NEWS FLASH - Beauty Schools

So your styling skills aren’t up to scratch – nor are ours! Book Headmasters Ultimate Ponytail Masterclass for £45 for 45 minutes, for a guide to a party-perfect pony. I always get my hair cut at Headmasters, they are always so fantastic and I’ve never left the salon feeling unhappy with my hair. They also offer a brilliant half price offer if you book a stand by appointment on the day.

Perfect your party look with Headmasters - 0208 296 6454

If a pony isn’t your style and a beehive is, head down to Charles Worthington’s textured Hive Catwalks Masterclass from £47 you can get all the latest tips and tricks on how to achieve big hair over the big festival!

Oh beehive with Charles Worthington - 0207 361 1370

Ax

Get The X Factor

Right, let me just set this straight, I do NOT like the X Factor, but I DO like Jamie Stevens! 30-year-old Jamie Stevens is one of the most up-coming stylists of the moment. Having worked with the likes of Beverly C, Daniel Hersheson and now Errol Douglas; Jamie has a client list to make your mouth water. Celebrity fans include; Kylie, Stella McCartney, Elle Macpherson, Eva Herzigova, Myleene Klass, Hugh Grant, Christian Slater, and Gok Wan to name a few.

Jamie Stevens

For the first time, X Factor introduces a Style Team, giving viewers the lowdown on the contestants’ hair, make-up and clothes transformations. Along with Jamie Stevens as the show’s resident hairstylist the X Factor has enlisted stylist Laury Smith and makeup artist Natalya Nair show. The teams task is to transforming the final 16 contestants in preparation for The X Factor live shows, the Style Team will bring direction, expertise and ingenuity to carve the individual stylistic personas of the UK’s freshest new talent.

Jamie said: “The X Factor is the biggest talent makeover contest in the UK and having my name affiliated with the Style Team is my biggest honour to date. My goal is to educate people on hair; why I'm colouring it red, why I'm cutting it in such a way, 90% of a makeover is hair. Transformations are already under way now, with BIG things to come for the live shows. Exciting times ahead."

Jamie comments on the looks he has been creating;

‘We’ve given the girls a real style overhaul. We have coloured Janet’s naturally curly hair a beautiful rich copper, a colour she has always wanted to go. We have embraced her curls and left them natural for the moment but that is not to say we won’t be straightening them in the weeks to come. We have dyed Sophie’s hair a lovely deep chocolate and given her hair a really strong ‘era’ feel by giving her a smooth top knot and front roll. We will continue with this vibe throughout the series. Misha B is a hairdresser’s dream, I’m really enjoying giving her a different look every week and she gives me free reign with her hair.’

‘The boys all had very strong looks to start with so we have worked with that to create some really amazing hair. Marcus is a hairdresser himself so we only tweaked his look, cropping the back and sides, going for a military fade but maintain some length in at top to almost mould into a flat top. Frankie’s big, voluptuous messy head of hair is his signature so we made sure we cut it in the right places so we could maintain his cool, rocky persona. Craig is on an amazing journey in this competition and we have kept the length in his cut because he has a long round face shape but we have given him an undercut, which is shorter at the back and sides. We will incorporate quiffs and new styles over the following weeks.’

‘I’ve also been doing all the hair for the dancers. Watching the show you don’t realise how manic the show is. We have 10 male and 10 female dancers and they have to look different for every act. For the opening show we had six changes to negotiate and we only have 7 minutes on average to turn the looks around.  So we had to go from a high pony with clips, to a high pony to down and messy and then back up again with hoods. Then finally we went from wigs to 1940s victory roll buns! We have to co-ordinate this as well as the acts but it all adds to the excitement of the shows!’

So if unlike me you are a fan of the show and want to recreate these looks – go for it, because it always good to play and experiment! Add your own personality and give your look the X Factor!! I’ll be watching Strictly!

Ax

It's a Revolution! Frizz Free Hair!

It’s that time of year now where after styling your hair, you head off to work only to be greeted by rain, wind or snow.  And so by the time you’ve made it into work, the hair style you so carefully created only a short while earlier resembles a frizzy bird’s nest.  But fear not girls, because I have discovered a treatment powerful enough to calm the wildest of thick frizzy hair and keep your hair smooth, shiny and in peak condition.

Keratin Revolution is a new service that promises a long lasting solution in the battle to beat the frizz.  This is not simply a conditioning treatment, nor is it a chemical straightening service.   It is like “Skin care for your hair” and unlike other salon services, the more you treat your hair, the healthier it becomes. With each treatment the build up of Keratin makes your hair:

• Softer & silkier
• Straighter and shinier
• Faster and easier to blow-dry
• Reduces daily styling time
• Less maintenance – close to being “maintenance free”

Further, the hair keratin therapy encases the hair follicle with a keratin bond to promote healing and to help keep toxins in the environment, such as smoke, pollution and UV rays, from entering the hair.

Keratin Revolution infuses Keratin deep into the hair cuticle eliminating up to ninety-five percent of frizz and curl from the hair, leaving the hair soft, shiny and luxurious.

The process:

Your hair is shampooed and the shampoo is then left in your hair for about 10 minutes so that your hair cuticles open and will then absorb the Keratin.  The shampoo is washed out and the process repeated again.  Once the shampoo has been washed out the second time, the Keratin is evenly applied over your hair and then sealed in with straightening irons to close the cuticle very tightly giving it more shine and enhancing your colour.  This is then left in for 72 hours. 

The in-salon service takes approximately 2.5 hours from beginning to end and there are some rules that you should follow during the first 72 hours after your Keratin Revolution treatment:

• Don’t wash your hair or get it wet.  If for any reason your hair gets wet during the first 72 hours following the treatment; blowdry and flat iron hair as soon as possible.
• Wear hair down at all times.  Don’t tie your hair into a pony tail, wear hair clips or hair bands or place your hair behind your ears.  This could result in 
• Use Keratin Revolution sodium-chloride free shampoo and conditioner after the 72 hour waiting period to guarantee the ultimate result.  I have also been using the serum which is great for adding extra shine.

Please don’t worry about having to leave it in your hair for 72 hours though as you can’t tell by looking at it that you have product in it.  When I touched my hair, it felt like I just had a little excess product in it, but no one else can tell and I had so many compliments on my hair in those 72 hours.

Although this is a rather costly salon treatment (prices start from £250), I have to say that the results are amazing.  My hair drying time has definitely shortened and I am finding it so much easier to style my hair.  My hair is naturally wavy and prone to frizz so it’s been great to be able to style my hair both straight and curly without having to worry about frizz. 

So if anyone is after healthy salon locks, I would definitely recommend going to the Fordham Soho Salon and having the Keratin Revolution treatment for revolutionary results!

K x

House Of Holland Spring / Summer 2012

House Of Holland has always been a forerunner when it comes to fashion and the same goes in terms of beauty.

This year the creative team chose opted for effortless chic. Damien Carney discusses how to get the look at home.

JOICO International Creative Director, Damien Carney

“Layback, effortless and chic; this season hair from the House of Holland show is easy to wear and simple to replicate at home. The key is to create a fuss free look which focuses on shine and health, rather than looking technically difficult."

House Of Holland Spring / Summer 2012

"To create this look at home, start by washing your hair with a high gloss and sleekening shampoo and conditioner duo like JOICO® Silk Results Shampoo (£11.95) and Conditioner (£12.95.) Next, spritz Silk Results Thermal Smoother (£12.95) through the mid length of hair and blow-dry using a radial bristle brush to create a silky smooth finish. Once dry, apply a little serum through the ends, and roughly tie back into a lose pony tail using a paddle brush. Don’t worry about flyaway hairs or if the pony isn’t smooth, this look is all about creating something that is relaxed and unstructured. Finish with a spritz of Brilliantine Spray Glaze (£10.95) and you’re good to go!”

JOICO Silk Results Thermal Smoother 

Ax

Vidal Sassoon - Part Two

Today is the day of the photoshoot. I’m heading down to the Sassoon salon by St Paul’s after lunch. I have been advised to bring some reading material with me to pass the time, as I will be expected to wait around for a few hours while the shoot is taking place. I will also have my make up done by professionals (that reminds me to call my boyfriend for drinks after, I’m not going to waste this fab make over by simply going home after!) Photos to follow.

Vidal Sassoon - Graduated Bob

What makes Vidal Sassoon so different? Isn’t it just a hair cut?

Sassoon believes that great hair design begins with the client. Sassoon studies individual features, characteristics and personal style, applying each cut and colour with careful consideration and precision, creating the ultimate individualised look that's effortlessly sophisticated. The shape of your face. The tone of your skin. The angle of your jaw. Your sense of style. The lines of a Sassoon haircut are like arrows pointing out your best features.

Sassoons method of cutting is unparrelled, and considers every aspect of your hair. Precision cuts are designed to enhance your individual features. High-definition colour complements the shape of your cut. All of this works in synergy so that you can achieve complete control of a look that is easy to recreate day after day.

The design is the most important aspect of a hair cut, Like arrows pointing to your eyes, your smile, your cheekbones, a Sassoon cut and colour accentuates and defines, creating the ultimate expression of you. Vidal Sassoon believes the cut is the style. Sassoon cuts the shape into the hair so that you don't need a lot of styling products to hold hair into a style. So you can shake your head and run your fingers through your hair as often as you like, and your hair will always fall back into shape.

Most importantly Vidal believes that ‘When everything else comes off - your clothes, your jewellery, your makeup - the effortless sophistication and beauty of a Sassoon cut and colour stays with you.’

Ax

Vidal Sassoon - Part 1

A few weeks back I was asked to model for Vidal Sassoon. That sounds much grander than it actually is. Pharrell, who is taking his practical theory exams at the Vidal Sassoon Academy, asked me. How could I possibly pass up an opportunity of a free cut by a Vidal Sassoon trained stylist, I couldn’t, and when I was told which cut I would be having I was even more excited. The graduated bob – my absolute favourite. Over the past 5 or so years (pre Victoria Beckham's ‘Pob’) I have toiled with this look, going from extremely short to slightly longer long bob style, but always seeming to come back to the classic deep graduation.

Over the next few blog posts I will share with you my before and after pictures (I have to feature in a photo-shoot for Pharrell’s exam portfolio), as well as some history about the great man himself, Vidal Sassoon and how he became such a hair icon.

Vidal Sassoon

Hair History - The Sassoon Way

Vidal Sassoon was a pioneer of on-the-go hair cutting and styling. In the 50’s a visit to the hairdresser was a weekly ritual. Hair was styled by curlers, followed by a prolonged period under the hairdryer hood. The resulting look, often bouffant, was hair sprayed into unwavering stiffness. The 60’s was the year Vidal Sassoon introduced his precision haircutting techniques, turning hairdressers into haircutters, revolutionizing the industry and liberating women with modern, easy to manage hair.  The 80’s were the dawn of the more sophisticated hair colouring techniques and products were developed and colour went mainstream. Sassoon experimented with a wide range of shades and methods, bringing cut and colour into close correspondence.

Today, because of the over saturation of products on the market, hair trends have moved in the direction of over-styling. These looks are not easy to recreate and maintain at home. Sassoon, on the other hand, makes a cut the style. A result, looks don’t wash out after a visit to the salon and are easy to recreate by the client.

Ax