The Legend: Vidal Sassoon

  On May 9, 2012 the hairdressing industry lost a legend. I was so upset when I heard that Vidal Sassoon passed away at the age of 84. It's really taken me some time to put my thoughts and feelings into words.
What he did for the hair industry affects me and every hairdresser today and I have always had such a tremendous amount of respect for him. Although I never got the chance to meet him in person I did have the pleasure of attending a intensive course at the Vidal Sassoon Academy last year. His way of cutting "The Sassoon Way" is still to this day the foundations of every single hair cut. Many of you may not know much about Vidal Sassoon and what he did for the hairdressing industry. So let me tell you a little bit about him and what he did to become the legend.

  When he became a hairdresser he said he was going to do something big change something. To say that he "changed" or did something "big" is an understatement. Back when he began apprenticing women were stuck in the old ways of weekly rollersets. It was all about the style and making sure it kept for a week. He made it about the haircut. He was the first person to give somebody a "wash and go" haircut. When he cut the infamous a-line bob on Nancy Kwan for Vogue and the pixie cut on Mia Farrow he became a sensation. His work was edgy and different nothing like anyone had ever seen before. Most of the work he is famous for are very geometric short cuts, but what he teaches still applies to every haircut long or short.

Nancy Kwans bob on the cover of the Vidal Sassoon Movie

   His two loves were hair and architecture, specifically he loved the Bauhaus school of architecture. He saw the similarities in both and as you can see much of his work was inspired by architecture. He spent nine years of his life devoting himself to learning, creating, and mastering shape and how to create  a shape on a someone's head. Some people think he only created specific haircuts. But what he really created were the techniques. With the techniques there are endless posibilities. His philosophy is about creating a haircut to suit the individual. He made cutting hair an art.

  Without him the hair industry would not have been able to evolve to what it is today. We wouldn't be doing what we are doing today. He started the revolution, and as long as every hairdresser is passionate and loves what they do the possibilities are endless. 

"If you don't look good, we don't look good" - Vidal Sassoon may he Rest in Peace. 

How to Love Your Curls: Part 1

  I know so many people with naturally curly hair who hate their hair. The amount of people who straighten their beautiful curls and wish their hair was naturally straight. I used to be one of them. Most of the time it's just because the curls are just too out of control and doesn't look good when worn curly. Having an improper haircut and not taking proper care of your curls is the main cause of that problem.

  Let me share with you a few pictures of myself when I was in high school, before I had a clue on what to do with my hair, and my story of how I have been able to finally embrace my curl. This guide will be split into two parts, as it is very long & detailed... enjoy :)

  Eventually, I learned to pile on the leave in conditioner and I pulled it half back and that was pretty much it, otherwise it was just too big. I started doing the Japanese straighteners when I was in hair school and wore it straight for two years. After my chemical straighteners grew out, if I decided to wear it curly it would just go frizzy. So I had to continue blow drying & flat ironing it.
In order to go back to wearing it curly I would have to go through a "transition" phase. I'd diffuse it, and the ends would still  be straighter/frizzy so I'd have to curl the ends with a curling iron. I tried that for a little while and then somebody talked me into going blonde and then I had a Keratin Treatment to help repair some damage. Once the treatment washed out I was determined to wear it curly once again.

  The first photo was when I was in hair school doing the Japanese Straightener, second photo is about 4 years ago, the straightener had grown out by then. The third photo is about a year and a half after the second after going blonde and having the Keratin Treatment. As you can see the combination of the colour as well as wearing it straight for that amount of time. I knew that my "transition" phase was going to be a lot of fun. I've still got a bit on the ends to grow out, as you may recall from my Mixed Chicks Review back in January, some of my ends were still straight but overall I'm almost done with my "transition" period, I will share a picture with you of what my hair looks like now in Part 2.


  Let me share with you the four most important steps for maintaining beautiful curls. This is what I have learned from my experience as a hairstylist and working with my own natural curl. 

1. Cut
2. Moisture
3. Handling & Heat Styling
4. Chemical Processing

1. Cut

  Having a proper haircut is number one because if you don't have the right cut your curls will never look good. Not only is it important to cut it regularly to maintain and control split ends, having a proper cut will actually help your curls to be more defined.

  It's important to have long layers. If your hair is all one length, you will have a lovely case of pyramid head. If the layers are cut too short, then you'll have a mullet. When the layers are too short, they curl up more and then the longer layers will be more weighed down so you will see a distinctive "separation" of the layers.
  That's why it is important to have your hair cut by somebody who is comfortable and experienced with working with curly hair.
  I rarely "texturize" or "thin" my curly haired clients. Why? Because by doing that you will create a whole bunch of shorter hairs and because those hairs are shorter than the length they won't really "know" where to go and they'll frizz out. That is one of the main causes of flyaways. The ends need to be full and that way all the hairs will curl together. For visual learners, let me show you an example:

  The left is a hair strand that is not thinned out, it is nice and full so all the hairs curl together nicely. The right is a strand that is overly thinned out. As you can see there are shorter hairs and they stick out in random places, and the ends are much thinner which also makes them appear frizzier. That's not to say that thinning and texturizing is always bad, however it must be done by somebody who really knows what they are doing. This is also the same reason why having your hair cut with a razor is generally not a good idea if you have curly hair, and this is why it is important to cut your hair on a regular basis. Because curly hair is naturally dry it tends to get split ends easier, and your hair doesn't grow evenly all over the head so some strands grow slower, some faster. It's important to trim off the stray hairs to keep shape and to avoid frizz on the ends. 

2. Moisture... Moisture... MOISTURE!!!

  Naturally curly hair is also naturally dry, so it is crucial to keep it properly moisturized. Shampoo dries out the hair and scalp. Period. I don't care what shampoo you are using, "organic" or "natural" or "sulfate free" or how expensive it may be, it is still drying on your hair. So less is often more. I shampoo my hair once a week, if your hair is fine and/or thin you may need to shampoo more often, but no more than two to three times a week.

  I condition my hair every day. Why? Well first, I do have to wet it every day (if you saw it in the morning you'd understand). There are some product re-activating sprays available which are awesome, but unfortunately those are not enough for my hair. Even wetting your hair slightly dries it out so anytime I wet my hair, I also condition. The conditioner keeps it from drying out from the water and also gives your hair something to "drink" so you won't use as much leave-in and it will last longer.

 After conditioning I'll use my leave-in, and I use a lot. You have to put your leave-in while your hair is still wet. Not drippping, but still wet, otherwise once it's begin to frizz you're too late. Your hair has to be evenly coated, tip your hair upside down and start applying at the ends and work your way up. The ends always need more moisture so it's important to start there. I apply enough that I can hear it making a squishing sound when I scrunch it. Some products will make my hair crunchy and sone will not. I tend to have better luck with cremes, however  different curly hair types will react differently. Some products however are designed to go crunchy at first and then you need to "scrunch the crunch" to make it soft.
   Generally fine, thin hair types & looser curls may benefit from a mousse and thick, coarse and/or curlier hair types will benefit more from something heavier like an oil or a creme or even some types of gels. I like to use cremes, and then an oil afterwards to seal the ends and keep in the moisture. Oils also tend to have silicones in them as well, so be careful not to overuse them or they can build up. Your curl pattern and what kind of a result you want with your curls will determine what products to use. Experiment with different products, see what you like with different products.

  You may allow your hair to air dry, or diffuse dry after applying your chosen product. I can not stress enough how important a proper cut and keeping your hair moisturized is. If you can do those two things you are well on your way to enjoying your curls. Be sure to check back soon in Part 2 I will discuss proper handling techniques, heat styling, chemical processing & how it will affect your curl.

Curly Hair Care & Mixed Chicks!

I have been hearing a lot about Mixed Chicks lately and I haven't had the chance to try it. My salon just unexpectedly started carrying it so I thought I'd give it a try.
Unfortunately there is no "miracle product" and if you aren't taking care of your hair you can't expect a product to magically make your hair beautiful. So I am going to discuss a little bit of curly hair care before I begin with the review.

To say I have difficult hair is an understatement. I have to spend at least an hour on my hair every day if I want it to look presentable. My hair is literally the reason I am a hairstylist today. Unfortunately growing up my hair was never in the right hands, as most hairstylists have no idea what to do with curly hair. I did everything and used everything and basically looked like a triangular shaped poodle most of my life (or tied my hair back) My mother even gave me a home perm when I was 9 because she heard that it helped to control curls...
The most important thing for curly hair is a proper cut and to keep it moisturized. The reason why curly hair gets frizzy is because it is dry, no ifs ands or but(t)s. It starts with shampoo my hair is very dry and I shampoo my hair usually once a week (sometimes I can go longer). Although I still need to wet it every day & condition multiple times per week. People with finer hair may need to shampoo more often and people with super thick hair may benefit from less (I've met people who go 2 weeks)
A proper cut is also very important because if those ends are split they will cause frizz and eventually keep splitting up the hair and/or break off. Your hair also needs shape and hair doesn't grow evenly all over the head (my left side grows faster than my right) so you need to shape it regularly.

As I was saying, I was excited to try Mixed Chicks so I put it to the test. There are so many different types of curly hair products out there that give different results. I prefer products that keep curls defined, not crunchy & I tend to avoid products that give me the wet look,of course tame frizz, and the products have to last all day. Working in a place where there's blowdriers on around me all day, if the product does not hold enough then I will be a poodle by the end of the day.

Of course I started by using the Mixed Chicks shampoo & then used the Deep Conditioner and left it in for a few minutes. I absolutely loved the smell of the shampoo & conditioner. Although the shampoo does have sulfates in it, it is still quite moisturizing. It's got some protein in it too so it will help strengthen the hair.
While my hair was still wet, not dripping but wet enough that the hair hasn't begun to frizz, I applied the leave-in and diffused dry. I always apply my curly hair products while my head is upside down and start applying by scrunching and slowly working it up to the roots. I always diffuse my hair until it is 80-90% dry. After dried I used the Hair Silk twisting it through the curls to define them give them shine and control any frizz that is there. It actually has silk in it which is a protein very close in structure to the proteins in your hair  & gives amazing softness and shine.


The result? A full day of work, going outside in the Canadian winter (love that wind), a nap & about 3 espresso shots later...

 As you can see there is not much curl in the front on the ends, however it is actually more curl than I have been able to achieve in the past few weeks. The most important part is that it's not frizzy.

Clearly the back of my hair is healthier than the front. This is partially due to the awesome wintertime, the dryness in the air and wind really takes a toll on my hair. The back is always covered by my hat so that would explain why it is healthier. I've also had another stylist go a little scissor happy on it in the past and over texturized (texturizing is a different way of thinning) which tends to create a lot of frizz. Not to mention those pieces have also been brown and blonde before they were copper, and I used to wear my hair straight quite a lot. So I'm in a bit of a "transitioning" phase at the moment.

I was happy though that Mixed Chicks was able to keep my fragile curls moisturized and didn't end up going too frizzy by the end of the day. I am going to continue to use it for the next while and see how it does. Some curly hair products tend to eventually weigh the hair down over time. So the real test is to see how it is after continual usage. Who else has used Mixed Chicks? What do you think?