Hair Mishaps & How To Fix It: Part I

1. You say you are ready for change, but are you REALLY ready for CHANGE?

Scenario:

You were born with dirty blonde hair, and you survived your teenage years with the color you were blessed with. When the time was right, you finally became the blonde that you always wanted to be, with the right guidance and professional assisance. Many years later after being every shade and tone of blonde under the sun, you woke up and decided that today was the day to become a brunette and the transition could not be put off a minute later.

Excited about your new soon-to-be do (possibly inspired by a magazine or movie you saw), you go into your favorite hair salon and spill the news to your stylist. You spare no details about your ideas and desires for your perfect brunette color. Three hours, 5 pictures and a miracle later, you leave the the salon with a beautiful shade of chestnut precisely selected by you.

You are elated with your new change and cannot wait to show if off to your friends and family. By chance you happen to run into one of your closest friends as you are leaving the salon. "Wow! Your hair is dark," she exclaims in a way that lets you know that she really wanted to scream, "What have you done to your hair?!" Her reaction immediately makes you think that you've made a huge mistake (And, believe me that is all that it takes).

As a hair stylist, I see many cases that are very similar to this scenario with women that make drastic changes to their color and may not be ready to fully committ to the transition. Before making these changes it is important to take several things into considertation...

1. Where is your confidence level? Are you ready to committ to the change?

2. Who is this change being made for? Is it for you, your significant other or professional purposes?

3. Are you doing this as a new means of self-expression?

4. Are you experiencing emotional stress, a break-up or a death in the family?

5. Is because you want to try something you saw in a movie or magazine?

The important thing is to make sure that you fully understand why you are making the drastic change. You have to be prepared mentally and emotionally for change. And, remember that everytime there is a change made, there will always be a comment made about it whether it be good, bad or ugly. Don't let others opinions be the deciding factor for your transition or lack thereof. Embrace change, change is good!

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UP DID & I DOs (RECENT WEDDING SHOTS)

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TREND, TRENDY, TRENDIER

On my trip to London, I attended an advanced hair-cutting seminar hosted by Mahogany, an Austrailian company. This was exciting because I not ony learned a lot, but to my surprise the majority of the people at the seminar were American. I was able to share outlook on the beauty business, gain new insights and explore new creative techniques. Now on to the trends...

The first thing that I noticed was a difference in the hair culturally between the U.S. and the U.K. The difference I saw was that we use hair to recreate the shape of the face. For example, many stylist use a sweeping bang to create more of an oval shape on a round face. In London, the people I was exposed to illustrated that it had nothing to do with the face. It was all about recreating the shape of the head. Women were fearless when it came to their hair. They had no reservations about exposing their foreheads, ears, necks, chins, etc. You name it, it was exposed.

Yes, of course there were women with the common mousey shoulder length hair. To which it was clear, that the hair was their identity. It was refreshing to see women that were bold and willing to take risk. This attitude could be seen across the board regardless of race, hair texture or lifestyle.

Bobs are definitely on trend in the U.K (as well as in the rest of the world thanks to Mrs. Beckham) of all shapes and sizes. The disconnected bob was especially popular. Being that "the bob" is such a hot commodity, I enjoyed seeing trends altered. With trends, you have what I like to call the "followers" and the "creative rebels". Followers are those people that like to copy a look exactly as it appeared on their favorite celeb or magazine shoot. Creative rebels on the other hand, take the same trend and put a spin on it to make it their own.

In terms of color, brunette is the new Blonde. I know that this might upset some of you, but brunettes conquered the scene. Everywhere I went there were far more brunettes than there were blondes. During the day, I saw many brunettes with subtle highlights, and the look transitioned into a bit more dramatic at night with chunkier, bolder highlights and streaks of color. The more the better.

Curly hair was definitely embraced. Ladies pull out the defusers and own your natural beauty!

And, finally for the gents. Men in London across the board seem to appreciate hair, their own that is. Men's hair for the most part was freshly cut and overly caked with product. It was fair to say that there was a clear addiction to hair products.

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Top 15 Products

Having done hair in Europe, L.A. and New York, I thought it would be a good idea to put together a list of products that are great, still on the market and NOT Bumble & Bumble or Kerastase!

1. Tea Tree Shampoo (Paul Mitchell)

2. Lemongrass Shampoo (Mop)

3. Mud (Sebastian)

4. Shaper Hair Spray (Sebastian)

5. Biosilk Therapy (Farouk)

6. Soft Shampoo (Redkin)

7. Color Enhancing Shampoo & Conditioner (Artec)

8. Daily Leave-in Tonic (Biolage)

9. Root Pump Volumizing Spray (Big Sexy Hair)

10. Straightening Balm (KMS)

11. Pear Shampoo (Mop)

12. Leave-in Conditioner (Mop)

13. Decurl Straightening Balm (Mop)

14. Potion No. 9 (Sebastian)

15. Splendore Color Illuminating Crystals (Alfaparf)
* LATEST FAVORITE!!*

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Getting Ready for Fall

In a month or so, the mad rush for the fall change will be happening. This is usually the time we tend to go a little darker. Be it lowlights, darker shades of blonde or back to natural, we all feel the need to change with the season. Also, keep in mind that with fall and winter on the way our skin tones begin to fade, and being too blonde can leave you looking a little washed out. If you are blonde and wish to be a bit richer, why not be creative with your color, rather than simply settling for lowlights.

I like looking at the hair from the back first, then the sides and the front last. I am able to get a complete view of my canvas this way. The head is round, so when we look in the mirror we only see a small piece of the pie. Keep this in mind as you are brainstorming about your color transition.

This a great time to apply some different shades of lowlights. Consider having richer tones in the back then gradually place some deeper blonde pieces through the front. This will give more of a congac or medium golden blonde appearance to the hair with richer lowlights. Another option would be to create depth by working with what you have. This can be done by keeping the entire lower back of the hair at a soft light brown (Not too dark that it looks fake or like you are training in beauty school and finally discoverd hair color! Believe me, I remember my days). This method allows the contrast of the depth in color to bring the focus to the top of the head.

I haven't forgotten about my brunettes! If you are a brunette it's a great idea to foil in a darker color rather than color the entire head. This gives dimension and still leaves you with that summer sparkle. Also try to experiment with shades of brown, and please DO NOT be afraid of warmth!! I have converted many women that were afraid of warmth. It does not have to be that WARM = Red!

Thanks and look forward to October topics!

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STAY TUNED FOR OCTOBER'S TOPICS...

TREND, TRENDY AND TRENDIER

New trends in cut and color in Europe ( I will be fresh back from my
hair related trip to London and Paris)!

TOP 15 PRODUCTS

My 15 favorite products before I started using Kerastase and Bumble and Bumble. :oP

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MANAGING YOUR EXPECTATIONS

We all have great ideas on what we should look like and we should. We know our hair better than anyone else. We have worked with it for a long time, but when it comes to changing your style and working with your
best assets trust me, work with the professional. Together it can be a colabration of a lifetime.

OK, so we're ready to get our hair done. We remember our last experience. We know what our hair's like. Heaven knows we have styled it so many times.

Before meeting with your stylist, it is important to have some ideas about what you REALLY want. For example, have an idea of how much effort you would like to put into styling your hair. Do you want to style your hair 4 times a week or do you actually prefer doing it only once a week? Do you want to keep it simple? Finally, make sure you have a photo from a magazine or some other source. The next step is meeting with your existing stylist or someone new. You sit and the consultation begins.

This is where you need to really listen to your stylist. Sometimes photos can be so misleading. The lighting makes the color appear to be much different, the cut is actually blown out and the hair texture is so different than what you have to work with and unrealistic to your lifestyle. Allow the stylist to be honest and be open to ideas. You both should keep in mind the up keep you prefer, but at the same time, really being open to a little challange. I feel the consultation is the most important part of the visit. This is when we find out what's important; we figure out the do's and the dont's, get help with recovering from bad experience's and gently move you forward to a new, realistc, managable new style. This style could be very sexy! I would recommend taking in your favorite products (so your stylist can advise you on what works or not), photos of what you like and don't like, as well as an expectation of tips on applying product, styling and finishing your hair.

I wish you great hair.

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MENDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OLD HAIR STYLIST

It's really simple,from a stylist point of view. We know that it's so much more than the hair cut (although it is a big part) it's also about the energy and the commitment put towards the realtionship. If you feel for change (a change in stylist that is), do it! It's all about you, not the stylist.

There are several ways of going about breaking the news to your stylist. Sometimes sending a card thanking your stylist for years of service is a great way to end the relationship maybe until a later date. Or maybe you would like to return to your stylist to tell the truth,"I travelled around a bit and here I am ! I love your work!! That's one way to put it. There are countless ways to communicate this with your stylist, but at the end of the day YOU choose what is most comfortable for YOU!

As a stylist I don't take it personally,I know that not everyone I touch will be happy. As a stylist it's important to love what we do, get lots of education and always have an open mind. It's about the client, not us!

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New Cuts

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CLEANING HOUSE

Often in my conversations with clients while recommending products, the first thing they say is, "I already have so many products, and I never use them!" It's important to know the shelf life of your products is only recommended for up to a year. So, DON'T LET THE PRODUCTS THAT YOU HAVE STOP YOU FROM GETTING THE PRODUCTS THAT YOU NEED! We clean house with fashion and cosmetics, we need to make sure we are doing the same thing with haircare products as well. There are times when I change the color or cuts of my clients. Especially when changing to a new cut, I make sure to recommend a change in products because the new cut often needs a new support. It is impossible to style a short haircut with products used to style a shoulder length haircut and vice versa. It is also impossible to duplicate the same style that is done in the stylist's chair with the wrong products or products not recommended to support the haircut.

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PROFESSIONAL HAIRCARE PRODUCTS VS. EVERYTHING ELSE

The standards for haircare products are set by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Take shampoos, for instance, the FDA ensures that the detergents (such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate) and other additives used in shampoos SHOULD be safe enough for the hair and scalp. You can actually use the same drugstore shampoo to wash your sock, your dog and your carpet because it's strong enough! Whereas professional haircare products are specifically made with the health of the hair and scalp in mind. These products are generally backed by intense research including taking into consideration the day-to-day stresses that people subject to their hair (i.e. coloring, perming, blow-drying, etc.).

Don't get me wrong, there are shampoos and conditioners that are sold in drugstores and supermarkets that can perform just as well as professional products, but this is when you have to decide who knows best; the person behind the counter/ register at your local drugstore or your stylist? You be the judge.

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Fringes or Not?

One statement that I often hear is, "The last time I had bangs I was six and my mother cut them." Well, you WILL NOT be reliving that experience. I myself am still recovering from the bowl cut my mother gave me. A great fringe depends on who's behind the chair, the shape of your face, and on how willing you are to maintain the look (being realistic with yourself). The first information I get from my clients is their type of lifestyle and an idea of what level of commitment they are willing to devote to their hair.

I recommend bangs for any shape of face, but you have to remember that it is not all about the fringes! It's also about having a good haircut to support them. For example, if I am doing a haircut on someone with a round face, and they would like short bangs, I would support the change by adding in layers around the face for softness.

LADIES, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT BANGS AND HOW THEY CAN WORK FOR YOU, PLEASE CONTACT ME!

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New Cuts

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A Shearly Natural Look

Christina is a natural red head with extremely curly hair. We decided to cut and color her hair keeping in mind that she wears it both curly and straight. We also took into consideration that it will be humid for the next couple of months, so I had to be gently with the layering. I chose to bailiage her hair because curly or straight she would get the same effect which is a more natural application with little committment (meaning that she would not have to process her hair as often as a result of the placement of the highlights), The challenge was coloring her hair and removing a lot of the red with the end result being a contrasted natural beige blonde. I used the razor to cut her hair (Yes, you can cut curly hair with the razor!) layering and removing bulk while keeping length. So, that she can wear her hair naturally without it being too short.

Products used were Oleo Relax Shampoo and Nutridefense Conditioner (#2) both by Kerastase. To style the hair I used Tonic by Bumble & Bumble followed by Lait Nutri-Sculpt by Kerastase. After blow drying, I applied a pea-sized amount of Nutri-Scuplt Serum by Kerastase.

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I have a very diverse clientele. So, I am fortunate to work with people of all walks of life including actors, muscians, homemakers, students, etc. Thus allowing me to be creative on different levels. This particular cut was about achieving a look that has versatility. Being an actor, he needed to be able to work with his hair texture for auditions and still have a life and just be himself. Working with his face shape, hair texture and the razor, I was able to create a cut that was not only easy to manage, but had the flexibility to be air dried, blow dried or flat ironed; still leaving an edge of masculinity.

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Color also plays an important part in the finshed look of bridal hair. It's nice to have that extra sparkle in your hair as you're walking down the isle. This look was achieved by using 3 ponytails and lots of bobby pins!

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Clients often comment that hair coloring is very similar to the art of painting. I agree; however, the advantage that a painter is given is the ability to continuously add color, and some colorist are not given the same liberty due to the constraints of scheduling and high volume of clientele. I personally like to incorporate a "painter's frame of mind" into my coloring. I like to work with my clients to achieve their desired look. As I have done with this color. She was a platinum blonde for some time and kicked open the salon door begging for a change. She came to me with a strong idea of what she had in mind, and we worked together to custom blend her color. I used 3 to 4 shades from the Alfaparf Semi-Permanent line (an Italian color line that adds great shine to color).

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