The Blow Dry Trend

Lady’s it’s time to put down your flat irons and get out the round brunch’s, rollers (and for those who have curly, wavy, humidity active hair), and go for volume controlled textured hair this spring/summer. The hair trends are showing more flowing fuller styled hair a fresher more finished look on bobs, long hair , or layered hair even shorter hair has volume. The best way to go for this sexy feminine look is to treat yourself and invest in what has became the latest craze “blow dry bars” popping up everywhere throughout all the major cities in North America. And I think this service that is offered is great! We go for pedicures/manicures why not a great shampoo and a no hassle blow dry that lasts at least a few day’s; let’s face it a professional blow dry does last longer than when we do it ourselves or should.

So instead of fighting any texture or no texture indulge in an inexpensive pampering with a blow-dry. Have a stress-free hair season and grab a couple of blow-dry packages that salons offer, ask your stylist if this service is offered and can it be, it is so worth it. I am encouraging my clients to come in just for blow-dry’s and take advantage of the great packages we offer. Whether for an evening or special event or a season, get blow-dried, done in a salon or by you anyway the trend is to add volume to your hair, we've seen enough at least for now of the bone straight hair, it’s the season of lioness chic hair.

The Application of Grey Coverage

I have had many people ask me where do I start my tint applications, back of the head or front. As in many cases with hair color it all depends on the individuals needs and what is it I want to create with an end result. I was taught like many in hairdressing school the standard four quarter parting and begin the application from the back of the head, right or wrong, my verdict is still out of this one and how it is taught in beauty schools. What I do know is this, when I first started coloring hair it occurred to me that maybe by applying my tints first in the front I would get better coverage on grey since the percentage was higher there as well people are naturally lighter and look at the most. Having experienced excellent results the majority of clients I did had their hair color applied in the front first and too this day I still work this way.

Common sense tells me that by applying the color in the front first including sides with grey coverage will allow the color to process slightly longer and where it needs it the most. also believe it or not makes the hair color appear more natural when it processes slightly longer in the front giving a more even coverage. When I am doing more creative work I apply the color starting in the back of the head working my way towards the front and sides 90% of the time, because I either have already placement my details(foils ect.) or I am using more than one tint shade on the hair for color layering. I also operate this way when I am dealing with high-lift blonde tints, again it makes more sense allowing the color to sit longer while I am finishing up the back of the head. If you are one of those people who love to try unconventional way’s in the hair color world try applying your grey coverage tints in the front first, it will make a difference with a better result in coverage.

Fashion Friday Spotlight: Necklace

The necklace is a piece of jewellery that can be traced back throughout history as being worn by both men and women. They were often used as ways to make a distinction among many cultures, and after the discovery of metals such as copper, gold and silver were used the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans started adding gemstones of all sizes and colors to make eye-catching necklaces. Necklaces are worn for a variety of reasons; one of them is for personal decoration and taste. Now the necklace is a popular accessory for many fashion designers to use in displaying their collections as Coco Chanel did with stacking rows of pearls which became a huge trend and still is a popular look for some. This season they are chunkier, bolder and made up of many materials, using large gems, coins, beads etc. It can make a statement, dress up any outfit, illuminate light and sparkle around any face and make one feel beautiful. I have always been a huge fan of necklaces and I absolutely love what some designers are showing, whether it is a single necklace or stacked they all are stunning.

Spicy Brunettes

Brunette hair has always managed to make heads turn with an appealing mystery attached and the same will hold true for spring/summer 2010. Not everyone wants brown hair with lighter highlights, and a great choice for brunettes is adding finer highlights or slices with shades of spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, all spice, mocha and coffee beans .Brown hair can look sometimes helmet like so it needs dimension and by breaking it up by adding these tones helps to create a softer silhouette for this season. Remembering that brown shades do have the tendency to end up brassy in the summer so the key is knowing what exactly you want to use in your formulations to create not only a striking hair color but also preventing this possibility of happening.

Go to your spice rack, studying the colors of all the brown food spices and yes even coffee beans will allow you to see the shades you can create in hair colors for your beautiful brunettes. And this year’s brown hair color options also work double duty in balancing sunkissed skin tones of a brunette, something most of us never think about (will this color look good on tanned skin) and most brunettes in my option need equally cool and warmth in formula or placement of tones which equals neutral for summer brown hair to work in harmony both for hair and skin.

Hair & Hair Color Challenges

HCC Email/ Question # 9

My question is, does one highlight their hair before going away into the sun or afterwards?
This has been an ongoing debate between many of us in the salon, so being someone young in the business this becomes confusing so many times I don’t know what to recommend to clients Can you help me clarify this
Thanks for your time.
Ines.

I have always believed that what is right or wrong all depends on the situation and each individual‘s hair sitting in your chair. Fact is years ago because we did not have all sorts of products that deliver what they do today we used perhaps harsher products (bleachand bleach and more bleach), so I would tell my clients to come back and see me after their vacations and see what damage the sun salt water or pools did. I still do recommend that today to certain clients which I know will need to be fixed up after they return, but I will also do certain clients hair before they depart. There is a few what I call logical reasons to consider when deciding on when to do hair color or when not to regarding sun-vacations. However the most important requirement in either doing hair color work before or after is making sure it is and remains Strong and Healthy.

Here are a few of my guidelines that might help you, and with more experience you will truly know what the right decision to make is, remember hair color is art, science and mostly common sense.

Doing color;

1/When there are varying lighter shades present in the hair as highlight, gold’s, caramels and client has new-growth.
2/Client's with brassy casts, or product build ups.
3/Light blondes, wanting to go lighter.
4/ If roots are bad and grey.

Not doing color;

1/Dehydrated (dry) hair, who already has high-lifted highlighted hair.
2/Clients with red based colors.
3/ Adding tri-colors more than 2 colors, that are in the honey shades,
4/ Fine Hair.

Whether client is colored before or after they need to take protective hair color products with them

My recommendation: Aveda Sun Care Protective Veil

Fashion Friday Spotlight; The Belt

The belt is more popular than ever and has been around forever as a fashion accessory for both men and women. As more and more people seek individuality in the way they dress today and many take inspirations from the runways, it is safe to say that the spring/summer collections showed that the belt is still a fashion detail with more distinctive designs. The belt has always added style, flair and of course makes a waist appear smaller, and through history depending on the fashions the belt was used on women to accentuate their curves which is great to see some fashion designers embracing this trend now. Inserting a beautiful belt big and chunky, thin, loose, jewelled, elasticized, or with gorgeous hardware you can’t go wrong. And a fashion accessory such as a belt is a more affordable way to add some modern new element to some older outfits, suits, sweater, and dresses. Whether it sits at the waist or hips it is a sure win for an individual statement this spring/summer.

Strawberry Blonde Hair Color

Strawberry hair color is a striking beautiful shade and it’s a rare natural hair color to truly be born with and there is a myth that comes with it, that someone born with strawberry blonde hair was lucky. It is neither blonde nor red but something in-between with gorgeous flecks of spun gold’s. And historically there have always been two hair colors that have been considered to be the definitions of sexy and beautiful - Blondes and Redheads until perhaps the last few decades which defied this by adding Brunettes and many other hair colors under that category.

Understanding clearly that the true tone of a strawberry blonde is somewhere amid red and pale blonde and what is mixed in a color bowl is either a little more yellow or red into the formula which depends on the natural hair color and their own underlying pigment (NRP). It can however be a harder color to determine what the right shade of strawberry blonde can be on each individual, I have always believed that anyone with natural red, copper or blonde hair who can wear warm tones (makeup,clothing) can add shades of strawberry blonde.

If change is needed or desired strawberry blonde shades are a wonderful alternative to add or ask for this spring as a highlight or a stunning all over hair color (tint).

Note; what both “client and hairdresser” need to remember is visuals, bring pictures to the stylist to help you decide on what the right shade of strawberry is for you, and stylists start recommending variation of strawberry’s to your clients and give them the lift they may need with one of springs hottest hair colors to add a little sunshine.

Hair Color: Picking The Right Shades Based On Skin & Eyes

Coloring your hair is one of the most common and exciting ways of conveying your individuality sometimes even ones inner self. Whether you are using hair color to brighten your own shade, to create a completely new look or to cover gray hair it’s an uplifting and feel good service. There are certainly a number of shades that can be successful in creating beautiful hair colors, we know this however a hair color will be most flattering when it is customized starting with what I consider the two most important elements skin tones and eye color and taken them into consideration when we formulate is key in successfully personalizing hair color.

Picking the perfect new shades can be for many daunting both for hairdresser and consumer having the same fear of choosing the wrong colors. But by intensely studying all skin tones and following the methodology that everyone consists of both cool and warm undertones and that they can work together. And based on the individuals skin color picking the one complementary color should be the more predominant shade with accents of the other i.e. pale pinkish skin with red hair is a combination of both cool and warm, olive skin with dark brown hair and blue eyes another combination of both tones present. Working hair color this way brings out natural beauty accentuating and enhancing skin tones and complimenting the eyes.

Fashion Friday Spotlight; The Sunglasses

Sunglasses and frames have been a pop culture occurrence and through the decades we have seen iconic beauty’s such as Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy and many more that made wearing sunglasses a trend. And society seems to have an obsession with them that far surpasses their function. They have the capability to make a statement about the face they're sitting on, add style to a wardrobe and can even characterize an era. This spring/summer sunglasses are a big focus, their bigger, the frames are oblong, square, around and chunkier with embossed patterns, metal pieces, translucent and colourful. They remain to be that one accessory that defines the mystery behind them.