Tag Archives: st louis hairstylist

Fall 2017 Haircolor Trends

September 13, 2017

To me “trends” don’t really exist. Basically what happens every year is the following:

Summer= Brighter Lighter Fall=Richer Warmer

Winter= Darker Cooler Spring= Soft & Subtle Lighter

As a colorist what is most entertaining to me is the trending terminology behind color services. For instance “Babylights” has been a hot term over the past year or so. Babylights is simply another word for a very fine weave of hair done in a foil. This technique is super basic, adds shimmer, and is beautiful on everyone.

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With all the confusion with what I would call “Fancy words” for hair color treatments, your best bet is leaving it up to the pro. They will always guide you in the right direction for the season and your hair type. That is if you have a great one like myself 😉 By the way it’s pronounced BA-LAY-AGE not Biolage, which is a brand of haircare products. You’re welcome.

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On the left Color Melting On the right Dimensional Balayage

Personally, I like to keep booking options simple for my clients. I simply offer “All Over Color” or “Dimensional Color”. For those getting one single color all over, it’s simple to add a few hand painted pieces during the processing time if need be. For Highlights and beyond, Dimensional color is a great description for the unlimited possibilities.

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU ASK YOUR COLORIST FOR?

Since those hot-trending words will always be around, here’s what to ask for in the chair this season.

COLOR MELTING: Will give you a similar result to an “Ombre” but the depth of the color doesn’t go as far down the strand as the original look. I recommend keeping a connection of light around the face so the color placement melts out in a diagonal back fashion as opposed to a harsh horizontal line.

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ROOT SMUDGING: A great way for bright blondes to add a little bit of depth while still maintaining their beloved bright hue. Smudging the root creates a soft grow out and gives you that Victoria’s Secret feel.

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DIMENSIONAL BALAYAGE: Not only will your stylist paint bright ribbons of color, but will also melt darker lowlights in between the light. This is my favorite. It’s vibrant rich and has great potential for a high contrast look that is still very natural.

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Transitioning to Fall is simple. Replenish what Summer zapped from your hair. Have your stylist create a healthy, shiny, rich, hydrated, and seamless hair color that flatters your paler skin-tone and works great with your Fall wardrobe!

*If you’re in St Louis and need a new colorist, I would love to take care of you. I am ALWAYS accepting new clients. People reschedule, cancel, move to a different state, etc so there’s always a chance for you to get in at some point. To book with me click here 🙂

Is Your Hair Dehydrated?

July 28, 2017

Summer is in full swing which means, so is the sun. Your hair takes a beating between pool chemicals, more frequent shampooing, and sun worshiping. If you highlight or color your hair this time of year can trash all that beautiful work your stylist spent countless hours on. Fear not, there are ways to rehydrate, protect, and heal those poor strands. Here’s a list of my favorite products and services for quenching your hair’s thirst.

O&M DETOX Shampoo

Do you ever leave the pool feeling like your hair magically transformed into hay? If so this Shampoo will change your life! Detox removes product build up, chlorine, and stubborn oils. My favorite thing about this product is the invigorating peppermint oil. Your scalp feels clean, cool, and refreshed. Unlike most clarifying shampoos, Detox leaves your hair nourished, hydrated, and soft.

G L O S S it up!

Glaze, toner, gloss, are all the same. Keeping your strands glossed every 4-6 weeks protects your hair from heat styling and the sun. It also is a great way to reduce brassiness and revive the shine and saturation of your color.

EVO FABULOSO Platinum

Don’t have time for a gloss? Revive your blonde and kick brass at home with EVO’s FABULOSO Platinum deep conditioner. The bottle says to leave on for 3 mins however, I always suggest my clients leave this brass killer on for a minimum of 10. Your highlights will be bright and hydrated.

OI oil

Unlike Argan Oils, this is a super lightweight holy-grail of shine and softness. OI is good for all hair types. Davines Oi oil contains Roucou oil which is light yet powerful. I recommend using this on your ends every night before bed. This bottle can last at least 6 months when used properly. For the average head of hair less than the size of a pea is more than enough. Oi has healing properties and can be used on wet or dry hair. You will wonder how you ever lived without this. Did I mention it smells amazing?

NOU NOU Mask

Every woman should have a deep conditioner to use at least 1-2 times per week. I prefer to deep condition after I have used my Detox clarifying shampoo. It makes the most sense to do a “deep” cleanse before a “deep” conditioning. NOU NOU mask not only hydrates the hair but it also strengthens weak over worked strands.

OLAPLEX

If you haven’t heard of Olaplex you are being deprived of something truly amazing. Olaplex was the first of its kind in the beauty industry. This take home is the 3rd step after your stylist performs steps 1 & 2 during your color service. This is not a conditioner. This is a bond multiplier which has been designed to prevent breakage during your color service. Basically, it’s an insurance policy for your hair’s health. Use #3 weekly on clean damp hair to maintain the added strength.

P.S. All of these goodies can be found at my salon Thirteenth and Washington in downtown St. Louis 🙂

Is your Hair too Hot too Handle?

March 7, 2017

We all love the option of having the best of both worlds. From beachy waves to smooth sleek strands, any style is possible with the right hot tool. Hot tools make our hair look amazing but too much of anything can be bad. Right? Too much heat overtime can leave our hair dull, lifeless, and damaged. Yuck! Heat protectants are not an option they are a must. I mean unless you’re cool with jacked up hair. You’re not? That’s what I thought. Here are a few of my favorite products for guarding your hair from the heat demon…

Davines Melu Shield $36

Whether you’re blasting the blow dryer or smoothing strands with a flat iron, this nourishing spray defends against thermal damage and is perfect for all hair types. Enriched with lentil seeds and panthenol, it repairs strands, enhances shine, & adds much-needed moisture. Plus, the multi-benefit formula even cuts down blow drying time.

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Cutler Protectant Treatment $24

A weightless spray for all hair types that moisturizes while it adds a barrier of protection between heat and hair. This weightless styling spray contains heat-activated polymers that will detangle, protect and treat hair from styling and sun damage. The multi-active polymers, panthenol and avocado oil deliver manageability and shine.

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Mizani Therasmooth Smooth Guard $34

Lightweight, leave-in thermal protecting serum for natural hair. Buffers against heat styling damage and facilitates the use of heat tools by providing extra glide for easier manageability. The advance C3 Smoothing Complex with cationic polymers is designed to shield and polish while hair is being smoothed.

You’re beautiful hair deserves to live a long healthy life. Treat it and pamper it by investing in great products and tools. We get few chances when it comes to retaining the health of our hair. If you get to a point where you have trashed your hair, your only option is to cut it off and start over. No amount of Olaplex can work that type of miracle!

If you are a flat iron lover check out this amazing in depth study my friends at Reviews.com conducted. They tested 132 different flat irons and picked the top 3 so you don’t have to waste time searching!

Pretty awesome if you ask me!

A Parisian Salon Experience Part ONE

October 14, 2016

As a beauty professional I have been lucky enough to travel all over the United States and some parts of Canada. If time allows, I try to book a service in the best salon I can find in that particular city. I feel it is important as a service provider to experience what my clients experience. Being the client equips me with a different perspective and allows me to provide the most memorable salon visit. I love serving my clients! They deserve my absolute best 100% of the time!

My most recent trip was to Paris. This was my first time overseas and I truly had no idea what to expect. I had about 6 weeks to learn French which resulted in Bonjour, Bonsoir, and Merci Beaucoup. Due to my lack of the spoken language I became mute when meeting my cab driver. I literally forgot English and just used hand gestures. I’m sure I gave him a good laugh. Despite my poor French all of the Parisians I met were extremely kind and helpful! Thank god!

With the help of my amazing travel agency, “Limitless Planet” I was booked for a blowout & meeting with the owner at “L’ Appartement De Christophe-Nicolas Biot Trandline” before arriving in France.

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The discovery of the salon occurred while scrolling through Instagram. Immediately I was drawn to the beauty of the salon’s architecture and vintage design. I could not wait to meet the person responsible for this inspiring space!

Upon my arrival I was greeted by a lovely woman by the name of Roxana. After taking my coat she guided me to a beautiful office where Christophe was working behind the scenes of his highly successful salon. It didn’t take long for Christophe to realize I only spoke English. I immediately felt terrible that I couldn’t communicate. Christophe was very polite about it and simply requested that Roxana be available to translate.

Although an ocean and a language separate us, I was pleased to discover Christophe and I shared many of the same beliefs when it came to the beauty industry. The salon was designed as an art gallery home to hairstylists, colorists, estheticians, massage therapists, dermatologists and even Tibetan masseurs. They cater to everyone from the average Parisian to celebrities. In such a beautiful space I wondered what the requirements would be to be a part of the Trandline team. His answer was simple and perfect in every way. To be a part of the Trandline team one must be a hard worker, this is someone who is not concerned with how early or how late they will be working. One must also bleed creativity and passion because without these traits the finished result would just be mediocre. So for all the emerging stylists out there reading this, never think you don’t have the “experience” to work in a salon as high end as this. It simply takes hardwork, passion, and ambition to make the cut. Everyone starts somewhere.

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After our conversation Roxana took me on a tour of the salon and spa. She even shared their private styling room where Kim Kardashian had her hair styled the day before. The private styling room also had a private entrance for those high profile clients. I think my favorite feature of the entire salon was the variety of shampoo bowls. One style rotated up to the styling chair while the others were attached to reclining massage chairs.

Before handing me off to Vanessa who would be shampooing me, Roxana went through a series of questions on an iPad that would help determine the right products for my shampoo experience. This form of consultation is done with each client before any hair service.

Now, about the shampoo experience…it was perfect. I melted into a reclining shampoo chair until I was literally laying down. Vanessa manipulated my scalp working away every last bit of tension I had. This is where things got even better. While my conditioner was on she applied a damp hot towel around my hairline and at the base of my neck. I felt so pampered!

For my blow out or shampoo and brushing as the French call it, I was seated in front of a gigantic floor length mirror next to a gorgeous window overlooking the city street below. The natural light flooding in made me relaxed and thankful to be there in that very moment. Moise was my stylist. He was sophisticated, confident, and tailored. He was patient with my lack of French phrases as well. Due to the language barrier I did what all girls do, pulled out my Pinterest hair board! When I shared the image with him I could tell he loved it and we were good to go. It was so nice to sit back and let someone else take care of me for once! Moise used a ceramic round brush to wave my hair and finished with a bit of hair spray to froth it up. It was exactly what I wanted!

Of course I didn’t leave empty handed! On my way out I had the chance to play with the Terry makeup line. I love makeup lines that are actually created by makeup artists. They just get it. I picked up a eye primer, concealer, and lip cream all infused with my favorite plumping ingredient, Hyaluronic Acid.

Viola! The finished result of my first Parisian Hair Salon experience.