TEXTURED A-LINE BOB CERTIFICATE

This was a great class. It had immediate 'real-world' impact and I was able to use the techniques I learned on a client almost immediately!

Here are the before and after photos of the first time I used these techniques and I learned a lot and have really gotten excited about the cutting technique that adds all that movement to the ends of the hair. Although it does take a little extra time, I really do think it's worth it.

Also of note, the before photo is also my haircut from about 3 months earlier with a similar shape. I had added texture the regular way with texturizing shears. You can really see how much more movement the cut has after taking this class. Totally worth the investment!

Best Options for Rainy Weather..

With the rainy weather, hair in Seattle presents certain styling challenges. Why bother blowing your hair silky smooth and/or curling or flat ironing it if you are going to walk twenty feet to your car and get it all wet anyway? People here really need a lot out of a haircut.

A good haircut for the Pacific Northwest needs to have the style cut into the hair with a good foundation rather than having the style put into it with heat tools and product every day. Optimally, every haircut should hold it's shape but let's be honest, not every haircut really does. A stylist really needs to know how to build in a foundation with the cut, a basic structure and then know when and where to use texture appropriately. Not every head of hair will really work with the shredded, highly textured haircuts that make up most of the hair magazines right now. Some texture is always nice, but my opinion is that it is the foundation work that makes or breaks a haircut, especially when put to the rigors of this Seattle climate. I've been looking at some celebrity photos and come across three looks I think work particularly well in our weather here.

For short hair I like this photo of Carey Mulligan which illustrates a deconstructed bob. The texture is good because the rough ends will work with weather that is not conducive to something sleek anyway yet it can easily be dressed up with heat tools into a polished look that can also be styled up for more formal occasions:

Now, this photo of Drew Barrymore is a great medium length layered cut that has the same nice properties of the photo above (lots of layers can be worn messy for a rock-and roll look. It's versatile because it can also be blown dry or be heat styled as shown for polish and sophistication):

Jennifer Lopez has the perfect example about what to do with the long hair quandary in Seattle.. the low bun! As far as haircuts, when your hair is this long all you need to worry about is getting it cut frequently enough that your ends are healthy and not too uneven. You may want some layers in there but in general people with this kind of long hair (I'm speaking of myself as well) just don't get it cut that often. Personally, I think 3-4 times a year is reasonable. Styling the hair in a low bun or pony and moving the part around to change up the look is a great go-to for a quick style fix. Sometimes I even use conditioner as my styling product to keep it from getting fuzzy (just a little mind you, you don't want it dripping all over you in the rain!). You can move the bun or pony to either side as well as the usual back of the head. Side anything is really in right now!:

Great Short Hair!

I had a really fun haircut today and I was so excited about it I forgot to take "before" shots - but the afters are so cute I think it's ok! See for yourself:



Lia came to see me because I do the hair of a friend of hers that she liked a lot. It was similar in shape to what we did here. It's a very fluid and flattering shape for short hair, especially short hair that has some natural body such as Lia's.




In describing the cut she wanted, Lia (brilliantly) called it "organic" and I can't think of a better description than that. It hugs the head in all the right ways and accentuates the curve of the neck: very flattering for people who have long slender necks (such as Lia) ..and it also has a way of making a neck APPEAR that way.. tricky-tricky!

When Lia told me she was a Salsa dancer I immediately (though erroneously) made an association with paintings of Flamenco dancers and the swirly tendrils they wear. It all worked out even though Flamenco is Spanish and Salsa is Latin American.. but for purposes of the haircut the association was ok! With the natural curl and wave patterns in her hair we also incorporated a bit of 1920's flapper finger-wave feel to the shaping in the front. I think the whole thing just turned out wonderfully- What to you think?





For me, the key to making this feminine, feisty shape work is the texture of the cut and the attention to fine tuning personal details to make it flattering to the wearer.. it's definitely not a formulaic, one size fits all haircut by any stretch. This is a tailored and personalized hairstyle that, when done well, is effortlessly stylish and timeless.

Anyway.. it was fun to do and I think Lia likes it too!



(NOTE: I just want to say that I had completed this entire post and lost it due to some stupid glitch with blogger.. GRRR!)