Tricks of the trade: PRODUCTS!

We have all (including me, SO many times) had this happen; You go into a hair salon, come out looking so hot. You watch your stylist, ask questions, take pictures, anything you can think of to try to remember exactly how you looked so you can try to recreate that look. You wait a day or two to wash your hair, but eventually the time comes when you step out of the shower and it's gone. Then you try, but you can never make your hair look like they did. Why? You're doing everything they were... blow-drying a certain way, flat-ironing this way and that... but why isn't it the same?

The answer is an easy one, PRODUCTS! Your hairdresser has extensive knowledge about what products they have at their disposal, and are making educated decisions based on your hair type as to what to use to build your hairstyle. We do not learn magic hair tricks in hair school that make your hair do something different than it does at home. And a good hairdresser will want you to be able to recreate the look you left the salon with every day!

A note on professional products: Sometimes the downfall in re-creating a good hairstyle is that you're using the same type of products but you bought them at your local drugstore. I was guilty of this before I went to hair school, and I learned that drugstore products are in no way comparable to a professional product. Imagine your doctor gives you a prescription for cold medicine, and you say "no, thanks, i'll just take Day Quill". In the same way over-the-counter medicines can not be the same as prescription ones, a drugstore product is not the same as a professional one. Professional products may cost more up front, but they are stronger and more concentrated than what you'll find in the store, so they ultimately are cost-effective. Even if they have the same ingredients, you get what you pay for, they are watered down versions, and many times, will coat your hair in wax or plastics to make it look shiner/healthier when actually it is permanently damaging with long term use. In the long run, it will cost you more because you'll have to use more of the off-brand to get the same result than you would of the real thing. Do not make the mistake of thinking the "comparable" brand will save you money... you will ultimately be disappointed.

There are 3 main categories a stylist will use; a foundation, a building, and a finishing product. These are all necessary to create a finished design.

Foundation: A foundation product is a product usually built for your hair type. This can be a leave in conditioner, a silicone based product, etc. Usually, these products have conditioning and/or protecting agents and depending on the result desired, make your hair skinnier or fatter. My favorite foundation product is Paul Mitchell's Quick Slip.  It has a little bit of style memory, a UV protectant (NESSESSARY for colored hair), and speeds up my drying time by like 50%!

Building: A building product is one that will allow your hair to style the way you want it to. With this product it is important to consider the final outcome of your hair style. If you want to wear your hair straight, curled, loose, controlled, up, or down- all these factor into your choice of building product. This is where your gels, foams, mouses, pomades, etc come in. My favorite building product is Paul Mitchell's Extra Body Sculpting Foam, or any other volumizing mouse. You don't have to stick to one building product, but one or two is usually enough. I add a little heat protection product as well because I don't go anywhere without at least blowdrying my hair! A baisic trick to remember is if your going for sleek style, a balm or gel with scilicone works best, and if you like volume or curl, a volumizing mouse or spray.

Finishing: A finishing product is as simple as your favorite hairspray. It is the product that holds your hair in it's shape and, if chosen wisely, can add factors like UVA/UVB protection and humidity control. In this category live some waxes, powders, pomades, and spiking glues as well. Here's the secret about finishing: it's what makes a style modern or outdated. Take the bump-it look for example... a hard, sleek finish on a bump looks like those pictures of your grandma from the sixties. As much as "retro is in", it isn't flattering. But update it with a matte finish and tada! your hair is ready for 2011! My favorite finishing product of all time is hands-down Paul Mitchell's Spray Wax. IT IS THE BEST!!! I use it on all my fashion shoots and almost every single client. Another favorite if you're one of those people who hate the feeling of product in their hair is Super Clean Light. It provides light, flexible hold without all the buildup.

Speaking of buildup, you may think that all of these products in your hair will create buildup, look heavy or bulky, or just be unpleasant to the touch. When used incorrectly (i.e. too much or the wrong products) it can. However, these are the products your hairdresser uses to create lasting styles, and when used correctly, can make your hair look perfect and polished every time. Ask your hairdresser (or call me!) about how to use products correctly and ask them what they recommend for your hair. After all, they spend all day every day doing hair and they want you to look good!

Please watch this investigative story on Diversion and why you should NEVER buy "professional products" at the grocery store. 



Professional products and technique are the key to good looking hair, and a good hairdresser has every reason to share both with you. And don't be afraid to ask them why they are making that recommendation!

The Truth About "Ammonia Free" Haircolor

Ammonia-free color is all the rage right now. Go down the color isle in the store and you eye will be drawn all sorts of hair-color products labeled "ammonia-free!" and "organic!". Clients have said "yeah, I use a box dye but it's ammonia-free so it's not as bad." I have to admit, before going to Paul Mitchell, I was fooled by these products, too. It's hard to see past the crafty wording and marketing these companies are coming up with to swindle people into thinking what they're using is somehow safer than other box dyes. We are being conned because we are uninformed!

There are three main chemical ingredients that must be present to make a permanent color last more than about 12 shampoos, uncolored dye precursors (aniline derivatives), an oxidizing agent (developer), and an alkalizing ingredient (ammonia, or an ammonia substitute).

 

• Analine Derivatives are uncolored dye molecules that can easily penetrate the hair shaft. The oxidizing process blows them up to somewhere around 300x their size so that they  are trapped inside the cortex and can not be easily shampooed out.

• Hydrogen peroxide (also known as the developer or oxidizing agent) - This ingredient, in varying forms and strengths, helps initiate the color-forming process and begins the oxidation-reduction reaction responsible for the chemical changes created by permanent hair color.

•  Ammonia / Substitute - These ingredients raise the pH of the hair so the hair color can penetrate the cortex. Without them, the dye molecules would sit on the outside of the hair and disappear with a few shampoo. Alkanolamines are often used in place of ammonia because there is less odor associated with their use. The function the same as ammonia, they are every bit as alkaline, and just as damaging. 

Alkanolamines are what the industry is using in your "ammonia-free" hair color. They do the exact same thing, stink less, and are not technically ammonia, so companies are getting away with calling their products "Ammonia-free" and marketing them as safer/better/etc. If you are sensitive to ammonia, these products may be more comfortable to use, but Ammonia-free does not mean damage-free! 

So, how can you dye your hair damage-free? The simplest answer is dye it no lighter than your natural color. There are dyes and stains out there that do not contain ammonia or a substitute but these products DO NOT LIGHTEN HAIR COLOR AT ALL. These are marketed as semi-, demi-, temporary, and vegetable/natural haircolors. These products are non-oxiditave (do not require a developer) and coat or stain the hair shaft with color. This does not mean anything darker than your natural is always safe, if you're dying your hair black permanently, the product still is lifting your cuticle and replacing your natural melanin. The exceptions to this rule are henna and other natural dyes. These are permanent, do not lighten, and are available in limited tones. The color result tends to be weak (unless a natural product like lemon juice is used to raise the pH and enhance penetration) and the processes is lengthy and messy. 

So if you're looking for a darker color, try a semi-permanent color. PM Shines  is a great example of a demi-permanent hair color that is conditioning and vibrant. They come in a wide range of colors, are safer, smell better, and will fade gradually but on tone so that by the time you have roots and are ready to dye again (4 weeks or so) your roots will not be glaring and your hair will be in better condition over all! 

Try this today: Middle Part

What goes around comes around, right? I know you all are thinking, 'middle parts haven't been cool since I was in 7th grade!' but the trend has been spotted on celebs and on the runway more and more. We're entering into a new decade, and now that you've JUST trained your hair to part over your left eye just right, the middle part is back with a vengeance. It isn't all bad news, middle parts work spectacularly with many face shapes, and are usually much easier to control, not to mention keep out of your eyes! They can elongate round or square faces, soften sharp angles,  and enhance symmetrical features (according to many studies, symmetry is how humans measure beauty). Here are some tips that will help the middle part look flattering, as opposed to that scary middle school yearbook photo. :)




Face Shape : The first thing to know about a middle part is that it is NOT flattering to ALL face shapes. Middle parts do not work with a long  or asymmetrical shape. This is because it draws a line down the middle, and both sides of the shape. This will highlight asymmetry and ultimately elongate the face. Some of this can be avoided by trying a middle-ish part, that's slightly off center if you're face shape matches but your features aren't symmetrical. If you have either of these issues, or both like me, another trend popping up on runways everywhere is the severe side part, which I'm already dreaming up a fabulous blog about. Bangs are, of course, the ultimate cure-all for long faces.
  
Styling : Have you parted your hair in the same spot for the last 5 years? Chances are, your hair is trained to live in certain patterns on your scalp, be it naturally or by years of coercion. Fortunately, our hair is highly malleable and with science and a little bit of practice, you can tame your mane and make it look like it was meant to be. We all know no matter what you've done to you hair, it 'resets' once it's gotten wet. This is because water, or H2O (2 parts hydrogen : 1 part oxygen) affects the hydrogen bonds in our hair that hold it into it's shape. This is also why your hair looses it's flipping mind when it's humid outside. However, it can and often does work in our favor when it comes to styling. I keep a spray bottle full of water next to my hair dryer so that I can re-work any crazy patterns my hair has decided to try on any given day. The trick to this is that you only need a little water to break and re-form the hydrogen bonds within your hair, so use the spray bottle sparingly, then use your blow dryer to dry hair in the direction you want, front or back depending on the look you're going for. To avoid that slick against your head look, blow dry hair directionally with your fingers and THEN create the middle part. Remember use your nozzle so that the air is all directed down the hair shaft instead of up, which causes frizz.


Overall look: Middle parts can seem a bit severe, so keep your makeup clean and simple so you don't look like a Nagel painting! If you're going for a softer look, try parting your hair with your fingers to create and not-so-perfect line. Also, you can try starting your part in the middle, but veering off slightly as you move back on your hairline for a much more natural look. Volume is the most important thing to keep this style from looking like that photo you wish your parents would take off of their wall. Go with your natural texture and you'll get a nice bohemian look, or straighten for a sleek, evening style. If you're like me, and can go a week between washes, a middle part works great for 2-day old hair that can get a little unruly.



For the timid: If you're a bit shy about the middle part look, try pinning back fringe to create a section in the middle. This will create much of the same lengthening effect of the middle part but is much less severe. Its a little more versatile for longer faces, allowing a softening of sharp features without the length of a center line. Play with the volume, keeping it flat or adding a bit of volume. Be careful with a pouf, though, as it can look out of place if the rest of your hair is flat.



A middle part can be very flattering. Give it a try for a few days and remember, a little bit of water can reshape your hair so it's an easy style to change again if you aren't loving your look.

I am in awe. ANGELO SEMINARA

Bamboo? Amazing.

I am constantly introduced to new levels of hairdressing as I continue my journey through the world of Cosmetology, but this time I have been taken aback with amazement. Going through this man's portfolio of work, my jaw was dropping and I kept making literal oohh and ahh! sounds. As I work on my portfolio, I am looking for inspiration from so many different areas so of course, I look to the British Hairdresser of the Year to impress me. And boy, did hedeliver!

Angelo Seminara is a protege' of Trevor Sorbie, whom I admit, I still know little about. (The website has this to say about him, though...

Who's going to let me do this to their hair?

Listed in Debretts and the International edition of Who’s Who he is the hair stylist who has won more awards than Nicole Kidman, travelled more air miles than Richard Branson and satisfied more women than even a decade’s worth of rippling Chippendales ever managed.

...which leads me to believe that as I continue my research, I'll either really love or really despise this guy! :D )

The thing I think that makes Seminara's work so brilliant is that he sees hair as a fabric and endeavors to bend the rules as much as he can. The shapes and textures he creates are inspiring and fresh. He seems to treat hair dressing like an art form and sculpts hair like clay. And his color techniques are just as inventive invoking the idea of hair as a canvas and hair color as limitless as paint.

HOW did he even do that!?!?

He is one of the leaders in the hair-as-fine-art movement, and the more of his work I see the more I am shocked at the inventiveness shown therein. THIS is the opposite of Great Clips. THIS is what I live for. Art in my work, creativity in every day. I dream of one day being this good, and perhaps inspiring a few folks in the process.

To have your mind blown, click on this photo to visit his website!