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!

Always the Bridesmaid...

It is upon us! Wedding Season! If you are like me, then you have probably used up approximately 97% of your holiday entitlement on your friends, relatives, or distant cousin's wedding extravaganza.

Now for the Gents, it's a simple affair of buying a new shirt or tie (or both!) to co-ordinate with the wedding,and pick out a suit, and away you go.  However for you ladies... I empathise.  I have seen many of my female friends go through the ritual of choosing the outfit, the shoes, the accessories, and then.... The hair.

You don't want anything that is going to be too glitzy as you don't want to upstage the bridal hair... You can't go too simple as you want to make an impression at the reception, and of course it needs to put the final touches to your outfit to make people go 'ooooooh' and not 'ooooh errr'.


Well here at Tommy's, as well as Bridal Hair, we have a fantastic junior, and salon stylists who love putting up hair.  The appointments take 45 minutes to an hour, starts from £25, and can transform you from Wedding Guest to Belle of the Ball in no time at all.  Leaving you with only the task of popping yourself into your dress and wrapping the wedding present.

To give you an idea of what we are doing through our Salons, find below the top six Wedding Guest hair do's that we have come up with to give you that perfect look.

6.   The Side Pony

A classic that will go with most dresses.  Contemporary but classic, it can be worked with volume on the crown to create a modern and powerful twist, or with curls and side fringes to give it a gentler classic look.  Think about making it messier with back combing, plaits or braids, and volume to create a editorial tousled look.














5. Halo Braid

This look is very popular, adding a little bit of 'hippy chic' to a look without being too pretentious.  It is a lot easier to achieve than people think.  Take a side section from the hair, and plait, then position it on the head where suits your desired look.  






If you would like to make it a little more sophisticated use twists, or incorporate fishtail braids, and take it from the back.  Great for swooping neck lines and long dresses.




4. The Chignon

 Every time I see a lady with one of these, it reminds me of the fantastically gowned Victorian ladies that made it so popular in this country.  The style can be transformed into a clean cut bun, curled, or even used with back combed and textured hair (see below) to create a magnificent textured piece of hair art.












3. The Bouffant


We will be seeing a massive sixties revival in hair, the high street fashion is taking modern twists of classic prints and shapes, breathing new life into them for this and early next year.

The same goes for hair, you can have great sixties styles with a modern twist, give the bouffant more texture with large natural curls, or pin it up and create the height with natural texture to frame the face.  This is great for those people with long bobs who want to add dramatic effect to their look.  Fantastic with a dress with any type of neck line, it will really get the other Guests asking all your styling secrets.









2.  Vintage Va Va Voom

Picking an era for your outfit is always a winner.  50's chic is making a massive impression on fashion prints, and with so many wedding parties choosing a Vintage theme for their wedding, it's always nice to tie in with the nature of the party, and the 50's certainly liked to make an impression when it came to hair.

Use Victory rolls to add dramatic statements to your head, they can be worn on the top, the side or at the back to create a stunning piece of hair to top off your amazing ensemble.  You can use voluminous fringes and  shapes to add understated drama to your hair.

Many ladies with long bobs think that they are limited when it comes to Vintage, without the hair to put into Victory rolls it can be frustrating when it's not long enough to pin up... But fear not.  Here Selena Gomez has added a vintage twist by curling the bottom of her bob into a curl, and then it has been pinned up at the back to give the impression of a shorter bob, but still with that cutesy feel.  Tie it up with statement eye make up and some statement earrings and you can be wearing a bin bag.... Nobody would notice!

1.  The Big & Bouncy

 Who can resist the amazing blow dry talents that can only be done by someone else!  Sometimes no matter how hard you try you just can't seem to get the volume and curl that can be delivered by someone else holding the hair dryer with a keen eye.

Long hair ladies can book in for  'The Middy' a fantastic take on the blow dry's which have been walking out of our salon for almost a decade.  Luscious curls, with added volume and shine to boot.

But if you have shorter hair, don't worry!  Using the big and bouncy curls in a more subtle structured way, the blow dry will make an incredible impact during the day, and soften enough in the evening 'do' to still keep you looking like you have just stepped out... even after  12 glasses of Champagne, and two rounds of the Macarena.

Get me to H&M!

Always struggling for something snazzy to find in the high street, and whilst all us men want to be a little eccentric but keep it modern, it's hard to find the balance to make yourself stand out from the crowd without looking like a plonker.  If you follow the cat walk fashions then you will see that bold colours and patterns are coming through, even in the men's wardrobe, and no more prominent than with Donatella Versaces bold patterns and colours.

For those of us who can't afford to pop into Donatella's and pick up the latest wardrobe on your afternoon off, there is a saviour in the shape of H&M.

Images Courtesy of Versace and H&M

Now, whilst you won't find me popping to the shop for some milk in any of the above outfits, there is some stunning tailoring coming out of the H&M collection from Versace as shown below.

 This pink suit captured the eye and I think its safe to say, it would make sure you  have every eye on you when you entered the room, only for those who can carry off the colour, with warmer olive skin tones and darker features.


















If you wanted to just accentuate the pink in an outfit then think about these awesome shoes below with the stud detail in the heel, the studding is something that you will see all through the A/W collection of 2012

If you want to be a bit more understated then take the above black suit with the metallic effect t-shirt, to make it slick but casual.  Tied off with a studded belt, you'll have the girls thinking 'fifty shades of who?'

Due for release in just under a month, with casuals like the buckle high tops and this studded leather bomber jacket, make sure you get yourself in the front of the queue, right behind us!

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.

Hit the Floor or Put 'em High?

Cheryl Cole in Stephanie Rolland Couture

Hit the floor or Put them High?  The eternal question that must run through every celebrities mind when they debate what to put on their backs for the red carpet.  Do you go for the glamorous floor length gowns or do you hike them up with micro mini's? 

Here are some celebs on the Red Carpet recently that we thought looked great, whether they be in floor length gowns or micro mini's.  Let us know what you think!

Supermodel Miranda Kerr

Gwyneth Paltrow in Prada

Kristen Stewart in Stella McCartney

Rihanna looks incredible here in this Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci S/S12 gown

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!