Corrective Color

Corrective Color is definitely a very popular trend these days. Not because it's so awesome to do, but because there are tons of women (and men) that love to change their hair now, and will go to whatever measure to achieve said change. Whether it be going from that jet black hair to blonde, from blonde to red, going back to natural hair color after having tons of highlights or in Miranda's case, wanting to go from multi-bright colored hair, to a firey red with copper contrast.

Before

After

I embrace complete color change with open arms, but I am always sure to consult with my guests about the maintenance, as well as the risk for damage due to multiple processes. Always have a thorough conversation with your stylist before you make the change. Be sure to use the right products, condition regularly, and maintain a regular haircut schedule to ensure that your locks stay "luscious".

Ode to Shannon

Shannon is one of my most loyal clients and also a very dear friend. My favorite part about when she sits in my chair is she's always open to embracing change and trying new things. Here are a few pictures of the many different looks she's received over the years.

 Drastic change (men's edition)

There comes a time in everyone's haircut history where they feel like they just have to do something "different". Whether it's for a job interview, or you just felt the need for a new look, sometimes total opposite is just..BETTER.

Take Chris for instance. Chris had the ultimate shag haircut. It fell in just the right way , the "shake" was perfect. However, after finding a new job that required a more clean cut look, he came to me and asked me to work my magic on him. So, after a significant removal of length, a bit of point cutting to add texture, and some American Crew Fiber, he went from being shag to fab in 56 minutes.

Cory's story is similar but different. I'd been cutting his hair for about a year or two and he had the exact same haircut. Skater style, every hair moving in the same direction, and the ever popular flip that flowed so well. One random day he comes in and wants to go shorter for the summer, but not SO short that it changed his overall look (too much). So we shortened the back and the sides, texturized the top, but left some length so the flip could still be there, but if he wanted to versatility of a little "messiness" on top, it'd still be there.

Heat Protectors

Just about every hairstylist talks about them. Anyone who uses any form of heat on their hair should definitely own one, and should use it every time a heated hair tool is used to protect the hair from overexposure to heat. but what kind should you use? I'm going to take a few entries to discuss different types of protectors that can be used on just about everyone.

Serums/oils

Usually non-water based, serums are good to use on the hair wet or dry. A little bit goes a long way(half-2 pumps), however, the hair is wet I usually use a tad bit more just to make sure that the product doesn't get diluted from the excess water left in the hair(2-5 pumps). Serums don't have to be blow dried! I know plenty of girls that put serums on their hair while their hair is air drying and they work just as well.

When applying a serum to the hair, first make sure that your hair is towel dried as much as possible. Next, pump the desired amount into your hand and rub your hands together. Then, run the product through the MID-SHAFT TO ENDS of the hair. Finally, after you've dried your hair with whatever you use, if you feel as if you need more before you flatiron your hair, apply more. If not, then flatiron, curl, or do whatever you do and call it a day! When used correctly, serums aren't greasy at all so there shouldn't be much left over on your hands. If there is, then rub them together to make your hands shiny and extra soft!

Hope this information was useful for you, stay tuned for the next entries on water based sprays, and aerosols

--Sabra C 

The Big Bang

I get ladies in my chair all the time asking about them.

Long, short, thick, thin, textured, "feathered", straight, off to the side... There are so many different choices when it comes to the infamous bang it's sometimes hard to decide just what to do. I can give you a few examples of pointers on deciding between these two frequently requested forms of fringe. 

Note: these are just opinions. Whatever you want to try, if you feel the urge to do so, then by all means go for it and strut your stuff!

The "Straight" Bang

By far the most common form of fringe I come across, the straight bang is never a bad choice but there are definitely a few guidelines that I like to follow when recommending the straight bang:

• If you do not normally like to wear hair in your face, a straight bang might not generally be for you. Reason being, bangs grow incredibly fast. One day they they will be perfectly etched above your eyebrows, and two weeks later they could be resting on your eyelashes. Makes for a huge annoyance that can be avoided by resisting the urge to cut your frontal locks.
• Straight bangs do not generally compliment round faces. There are definitely cases that have proven this theory wrong, but generally speaking, Round faces and straight bangs do not work because instead of adding contrast and enhancing the overall appearance, this type of bang usually makes the face look even MORE round.
• Straight bangs tend to add a youthful look. So if you're trying to look more mature maybe opt for a different version of fringe.

When discussing thickness and texture of bang, always consult your stylist and ask them for their advice.

The "Side" Bang

Although the straight bang is the most common, the "side" bang is definitely the most popular request that graces my chair on a daily basis. Very versatile, the side bang can work for all ages, all hair lengths, and varies in all lengths. Most straight bangs become side bangs when they become too long and are swept to either side of the face (hence the term "side" bang.)

Can be worn long or short, thick or thin, textured or blunt. It also doesn't really matter which side its on, or how far over the part is, if you like it, flaunt it! I've noticed that a lot of teenage girls tend to have their bangs thicker, and starting farther over on the side of the head, whereas the more mature look would be to not have a part at all, or to use a little less hair to create your side bang to prevent the "cover up/over" look.

There are SO many different varieties and variations of these two bangs there are just too many pictures out there to pin-point them all! As time goes by there will be many-a sister post about other bangs out there definitely. Just do your homework, experiment a little with looks, and remember, whatever you decide to do, don't forget to Strut your stuff...

I'm going to get more frequent with my updates I promise. Last week, I had the pleasure of styling Jessica again remember her?

she came in because she decided that she wanted to go blonde with her hair. She tried to do it herself though, and this is how she came to me.

So we ended up lifting her hair a bit lighter and getting most of the orange out.

Then, we toned it down, trimmed her hair a tad bit and now it looks great!

New Haircut for the New Mom

Bree

Bree's hair was so much fun to cut. She hadn't gotten a haircut for quite some time, she's a stay at home mom of 2 so time isn't really something that's just floating in the wind, and she's a natural REDHEAD! 3 of my favorite canvases. 

I ended up taking a few inches off of the bottom, added increased layers starting around the middle of the cheek/lips (to prevent having bangs), and creating a lot of texture to the ends of the hair to add a soft look/texture to said layering. When we were all finished, I used my After Party by Bed Head ( I love this stuff!) to flatiron her hair, and added a soft curl to the ends.