Choosing a hair colorist NYC women trust is not just about technique. It is about the products that sit on the shelf behind the chair. Most salons will not tell you what they use, but the truth is, the brands a colorist chooses say everything about the quality of work you can expect.
At Color And Andy on the Bowery, Andrea Grabher works with four professional brands that have earned a place in her chair through decades of testing, training, and real results: Schwarzkopf, L’Oréal Professionnel, K18, and Redken. Each one is there for a reason.
Why a Hair Colorist NYC Clients Trust Cares About Products
A bottle of color does not make a great colorist. But a great colorist needs the right tools. Andrea has worked in editorial, on film sets, and behind the chair for over 20 years. In that time, she has tested almost every professional color line on the market. The four brands she uses today are the ones that consistently delivered three things: true-to-formula results, hair health, and longevity.
A hair colorist NYC clients return to month after month is not winging it. The product choices are deliberate.
Schwarzkopf: Precision Color With Editorial Roots
Schwarzkopf is a German brand with over 125 years of color history. Their professional Igora line is what you reach for when you want precision. The pigments are clean, the gray coverage is exceptional, and the results match the formula on the page. For Andrea, Schwarzkopf comes out for technical work where one tone too warm or too cool will throw the whole color off.
If you have ever sat in a chair wondering why your color came out completely different than the swatch, the answer is usually the product. With Schwarzkopf Professional, what you formulate is what you get.
L’Oréal Professionnel: The Industry Standard
L’Oréal Professionnel is what most editorial colorists in New York trained on, and there is a reason it has stayed at the top for so long. Their Majirel and Inoa lines are reliable, consistent, and gentle on the hair. Inoa in particular is an ammonia-free permanent color, which means clients get rich, dimensional results without the smell or scalp irritation traditional permanent color can cause.
For a hair colorist NYC who works with every hair type and texture, L’Oréal Professionnel is the workhorse. It is what allows Andrea to deliver consistent, healthy color appointment after appointment.
K18: Bond Repair That Actually Works
K18 changed the game for color services. Before K18, bond builders were either harsh or ineffective. K18 is different. It is a peptide-based treatment that rebuilds the disulfide bonds inside the hair that get broken during coloring and lightening. The result is hair that feels stronger after a color service, not weaker.
Every blonde, balayage, and dimensional highlight service at Color And Andy includes K18 as a finishing treatment. It is not an upsell. It is part of the work. Clients who have had brassy, fried color experiences at other salons often cannot believe their hair feels softer after a Color And Andy appointment than it did before they walked in. That is K18 doing what it was designed to do.
Redken: Tonal Mastery and Glossing
Redken is where Andrea reaches for tones. Their Shades EQ glossing line is one of the most respected demi-permanent color systems in the industry. It is what allows a hair colorist NYC clients trust to do things like neutralize brass in blondes, add warmth to a cool brunette, or refresh a balayage that has started to fade.
Shades EQ glosses are deposit-only, meaning they do not lift or lighten. They add tone and shine, sealing the cuticle and leaving hair glossy and saturated. For maintenance appointments, glossing with Redken Shades EQ is often the difference between hair that looks freshly colored and hair that just looks tired.
What This Means for You
When you book with a hair colorist NYC at Color And Andy, you are not getting a one-size-fits-all approach. Andrea reaches for Schwarzkopf when precision matters, L’Oréal when consistency matters, K18 when hair health matters, and Redken when tone matters.
Most appointments will use a combination of all four. That is what dimensional, healthy, expensive-looking color actually requires. Not one product. The right product, used at the right moment, in the right formulation.
You can explore the full hair color services menu or learn more about Andrea on the about page. New clients can start with a free consultation through the new client page.
Color And Andy is open Tuesday through Saturday at 263 Bowery, second floor, in the Lower East Side. Book today and feel the difference the right products make.
