Musings by the Hairslave

OK, I don’t get it. Do we not understand the term “Dress for Success” any longer? I read the best quote online doing research. “You are your own billboard”. What a concept. It says it so well I think. The way you present yourself, is what people see. It tells them what you want them to know about you in your first, and most important, impression.

Don’t get me wrong, I think you’re entitled to dress any way your boss allows at work. And we all dress down occasionally. But really, don’t we understand what professional dress is any longer?

Now, I will confess that I was the kind of fashion nerd that wanted to get voted “Best Dressed” for the school yearbook. Sadly, I couldn’t compete with the money in the school I went to. But even the most fashion challenged office worker should realize that the clothes make the (wo)man!

Oh, I’ve heard all the excuses. (I work in Davis, remember? Have you ever been to Davis, CA? It defines worker casual!) It’s too hectic in the morning, I can’t afford nice clothes, even (and you know who you are) if I dress too nicely people think I’m going on a job interview. Yes, I know, If you dress nicely your office mates think you’re a brown-noser. Since when does it matter what our co-workers think. If you are a professional, dress like it!

Think for a minute. What do the people who your boss reports to wear? Do they dress the way you do? I’d bet not. If you want their job you better dress like it. Yah, yah, you should be able to dress any way you want and still get that promotion. Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in. As a matter of fact, with the new economic-and employment-reality, you might want to re-examine your image. Just how secure is anyones job these days? Wouldn’t we all like a little more security? A little more money?

If you dress your best, you feel your best. And if you feel your best, everyone around you will be blown away with how amazing you (and by extension your work) are. Try a little test. For one week dress in your best clothes, don’t go overboard, your dressing for work, not a wedding. But really step it up a notch. Spend a few minutes longer on your hair. I am willing to bet that not only will you feel better heading to work, but your co-workers will comment. In a good way!

And gosh darn it, why not look good? Don’t you want people to think your hot?

Well I’m sure everyone remembers my post about taking risks. I firmly believe that taking risks is what life is all about. What’s riskier than living, right? However, you do have to be prepared for the “learning moments”, better known as failures. Failing is viewed so negatively, but it really shouldn’t. It’s how we learn.

In that spirit I thought it only fair to post an update. In an earlier post, the one in which I convinced everyone that I “hate” a-line bobs (which is totally not true, I’m just a little tired of them!), I talked about a client I convinced to take a risk because she really wasn’t loving her hair. Well, it didn’t work out so well in the end. She didn’t hate it, it wasn’t a nightmare for her, but she just wasn’t feeling it. I could style it well for her, and she got compliments, but she couldn’t deal with it quite as well. Oh well. You win some, blah, blah, blah…

So now it means we try something else. But the true learning experience is not in the failure of the haircut, but that we both feel good that we tried something. It’s easy to get bored and complacent; in almost all aspects of our lives we need to constantly be striving. It’s the same in the modest art of hair styling. I mean really, you try a red color job and it’s not perfect. No one dyes-oops, dies. You discover you don’t like red. Now you know. You try layers, too much work. Move on. It’s just hair right.

But bottom line, keep living.

Hey all, something a little different today. This post is really intended for professional stylists, but that doesn’t mean the “lay person” can’t enjoy it as well. Just keep in mind these are very advanced color techniques, and are not meant for at home color. Believe me, you’ll spend a lot more to fix it than you would to find a professional to do it! I hope to have drawings for the tutorial in a later update, but for now, just the before and after.

Hi Gloss Red!

With this technique David does not strive to keep colors strictly separated, but instead allows them to mix randomly to achieve subtle color variations. The use of no-lift demi-permanent color adds a wonderful amount of control and shine.

Liz’s natural level 4 hair was washed out, and stressed out. With grown out re-growth, an almost pink mid-shaft, and faded copper-y ends. She needed a pick me up!

David Martin, owner and photo stylist at the Studio at David’s starts with a section from occipital to occipital. He applies bleach with 20 volume developer from mid-shaft to ends. Checking the bleach constantly and massaging gently to evenly distribute and warm. He watches the color to see a fading of the pink (not too far, the red tones need to be blended, but not removed). After the mid-shafts and ends have lightened about a third of the way he applies 10 volume bleach at the re-growth. He watches very carefully, so as not to lift any of the hair past the orange stage. David then shampoos and dries the hair.

The top section above the occipital is then sectioned into triangular sub-sections radiating around the crown. starting with Formula One, and alternating all the way around with Formula Two. Since he’s using a no-lift demi-permanent color he applies scalp to ends, using a wide tooth comb to gently distribute the color evenly.

The top section is then pinned gently up, and the lower section is applied using the same technique with Formula Three.

David processes under a steamer for 20 minutes, this eliminates the need for a cap, and evenly processes the color from scalp to ends. Check manufacturers instructions for heat processing.

The layered cut is finished with dry chipping to reveal the layers of color.

Using a demi-permanent, or no-lift permanent color (in this case Richesse by L’Oreal):

Formula One
1 part 6.64
1 part 6.5
lo volume developer

Formula Two
2 parts 3
1 part 4.56
lo volume developer

Formula Three
1 part 7.41
1 part 6.4
lo volume developer