Professional Colour System of the Year

Open to independent professional brands offering a complete colour system actively used within salon environments. Brands must demonstrate professional engagement through salon partnerships, education, distribution or consistent stylist adoption during the eligibility period.

Winning this award positions your system as one professionals can rely on, reinforcing consistency, versatility and trust within the salon environment. It gives salons, distributors and professionals confidence in your products while helping support growth with existing and new partners, attract new distribution opportunities and strengthen credibility across the wider professional industry. Winners will also be invited to join the judging panel for The Indies - Salon & Stylist Awards UK.

• A written submission outlining the structure, performance and professional positioning of the colour system.

• Evidence of professional usage, salon adoption or colourist engagement across multiple services.

• Supporting materials including colour work, education, campaigns or product activity relevant to the eligibility period. Future direction and plans for continued growth, innovation or industry impact may also be included.

• All activity must relate to the period 1 May 2025 – 30 April 2026.

How This Category Will Be Judged

Entries will first be reviewed based on the written submission, supporting evidence and overall professional relevance within the colour industry. Judges will consider performance, consistency, innovation, versatility, education and the way the system supports colourists across a wide range of salon services.

Shortlisted brands may then move into practical colour testing carried out by selected professional colourists from our judging panel. Judges may assess tone, lift, grey coverage, glossing, reliability, hair condition and overall system performance within real salon environments.

To keep the process fair and independent, written entries and practical testing stages may be reviewed by different judges. Product testing requirements and judging formats will be discussed directly with shortlisted entrants depending on the system entered and the most suitable way to assess it professionally.

Product Submission Requirements

Shortlisted entrants may be required to submit selected products from their colour system for professional testing and evaluation. Requested product quantities, testing requirements and judging formats will be confirmed directly with shortlisted entrants once judging allocations have been finalised.

This category may be tested during one of our in-salon judging days with active colourists from our judging panel. Products may be assessed through professional salon use, practical colour services and overall system performance within real working salon environments. Products submitted for judging will not be returned unless agreed otherwise in writing.

This category is not open to conglomerate-owned or publicly listed companies. Venture-backed brands are permitted, provided the brand operates independently within the professional market. Systems without active professional salon distribution or those without a multi product system will not be considered.

To protect the integrity of the awards, all judges are required to declare any professional, commercial or personal relationships with entrants prior to scoring. Any judge with a declared conflict of interest will not be permitted to review, discuss or score the relevant entry or category.

Entry Overview

This category recognises exceptional professional colour systems that deliver outstanding results, innovation and performance for salons and colourists. Open to professional hair brands globally, this award celebrates complete colour systems that demonstrate excellence across formulation, usability, education, consistency and overall salon impact.

Entries may include permanent, demi-permanent, semi-permanent, glossing, lightening or specialist colour systems designed for professional salon use.

Judges will be looking for colour systems that not only achieve exceptional creative and technical results, but also support hairdressers through education, reliability, versatility and modern salon demands.

What Judges Are Looking For

Strong entries should clearly demonstrate:

• What makes the colour system unique within the professional market
• Performance, consistency and quality of results
• Innovation within formulation, technology or ingredient development
• Ease of use and versatility for professionals
• Shade range, mixing capabilities or creative flexibility
• Education, support and training provided to salons
• Sustainability or hair health considerations where relevant
• Evidence of salon adoption, growth or professional endorsement

Judges are particularly interested in systems that genuinely support colourists in delivering exceptional results while improving the overall salon experience.

Supporting Materials

Entrants are encouraged to include:

• Colour result imagery and transformations
• Educational resources or academy materials
• Shade charts or system overviews
• Professional testimonials and salon feedback
• Before and after imagery
• Campaign visuals or launch content
• Performance data, research or technical innovation details
• Social proof, industry recognition or retail performance where applicable

Entry Deadline

Final entry deadline for this category is 6 September 2026.

Shortlisted entrants may be contacted directly regarding additional judging stages, product testing, colour swatch submission or further supporting information where applicable.