The Bob Haircut

100 Years of the Bob

The bob was invented in 1909 by Paris-based hairdresser Antoine and this year the hairstyle that never goes out of fashion celebrates its 100th anniversary and the iconic style is currently having a moment with new twists and attitude. It is my #1 favorite haircut I have had the pleasure to work with for the past 30 years. I love the bob and on the year of its 100th birthday it seems we have a wave of popularity with all the wonderful variations of bobs today. We are seeing, shoulder-grazing lengths, sharp fringes, choppy, layered and of course the jaw length bob, and their being worn by A-listers of celebrities and the fashion world.
The bob has always been and still is one of the most requested styles and it's also the best way for any long hair to go shorter you can take it slowly or dramatically and it remains classic, chic and trendy for many generations to come. And with the many variations today there is a look for almost everyone that can wear and sport a bob. Happy Birthday Bob!

Look For The Bob & Hair Color blog coming soon.

Hair Color For Kids

I was asked yesterday to highlight an 8 year olds hair which has prompted me to write this blog and share my thoughts on coloring a child’s hair. And through the years I have been asked countless times to do kids hair but never this young, I looked at the mother who is a great client of mine and said ‘really’ she assured me it was what her little girl wanted because her best friend got highlights, and she was at her whit’s end with her, so she brought her to me to add some blonde in her hair or scare her.

My Personal rule is, I might put 1 or even 2 foil highlights in the front of the hairline at 8, which I caved in and did in fear my client would try to do it at home just to stop her 8 year olds crying, and her frowning was killing me, but no more ten that, “remember kids are finicky and get bored of things easily”, she was 8 going on 18.
In conclusion, today kids are smarter and more aware then I was as a kid, the wants are different today and so are the peer pressures, we hear of 8 year old little girls and boys are on diets just to be able to wear the latest hippest clothes or are using expensive computers and getting almost everything they want. Times are fast, pressures are high but something’s should remain innocent, children’s hair truly should be naturally lightened by the sun the ocean or by simply just playing outside, let a kid be a kid at least till puberty then have them come see me .

My Recommended Products for Children.

Aveda, Shampure shampoo and conditioner

Aveda, Brilliance shampoo and conditioner

Grey Hair

Beautiful White, Sliver and Grey

Oh the dreaded grey, most of us hate it and very few can actually wear it. No matter at what age grey hair adds years on everyone, it’s flat and dull does not reflect any light or movement even when it’s healthy it remains lifeless unlike white or silver hair where it is here most hairdressers as well as people go wrong when coloring their hair, by thinking white or silver hair is grey. There is a difference, white hair reflects more violet, silver hair reflects more blue and grey sits right behind silver, remember that real grey hair has single strands of natural color either beside it, behind it or on top which is taken into consideration when we are formulating.
My favourite coloring for silver or white and some grey hair is salt/pepper, a combination of highlights/lowlights or just finely weaved lowlights when I know that individual can wear it beautifully. I have many clients that are silver or white and some are as young as 30and they all are sporting their shiny kissed white/silver, salt/peppery hair with a bold lip color, stunning.

And many women and men fear the coming of grey hair, yet there is a new generation that want the silvery/white. However, changing hair color is nothing to be fearful of for both stylist and you. Whether you choose to get rid of all of it or highlight, lowlight, or do combinations, hair should always look natural. White, Silver and Grey are chic, trendy, and yes, can even look beutiful if you do it the right way

My Recommended Products For Homecare

Aveda, Blue or Black Malva Shampoo and Conditioner

Aveda, Personal Blends Shampoo and Conditioner

Blue Lip-Gloss

This season some of the major cosmetic brands have come up with their versions of blue lip gloss. And why are blue lip glosses becoming popular? Because blue-tinted lip glosses make your teeth look whiter and give a subtle bounce of light and balance off the red in the lips which gives a beautiful transparency to the lips as well as cool down your skin color.

Although it might sound kind of crazy blue lip-gloss, don’t be scared they don’t look blue at all, they have been created in super sheer shades. They can be worn alone or over any of your favourite lipsticks. The lips appear see-through soft and plumped, try one of these great glosses this summer and brighten up your face and smile!

My Recommended Products

Model Hair Spotlight # 2

Linda Evangelista, Two Decades

You can’t say supermodel without the mention of Linda Evangelista, one of the world's most beautiful models from an era dubbed “supper model’s” and made them famous as fashion icons. And still after two decades this Canadian beauty is still as beautiful as ever,
Famous quote "I don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day" which turned into a motto in the 90’s. she was labelled the "chameleon-like" she re-invented herself by changing her hair color and cuts, and due to this she can be classified as the woman who single-handedly epitomised the ultimate supermodel era in the 90’s. She opened the doors for models today to be able to cut their hair or change the color, up until she arrived that was a NO in the industry. Linda 1989

I couldn’t wait to see Linda’s next haircut or color and I was constantly bombarded with her images the clients brought in wanting her latest hair color and haircut. And she remains today one of the most recognised models in the world. I pay homage to her for breaking the boundaries and giving us an increase of hair color sales for two decades. And today in her 40’s we are still graced by her beauty, modeling with some of the most prestige’s designers and cosmetic companies and she is still as beautiful and as graceful as ever, Linda Evangelista is an icon to keep following.

Blonde to Brunette

Changing a blonde to a brunette can be a very frightening and tough experience, both for hairdresser and client and studies have shown that 90% of all North America women who have colored their hair from blonde to brunettes all go back to blonde, those are high numbers for re-do’s. So if you and the client are 100% sure and understand that to maintain and preserve the integrity of the hair from much a drastic transformation, you can’t just easily go back to the blonde.

Removing brown hair color is a process all you get is orange/yellow undertones its ugly, and in fact removing a brown color off a blonde is more damaging to the hair then from brown to blonde (think about what’s under nether) already weakened hair from all the perverse blonde coloring jobs.
A great approach to soften most often the shock we see when they look in the mirror the first time as a brunette and to eliminate the more than likely re-do is to move into a brunette slowly, start by adding lowlights (and not in the summer, it will just wash out and turn orange, brassy). Use a semi-permanent as the low lighting product, or an all over application this way, 1/ it can be removed easier if need be, 2/ a healthier approach as the first step to a brunette .

A few things to take into consideration is what shade of brown, a decision based on skin color, face shape, age, yes age, keep in mind darker hair can bring more attention to features, favourable as well as unfavourable. The other consideration is the state (health) of the hair presently, most blondes who *think* they want to be brunettes are people who most likely have experimented with their hair color before so the hair is probably extra dry.
I love changing a blonde to a brunette when it’s the right complimenting shade on that person, however only if I truly know she can pull it off without freaking out which believe me has happened to me in the earlier part of my career, and I know she will keep it for awhile, cause all you blondes out there know this to be true, you always go back eventually.

A Few beautiful women who have tried the brunette edge.