In with the New...

If you like our facebook page, follow our website, or indeed visit the salon, then you will know that there is a lot of hype in the Company over our newest arrival - Ashley Graham.

Ashley worked in Trevor Sorbie, and has done work on Vogue, ASOS, GQ and even contributed to shows with Victoria Beckham (did you hear the sound that name made as it dropped?!).  So as you can imagine we are extremely excited to have such a creative mind join the force at Tommy's in Llandudno.

After all the hype of Summer, we thought it would be nice to introduce Ashley to our online audience through  some hints and tips that he recommends for Winter.  So here he is Ladies & Gentlemen!

If you were lucky enough to have a summer, you may of had a lovely relaxing time, but guaranteed your hair will be more stressed than Tulisa's PR Company.  A combination of sun, sea, chlorine, and 'dip dye', is going to leave your hair dry, brittle, and resembling straw.

After a week with the team, and bashing the books doing my homework on the amazing product range the salons have, I have had the chance to put the study into practice and here are my top tips for combating summer stressed hair, and preparing your stress laden locks into winter prepared perfection!

TIP #1

Invest in Conditioning Treatments

They are not just an after thought- and believe me I know how pushed for time people can be, but lack of time is no excuse for poor hair condition.

Repair Rescue in particular is a great treat for hair, avoiding the sun is not enough to repair damaged hair strand, and you need to put protein directly into the hair, which will also nourish it making it feel moisturised, and bringing the life back into the hair.  Repair Rescue have salon exclusive shots that can be done at back wash when you are having your hair cut or blow dried, and you can take home the Repair Rescue Smooth Express which is a box of 'tear open' sachets, so they are easy to use in the bath or shower, and need to be in your hair for 30 seconds!  I spend more time than that trying to find the rubber ducky!



TIP #2

Ditch the Highlights

Consider a more global colour rather than highlights.  Blondes go for more warmer hues of golden blonde, whilst brunettes need glossy shiny hair.

Using our extremely popular Essensity Organic Colour range, you can colour and even keep the level of blonde in your hair, and give it an amazing shine and glossiness that only comes with healthy hair.    If you want to keep up your full head colour in between visits you can pop in to the salon for a colour gloss mousse.  These are very quickly applied at shampoo, and blow dried, all done in the time it takes for a cut and blow.  Refreshing your colour, and giving it a super glossy finish.  You can even take the product home to refresh yourself after your visit.  Great for when you want a colour boost in between your visits.

Blonde is not just a colour, and if you are not quite ready for the summer to leave your hair, we have the perfect answer.

BLONDME is a colour and care range in our salon that is specifically designed for people with blonde hair.  The colour is caring and can help create amazing variations of blonde, from warm caramel, to ice steel and even lilac (Which Camilla from our Ruthin Salon has a variation of, and it is stunning!).  What could be better?  Well the Salons currently have a 20% off BLONDME Services!  So you can get the colour and the care at an even lesser cost.


TIP # 3

Sharper Cuts!

Go for the chop!  Cut off those wispy sun stressed ends, and make your edges sharper and more defined, or boost your layers to add volume and hair strength.  Taking inspiration from the Catwalks for Autumn with fantastic fringes and thick healthy looking hair.   Teamed with a natural twist on your colour to accent the change in season, brunettes can go a shade deeper, and strawberry blondes can become more vibrant, with blondes steering away from dip dye, and paler shades to become more intentional, you will find that your summer hair can survive a change in style and season, whilst keeping
it looking healthy,and more importantly...
Super Super great!

I look forward to meeting you!


Ashley

Let's get Creative

A fantastic perk of this job, and working with people that are so incredibly passionate about what they do, is that  I get to go places with them and support them in what they do.  YAY!


Here in the Salon, we have a very busy calendar when it comes to Awards.  Our Stylists and, in fact the whole team, work really hard to make sure that we deliver the best service, and hair that is individually tailored to fit each and every Guests lifestyle, entering internal, local, and National Awards, helps us make sure we are constantly striving for the highest standard in everything we do.

Keeping our head in the game is vital, not only to make sure that we are constantly pushing forward, but also to make sure that we are on top of the latest techniques and fashion to maintain looking ahead, and not behind.

Of all the Awards that we enter, and competitions that we get to take part in, I think the Creative Team Awards are by far my personal favourite.   Every March / February, we get the letter from Schwarzkopf Professional, that lets us know that the deadline for entries will soon be imminent.   As soon as you see that letter, you can almost hear the Creative Cogs whirring around the stylists brains and dreaming up the next Style and fashion concepts that will win them the Award.  These are put on to Mood boards, and then we wait to see if our mood board has made the grade to be selected to enter the final of the competition....

The competition is for Salon Team Members only, no input on any level is accepted from the Management or Directors of the Company.  This is the people that work on the floor, showing what they think will be trending through the seasons ahead.  Schwarzkopf give the stylists guidelines in essential looks (see a taster video below!), and then it's artistic licence to interpret those looks and turn it into double take hair fashion.

A few weeks ago we headed off to Manchester to take place in the Creative Team Awards, and it is one of the highlights of our year.   Above is the video of 'flux' from S/S 2012 Essential Looks.  We get images that Schwarzkopf predicts are going to be cutting edge (it's like having a sneak peak at Fashion Week!) and then we interpret a chosen collection and turn it into our own! The show is very strict with rules and regulations, each Team has a 2 minute Cat Walk show, and 2 minutes to present their work, any difference and there will be penalties, as well as one of the models needing to be male, the hair can be coloured and cut pre-show, however ALL final prep must be done on the day!

Sally getting excited outside the Midland Hotel!

The team have 4 minutes live stage time to influence the panel of judges (from journalists of influential hair and beauty magazines, to directors of global hair companies and fashion) using their creativity and passion.

Our  Team contains the elite of our salon's creative mindset, with all levels at the ready to make it a fantastic show, steered by Camilla Whines from my home Ruthin Salon, she directs Sally Matischok (Ruthin), Calum Henderson (Llandudno), and Amie Brierly (Chester) to create a fashion popping, head turning, trend setting, electrically glittering hair and fashion 4 minute FRENZY!
To show you what we did here are some photo's of our day!

Style Stealers - Quiff

We have been a little shy with our male audience recently so we thought that we would introduce a new section of the blog for replicating styles that we have seen over the last few days. 

The quiff is an absolute kick ass hairstyle that shows male confidence to hold their head high, and in 1950's hair fashion, men weren't shy about using their hair to get noticed. 

image courtesy of Men's Health

As the last issue of Elle dropped into the Salon we all sat there admiring the front cover.... A half naked, dripping wet David Beckham, walking out of a lake.  Whilst half of them were discussing the athletic tone of his body and the eye catching tattoos, suddenly a voice popped up " Ooooh I like his hair".   Imagine the rather puzzled looks on everyone's face, David Beckham is half naked in front of you, and you are looking at his hair?!  You can take the stylist out of the salon but you cant take the keen eye of a hairdresser out of the stylist, evidently.

image courtesy of Men's Health

Certainly not shy of getting attention through hairstyles is Mr David 'Golden Balls' Beckham himself.  I personally am so glad he's bringing the quiff out of the 50's and back into the 21st Century.  Want to steal the style?  Here's a how-to so you can get the quiff quick!

Using a comb, sweep back the hair, to achieve the cute little drop on the side / front, then twist the hair slightly in the front section to achieve the curl.  Using a soft wax / pomade such as Aqua Slide from our Osis range, or Essensity Texturising Cream also from Schwarzkopf, put a tiny amount on your fingers and run through the mid-length and ends of the hair to achieve a soft but natural shine and hold, that will make your hair look healthy and shiny. 

Slick back the sides and you are ready to ROCK AND ROLL!  If you don't have the necessary products then raid your lady's hair collection and find a hairspray, spray lightly and mould the hair using the above method, and simply pop a little more on for hold.  BE CAREFUL, with hairspray less is more, or you may come out looking like you have a plastic wig on.

Mad about the boy

Boys Boys Boys!  Over the last couple of years we have noticed that the male of the species have become more and more concerned about their look, and style, especially when it comes to their hair.  Quite a few of us regarded back to when we were younger, and how your hair was the ultimate statement of style.  For those of you (unlike me... honestly) who are old enough to remember the 80's then you will recall the flat top hairstyles, afro hair, and enough gel to tile a small animal to a wall being involved in your styling regime.

So what has changed? If you asked me a few years ago,  I never ever thought in a month of Sundays that I would be wearing  black rimmed glasses ever again, and begging for my hair to be curly! But guess what.... I am!





But this time with a modern twist, the style is a little more exaggerated and tailored.  The Morrisey quiff is textured and has  the ability to be worn up in that cool quiff, or even (for the gents that feel like a change)  The rockabilly style pictured right

Gone are the days of grade 2 on the sides and number 4 on the top from your brother on a chair in the kitchen.  Men are starting to really experiment with their hairstyles, and it's not surprising now that 78% of British men in a leading manufacturers survey said that it was important to look good.

Not forgetting that 67% of the men asked also said that the second most important thing to them after shampoo was artificial tan...Not sure where exactly they held that survey but the first part is definitely interesting.


We have Stylists trained in delivering the best quality Gents cuts, with Scissor-Over-Comb technique.  This means the quality and the shape of your cut is tailored to last as it grows out, meaning that you stay sharper for longer.

As a Company hell bent on giving cutting edge styles, some people are unaware that we also cater for men.  In fact we have seen our male client base grow sufficiently enough for us to bring in the new (3D) Mension Range from Schwarzkopf, in a dedicated Men's Lounge*

The new range develops the main concerns that face men on a hair styling level... prepare yourself, it's time to get honest!


1.  "I'm not bothered what I use" - A lot of men are guilty on this level, they really don't give a damn about what they put on their hair, some even wash their hair with their body wash... I know... But this is what happens!  So Schwarzkopf created this hair & body Shampoo.  No brainer. Whack it on, wash, rinse, DONE. This section also includes a deep cleansing shampoo for those that use a lot of product or suffer with oily scalp.


2."Its thinning, what's the point?"  It happens to a lot of us at some point, and damn it, if there is anything I can do to slow it down, I'm all for it!  Activating Shampoo works by using Taurin, Panthenol and Carnitin.  The ingredients in the Shampoo help promote hair growth, and teamed with activating shots put on the scalp twice a day, can really help you from turning into your Fathers long lost twin too prematurely!



3. "It's always dry and looks like this" Great excuse... Not anymore though!  In combination with the Cleansing Shampoo, Grooming Fluide is weightless, gives the hair a healthy shine, and contains caffeine to stimulate the roots and promote healthier hair.



4.  "I've got really bad dandruff"  Now we all suffer from time to time, this can be triggered by many factors including stress, diet, or even weather.  With the Anti dandruff tonic from 3D contains Zinc Pythiron which immediately removes dandruff flakes, and the Pro-Vitamin B5 Moisturises and reduces redness and/or itching.   Used alternately with the Anti Dandruff Shampoo / Sensitive Scalp Shampoo, we can finally say goodbye to dusty collars!



Who's for colour?  I can imagine you may think it's impossible to get your man to colour his hair, or you as a Gent may think the last thing you want is to be sat in a salon amongst a busy womanhood telling each other the problems with their men (My Father believes this is what Salons are all about), however a leading hair company released figures that showed between 2008 and 2010 the number of men visiting hair salons to get their hair coloured increased by 50%.

Well I think that number is about to increase with the introduction of 3D Mensions Hair Colours .

Before you think it - You aren't going to come out with a purple rinse! These colours are designed to blend with natural greys, and your own natural colour, you can add more with casual depth to help give your hair more structure, or you can go all out and give it maximum texture through more darker colour to the end... I haven't even got to the best bit yet!

How long would you expect all this expertise colour to take?  An hour? Maybe two?  Try Five minutes!!! It's applied at shampoo after or before your haircut, and then takes five minutes to develop, then you are rinsed out and styled.

For us guys who like to 'bish-bash-bosh' this is a great selling point, and means that we can come out the salon in the same, relatively short amount of time, looking and feeling a bit more confident about our style.  

If you want to repeat the process at home?  The packs can be purchased to take home... believe me this is great, if you keep a pack at home for those busy weekends on the Stag do's when you are going to struggle to make it  to the salon, you can pop it on at home (Or maybe get a lady friend to do it for you).

So what are you waiting for?

Curly Wurly

Curly Hair... The Do's and Don'ts

Bouncy and defined curls is what we all aim for when trying to style our naturally curly locks. But other factors can rudely interrupt us getting to that desired look; such as heat, humidity and products. To help you get your desired look every time we have created the do’s and don’ts of looking after your curly hair.

The DO'S

Get your hair cut regularly

Don't let your hair get out of control book an appointment online

            Trim your hair every 3 months to keep those ends looking fresh and healthy and to rid any split ends.  After around 12-20 weeks of growth, hair branches at the ends (split ends) this causes hair to look frizzy and wispy, by keeping these ends in one piece, you are also strengthening the hair shaft and keeping it looking healthy.  For the longer hair add long layers, this will help to make your hair look less bottom heavy

Get specialised Products

available at www.tommysonlinestore.co.uk

If you are having some trouble with unruly curls, then follow some simple steps.  Use a water spray and distribute evenly over the hair, then use a product to help curls such as Osis Twin curl.  Simply place a small pea size amount, and spread over your palms and fingers, then scrunch into the hair and leave to dry naturally or diffuse and watch as your once wild springs are now a tamed curly mane.

     

 Stay in the shower for a few moments longer.

This may seem stupid, but by standing in the shower for a couple of minutes after you've hit the tap off, the humidity helps to bring the bounce back in to your hair,  then simply scrunch dry with a towel once you step out.

      

      

Use moisturising hair products 

Organic Hair Care

To keep your hair in best condition, use moisturising products.  The newly packaged Essensity range we sell in the salon, has a moisturising family which is a deeply moisturising product collection. They immerse dry, coarse hair in moisture and nutrients.  They are enriched with Organic Olive Oil, organic essence of Aloe Vera, and Panthenol.

The DON'TS

     Don't -    

Brush your hair, brushing curly hair can cause breakage and frizz.  Be gentle with your hair and scrunch dry, only using a brush when combing through a rinse out conditioner.       

  

   Don't -   

Shampoo your hair too frequently, for the finer hair stick to every other day and for the thicker hair types keep to twice a week but can rinse in between on the other days

Don't - 

 Use to much heat on your hair. Leaving moisture in your hair will help you shy away from frizz.

 Don't -

Get your hair layered to short or razor cut. Shorter layers can cause overly puffy hair and razor cuts can make your hair prone to frizziness.

By following these simple list of do’s and don’ts you will be on your way to create the curly look of some of our most idolised celebrities such as Beyonce, Julia Roberts and Leona Lewis. 

Calum xx