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A Midsummer Nights Hair

What a busy summer it has been. As you've noticed I have not updated my blog in a long time, but I have a very good reason for that. I am launching a website and integrating my blog into it. I'm not a professional web designer and with my busy schedule it's something that takes a bit of time. I am very very excited about this and it will be coming very shortly! My first post will be from a photoshoot I did a while back with DA Photography so check back soon.

Now on to what this post is really about...

There's a race every summer in Toronto called the Midsummer Nights Run. My friend Sara and I decided to run it this year. The best part about the race is that you get to dress like fairies, and of course I just HAD to do our hair to go with the theme. There is a 5k, 15k, and 30k, and we did the 15k.

I was never the best with braids but this summer I've been getting really into it. They're a lot of fun and they are so hot right now. I just want to remind you all to not to braid your hair when it's wet. The reason for this is because when your hair is wet it stretches and when it dries it shrinks. Over time it can cause a lot of breakage. Same goes for ponytails. If you must wear your hair up while it's wet use a scrunchy and tie it loosely.

Sara's hair before I went crazy with the flowers

In a classic french braid you braid the strands over top of the middle strand. The braid is more underneath the hair. With Sara's hair I braided the strands underneath the middle strand. In makes the braid sit on top of the hair. This is actually the method corn rows are done. This way it makes it easier for me to slide the baby's breath throughout the hair. 

After I went flower crazy

Mine was done with the same style as Sara's (braiding strands under not over). To wrap the braid around my head I parted it on the side and started two small braids at the part line. Then after meeting in the back I just pinned everything like an updo and threw flowers in everything.

Although we did not win the costume contest, we definitely had the best hair. I was surprised we were the only ones who showed up with flowers in our hair. The best part is that the hair and flowers all stayed in tact after the 15 kilometer race.

We had so much fun in this race and we also have another fairy themed race coming up. Sara, myself and my mom are going to be running the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland, California in January. I am sosososososososo excited (will be my first real holiday since I became a hairstylist!) and we are going to dress up as Tinkerbell, so I will definitely be posting our hair for that too.


Check back soon to see the pictures from my photoshoot. Also make sure to check out Sara's blog. She also did a post about the race and made an awesome video about it too.

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. 

ABA Toronto 2012

  Last week I attended the Toronto ABA Hair Show. I always try to go but I was so excited that I was able to go both days this year. There is always so much to see one day is not enough.

    The main convention area is a huge space with most product lines, distributors and suppliers, trade magazines and almost everything you can think of relating to the spa and salon industry. Most of the main big name companies, and some of the smaller brands have stages with their platform artists showcasing their latest work. There are also many seminars relating to theory, techniques, business that you can attend at the show. The ABA Trade show is also where some of the most prestigious competitions in the country for hair and makeup are held.

My favourite part of the hair show has always been the competitions. I competed back in hair school in 2006, and in 2007 nationally for a student competition with Wella but I have not competed since then. I have always aspired to compete once again, and will definitely be competing once again in 2013. This year I joined the Master Judges Program and I am on my way to becoming a judge for these competitions. I've always wanted to join and what an amazing experience this weekend was. Unfortunately, I was not able to get photos of every competition and some of them may not be so great, but I hope you still enjoy them all.

All of the models from the Elegant Evening Long Hair competition

Second place winner in the Elegant Evening Long Hair 

First place winner in the Elegant Evening Long Hair 

 I unfortunately did not get a good enough picture of third place to post.

My favourite competition is the Technical Creative Blowdry. It is one that requires a great amount of skill and a lot of practice. These styles are done in 20 minutes only by using the blowdrier (and products of course!), no curling irons flat irons etc. There were a lot of amazing blowdries out there this year so here are the top three winners.

Third place winner 

Second place winner

First place winner 

Unfortunately I did not get any great pictures of the Mens Avant-Garde competition. There were so many contestants and it was the very last competition of the evening so I didn't get a chance to get any great pictures before they were called on stage for the awards. I did manage to get a somewhat decent picture of the First Place winner on stage.

  The second day of the show had the competitions for the New Talent Women's Trend Cut & Colour,  Women's Trend Cut & Colour, and the National Women's Trend Cut & Colour. The National Women's Cut & Colour features the first place winners from each province in the previous year.

I unfortunately don't have any good pictures of the New Talent, but I did manage to snap a few shots of the First Place winner of the Women's Trend, and the National Trend competition.

First place for the Provincial Women's Trend Cut & Colour competition. This stylist will go on to represent Ontario at the Toronto 2013 ABA in the National competition. 

The Maritime provinces took first place this year in the National Women's Trend competition. Absolutely amazing work. 

Although most of my time at the hair show was revolving around competitions I did manage to head over to the P&G stage on Monday to see some awesome platform work. My co-worker Fay was doing some incredible work for Sebastian on stage this year so I had to check it out. Here are some shots of Fay and the entire P&G team.

Fierce!

I am a huge fan of red hair & curls so I had to share this one. Stunning look done by the Nioxin artist. 

Fay & her fabulous model

The entire P&G Team! Amazing work! 

P&H Salon and Spa

I am very proud to announce that I am now working at P&H Salon and Spa. We opened our doors January 2, and I am so excited an honoured to be a part of this amazing and talented team. This first month has just flown by, I guess it's true that time flies when you're having fun.

Welcome to P&H Salon and Spa

Enjoy a coffee at our espresso bar

Heated & massaging pedicure chairs, and aren't these purple-ish chairs super cute? 

We have an amazing team of stylists and esthecians. If you're not sure what to do with your hair come by for a free consultation. Our spa offers a full range of services from manicures and pedicures, to facials, laser hair removal, eyelash extensions and much more. We offer Great Lengths extensions and we carry L'Oreal Professional, Pureology, Nioxin and Sebastian hair products. The spa mainly uses Yonka, as well as a few other smaller lines, we use Essie nail polish and Shellac.
 I am so excited to be working in this new space and I hope you will come by and visit us. I am looking forward to what the future will bring.

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