We spoke with co-owner of Nine Zero One Salon and Wella Professionals Global Ambassador, Nikki Lee about her first experience with Pure Perfection, the results that keep her reaching for it, and what stylists should know before trying it.
A colorist gets to know a new color range by working with it. From mixing the formula, seeing how it applies and checking the finished shade. That first finished look matters, but so does how the color wears—and what the hair looks like when the client returns weeks later. Together, those details help a stylist decide whether a range deserves a permanent place at their station.
For Nikki Lee, co-owner of Nine Zero One Salon and Wella Professionals Global Ambassador, Pure Perfection was an opportunity to add something she had been looking for: a no-ammonia permanent color that worked within her existing Wella Professionals portfolio. She wanted the coverage and beautiful results she was used to, but with an option for clients who were becoming more conscious of ingredients.
“Ammonia-free permanent color was really the only thing I felt was missing from the Wella portfolio,” she says. “Pure Perfection completed that for me. Now I feel like I have everything I need within Wella and don’t have to look outside the brand to meet different clients’ needs.”
A Different Experience From the First Mix
Nikki’s first impression started before she saw the finished color. “The consistency when mixing is beautiful, there’s zero fragrance during application and processing, and most importantly, the results are absolutely stunning,” she says.
That absence of fragrance has become one of the details she notices most during appointments. “I didn’t realize how much scent we’re used to with hair color until I started using Pure Perfection,” she says. “You truly smell nothing during the service, which completely changes the experience.”
Her clients have noticed, too. For someone accustomed to the familiar smell of permanent color, a fragrance-free formula can make the appointment feel different from the moment the color goes on. Nikki has also seen virtually no staining on her clients’ skin either—another small detail that can make a big difference at the end of a service.
When asked to name her three favorite things about Pure Perfection, she doesn’t hesitate: “No ammonia, no fragrance, and the most beautiful palette of natural looking colors. It’s really that simple for me.”
Coverage That Still Looks Soft
Grey coverage is one of the first things Nikki looks for in a permanent color and is exactly what impressed her so much about Pure Perfection. “You get up to 100% grey coverage with such a soft, natural looking finish,” she says. “For me, that’s the perfect combination. Beautiful coverage without the color ever looking heavy or overly saturated.”
The grow-out impressed her as well. When clients return for touch-ups, she’s noticed that the regrowth looks softer and less obvious. “The color has such a soft, natural finish, but it also holds beautifully without fading, which is a huge bonus.”
For Nikki, those results challenge the misconception that no-ammonia permanent color means weaker performance or less reliable grey coverage. Pure Perfection delivers the coverage she expects, with a natural-looking finish that wears well as the hair grows. “I don’t want a hard line of demarcation as the hair grows out,” Nikki says. “A softer, more natural result makes that regrowth much more forgiving.”
No Extra Steps at the Backbar
Time is precious in the salon so adding a new color range to your services should fit naturally into the way you already work. For Nikki, one of Pure Perfection’s strengths is how easily it fits into her existing Wella Professionals portfolio. Having worked with other no-ammonia permanent colors, she appreciates a formula that delivers without adding extra products or steps.
“Unlike some other ammonia-free color lines that are oil-based, Pure Perfection is formulated with zero mineral oil, so I don’t need a special shampoo just to remove the color from the hair,” she says. “That’s huge.”
Pure Perfection also works with the Wella developers she already has on hand, making it that much easier and cost-effective to introduce a no-ammonia permanent option in the salon.
As clients grow increasingly conscious of ingredients, Pure Perfection gives Nikki another option to recommend with pure confidence. “It allows me to offer something to clients who are increasingly conscious of ingredients and what they’re putting on their hair and scalp, without ever compromising my work,” she says. “I still get the beautiful, high-performance result I expect from Wella.”
Built-In Technology for Color Confidence
Pure Perfection’s Supercharged Metal Purifier is a key part of what gives Nikki confidence in the formula and behind the chair. Engineered to capture copper and iron simultaneously, the technology helps support reliable color results—and because it is built into the color, there is no separate step to add to the service.
For Nikki, that protection is extremely helpful when working with clients who travel frequently and encounter different water everywhere they go. Minerals and metals can build up in the hair and impact how color develops, making the built-in technology a valuable part of her permanent color services. “Knowing Pure Perfection has Wella’s Supercharged Metal Purifier built into the formula gives me another level of confidence and control behind the chair,” Nikki says. “With permanent color, consistency is everything.”
What Nikki Wants Stylists to Know
For stylists trying Pure Perfection for the first time, Nikki has one piece of practical advice: trust the processing time, even if the color looks darker than expected while it develops. “It can look a little different while it’s processing, so don’t let that scare you,” she says. “Let it do its thing because the finished result is beautiful.”
She hopes more stylists will now understand that you don’t need to have trade-offs when it comes to choosing a no-ammonia permanent color. In her chair, Pure Perfection has delivered the coverage she needs, the natural-looking shades she loves and an experience her clients notice. “You’re not sacrificing performance to get an ammonia-free formula,” Nikki says. “You still get beautiful permanent color and incredible coverage, and being able to tell your clients that it’s ammonia-free and fragrance-free is an added benefit they really appreciate.”