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.

Happy New year to you all. Hope that it's going great sofar. Thank you so much for reading my blog, I really appreciate everything and all of the feedback.

 I wanted to address a topic that people have been asking about quite a bit when they sit in my chair which is How often should I wash my hair?
   The answer to that question really depends on your daily activity and your bodily functions. Some people have great hair, and they wash their hair every day, some people have great hair and they wash their hair once a week. It's not a BAD thing if you don't wash your hair very often, as long as you arent gunking it up with tons of product as well. The oils that your scalp releases are healthy for the hair and they help the hair to grow and prosper. when you strip the scalp of ALL of the oil, it has to mass produce more oil to compensate for what was lost. So those who complain of oily scalps, maybe you wash your hair a bit too well :).


If you notice that your hair is really dry, and you wash your hair every day, try washing it every other day to see if it can retain more moisture. If you absolutely have to wet your hair and put something in it every time you get in the shower, then ,one day use shampoo, the next day use conditioner.

For Oily hair, try using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, and on the day that you aren't shampooing your hair, use a dry shampoo to absorb some of the oils in your hair, without going so far as to dry your hair out .

Whatever you decide to do, just ensure that you're using quality products, massage your scalp when you get a chance because it helps to stimulate blood flow and feels great, and make sure that you're getting regular haircuts so your hair doesn't get too dry and/or broken!


--Sabra

Men

Yes, it's true, men do sometimes go to salons to get their hair done. The glories of a shampoo, scalp massage aren't just for the ladies. Here are a few pictures of some of the men that I've been privilaged to style over the passed year

 

Ceci

A friend of mine at DLT Photography was doing a photoshoot for Du Vita Jewelry and needed a few different hairstyles to compliment the jewelry. It all started with a head full of curls and grew from there. In the pictures where she was not wearing jewelry, I just ended up going a little funky with the hairstyle, and it came out brilliantly. Special thank you's to Oscar, Dulce, and Ceci for allowing me to partake in such an event.

Africa's Best Ultimate Herbal Oil with Ginseng is definitely a superb oil to use on one's hair when dealing with outrageous lack of moisture. Yes it's an ethnic product, but I've used it on literally everyone and only had good reviews. WARNING:  A little bit goes a LONG way with this oil so if you have non coarse hair, you really only need about a shake or two. However, when it comes to skin, feel free to use as much as you want. This ultimate herbal oil also serves as a skin oil, scalp oil, AND bath oil. When used correctly. it doesn't leave behind a greasy feel, it lasts a long time so you don't have to use it very often, and it smells great too, which is always a plus. the best part about it? IT'S AFFORDABLE!!! So for all those ladies that want soft skin, and hair that feels like silk at a reasonable price, check out Africa's Best Ultimate Herbal Oil with Ginseng.