Hair coloring

Importance of a toner

This might just be the most overlooked part of the color process. There are many reasons a toner is a crucial addition to your color service.

First off, a toner is an actual service not a specific product.  When asking for shades such as platinum, silver, rose gold, and ashy blonde for example these are not what your hair would lift to naturally.  As you pre-lighten the hair you are removing color from the hair. The color that your hair lightens to may be orange or yellow to name a few.  This is natural for the hair to lighten to these shades.  We as color specialists, know what kind of toner to use to neutralize the underlying pigment in your hair.

If you are asking your stylist for platinum blonde hair, we will not lighten the hair to the point of platinum. This puts the condition of your hair in the worst shape it could be in.  The cuticle would be so damaged from lightening the hair past a healthy point. The best way is for the stylist to do a thorough consultation and determine where they feel it is safest to lift your hair .  After lightening the hair to the desired level we then determine which toner to apply.

Another misconception is that toners are just for blondes.  There are many beautiful shades created with the use of a toner.  A brunette wants to add pops of copper to her hair, we pre-lighten the hair to a desired level and apply the copper toner to the lightened pieces.  A great way to add shine to the hair is with a toner as well.

Naturally a toner will fade out of the guests hair.  Some factors that help the toner to last longer are the products used in your hair.  There are shampoo and conditioners designed to help maintain the longevity of the looks created in the salon.  Most of these shampoos will have a purple or blue pigment in them.  How often you shampoo and condition your hair will also factor in how long the toner will last.  You may just need to visit the salon to have your hair toned instead of the entire process.  Always be sure to consult with the stylist and find out the best options for your hair.

 

 

 

 

Hair coloring

Warming up those locks

As we kissed our last flip-flops and summer dresses goodbye, did we forget about our summer blonde hair. Many of us tend to go lighter in the summer and darker or warmer in the fall and winter. Some of you may be thinking how much you love your blonde hair. There are many options to change things up that may get you excited to try!

Dark hair don’t care

If your feeling bold and want to jump right in changing your blonde locks to that bold brown, copper, or red hair might do the trick. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to be that perfect shade of ginger.  Diving right in can be exciting and new.  Thinking about your winter wardrobe and the shades your drawn to may help decide which color palettes are best. Your stylist can also look at your skin tones and see if a cooler shade or warmer shade will make your eyes and skin pop.

 

Dimensional color

There are many pictures out there labeled things such as carmel mocha latte. If you think of all the inviting colors of a latte, this can be transformed to your hair.  Color doesn’t have to be flat. You can add darker tones along with lighter tones to give you a multi-dimensional look.  This look is less drastic and could be a great transition from summer blonde to warmed up winter.

Shadowed roots

If you’re looking to mostly keep your gorgeous blonde hair that you’ve worked so hard to achieve this might just be what you’re looking for. A shadowed root is generally around the guest natural hair level and it allows you a more gradual grow out.  This is a way to add depth to the hair without the commitment of constant root touch ups.

Hopefully this gives you some inspiration on hair options to keep things fresh.  Hair is a wonderful canvas to create something beautiful.

Hair Treatments

Frazzled Summer Hair

As sad as I am to be writing this,  summer is coming to an end.  What does this mean for our hair? Perhaps chlorine build up from long days spent in the pool, or hair that was just too darn hot and worn up in a ponytail,  or messy bun from too many dreadfully sticky summer days.  We’ll discuss some tricks and tips on getting your hair back to it’s best shape.

Summer weather can mean we are changing the way we’re styling our hair and often times we’re using different products to help manage the humidity.  Often times our summer activities cause damage to our hair without even realizing the lasting effects. Perhaps you’ve been overlooking your shampoo and conditioner because it’s always worked in the past.  Now might be a good time to try something different. Summer time usually means washing our hair more frequently.  This can lead to your hair being more dried out than usual. Talk with you stylist about what could work for your hair type and texture.   Stylist Jennfier’s clients have been loving the Matrix So Long Damage Duo to add the extra boost of moisture.

Let’s not forget the in-salons treatments that can work wonders as well.   Many of Split Ends conditioning treatments can be tacked on to your service and be a huge benefit.  A moisture mask is something that does wonders for your hair in about 15 extra minutes.  These moisture masks allows the hair to absorb some of the nutrients it’s been lacking to revive those locks.  There are some great take home options as well that can be done on a weekly basis to ensure your treatment last.

Another great product on the market is a game changer called Olapex.  Olaplex is a three-step bonding system.  The concentrated first salon step rebuilds broken disulfide bonds and begins the process of preventing and repairing hair.  The second salon step continues to rebuild and restore any remaining broken bonds and leave you with the strongest, shiniest, and healthiest hair possible.  The last and final retail step provides our guests with continuous ongoing damage repair at home.  So what does this all mean?  This product is amazing with REAL results.  It is actually going in there and repairing the hair.

As summertime wraps up take some time for yourself and get your healthy hair back.  We’ve been hard on our hair and now it needs pampering.

Hair Treatments

Brazilian Blowout Summer Ready

As the weather changes often times our hair does too. Warmer weather equals frizz and let’s be honest who has time to straighten their hair everyday. What is the solution you ask, a product you may have heard about, Brazilian Blowout.

What is a Brazilian Blowout ?

A Brazilian Blowout is a salon treatment that can work for just about every hair type and texture.  It’s a life saver during the summer months when the weather is working against us.

A Brazilian Blowout creates a protective protein layer around each hair strand to help fight frizz resulting in smooth, sleek and frizz-free hair. These treatments are completely customizable to keep curl and lose the frizz or achieve the smoothest look possible.

Is a Brazilian Blowout Right for Me?

If you have dry, damaged, brittle or frizzy hair a Brazilian Blowout is right for you!  With proper communication with your stylist anyone can benefit from this treatment.  There is no down time with the blowout. Unlike many other smoothing treatments on the market, you can wash your hair, exercise, and put hair in a ponytail directly after service without worry. Another great thing about the blowout is there will be no line of demarcation with the new hair growth.

This salon treatment can last up to 10-12 weeks if you use the right hair care products and avoid sulfates.  Our guests at Split Ends have said this service cuts there styling time in half.

 

Hair coloring

Balayage Vs Traditional Highlights

What in the world is all this talk about balayage highlights?  We’ve been seeing words on social media platforms like ombre, sombre, and baby lights.  This can get confusing and often times misunderstood. So what exactly is it and why do we love it so much? How do I know if this is for me? Let’s clear some things up.

Balayage has been around for quite some time now but it’s one of the most requested services in the salon today. Balayage is a french word meaning “to sweep”.  Balayage is a technique for highlighting the hair in which the color is painted on to create a graduated, natural-looking effect. If you can imagine what your hair looks like in the natural sun, lighter around the face and softer and lighter towards the ends. Most time the guest can keep their natural hair color and add soft balayage highlights for a much easier grow out.  Your stylist may use a variety of techniques to create the look you are going for. Your hair may be teased at the roots which allows a softer blend. Initially you may spend a more up front for this service, as it is an advanced technique, however you won’t need to be returning to the salon as often. Celebrities across the board are having this technique done from Jessica Biel to Blake Lively.   

A traditional foil highlight is done roots to ends. The look can be a more bold effect or piecier look. A traditional foil is a more pattern-based result. Another reason some people choose to stick with a traditional foil is you often times may be able to achieve a lighter shade.  Another reason a guest may choose this method is if you’re looking for more contrast with both high and lowlights.

Hopefully this gave you some insight into the world of balayage and traditional foil highlights.  If you’re unsure you can always schedule a consultation with one of our highly trained hair stylists.

Foil Highlights
Balayage Hilights