Stylists and colorists mixing tint, gloss, or lightener with developer at a color station, typically working from a written formula that specifies ratios and volume. The wide opening and brush-friendly shape are built around brush application rather than bottle application.

What sets it apart from a plain plastic dish is the combination of the rubber base and the brush-wiping lip: two design details aimed at the two most common frustrations of mixing color by brush — a bowl that slides around while you're stirring, and product that keeps building up on the brush handle.

• Set the bowl on a flat, stable surface
• Measure color into the bowl using the interior markings as a guide
• Add developer in the ratio specified by the color line's instructions
• Mix with a tint brush until the color reaches a uniform, streak-free consistency
• Use the lip at the base of the bowl to wipe excess mixture from the brush between sections
• Rinse the bowl with water immediately after use, before the mixture dries

• Pro: the rubber-lined base keeps the bowl anchored on a slick station surface, reducing spills mid-application
• Pro: the interior measurement lines make it possible to hit a specific color-to-developer ratio without a separate measuring cylinder
• Pro: the lip at the base lets a colorist scrape excess product off the brush in one motion
• Con: the bowl is opaque black, so the color and consistency of the mix can't be checked by looking through the material the way a clear or translucent bowl allows
• Con: color left to sit and dry in the bowl is difficult to remove and can stain the plastic if it isn't rinsed out shortly after use