Just realized I was over-mixing color for years

I had a client last Tuesday with stubborn grays and I kept mixing her formula for like 5 minutes straight. My coworker watched me and goes 'you know you're breaking down the pigment right?' I laughed it off but then I did a test patch on some foil and she was totally right. The color came out weaker and more transparent than when I mixed it gently for 30 seconds. Anyone else learn this way later than they'd like to admit?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_rowan9d ago

Not quite right actually - overmixing can oxidize the color too fast and make it grab darker, not weaker. I've def had it turn out more dull and muddy when I went too long. Quick gentle mixes for the win.

singh.blair9d ago

Three years ago I caught myself over-salting pasta water because I read somewhere it should taste like the sea. One night I actually measured it out and realized I was using almost double what it needed. The pasta came out fine but the sauce ended up too salty every time I did that. It's the same pattern with the color mixing, we hear one rule and just crank it up without thinking. People do this with everything from seasoning food to watering plants, they think more effort or more ingredients automatically means better results. Sometimes the magic is in doing less.