What is Gems 88 Blue?

Gems 88 Blue is a semi-permanent colour mask by Code Zero, from The Gems Collection, that deposits a deep, intense blue. It is ready to use, without ammonia and without developer: apply, leave on for 5 to 15 minutes and rinse.

On very light, lightened hair the blue reads full and saturated; on natural light blonde hair it leaves a cool reflection. It is used on its own, diluted with Gems C Clear for a lighter blue, as a pre-pigmentation before colour, and it is part of seven official formulas of the collection, across five families.

Specifications

The starting base decides the colour

Gems 88 Blue does not lighten: it adds its pigment to the colour it finds on the hair. A clean blue shows fully only on the lightest base, because blue over yellow becomes green and blue over orange turns dull. Assessing the hair before application is the step that decides the final colour.

How to assess the base

• Level: how light the hair is, on a scale from 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde). The blue of the colour chart is achieved on the lightest base.
• Underlying tone: after lightening a yellow or orange undertone often remains. A yellow undertone mixes with the blue and turns it green; an orange undertone neutralises it and leaves a dull, muted tone.
• Evenness: roots, lengths and ends can have different levels, and each area shows a different blue.
• Porosity: lightened or treated hair takes the pigment faster than natural hair.

What to expect and how to act

How to achieve the blue of the colour chart

1. Assess the base: level and underlying tone, as described above.
2. Lighten to the lightest base with a pale yellow undertone, if the hair is darker: a bleaching service in the salon.
3. Reduce the residual yellow to avoid a green cast, for example with No Glow Yellow Shampoo and No Glow Yellow Mask.
4. Apply Gems 88 Blue to clean, dry hair, leave on for 15 to 20 minutes and rinse thoroughly.
5. Finish with Stabilizer pH 3.5 as the last step.
6. Revive the reflection when it fades: on washed, towel-dried hair, 5 to 15 minutes according to the desired intensity.

On hair that is already very light or bleached the path starts from step 3; on darker hair the lightening is done in the salon. A test on a hidden strand shows the result on the real base in advance.

How to use Gems 88 Blue

On washed hair

1. Wash the hair and blot the excess water.
2. Apply the colour mask and comb through.
3. Leave on for 5 to 15 minutes according to the desired reflection intensity.
4. At the end of the processing time, rinse thoroughly.

On previously bleached strands

1. Apply the colour mask to clean, dry hair.
2. Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes.

Pre-pigmentation

1. Apply the colour mask to lengths and ends.
2. Comb through.
3. Remove the excess product.
4. Proceed with the colour application, with or without ammonia.

Wear suitable gloves before application.

Mixes with Gems 88 Blue

Gems 88 Blue is used on its own for the blue of the chart, or diluted with Gems C Clear for a lighter blue: 10% of Blue in Gems C Clear is one of the official Blue formulas. It is part of seven official formulas of the Gems Colors Chart, where with Gems 3 Very Light Golden Blonde it builds two greens and an aqua marine, with Gems 7 Moka a darker blue and, together with Gems 52 Magenta, a brown, and with Gems 22 Intense Violet a purple:

All 31 official formulas of the collection, with the percentage of each shade, are collected in the Gems Colors Chart.

For professionals

• Service: blue toning on lightened hair, a lighter blue with Gems C Clear, a cool reflection between colour services, pre-pigmentation before colour with or without ammonia, part of seven official formulas.
• Processing time: 5-15 minutes on washed, towel-dried hair; 15-20 minutes on bleached strands, applied to dry hair.
• Formats: 200 ml.
• At the station: Gems C Clear to dilute the shade and the Gems Colors Chart to show the client shades and formulas on real hair.
• After the service: Stabilizer pH 3.5, the acidic leave-in spray for the last step.

Gems 88 Blue compared

• vs Gems 22 Intense Violet: the intense violet of the collection. Gems 88 Blue suits a blue; 22 Intense Violet suits a violet. Together they form one of the official Purple formulas.
• vs Gems 7 Moka: the brown of the collection. Gems 88 Blue suits a vivid blue; 7 Moka suits a brown. In equal parts they form one of the official Blue formulas, a darker blue.

FAQ

Does Gems 88 Blue need a developer?

No: it is a ready-to-use colour mask, without ammonia and without developer.

Does it show on brown or dark hair?

Only as a barely visible cool glint. A saturated blue needs the lightest base.

Why can the blue turn green?

Blue over a yellow undertone reads as green. A lighter base and reducing the residual yellow keep the blue clean.

How is a lighter blue made?

By diluting it with Gems C Clear. The official Blue formula uses 10% of Gems 88 Blue in Gems C Clear.

Which Gems shades does it mix with?

In the official formulas it combines with Gems 3 Very Light Golden Blonde, Gems 7 Moka, Gems 52 Magenta, Gems 22 Intense Violet and Gems C Clear.

Is it applied to damp or dry hair?

To washed, towel-dried hair for normal use; to clean, dry hair for bleached strands.