Wedding Belles

We thought this week we would show you what we do for fun after work!  The Salon's are often approached by local causes and charities to see what we can donate to help raise funds for some fantastic causes,  our Ruthin Salon is nestled in the heart of the Vale of Clwyd in North Wales, and we were approached by one of our long standing Guests to see if we could help towards raising funds to bring the Eisteddfod to Denbigh in 2013.




With commitments to our Guests made for 2012, one thing our Staff Members have committed to give back to their community is some time, to help local causes, places, and people.

The Event organised was 'Wedding Dresses through the Decades' and we were approached to do the hair for the event.  This gave some stylists a fantastic opportunity to show off their skills, with wedding hair and styles ranging all the way from Medieval to Millenium!

With eccentric hair up's and styling to die for, Ruthin Castle hosted the Wedding Dress Show which was sold out before the tickets even got advertised!  Students from Ysgol Brynhyfryd, and local ladies all pulled together to help the Show come together.  Meanwhile backstage we had a chance to have a peek at some of the dresses and we could not believe the quality of what was going to go out on the catwalk that evening!  The dresses were stunning, ranging from Edwardian Quill dressed Hats with high neck dresses to understated but glamorous Navy Blue 1940's knee length dresses with matching veils.  The event sold out and raised literally thousands of pounds for a fantastic event!

We thought we would show some pics of our work backstage and show you all the hard work that goes into making the people look as amazing as the dresses!  Enjoy

Tip & Trend- Birds of a feather

image courtesy of finefeatherheads.com

We have come across something that we are starting to really like the sound of here in the Salon.  Now we are through Christmas, everyone's looking towards Spring & Summer - and their holiday!  

The thought of long Sunny days and lounging  next to the pool or rocking it up in a Festival is becoming reality, and with that comes the thought of what we are going to be wearing, on our backs, and in our hair!

Well look no further... FEATHERS!  They hit America last Summer and we saw Nicole Scherzinger rocking them in her music video, and we were a bit like 'huh?'  But now with the thought of warm weather and festivals in our minds we are looking to how we can vamp up the festival look with minimal effort.

They are super easy to clip in, and come out just as easily, they have an amazing array of colours to suit every look and style, and they can be adapted with your hair so it doesn't look like you've got some rodent's poker straight foilage in your hair.  They curl and can be plaited, so you can have as much or as little as you like. 

Look out for them... we think they are going to be everywhere over the next few months! 

Grey or Nay?

image courtesy of ridingwiththetopdown.blogspot.com

It will happen to us all at some stage, and everyone is pretty divided on it!

When you find that first grey hair you suddenly decide which way you are going to go... Are you going to embrace the grey or are you going to sell your soul to make sure nobody can ever find out that you are a silver siren underneath that hair colour? Similar to the way you pull the curtain across to hide that mark on the wall.

Whichever choice you make, there are ways of making sure it's done properly.  Do you want the science behind it?  As we age your hair stops producing melanin which gives the hair it's colour, this in turn means that your hair colour fades.  Nobody as yet knows why our bodies do it, but it's genetic and everyone has a predetermined stage when they will, or won't start turning grey.

That's not to say outside influences don't have an affect.  Diet, toxins, pollution, stress, and environment can all add to going grey sooner rather than later.

But there is good news!!!  I sit on the grey side of the fence.  Since I was about 21 I couldn't wait to go grey. I wanted to have the George Clooney silver fox thing going on.  Unfortunately without the rest of his features, and there are things you can do if you decide to embrace your natural highlights to enhance them and make it look healthy, and even youthful.

A lot of deciding to go grey or not depends on your skin tone.  Pink, olive and darker toned skin tend to really carry off grey quite well.  If you are of a paler complexion, sometimes the grey can add to making you look a little washed out.  Kaz our creative Colourist loves working with grey hair '' There are a thousand options for people with grey hair, lots of people seem to think that they just leave it and their stuck with it, and that simply isn't the case''   we broke it all down into three sections

Condition and Care, Colour, Complimenting

Condition & Care

Your hair texture changes as it changes colour, look towards moisturising shampoo's and conditioners that are  also high in vitamins and moisture.  Substantif from Kerastase has anti oxidant ingredients which don't weigh down the hair.  Conditioners from Substantif  or the Nutrive range in Kerastase are fantastic for giving your hair an instant kick of moisture.

Colour    

If you are going to hide your grey then think about whether you want to compliment, enhance, or hide your grey.  To compliment it you can think about highlights to break up your natural colour and will mix in, giving it a brighter and more youthful appearance.  To accentuate it, think about more subtle full heads of colour which can change the tone of your hair to make it more towards the soft blondes and ivories, or go the opposite way and have ice blue colours to help brighten and gloss your hair.  If you are thinking of hiding it, and you are starting to go grey, (salt and pepper as it's called) then think about having rich browns or multi tones put through to help keep your hair looking rich, and tonal as if to say 'I'm going grey gracefully'.  If you want to hide it then be prepared for the up keep, with visits every 4-6 weeks for darker colours, but if you have foils put through to gently blend out your natural colour then this will help reduce the amount of visits needed and will help you along the way to grey (without the badger stripe on the top of your head!)



Complimenting

 Silver Shampoo is an amazing shampoo not just for blonde people but also for our Grey Goddesses.  It looks like ink, but one shampoo with this product and grey hair instantly looks brighter, and healthier with an amazing tone.  it's enhanced with silver pigments that help enhance the hair and reduce warmer tones.  Also think about your make up, have some professional advice on how your hair and colour can be enhanced by the colour and style of make up you choose.

'Tis the season to be smokin'!

It is that time of year, and we are all preparing ourselves for the Christmas Party!  Be it  in the office, or the restaurant, or even if you have hired the village hall, there is no excuse for the novelty ties or Christmas  Pudding earrings this year, it's time to knock them dead (and not with the reindeer headband)!

This is a step by step from Ruth, to make your make-up as dazzling as the electric Christmas light Jumper your Grandmother bought you last year.

 Here we went for a healthy day look that will carry you through to evening with a little touch up before hand, and all in five easy steps....Hallelujah!

  1.

Start with a light liquid foundation applied with finger tips to the centre of the face and blend outwards. Always choose a foundation that matches your skin tone and if you want to look more tanned use bronzer not a darker foundation!

2.

Set with a loose powder and apply bronzer or blusher 

to the apples of the cheeks sweeping backwards along cheek bones.

3.

Apply a light shade of  eyeshadow to the lid all the way up to the eyebrow then use a darker shade in a v shape along the lash line and in the socket.

4.

Using a fine small brush apply brown gel eyeliner from the centre of the lash line sweeping out to the edges, keeping as close to your eyelashes as possible. Be aware- putting too much liner on will make your eyes look smaller.

5.

Eyebrows can be evened out in shape or filled in using a matching colour brow powder and a small brush, avoid pencils as they look too harsh.Lipliner should be as close to your natural lip colour as possible and applied lightly to your cupid bow first and then from the outside in.  Lastly apply a slick of sheer natural coloured lipstick or gloss and voila!

Twenty Crazy Hairstyles

Now everyone knows Lady Gaga for her crazy hair and fashion.  We were having an early morning meeting when I brought this up, Ruth brought up the fact that what Lady Gaga is doing now has all been done before, it's just that she's brought it into the mainstream.

I was intrigued, Kristina joined in mentioning Avant Garde hairstyles, and how they've been around for years, and how there is even a whole league of hairdressers dedicated to the art of making groundbreaking hairstyles.

I could not believe how crazy some of this stuff was.... it made Gaga look like she'd just had choppy layers it was that quirky.  I loved it, and I felt like there was this whole side of hairdressing that not many people knew about in the everyday world.

Think of it as the Catwalk designers of the hairdressing world.  As with Fashion, the colours, styles, and trends that walk down the Catwalk all trickle down into the high street, influencing what people put on, what colour their hair is, and what style is going to be the next head turner.

So below are 20 hairstyles that I asked Ruth and Kristina to compile, with a few celebrities chucked in for good measure, I hope you enjoy!

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?

True Colours

Hello Tommy’s blog buddies! Sean signing in to talk colours... I’m a trainee for Tommy’s, you may have seen me in the Ruthin or Chester salon as I float around both. I’m here to fill you in on celeb colours and what to expect for A/W 2011

Anyone who I’ve shampooed will tell you I’m the biggest Gaga fan ever! (I always manage to fit her into the conversation!) Recently she returned to the UK for a quick round of promotion sporting her new fave colour... Mint Green!

I don’t see this catching on with the British public, but I love it, she’s always surprising us with amazing hair shapes and colours.

   

Jessie, another hair icon inspiring this season’s highly requested hair cuts/colours recently went from black to purple for a while, but didn’t like the change and went back to her trademark black high-shine bob.

You may be wondering how she keeps her hair so amazingly shiny... well there are products and colours out there that provide amazing shine, such as the organic colour Essensity available in salon, and shine products such as Magic and Sparkler

Now imagine yourself, just minding your own business on the Jubilee Underground line, avoiding glares from crazy people on the tube when.... Sorry What?  Rihanna just got on the tube??

   

Yes she did!  With her own Oyster Card the 23 year old Barbadian beauty, jumped on at the North Greenwich line, to get to her own concert at the O2 Arena!

That wasn’t the only surprise though, she also premiered her new hair! She’s ditched the red and gone a warm brunette with some funky colours thrown in the mix!

Autumn / Winter 2011 Forecast

   


Autumn/Winter 2011’s hair colours will most certainly be much warmer. While we are getting into our cosy winter clothes ready to brave the cold, we will be doing the same with our hair by putting warm, rich tones in such as...

For darker tones, look towards plums, purples and aubergines to really brighten up those winter mornings, a brave choice but an amazing colour can really bring a whole new life to a fresh cut.




If you are not so brave but still feel your colour needs a new lease of life, then you could opt for the organic colour Essensity.  This colour has rich tones and if you are a brunette, then let this colour turn you from dark and dreary to rich and ravishing with deep chocolate tones, not to mention the softness and shine!


Blondes don't fear!  If you feel the life has left your blonde locks, then why not soften them with some deeper sandy blondes, this will help give your main colour a lift, and add some depth to your overall look.  To avoid the 'tiger stripes' that happen with high or low lights, ask for blocks underneath or comb-in highlights to show through, this way it gives your hair lowlights without making the colour stripey.