I Made a Pinterest

I though that for the benefit of my business I should expand my use of social media sites.  So I thought a good place to get some of my work recognized would be Pinterest.

I uploaded a decent amount of my work, but the best part was getting to see other peoples work.  I made a board that I titled “Inspiration” where i have been pinning work that inspired me.  

The site is great for both getting my work out there and finding some inspiration for myself.

So get out there and follow me!!

and more importantly, find some things that inspire you!

http://pinterest.com/christinahairr  

Product Obsession

 

 

This lovely bottle looks as yummy as it smells.  Half the reason I love it is because I smell the sweet taste of lemon meringue coming from my hair all day.

But aside from the aroma and looks…It works!!

This blow dry volumizing mouse gives my hair great long lasting lift every time.

 

Typically, I apply the mouse to my hair right after I wash it.  Then I turn my head upside-down and blow dry it until a good 75% of the moisture is gone.  At that point I flip my head back and blow dry the top layer in sections with a round brush.  By wrapping the section on a round brush and holding the hair straight up I can direct my blower on the roots to get that kind of lift that lasts.

  When my hair is completely dry i gently comb my hair in the way I want it to part, finish it off with Big Sexy Hair Spray and Play Harder, and I’m good to go for 2 days 🙂  My hair smells so good I almost want to taste it

“My Hair Isn’t Red Enough”

 

This is my boyfriend’s mom and I’ve been dying her hair basically since I got my license.  She likes her hair to be fun and funky and usually somewhere within the red category.

For a while I have been dying her hair with Matrix So Color switching back and forth between 6RR and 6RC with the HD copper intensifier.

But she also had bleach blonde in front and some blonde hi-lights throughout so we couldn’t pull the color through very often.

The other day she called me up and was upset because people at work asked her why her hair wasn’t red anymore, they thought it was brown since the color began to neutralize over time.  So I had to change that for her and give her a red no one could deny.

Being that I am a big fan of Pravana color, I looked to their line right away for the perfect amount of red red she could ask for.    With Pravana Chroma SIlk  VIvids Red,  I covered her whole entire head including where the hi lights were so it would be bright but with dimension.  If I left the blonde it would have smeared into it and turned red anyway.

I left the red on the whole head for 10 minutes under the dryer and 15 minutes out of the dryer and rinsed very well.  I point that out because the one flaw in this color is the fact that its very runny and messy.  Her hair might drip red for the next couple of washes.

But in result, I achieved the perfect shade of bright red,  Its not too orange and not to violet.  I think its just right.  I would highly recommend this color but with that:  WARNING! Its RED!!! not for the conservative clients :p 

One Product I can’t live without

Every woman spends their lives looking for that perfect hair product.  It can be a long journey of trial and error, but when you come across it, it becomes an routine essential.

I have gone through many products in the years but this specific one was introduced to me my boss.  It’s called Relax by Pravana (http://pravana.com/products/relax.html).  This product is a keratin based smoothing cream and its perfect for all hair and all weather.  This heat activated keratin cream works miracles on straight hair, curly hair, frizzy hair, short hair, long hair, and the list goes on.

The first time I used it was during a blow out on a client with thick curly hair.  You only need about a small squirt in the palm of your hand, or else it gets too greasy. But in one use, I noticed a dramatic difference.  My clients thick curly hair dried in half the time, with half the frizz. It was so smooth and straight that I barley had to finish with a flat iron.  However, the flat iron does help to seal in the product.

But since I was so pleased with the results on my client. I brought a bottle and took it home to try on my own hair, which is mostly straight with a hint of frizz and wave.  I tested this product during the summer when the humidity was taking control of my hair. When I tried it,  I was so happy with the results that I can never dry my hair without it ever again. This has become a product that is an absolute necessity during any blow out.

I find the best results when I mix the product with a volume gel such as:  Big Sexy Hair Blow Out Volumizing gel (http://www.sexyhair.com/products/big/index.aspx?p=ce2b1b02-52e3-4876-9fb5-373a6ca081bb), or in the shop. I use Aquage thickening spray gel (http://aquage.com/AquageProducts/Styling/ThickeningSpraygel.aspx )

The gel gives the roots a big of a lift and adds hold, but at the same time the smoothing cream eliminates most of the frizz and cuts off a quarter of the drying time.

Without this product, my job would be so much harder…and no Pravana isn’t paying me to say this lol

 

Turning a mistake into something beautiful

I had a girl come into my job this past Saturday and she asked me to give her red tips..but a maroon sort of red.  Eager to take on the job, I spent almost an hour bleaching her tips, then it came time to put the color on the ends.  I used a line of color I thought I was very familiar with.  It was a brand called Special Effects and I always used it on my hair.  I used up the last of a color called Devilish Red which is usually a deep red, but then I added a drop of violet to get more of a maroon color.  Now that is where I went wrong.

The drop of violet overpowered the whole bowl of color and we ended up with magenta tips.  Sure it looked awesome, but the client had specifically she hates pink and did not want pink hair.  So with 20 minutes left until close, i had to think of something fast.  There was no more Special effects red, only permanent colors.  My boss suggested I use the straight up red additive by Wella Color Perfect…it was pretty much the only option I had.  So then I mixed that with a 5 vol developer and applied.  First I let it sit 5 minutes.  I checked with a paper towel and already saw an improvement.  So then I let sit 5 minutes more..kind of in a rush because it was close time.  By 10 minutes I could see much more red tone on the paper towel I used and decided to wash it.

The final result was a beautiful auburn like color.  Not exactly what I was going for but it looked amazing.

The girl was so thrilled she jumped out of my chair mid blow dry and started jumping up and down about how happy she was.  immediately she took pictures and texted all her friends.  I admit I was nervous for a short period of time, but in the end, I couldn’t have had a happier client 🙂

Conquering Curly Hair

This is my friend Jess.  She is from Dominican descent and as you can see she has tight curls and a lot of it.  Before I met Jess I had never experienced working with ethnic hair.  Sure I did some curly hair, but never anything like this.

The first time i ever dyed her hair I found it a challenge to work with that massive amount of hair as I bleached it to put blue and purple streaks in.  The color job was successful and after I conquered that I told myself i can work with anything.

As I was working with her hair she began to tell me about her hair cutting experiences and how she pays 115 bucks for hair cut.  At my shop a hair cut is only 29 so I was very intrigued by where she goes. She told me about Ouidad the curl specialist and how they use slicing techniques and work with something called “the degree of curl.”  This sounded like a new language to me…and she wanted me to cut her hair?

As you can see I was a little nervous taking on the job but I was confident with my skills as a hair dresser and a I did a little bit of reading:

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/jonathan-torch-the-art-of-cutting-curly-hair

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/haircuts/cutting-curly-hair-tips-for-your-stylist

I found some aspects of the article a little contradicting but these articles did help boost my confidence.

When i did the cut, I did the whole thing completely dry (it looked like a sheared a sheep on the floor haha)

I planned to go back in the next day after she washed her hair but we didn’t even have to, It was perfect. I’m really proud of this work.  And again, if i can conquer this I can conquer anything.

The story behind my hair

My hair has always been an important asset. It represents myself, my mood and my business.  Some people recognize me just from my hair alone. for example, in high school people didn’t know my name, they knew me as “girl with red hair” or more recently my college campus recognizes me as “girl with purple hair.”  I feel like I would just be lost in the crowd if there wasn’t anything unique about my hair.

The first time I died my hair I was in the city with a friend, I was probably about 13.  My friend got her whole head died pink, but with my mom as strict as she was, I only got purple chunks in the front.  The hair dresser who did it worked with special effects colors and I idolized her appearance and her work.  From there on I was hooked.

I tried many other colors, but for some reason I always reverted back to purple.  With my hair being purple for over a year now, I’ve come to identify with the color, and people identify me with the color.  It almost like a part of me.  Its cool and calm like my personality and goes perfect with my Italian skin tone.

Some people even say I have a purple aura.  according to this site: http://www.thiaoouba.com/see_aura_color.htm

It says that a purple aura means spiritual thought and usually comes in a temporary flash.  I found it odd to find that it is only temporary, so my aura cant be that color all the time.  but it’s also interesting that indicates spiritual thoughts because I never considered myself to be spiritual.  I’m not anywhere near religious, but I do believe in karma and energy…maybe that counts

Anyway, my hair is currently long and purple with retro inspired Betty Page bangs.  For now, I can’t think of anyway I would rather have it, and people tell me it’s the best it ever looked.

What look describes you?

My roots as a hair dresser

I found my passion for hair probably around middle school.  I began putting purples and reds and blues in my hair, and changed it on a 6 month basis.  I would usually do it myself or with the help of friends whose hair I would also dye.

When I began at Newfield high school, I saw girls walking around with heads tucked under their arms and became curious.  I found out there was a full credit beauty school right in the halls of my high school.  I then took on cosmetology with my high school curriculum.

My Professor was Mrs. Toni Ingarra.  She was wonderful, and passionate in teaching us how to bring out our creativity and work with hair.  Because of this 2 year program I was able to get my full cosmetology license about 6 months after I graduated high school, I was the first in my class to take and pass the state board exam.

Meanwhile, during the time I was taking cosmetology I began working as an assistant at my grandma’s hair salon.  The salon is called Captain’s Lady and it is located in Port Jefferson village.  I have now been there for 4 years and it has become almost like a family.  The owner of the salon, Diane, has owned this small business for over 30 years.  Since the moment I started she has been my mentor, she has taught me  almost everything I know and we constantly help each other grow as artists by sharing inspiration.

The path I have taken so far in cosmetology has helped me increase my abilities and work toward being the best hair dresser I can be.  There is no better feeling then when you change someones hair style and color and bring out the best in them by making them feel more confident and attractive.  I wan’t to change the world just by making people feel beautiful just by doing their hair.

Heyy everyone,I…

Heyy everyone,

I’m starting a blog