Nurture Inner/Outter Beauty

I might be a bit passionate about beauty—if the description of “beauty” involves being able to cite a hair/beauty launches from 2005, or a designer hand-bag a client is sporting, or understand the difference between nitro-dyes versus petrochemical free products. You see, I’m of the old school of thought that beauty is just the accessories on top of an already-healthy main course. While I’m in support of enhancing what already Mother Nature gave us, many of the things we want to enhance such as – shinier hair, good skin, striking eyes, etc., we do through products. However not to get all spiritual on you but there is no point to any of this beauty stuff if you’re not also working on good health and being a more beautiful person on the INSIDE. Just like the old saying goes Beauty comes from the inside out holds true and 2012 is an opportunity to connect these elements and be in sync for the best possible you.

My beauty and health resolutions

-Buy certified organic beauty products aveda.com

-Eat organic foods nealbrothersfoods.com

-Yoga 889yonge.com

-Hair- Spa civello.com or any Aveda Concept salons in your neighborhood

-Read drwaynedyer.com or something like that

-Do mani-pedis + massages

-Practice meditation + vitamins

- Be kinder, generous and always have a servants heart

Happy New Year!

Candles for Holiday

One of the nicest and reasonable gifts one can buy this holiday season just too say Thank You is a aromatic candle. This year Aveda's holiday candle *Grounding* is fabulous with vanilla, ginger, cassia and other pure flower essences will make anyone feel calmer, relaxed yes grounded and even sexy! with a bonus of 50 hours of burning without any fear of toxins. My top recommendation for those who need a lovely small gift to buy someone or yourself this xmas going with the Grounding candle is it!!.

Brunette Beauty

Brunettes may not be the most exciting hair colors but they sure have taken on a whole other personality this year and to me there is nothing more striking then Tone on Tone coloring for all my brown haired ravens. And staying dark and rich in the dull winter months is absolutely fine as long as we have a pop of color somewhere else (lips. eyes, checks, scarfs), and with brown hair colors which need dimension there’s no better way than adding various brown tones starting with light to even black which is my favorite on a brunette seeing bold or soft panels running through the hair which I have been doing now for a while is beautiful. Still the traditional highlight tones for brown hair remains most popular (golden, caramel, and butterscotch) however for those who really want lower maintenance particularly Tints – Single Processes go with Tone on Tone. The fastest way I do this is after I have finished applying root formula I then begin to take slices of hair and apply my second formula to those slices of hair. The amount or density you take with the slices will determine again a bolder or softer end result, rule on thumb 1/ Fine hair = Fine slices, 2/ Thick hair = Bigger panels (Back to Back slices), 3/ Medium hair = both  Fine slices + Bigger/ Back to Back slices.   

Remember when we use Tone on Tone shades to always have a combination of warm + cool; this creates incredible balance to hair.   

Email: Itchy Scalp After hair Color

Hi my scalp is very itchy and gets flaky after I color my hair I do go to a Aveda hair salon and they say that they only use Aveda hair color which is why I chose that salon in the first place. I have now gone at least 5 times for color and this continues to happen, I do not want to switch my stylist or salon so any advice would be helpful

Thank you

Marie

Having a itchy scalp after a hair color is quite common and there are many possible reasons for this, in my experience most people that do react afterwards I base on a few critical scenarios 1/ improper shampooing, 2/ hormonal, 3/ sensitivity too activators , developers, peroxide, 4/ dehydrated scalps.2 out of 3 hair color manufactures use PDD, Aveda hair color is PDD free and a good choice for not only health of hair as well being a non-debilitating hair color line, however sometimes even with natural hair colors there could be an ingredient or symptom that could still itch the scalp. Try to rule out all the above scenarios, with your stylist you can both try a few old school remedy’s which has always worked for me and my clientele.
Your hair should not be shampooed for at least 48 hours prior to hair color service, also adding fron the list below will not impede the formula. 

Suggestions:

        1-       In formula add 2 packets of sweet low, (equal, splenda) etc. + 4 drops Lavender essential oil

2-       In formula add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream , a natural coater, soother

3-       Take an antihistamine 1 hour before hair color service

4-        Lightly spray the roots with ½ water ½ Calming Composition oil ( in spray bottle)

5-       After shampooing use Damage Remedy Equalizing Solution massage scalp then apply Scalp Benefits Balancing Conditioner, finish with a cool to cold rinse.  

These suggestions are tools that have worked for me and may not work for everyone, I strongly advise any individual to see their Doctor.

Eye Lashes Lash Out

From runways too hollywood to the everyday working woman and moms eyelashes are the biggest latest trend and whether it is false strip lashes from the drug store or high end cosmetic companies that offer colored ones or jewelled more and more women are wearing them, but the best trend is eyelash extensions. And there seems to be a ton of new lash/brow lounges and salons popping up globally catering to this growing popularity in the beauty service. The variety of eyelashes and eyelash designs offered is almost endless since every person has different eyes and desires in terms of what kind of outcome they want. The beauty of lash extensions is that they are semi-permanent meaning they can last anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks, can you imagine not applying any mascara for that long? Depending on your own individual lashes (fine, thick, amount) the styles offered are, Natural, Defined, Dramatic and Lux. I am completely in love with this fantastic service and glad that we offer this in our salons; my clients are looking gorgeous and are thrilled thanks to the fabulous artist hands of Melanie who is highly trained and a perfectionist. The most important thing to remember when choosing where to go or to whom is that their hygiene is of the upmost importance and know what they are doing, after all they are our eyes. This is a fabulous and fast approaching mainstream beauty service that for those who don’t have the time or want to put their mascara on or simply need some lashes it’s the perfect alternative with no compromise in individual beauty !.     

Extra Touch #2

Hot Towel Sink Treatment

When you ask anyone women/men what is there favorite part in a hair service 90% say the shampoo and conditioner, so why not create an experience with extra touches on a hundred year old service every salon offers. I started doing this hot towel sink treatment on my clients not that long ago and by far with all the extra added value services we offer this is what they look forward to the most, not only is it a wonderful relaxing 10 minutes for them but also beneficial for the hair. After each color treatment whether it is a color (single process) or highlights it is important to nourish the hair lock in moisture and shut down the cuticle for longer lasting results and health of the hair, all you need is a spa towel warmer a few products good hands and off we go

Just before the shampooing begins we let the clients smell Aveda’s Singular Note Peppermint and Lavender, they choose which one is their favourite. After the hair is shampooed and rinsed we apply Aveda Color Conserve Strengthing Treatment to the hair and massage it through, we then place a hot towel on the neck and another one wrapped on the head, at this point with the singular note they picked we sprinkle the towel with a few drops then place the towel over their face. This entire extra touch is the one that will spread the word faster then even hair color, so remember to continue to create unique relaxing client experiences and stay consistent which is the key to success and a long term clientele.

The Finger Wave

Finger waves were developed in the 1920's to add style to, and soften the hard appearance of the bobbed hairstyles that became very popular during the flapper period. Many Hollywood movie stars wore the latest finger waves which added to the popularity and progression of this style. FINGER WAVING is molding the hair while wet with product into "s"-shaped curved sections creating them with the fingers and comb. These waves when dried without being disturbed will fall into beautiful deep waves. This also is a great way to set hair and once its dry brush or comb out the wave’s creating more of the pin-up hair era. Setting finger waves is a wonderful way to smooth out frizzy, curly hair and also successful on straight hair creating texture and body.Today we can use the old fashion way (comb and fingers) or curling irons, flat irons even hot rollers to achieve this very beautiful classic look and as history has shown us finger waving is here to stay.

Featured Corner #2

As a colorist having someone leave without a makeup touch up to me makes no sense, I have always said if a client comes in as a brunette and leaves as a red head with the same makeup as she came in with then we really haven’t done our job. We both work from the same palette and I must say I have been fortunate through my career to have worked with some of the best makeup artist there is and have picked up many tricks but no one has taught me as much as my featured makeup artist Anna Conte.

For the past 15 years she has been our makeup /eyebrow guru not only for the salons as well a part of The Aveda Canadian Creative Team, with a clientele so devoted to her talents that you have to book a appointment months in advance, why so popular? It’s her passion, gentle touch, fashion forwardness and servant’s heart. A born educator she shows her clients how to use and apply the products always even if it’s in a 15 minute appointment and above all makes every person she services feel beautiful. This colleague of mine shares with me almost my entire clientele and there has never been a time any one of them brought a compliant to me in fact there eyebrows look impeccable and there makeup finish is completely connected complimenting them and hair color! Her favourite makeup artist and peer is Fulvia Farolfi , one of mine is Ms Conte.

Patch Testing For Hair Color

Hair Color sensitivities is known to be the third most common allergy after fragrance and preservatives and I am not exactly sure nor an expert on why we are seeing more and more allergies towards hair coloring products today. It has become more apparent to me that bringing back the patch test and making it a mandatory policy in the salons is the safest approach for both client and stylist to do. There could be thousands of reasons why some people have allergies towards hair dyes and some don’t, it is very possible to also suddenly become allergic maybe during times of stress, change of life, diet, medicines, water (plumbing) or simply a product formulation change.

A patch test is a tiny patch of color product which we place onto your skin to test for an allergic reaction. I always dot either behind the ear, nape or in the crook of the elbow. I leave it on for at least 15 minutes and if there is an allergic reaction it generally takes place almost immediately, the area would feel itchy or redden and possibly a bit of swelling might occur. Now having said all this please keep in mind that even if you use non-debilitating non-aggressive products things can change, so let new and long term clients know to ALWAYS mention to you that they are feeling something different on their scalp.

Recently I had a client who has seen me for years and all of a sudden she tells me that she is feeling a bit of burning (this has never happened before) quickly I moved her to a cooler spot in the studio which seemed to subside what she described as burning, she also mentioned that lately she had been experiencing hot flashes and when I touched her shoulder I could not believe the heat that was coming off her, hence people and things change. At the end of her service at the shampoo sink we finished off with a cool water rinse, her hair color was as always the same and no indication of sores on her head, could it have been because I acted fast in cooling her down ? Might be but I do know for next time to take extra care in how to approach this client who is suffering with menopause. I am a firm believer in practising the art of being safe after all we are servicing the general public and with that comes many challenges, let’s eliminate this one by simply doing a quick patch testing.

Crimson & Red Rose Hair Color

Adding Crimson-Red Rose shades into your hair color palette offers this fall/winter an assortment of choices for all those red heads or wannabes out there. This fall/winter attention is on red hair colors with more blue/violet in them that will work with most skin tones adding richness and a healthy glow and a bit of pow. My Crimson Reds are equal parts of red + violet, Red Rose is equal parts of red+violet+a dash of orange, and regardless of any level  on a current brunette or red shade going either way can add an overall or dimensional fantastic look to a great haircut.

I very rarely just do an all over solid color (tint, single process) on my clients even if I take a few slices of the hair and apply the same new-growth (root) color to those pieces and leave the rest out, end result hi-lited hair in a flash and not always do we have to refresh all the hair all the time. Another way I am loving using these tones  are color blocking whether vertically or horizontal sections layering these 2 shades either together or with darker rich browns  and blacks commands attention. My beliefs on red hair colors and skin tones is this; warm skin is primarily complemented by cool hair color, cooler skin is primarily complemented by warm hair color, hence a dash of orange in our Red Rose,  remembering that it's all about balance and nothing is more regal then a festive red jewel whether on a finger, lip or hair color. 

The Braid

History has shown us that no matter what the current trend may be the hair braid is a classic and open for reinvention. And as the holiday and party season is approaching hair braiding is a great way to add accessory to the hair, whether it’s a french braid, milkmaid braid, fishtail braid, princess braid, hair pieces that are braids or plaiting braids they all are definitely something to consider offering something different to your clients instead of boring same old holiday upstyles.

So if we can start to look at that client who already loves getting an upstyle (updo) and those who would look great in them we have plenty of time to plant the seed with them. And have you booked solid for holiday hair and not only haircuts/blow-dries, we all need to be reminded from time to time to step out of the box having fun be creative so here is one of those opportunities to make an upstyle  the talk of the town.

Happy Halloween

Dark Chocolate Hair Color

Now imagine a client (guest) coming to see you wanting to go from a level 7 (light brown) hair color to a chocolate brown and brings you a box of very expensive chocolates and tells you that this is the exact color she desires, Brilliant! I always say without visuals with your consultation you’re in trouble and to me this means no hair swatches. So my client Linda who has been seeing me for the last let’s say 22 years a consumer reporter for a national new paper is wanting to go chocolate brown, I love this and agree it would look great on her complimenting her skin tone and  beautiful blue eyes, however I still have to go over a few things such as, in almost all brown hair color there is a tone of somewhat warmth (Red) if there wasn’t then you might as well go black. The box of dark chocolates she brought were matte in other words no shine a little different in hair color as we all know and battle the no “red” clients but still want shine, the minute the natural hair is altered with any hair color even for 5 minutes the molecule opens up and delivers a shine, light  technically called red NRP natural remaining pigment. This is an important bit of information for clients to know on what will occur instead of the end result being different then the desired one. In food most chocolate we refer to is either dark or milk with 1000’s of variations, also there’s shinny chocolate or matte the shiny ones appear warmer the matte (flat) appear cooler, the point is no matter what are own personal ideas are on certain universal colors it’s what Linda’s are which are shiny dark chocolate almonds and by explaining to her that there will be some warmth and that food color is different than hair color we can achieve 98% exact  color, so whatever the visual maybe a picture or a box of chocolates there is in hair more shine there for more warmth.  At the end of the day Linda got her beautiful dark chocolate brown hair color and I got to enjoy the yummy chocolate, thank you Linda for inspiring me to write this post.     

Extra Touch #1

   Hand Treatment    

 I am constantly working on creating new services in the Studio not only in hair color but for a ‘Client Experience’ so for every individual that sits in the chair they will receive extra touches and hopefully excellent service. These days an added touch to a service is important why? consumers want more for their buck so to speak and the competition is also doing added value services which means clients have choices. So lets just say I have upgraded an Aveda hand massage to a Hand Treatment and so far my clients (guests) are loving this one.


While the hair color is being processed we offer a hand treatment , first scrubbing in warm hot with a touch of Aveda’s Caribbean Therapy Body Scrub then wrapped in a warm towel followed by a smoothing massage with Aveda Hand Relief and finally a light mist of Aveda Botanical Kinetics Skin Firming/Toning Agent. Does this sound like a great service you would want getting your hair colored? you might think it may take too long in fact all it takes is 10 minutes or less. So whatever it takes to make the time for a hand treatment make it! Believe me the more you offer the more the word spreads about their experience the busier you will be!!!. recreate your value added services.  

Featured Corner # 1

Having just returned from the west, Calgary/Edmonton teaching and spending time with not only incredible hairdressers but beautiful hearts I find myself inspired to create a Featured Stylist Corner. These individuals to me represent professionals that love the craft of hairdressing, beauty, and fashion and continue to strive hoping to make a difference in our industry and with the people they touch. Seasoned or Newbies we  can all learn from each other and share in making our tribe the best there is.  

I have written many posts in the past regarding Permanent Waves and how shocking it is to me that the majority of hairdressers do not do them. I know or have heard all the reasons why this service is almost absent in most salons or there might be one to two people who actually do them, biggest reason I believe is fear from cosmetology school. This past weekend which ends my season of travel for the year of educating finished with a short visit too one of our concept salons, an in-salon class to inspire and share formulas and a couple of quick foil placements. I had a wonderful time with this group of smart, creative individuals that embraced all I had to share and as always was leaving with a full heart. I very rarely get a chance to linger with everybody after a short class I’m usually rushing to catch a plane so I don’t get a chance to see the staff actually use the tools I just taught them behind their chair, since my flight was later on I could hang around. Not only did I see two stylists doing a placement I taught but as well others trying my formulas, what a feeling! Now to Katrina who has been in the industry 7 years and has been in a few of my academy classes in the past, a true beauty inside and out with a passion for her work and people with a big heart and a great student was doing a perm I was like YEAH! Someone is doing a perm with no fear and doing it just right with all the correct Aveda products to use with a perfect wrap on YES highlighted hair.  I loved it! and in this salon almost all of the stylists do perms, my hats off.

Katrina Boyeechko

Salon Sylvia & Co Aveda Concept Salon, Sherwood Park, Alberta,

Email: Natural Red Head Color Question

I have a client with natural red hair. She is about a level 6 R/O in the back anda level 7/8 O/R on top. She wants heavy highlighted blonde without usingenlightener. A little warmth is ok, but doesn't want to be a redhead anymore asit is not flattering on her. She also has a very tight curl with frizzy ends.Any suggestions?
Christina

Well you sure have a huge task infront of you, the most difficult color to remove in hair is Red particularly anatural redhead and of course the hardest color to keep in the hair

First thing is - Why does she not want you to use Enlightener? In my experience this is the best non-debilitating lightening (bleach) product on the market, I will assume it’s because of her tight curl frizzy ends combo. One very strong suggestion I have before I go into hair color is for you to recommend her to get the New Smooth Infusion Treatment which would do wonders for her type to just losen up the curly a bit and make any color you both choose to do look great. Now for hair color if you are 100% sure you cannot use the enlightener then what I suggest is trying the Crème Booster alone with viscosity and 40 volume, this will give you a golden /strawberry tone but I cannot guarantee it becauseI have seen it work on natural red hair color and I have also seen it do hardly anything.

The best way to handle this is you can add a touch of enlightener to the Crème Booster so 2 parts Crème booster + ¼part enlightener not the other way around with 40 volume in the back and 30volume on the top and front using slicing instead of weaves for your foil work. This truly is the only way, I also feel very strong about hairdressers having the confidence and assertiveness that we need with clients that limit us with the product/tools we need to use to get the job done, why does she need to know that you are going to use a touch of the Enlightener in your Booster formula . The objective is to try and get her from what I understand as light as possible and the bottom line is nothing else will really work so go for it and tell her it’s a blonding cream that lightens hair like a bleach but is much more gentle to the hair.
I do not make it a habit in lying to clients (guests) but a little white one now and again in a situation like this knowing that it will work always gets the job done for a win/win end result.
Good Luck
Let us know the outcome
HCC

Where Are They Now: Carre Otis

Carre Otis began her modeling career at age 16, while hanging out in San Francisco, she was immediately sent to Paris where she began to achieve recognition after appearing on the cover of French Elle in 1986. Over the next several years her career sky rocketed with a Calvin Klein Jean Ad that till this day is considerd one of the most famous campaigns.
Around this time she also made her acting debut alongside Mickey Rourke who later became her husband in the film Wild Orchid, her beauty and sexuality was undeniably  raw and magical.


The constant very public struggles with her relationship to Mickey Rourke and drug abuse became notorious in the gossip magazines and after a tumultuous 6 year marriage ended she found peace and serenity in the practice of Buddhism and began the process of getting herself off substances.
As part of her recovery process Carre began to gain weight "in the fashion worlds standards" but this did not stop her from Modeling she became a plus size model at size 10/12 imagine being considered as a plus size model when the average size is 12/14. Today at 43 Carre Otis has become a spokesperson for substance abuse, and eating disorders something she too faced in the height of her modeling career. She still remains as one of the most beautiful women to have ever graced the fashion pages of our time.
Where is she now? Carre Otis  most recently has written an extraordinary account of her life, struggles and career, a wonderful read which I highly recommend Beauty Disrupted, and is a devoted wife, mother and Buddist who still models from time to time.

Should Coloring Men’s Hair Be Different Then Women’s

Let’s just say that perhaps one fundamental difference between coloring men’s hair and women would be the amount we do. In the 80’s and 90’s I remember doing  just as many foils on the head of a man as I would for a woman, call it the era of Duran Duran hair :) the percentage of my male clientele back then was a lot higher then recent years until now. Today as time has passed I have seen more and more men being concerned over their grey hair and showing interest in 'a little color'. Men want fast and efficient services not to say we take away any added valve services we offer too our female clients or attention, in fact men receive the same and then some. Offering rinses, low-lites and even subtle hi-lites to add body and dimension to their hair and haircuts is the way to go creating customized and quicker techniques, so for all you hairdressers out there start recommending Men's Hair Color.  
Keeping in mind that for most men their main concern is that their hair looks natural. One thing we must remember is to explain to them that it just might be that they need to visit the salon more often just like any female client because their natural hair color as been changed and with that also comes new growth (Roots), so it does matter in which hair coloring approach we take with men, they also hate to be displayed so find the most private corner to color away.

Should we color men's hair differently? Yes and No...

No Idea

Now how can 5 or 6 years pass by and only like a few days ago it occurred to me that I had colored a very young fiery Brazilian beauty that had only been in NYC for the past 6 months. She smoked  cigarettes, was chatty, hung-out with us, and I was going to color her very thick long hair for a step by step collection called Flow for Aveda, and after a long day she did not have enough cash on her to take a taxi home I gave her $20 to get home. I see all my interaction with this model like it was yesterday, turns out to be Camila Alves better known as Matthew McConaughey Baby Mamma for now.

Can I say shocker!!! only because it took me this long, and if it wasn’t for someone asking me what she was like I would probably have never realized it was her. The clincher was this, most of the models that are done for the actual look/techniques are given a name 90% of the time it’s the models real name hence why it was called Camila.

All I can say is she was a stunner, sexy, confident, nice, with a free spirited brazilian attitude, maybe she can lend me some money now LOL.