A BOB OF A DIFFERENT COLOR
A bob is full of possibilities. Its depth, weight and dimension make for a clean canvas. The blunt edges are perfect for angling panels of light (and dark), giving the illusion of movement (even when there's none). Most people think of a bob as a cut, and of course it is - but it's the color that makes a bob a true thing of beauty.

Here, leading Bb. colorists Victoria Hunter and Larry Raspanti show off the bob's versatility (and their own extraordinary talent). Our model, whose fair complexion and blue eyes make her appropriate for virtually any hue, wears three different wigs (cut and styled by Howard McLaren and Laurent Philippon) to show that a bob of a different color is the most distinctive cut of all.

Redhead
Larry calls red the "sexiest color" vivacious, iconic (sometimes comic) and a color that requires a personality to match. "A redhead keeps a man on his toes, keeps him guessing," he says, and his expert blending of at least four shades from violet to copper, cool to warm keeps it looking real.

Brunette
Victoria finds that "the most beautiful women in the world are brunettes" and often tries to convince dark featured clients to stick to their roots. "Most brunettes who come in and want to be blonde shouldn't," she says and cites several examples of died-in-the-wool blondes on our staff returning to their natural shades. "The more colors you use, the more convincing it will be." Here, she uses three shades, juxtaposed in large panels of very, very dark to light brunette to create a muted and realistic pattern.

Back to the Future (and nature)
If the first bob was cut 100 years ago, what might the colorist's art look like 100 years from now? Convinced that harsh chemicals will be a thing of the past by then (much sooner, they hope), Larry and Victoria experimented with the purest pigments they could get their hands on. Here, curry powder mixed with pure H2O was applied to the roots; the mid-section is stained with a mixture of crushed blackberries and blueberries; panels toned with pomegranate and beet juice create a rosy gold at the ends.