Splashlights: New Color Trend?

Hey All! Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I've had an influx in business and therefor haven't had much spare time to write! Anyway.... I've recently come across this new hair coloring technique called Splashlights. At first I only saw some of the harsher varieties, but I have come across some that are just gorgeous! To start, I will explain the difference between some common coloring techniques that are popular at the moment.  

Traditional Foil Highlights 

These highlights should be even from root to end, and give an all over dimensional effect.
















Ombre

This technique involves a blending of colors from dark to light. Usually darkest at the root and lightest at the ends.















Balayage

This highlighting technique is often done free hand, as opposed to the foils used for traditional highlights. Many times they do not start at the root, but gently blend down into the ends. This gives a more natural, sunkissed effect. 













Dip Dye

The Dip Dye trend is similar to Ombre and can easily be confused. This technique is not as blended as Ombre, and looks as if the hair was simply "dipped" into the color. Basically a harsher, less natural look than Ombre. 















And finally...... SPLASHLIGHTS! From my research there seem to be many different styles of this "new" technique which involves having the mid-portion of the hair lighter than the roots and ends. 

I've seen these, somewhat harsh looks being called "Laserbeam Splashlights". I think they are super fun, but not for the timid.

This version is still very bold, but a bit more blended. I feel this is best suited for someone who wants something that stands out, yet wants a nice blended look. (This would be rad with a "fashion color", for instance, a nice pastel mint.)

The following are some more natural looking variations of Splashlights. Very similar to the Ombre and Balayage techniques, these start darker at the root and blend into lighter. The major difference is that the lightness then blends back into the darker shade at the ends.

I hope I've helped to clarify any confusion about these fun color trends. Will they stick around? Who knows! 

"I try to apply colors like words that shape poems, like notes that shape music."

The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/color.html#dLcO45VCyIH0Ldsk.99

Celebrity At-Home Haircolor? Pshhhhh...

   Picture this. The ever fabulous Beyonce, standing in what I assume would be an even more fabulous bathroom, white robe over her shoulders..... meticulously applying her Feria haircolor...... SAY WHAT?! If you're like me at all, then you probably think that's a load of garbage! But yet, she does endorse this product. Here's that commercial if you haven't seen it. 

   As you already know, (or should if you have been paying any attention to my previous posts) No professional Hairstylist uses box color. It just doesn't happen. So if Beyonce isn't doing her hair at home, and her stylist isn't using it, what gives?! They must think we're pretty dumb to fall for this. Sadly it works! Below is a link to an interview with her real Hairstylist, Rita Hazan 

 http://hollywoodlife.com/2013/08/09/beyonce-hair-stylist-rita-hazan-interview/

   Next stop on our mass-media-marketing induced visualization tour, takes us to JLo's kitchen. Imagine Jennifer Lopez leaning awkwardly into her sink, maybe even using the sprayer to help rinse the color from her hair. Water streaming down her face, making her mascara run. She comes up looking a bit like Marilyn Manson. She doesn't mind though, because she paid 10 bucks to have perfectly colored locks........ YEAH RIGHT!!! Check it out.

(For some reason I couldn't add the English Version here, but here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fEA2HIPu00 )

   Jennifer Lopez might be an even bigger diva than Beyonce. She most definitely is NOT doing her color at home. And her hairstylist Oribe (pronounced Or-bay) is absolutely not using L'oreal Preference in his salon. Here's a link to his Wikipedia page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oribe

 

 

   I wish I could just scream it from the rooftops. PROFESSIONALS DON'T USE PRODUCTS FROM THE GROCERY STORE! We don't use box color. We don't use discount shampoos, styling products, or color! And please, do not believe anyone who tries to tell you otherwise. I am certain, no hot shot celebrity is coloring their hair at home from a box. Again, always think about what you are actually seeing in advertisements, before you buy into it. 

It is the fool who thinks he cannot be fooled.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fooled.html#YgJmlukxTS0xTJlk.99

"It is the fool, who thinks he cannot be fooled."

 

 

It is the fool who thinks he cannot be fooled.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fooled.html#YgJmlukxTS0xTJlk.99

Beware of Photoshopped Hair!

I'm a Hairstylist. I'm not tech-savvy. I cannot pick up on every little thing that has been touched up in photos. I know how to apply filters to photos, and adjust the settings, but that's about as advanced as I get when it comes to photo editing. It was brought to my attention by a group of peers that some photos are altered in a way that may give the client unrealistic expectations to what can be done with one's hair. Here's one example. 

 

A Hairstylist posted this photo in a group for professionals on Facebook, and asked how it could be accomplished. I knew this would be difficult, but was unaware that this is actually very Photoshopped! The word is, that the hair was actually converted to black and white, while the rest of the picture was left in color! That explains a lot. Beautiful? Yes. Achievable? A very skilled stylist with the right head of hair could get very close, but not exact. Here's another.....

This one I could even tell is photoshopped, now that I know a little better what to look for! I can see some blonde hair around the edges that they missed. It's gorgeous! And again, this could probably be closely recreated by a skilled Hairstylist on the right head of hair.


I hope this teaches us all a lesson. Not only are the models in magazines edited to unnatural perfection, their hair is too! Let us all take note, and try to keep our expectations as real as possible. I know now what to look for a little better when clients bring pictures, or even when I share photos of "amazing" color with all of you! I know I am guilty of touching up photos, just as much as the next guy, but I would NEVER manipulate a photo to make it into something it wasn't. Getting hair color to show in photos as it is seen with the eye is very hard, and sometimes levels need to be adjusted. But changing it to something completely different and unattainable is just........ not cool. SO KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN! I know I will. And I also will take this moment to apologize if I have ever unknowingly shared with you any photoshopped photos! My apologies! (How embarrassing!) 

Anyway....... here are a few more I found........

I now have a whole new way of looking at hair photos on Pinterest! That's for sure! And JUST FOR FUN...... Here are a couple of "edits" I did. I wanted to see how difficult it is. (It's not.) 

"A lie told often, becomes the truth."

Winter Haircare Problems... Solved!

 Many of us across the North East are dealing with an "Arctic Blast" of cold, subzero temperatures. Did you know that winter weather can be just as damaging if not more, than the summer weather? Here are a few things to keep in mind.

 

 

 

~ This blustery weather can cause hair to "snarl" and tangle. This can cause breakage.

~ Wearing a hat can help keep your hair still, but often times leads to flat hair. This can be countered by putting your hair under your hat in a manner that will help create volume. Use the heat that is contained under your hat to your benefit. One example is rolling your hair in a bun on top your head then putting on your hat. Experiment. See what works for you! 

~ The dry air in our houses from using the furnace can be extremely drying to our hair. This causes a number of issues. The most obvious being dry, brittle hair. If you have coarse hair, doing a bi-weekly conditioning treatment should help. If you are doing this at home, and are prone to oily scalp, be sure to keep the treatment about an inch or so from the root. If you have fine hair, invest in a nice leave in conditioning spray. I would use this after every shampoo, and possibly on the ends between shampoos if they are looking extra dry.

~ Another major problem is STATIC! For this I recommend using a cream based styling product. I always speak the praises of It's A 10 Keratin Leave-In Potion. Another contender is Sebastian Potion #9.  Both are very light, and condition while helping to keep your hair more in place. Use on wet hair, or on dry hair sparingly and as needed.


 The name of the game is keeping hair MOISTURIZED during the winter. If you keep your hair and scalp well moisturized this will cut down on winter's damaging effects! Stay warm out there! 

                                    "Baby It's COLD outside......"

Let Me Get Real For A Moment.....

Alright.... So I really want to talk a little about something that has been eating at me the last few days. (Probably to my detriment, as I suppose some things should be kept to ones self.) Oh well. I'll begin from the beginning.... 

   About 2 weeks ago I had an older women come in. She was a walk-in ( a non-referred, first time client.) She asked for a "body-wave" style of perm. I clearly explained what a body-wave is, especially in comparison to a tighter style of perm. She agreed that was exactly what she wanted. She had been given many tighter perms before and wanted something more natural, with less curl.

   After an appropriate consultation, we begin. As I'm shampooing her (the first step in the process) she proceeds to tell me how the last girl that did her hair didn't have a clue. She explains how her perm didn't take properly in parts and how her cut was very "frayed looking".  She returned to that salon to complain, and they offered for her to come back in after a couple of weeks to have it re-permed (for the safety of her hair she had to wait to have another perm done.) or they would reimburse her for the service. She decided to take the money. 

  She assured me that I really seemed to know what I am doing. She felt so much more comfortable with me than with the last girl she had. We chatted about her work, my family and when my baby is due. (I'm pregnant.) 

  After the perm is done, I trim her hair, put a little mousse in it, and then put her under the dryer. She dries and the "body-wave" looks great! She and I both agree. I remind her not to shampoo for 48 hours, and that the curl will "relax" a bit over the next couple of weeks, as it's always a bit tighter right after the service.  She pays, rebooks with me for her next appointment, and is on her way. I was very happy with the results. It was probably my favorite perm I had ever done. (I'm truly not a fan of perms. You'll soon see why.)

   Fast forward two weeks. I get a call from the perm lady. She says "The very next day it was completely straight!" I think to myself....... Hmmmm I'm not quite sure how that can happen. In all my years I have never heard of such a thing. I tell her that I remember her telling me that she had issues with it taking properly last time. She responds angrily saying she never said that. (Okay then!) I tell her to come in and I will take a look at it. I decided to ask all of my stylist friends (many have been doing hair 15-25 years!) if they had ever heard of a perm taking, then going completely straight the next day. They said they had not.

   The day she comes in, her husband sits with the car running in front of the door. (My first sign something is up.) I look at her hair and can tell immediately that it is not straight, at all. The curl had relaxed a bit, as I had explained would happen. She responded angrily, pulling on her hair and smoothing it out, repeating "NO, this is straight." I asked the other girl I was working with at the time and she agreed with me that it was indeed a body-wave. The lady just kept getting angrier. 

   I decided to shampoo it and put some mousse in it then put her under the dryer, just as I had the initial time. I wanted to see what it looked like freshly washed and not pushed flat down on her head. After she was dry I took her back to my chair to show her it wasn't straight. I maintained an upbeat attitude even though I wanted to scream, or cry, or tell her to go straight to hell! I told her this is what a body-wave is and that it was what she had agreed to. (All the while I was honestly being extremely polite.) She keeps saying "NO!" I explain that if she wants we can do a tighter perm in 2 weeks (the wait was necessary in order to not damage her hair) and we would give her 20% off. It would not be a free service due to the fact that she had agreed that a body-wave was indeed what she wanted. 

   She didn't like this solution. She started yelling that she was not coming back. I calmly said "I understand and that's fine. Be sure to explain to your next stylist that you want a tighter perm and not a body-wave." (I was still being nicer than I have ever been to someone being so rude.) She pretty much jumps out of my chair, yelling in front of other clients how she was never coming back and how she is giving everyone a bad review of me and the salon. I told her that I again was sorry I couldn't help and "Happy Holidays".

  I kept it together, but I was stunned and hurt. I have not ever had that happen (aside maybe from my first week of doing hair, many years ago.) I wanted to cry. I now realize that she was more than likely one of THOSE people who jump salons complaining and getting free services. This would make sense why her husband sat outside the door in his car. If she was expecting to get another perm that day he wouldn't be sitting there for the 2 hour service. She wanted cash back. (I bet she also finds hair in her food every time she goes out to dinner.)

  Regardless, my spirit was broken. I truly TRULY put my heart into every service I give. I give it my all, and when someone comes in and is so rude and cold, after you spent hours talking like friends and sharing a part of yourself, it is heartbreaking. People make mistakes, and I'm only human. But when you KNOW you did not make a mistake, it makes it that much harder. I know not everything I do is perfect. I'm no robot. I'm still learning, and growing in my career, my passion, every day. My only mistake was doing that stupid perm in the first place! So thanks lady, for making a pregnant girl miserable right before Christmas. This is the time I am most busy, and I should be PUMPED to be working so much. But now I'm feeling scared. What if I mess up?! What if someone else tells me off? What if I just don't have it anymore? 

  My only option is to suck it up, and move forward. Heartbroken or not, I have clients that rely on me. So I decided to write this blog. Below I will attach photos of what people perceive a perm or body-wave to be, and what they really look like. I'll add that, you must take into account your hair's texture! Many people (this women included) think a perm is going to make them have more hair. It doesn't. If you have five strands of hair on your head, after a perm, you will have five stands of curly hair on your head.

 Most likely a perm. Could be natural, using some product and a diffuser. Could have been a "body-wave" type perm that took stronger on the ends due to the hair being more porous there.

                                                                     Perm.
                                           

Perm.

             Most likely used a curling iron or wand. 

 Again, probably a curling iron or wand.

                                                Body-Wave style Perm

Another subtle Body-Wave style perm

        Roller set. (Could also achieve with curling iron.)

Roller set.

     Roller set, combed out finger waves or pin-curls. Possible a curling iron was used on parts.

   Well, now. I feel MUCH better. Be sure if you are getting a perm that you have the right idea of what it will look like. Chances are you may not. I'll note that the majority of the above photos came up in a search for "Perm". The internet lies. Always take pictures of what you want. And always ask questions before jumping to decisions that may be a bit under educated. Good luck out there, and stay strong!

           "Your shadows will always fall behind you if you choose to face the sun."

Holiday Hair-Inspired Gifts!

   With Christmas fast approaching, I thought I'd make a list of some fun hair-inspired gifts, for those of you looking for that last minute gift idea for those who are a little harder to shop for. Soooo here we go!


Mother-in-Law:  Moroccan Oil Holiday Repair Essentials Kit.  (Approx $69)

Father-in-Law (or any other man!):  American Crew Dopp Kit. (Approx $32)

Grandma!!!!: Babyliss  Pro Nano Titanium 8 Roller Hairsetter. (Approx $60)

Preteen Niece or Cousin?:  Knotties Hair Bands ($10 for 5) and The "Wet" Brush. ($14+)

For the Older Daughter, Wife,  or anyone who wants the best there is in a flat iron.....

The ghd Gold Professional 1" Flat Iron (Approx $225)

  I could list many more! I like getting my family professional hair product gift sets. Try to keep in mind when purchasing someone a hair-inspired gift, what they are likely to do with their hair and the type of hair they have. (You wouldn't want to get someone a clarifying gift set if they have colored hair.) Things of that nature. Best of luck out there! And Happy Holidays! 



                  "May your days be merry and bright!"

The TRUTH about Growing Out Your Hair.....

      The question I am forever being asked as a hairstylist is "How do I grow my hair long?" There is A TON of conflicting information out there, from simply not cutting your hair, to holding your head upside down for periods of time. I'd like to help clear up some of the confusion and put to rest the false information that people so readily share. 

 

False: Cutting your hair will make it grow faster.
True: Getting regular TRIMS will help, but not by promoting growth. Keeping your ends tidy will help keep breakage at a minimum, in turn, helping you to keep more of the hair you're growing from breaking. This WILL help you to achieve longer hair, but only if you are just getting a tiny trim. Hair grows about a 1/2 inch a month. I suggest getting a small trim or what some call a "dusting" about every 8 weeks. (A dusting is when the stylist just barely nips the ends of your hair.)

False: Putting olive oil/coconut oil on your hair several times a week, then holding your head upside down for a specified amount of time will make your hair grow 1-4 inches per week.
True: I'm not sure where people are getting this. Maybe they think that you hair is all balled up inside your skull, and by holding your head upside down the force of gravity will pull it out? Maybe the oil is to help lubricate the hair so it comes out of your skull better? TOO FUNNY! The truth is, both olive oil and coconut oil are nice for conditioning very dry hair. It may even help keep some breakage from occurring on you ends. I for one would never, ever enjoy trying to wash olive oil out of my hair. And I definitely wouldn't want to struggle with it several times a week! (I also wonder if all the shampooing you would have to do to get the olive oil out might end up drying out your hair more than you started with.....)

True: Take your vitamins! (Or eat a healthy diet!) Healthy hair comes from inside. The healthier your are on the inside, the healthier your hair (skin and nails) will be! Some supplements that are common for people to take for hair growth are; Biotin, Fish Oil, Vitamins A & D3. (There are numerous supplements being marketed as "Hair, skin, and nail vitamins" These contain many of the above listed in one capsule.) 


*The best thing you can do to ensure your hair grows long and strong is to take great care of your body, and he hair you already have! *



                          "Gorgeous hair is the best revenge."