s easy for ends of hair to get brassy because they’re more porous, so they pick up minerals. Brightening them makes your look nice and light.”
Timing for our blonde pick-me-up was fitting as the company recently launched its Color Minded line, which was developed by Bb.Colorists to help keep all shades shines and tones truer for up to 40 washes. The Color Preserving Complex in the products serves as an advanced dual polymer technology that cross-links like a net to help make hair watertight to minimize color washout and fade. The complex is most concentrated in the Color Minded Pro Treatment, a five-minute in-salon service, professionally administered during a color service, but is also peppered throughout the Color Minded Sulfate Free Shampoo, Conditioner, UV Protective Styling Balm and UV Protective Polish.
Zoe told us she’s been using the products for a year to truly test them and finds her hair looking shinier and longer. She used to like a Bumble product called Grooming Cream, but now prefers the Styling Balm as it’s slightly lighter; “like Grooming Cream on a diet,” she says.
The new Color Minded line is available at all Bumble salons as well as select high end salons throughout the city.
Bumble and Bumble
146 East 56th Street
New York
212-521-6500
http://www.bumbleandbumble.com
