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  "path": "/a-recap-of-schwarzkopf-professionals-real-color-no-filter-event-with-tracey-cunningham/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-24T17:50:06.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.salonmagazine.ca",
  "tags": [
    "Celebrity",
    "News"
  ],
  "textContent": "Celebrity colourist Tracey Cunningham brought her signature style of education to Toronto for Schwarzkopf Professional’s Real Color, No Filter.\n\nThe look-and-learn event was held on April 23, 2026, at the Glenn Gould Studio in downtown Toronto and hosted by Toronto-based salon owner Sal Leonetti. With nearly 300 hairstylists, colourists and salon owners in attendance, the day was filled with practical colour education, industry insights and salon-friendly techniques from one of Hollywood’s most in-demand colourists.\n\nAs Schwarzkopf Professional’s U.S. creative director of colour and technique, Cunningham led technique-driven demos in a look-and-learn session featuring three live models—each designed to share her signature approach to natural-looking, high-impact colour.\n\n“I’m not a traditional educator,” she says. “I’m just like you—I’m in the salon every day. I do a lot of clients—30 clients a day—and I have four assistants to help.”\n\n“Sometimes you have to be careful with social media because they can really edit things out and you get lost,” she adds. “They’re not showing you the whole thing. And then you’re seeing a filter afterwards or they wave [the hair] so you just can’t see any flaws. Sometimes it’s nice to actually see it being done [in person].”\n\nThe first transformation focused on a strawberry blonde, inspired by tone-shifting work Cunningham often does for actress Emma Stone, who frequently transitions between blonde and copper hair colour for film roles.\n\nFor pre-lightened hair, Cunningham explained the importance of first assessing the existing level and tone before deciding on the formula. During an appointment, Cunningham often uses highlights and lowlights simultaneously to build dimension. Her process typically includes applying lowlights throughout the head, rooting the colour to soften the grow-out area and finishing with an all-over gloss to unify colour and boost shine.\n\nShe also shared that she often uses a lighter formula around the hairline to avoid what she described as a harsh “regrowth headband”—a trick she says she frequently uses on Jennifer Lopez.\n\nAnother surprising takeaway for attendees was Cunningham’s use of permanent colour to lighten the hair in certain situations, depending on the desired result and hair condition.\n\nBeyond formulas and placement, Cunningham also offered practical advice on managing major colour transformations. When it comes to setting expectations, she emphasized the importance of under-promising and overdelivering, explaining that clients often underestimate how long dramatic changes can take. By being clear about the process and timeline, stylists can create a better overall service experience.\n\nFor her grey-blending model, Cunningham underlined the importance of using both lowlights and highlights to bring depth and brilliance back into the hair, rather than relying solely on flat grey coverage. According to her, the goal here is to create movement and softness while still delivering effective coverage.\n\nThe final model featured a dimensional brunette transformation inspired by the effortless polish of ’90s style icon Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. For this look, Cunningham focused on crown-heavy highlights and “tipping out” the ends to brighten while keeping the overall result refined and expensive-looking.\n\nShe also noted the importance of rooting highlights at the crown to avoid harsh stripes and prevent client dissatisfaction as the colour grows out.\n\nBefore the big reveal of the final colour looks, Leonetti returned to the stage for a sit-down with Cunningham, who opened up about her busy salon life, her colour philosophy and what led her to switch to Schwarzkopf Professional. She also participated in a rapid-fire Q&A in which the audience had the opportunity to ask questions ranging from creating natural-looking blondes to achieving expensive-looking colour to navigating current trends such as the Scandinavian blonde. She also touched on the importance of “connecting the ends” for seamless blonde work and spoke candidly about the role of social media in growing a salon business.\n\nAccording to Cunningham, maintaining an active Instagram presence remains an important way for stylists to showcase their work, attract new clients and build trust through consistency and visual storytelling.\n\nThe day wrapped with a final runway presentation of all three completed model looks, followed by a brief meet-and-greet between Cunningham and attendees.\n\nFollowing the event, we had an opportunity for a one-on-one chat with Cunningham, who shared her tips for improving colour consultations.\n\n“Just have them bring in one photo,” she says. “Don’t even engage them in five photos. A picture’s worth a thousand words—I don’t want to talk to them for five hours. I want them to show me the photo and I’ll tell them if it’s going to happen or not. And then we can talk about so many other things—fun things!”\n\nWhen it comes to clients bringing in AI-generated photos, Cunningham says it’s important to address it head on. “I’m straight up,” she says. “’That’s an AI photo, and I’m not a robot.’ You just have to nip it in the bud.”\n\nAfter more than two decades of working in the hair industry, Cunningham acknowledges that it can take its toll, however it’s important to not let it show in both your attitude and work.\n\n“Put your makeup on, do your hair and go to work,” she says. “You have to feel good about yourself, especially when you’re standing on your feet all day and working. Don’t tell everybody about your problems—they don’t need to hear that. Everything’s great and one day it will be.”\n\n  *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *\n",
  "title": "A Recap of Schwarzkopf Professional’s Real Color, No Filter Event with Tracey Cunningham"
}