Tag Archives: Dimples

Permalink to Confessions of a hairstylist… what I do and don’t do to my hair

Confessions of a hairstylist… what I do and don’t do to my hair

by Kristin|on 02/11/2012 |in tips and reccomendations |tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Leave a comment

 

 

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I think one of the top questions I get at the salon is what I use on my hair.  It always makes me laugh because if there is anyone that you shouldn’t ask, it is me.  I am the last one to keep up on my hair, and I really am a creature of habit.  My version of change is switching my side swept bang from swooping to the left to swooping to the right.  It is always weird when people think that I change my hair constantly.. but really I don’t I have had the same basic hair cut for probably at least 6 or 7 years I might add a few extensions but thats is.

I am pretty sure that most of you know that I wear extensions.  A lot of extensions.  I think the best way to describe the amount of extensions that I wear is when my good friend Robert Rea watched me take out my clip in extensions before bed and compared my head to a clown car.  As crazy as that sounds, its true… I pile them on top of each other, I wear about 6 to 7 rows of triple tracked clip-ins that I color and sew myself.  Why do I prefer clip-ins?  the main reason is because i don’t have anyone else around that will do them on me that I trust, and because its just easier for me, I can wash them in the sink and hang them to dry overnight, so much less maintence and I can clip them in in under 5 minutes.

My real hair (as seen in the center photo) is short, layered and colored black with pink bangs.  I bleached my hair for about 10 years up until a little over a year ago so I am trying to bring my hair back to life and grow it out.  I use Redken Shades EQ to color my hair black, I like it because it is semi-permanent, fast, easy, and gentle.  I can put it on with a bottle really quick and be washed and dried in about 30 minutes.  My hair is also naturally VERY coarse and wavy and extremly sensitive to humidity.  Which in the summer time in NYC is horrible, so I do the Brazilian Blowout treatment on my hair.  Its life changing, I never have to worry about my hair getting frizzy and I can blowdry my hair straight without a brush in less than 10 minutes.

Because I have the Brazilian Blowout on my hair I have to use a sulfate-free shampoo.  My favorite shampoo and conditioner at the moment is Agadir Moisture Shampoo and conditioner and I still use Redken’s Natures Rescue conditioner as a deep conditioner once a week.  I used to only wash my hair once a week but now I go to the gym every day so I wash it every other day, or every two if I can get away with it.   Occassionally I will use a hair oil in my hair before I blow dry it, thanks to my monthly subscription to Birchbox I haven’t had to buy one, this month I got the Shu Uemura Essence Absolue which so far has been my favorite of the brands that I have gotten in previous months.

Thats it…. that is my routine.  I am not a product junkie,  I don’t really like to use hair spray on my hair even when I curl it, I usually will just curl it tighter than I want and then just let them fall.  I probably spend more time picking out my outfit than I do on my actual hair… I guess thats good since it takes me so long to pile on the make-up if my hair took just as long I would never get to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Permalink to We always want what we can’t have… curly hair edition

We always want what we can’t have… curly hair edition

by Kristin|on 12/17/2011 |in tips and reccomendations |tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Leave a comment

Photo: Marcos Rivera , Make-up: Anita Nouryeh, Hair: Me!

So maybe my guide to straight hair wasn’t what you were after, maybe you love your curls you just wish they styled better, or maybe you have poker straight hair and are dying for some texture.  Keep reading and I should have your answers.  Lets start with adressing the girls that already have the curls

During my career I have worked in worked in two salons that have a very different approach to how they style curly hair.  The salon I trained in first was very traditional in the way we handled curly girls, cut their hair wet loaded them up with some curl products and then had the client tilt back in the chair so the back of their head was resting on the top of the chair and then we would use a diffuser to encourage more curl, and to give the hair more volume.  After the hair was dry we would then go back through some of the curls on top with a curling iron that was about the same size as their curls to give their hair a bit more of a polished look.  Okay fine, this was in Jersey… let the stereotypes begin, but it always looked perfect when they left.

The next salon that I worked in the stylists were all trained in a curly girl philosphy created by the Devachan salon in NY.  It is a great way of looking at curls, hair cuts are done dry so that the hair is in its natural state, then the hair is washed and product is applied when the hair is still super wet and then the client is placed under a hooded dryer to encourage the curls to what they naturally want to do.  All and all I think this is a great approach and super easy for the client to recreate… but I can’t deny my Jersey roots and I might still do a few big diffuser curly blowouts.

I took some elements of all my training and mushed it together to form my own approach at curly hair.  But lets start back at your shampoo.  I know I keep saying use sulfate-free shampoo every time i talk about shampoo, but curly girls should listen the most.  Sulfates dry up your hairs natural oils,  strip the hair and raise the cuticle.  Curly hair is the most fragile hair, and also the hair type that has the hardest time holding in moisture.

but why?

Think of it this way.  The hair shaft is covered in a cuticle layer, it looks like tiny fish scales or for the sake of this example shingles on a roof.  Say you were super strong and could bend a roof, wouldn’t all the shingles pop up and not lay completly flat? yep.  That is what happens to curly hair.  The hair strand is always bent so the cuticle layer can’t lay flat, this means that your hair is more exposed to the elements, and more prone to being dry and damaged.  So your first defense is to switch your shampoo to something more gentle that will not strip the hair or lift the cuticle.  Sulfate-free it is.

The next most important thing is your choice of styling products.  I don’t know anyone that wants to have those crunchy gel curls, well lets hope.  But how can this be avoided?  First you want to make sure that if you do choose to use a gel product that it is alcohol-free. This goes back to curly being more prone to getting dry.  Alcohol drys hair out, so it totally needs to be avoided.  Deva Curl makes some great sugar based gels that will give you the control of a gel without drying out or giving you that crunchy feeling to your hair.  My favorite product has to be a curl cream, products like Jessie’s curl silkening stretch cream is great, and even Redken’s new product called Tousel Whip.  These products will help keep frizz to a minimum but keep your hair soft and touchable and looking really natural.

Now to change how you apply your products.  These are the tips that I always give my clients.  First keep your styling products in the shower or at least close to the shower.  When you are rinsing your conditioner do it with your head upside-down.  Leave your head upside down after you shut off the shower then lightly squeeze out some of the water.  Take some of your product in your hands and start to scrunch it into your hair from the ends scrunching it towards your roots until it makes a squishy sound.  This is how most curl products are ment to be put into the hair, most products are very concentrated and need to be diluted with water.  After you feel like you got your product through your hair shake it out a bit, this is where most people would reach for their towel to get it dry.  But stay away from those towels! Use an old t-shirt instead.

a t-shirt.. thats crazy!

You want to use a t-shirt because it doesnt have any texture to it, those loops on your favorite towel encourages frizz. Those little nubs grab onto single hairs and pull them out of place thus making your hair look frizzy.  Switch to a smooth t-shirt and you will prevent that problem and your hair will look more smooth!  Now you can take whichever drying approach you like be it the high maintence Jersey Girl look, or the casual Williamsburg hipster air drying technique.  Either way if you follow those steps above your hair will look super smooth and polished!

 

Now I want to help those girls with straight hair get the curly hair of their dreams.

The best plan of attack is with a pin curl set.  I actually made a YouTube tutorial demonstrating how to do this.  If you click the following link it will take you right to it.

Pun Curl Set Tutorial

The most important thing to remember is that heat tells the hair what you want it to do, but cooling it is what sets the memory.  So if you heat up the hair on your curling iron and then pin it in place still rolled up while it cools it will set the memory and make your curls last all day.  Sometimes I will even do an entire pin curl set then reheat the hair with my hairdryer with the diffuser attachment on it, and then cool it down again.  This will definetly ensure that your hair will hold its curl throughout the day.

Now say that you are looking for a more permanent solution to your straight hair woes.

You can always do a perm… thats right, I said it, a perm!  But don’t worry we have come a long way since that 80′s spiral perm anyone that was born in or before the 80′s had.. (yeah I had one…) There are so many amazing techniques now that can give you natural looking loose waves, to tighter curls, and really anything your heart desires.  I am dying to give someone an awesome modern perm, but the moment you say perm people run…. Don’t run!  Give it a chance.  You will probably be happy that you did if you are looking for some texture in your super fine locks.  Of course a perm isn’t right for everyone.  If your hair is super damaged from bleaching or one too many highlights, then sorry no perms for you.  But if your hair is in pretty good condition and you always dreamed about curly hair this is your answer.  One thing to remember is that this is permanent, I mean its in the name… so be sure that this is something that you want before you do it because you will have to grow it out and cut it off to get rid of it, luckaly flat roots and curls at the bottom are kind of in.. right?

Permalink to We always want what we can’t have…. how to get straight hair.

We always want what we can’t have…. how to get straight hair.

by Kristin|on 12/13/2011 |in tips and reccomendations |tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Leave a comment

Photo: Simon Gerzina, Make-up: Anita Nouryeh, Hair: Me!

I don’t know about you but my family is cursed with coarse wavy/curly hair that gets frizzy in the summer and dry in the winter.  It is super thick and just takes tons work to look nice.  My sister and I have gone to great lengths to get straight and or smooth hair all our lives and really have stopped at nothing to get it.  In this post I will tell you the best ways to get your hair straight and the pros and cons of each way.  I am going to talk about blow-drying, flat ironing, japanese relaxers, and brazilian blowouts.

Lets start with the temporary ways first

Blow-drying (if my cosmetology teacher is reading, I mean air-forming)

Blow drying is not only an easy way to get your hair straight, but it is also a great way to add volume.  This is definetly the cheapest way to get your hair straight, all you need is a hair dryer which can range anywhere from $25-upwards of $300 [ my favorite dryer is by parlux and is just over $100], a good brush, some clips, and of course practice and patience.

Of course when using any heat styling method you want to make sure that you use a heat protectant, I love Redken’s Satinwear for this, apply it to wet hair and it will help you smooth out your hair and prevent heat damage.

The most important part of your dryer is what is called a concentrator nozzle, it is that little attachment that you probably took off and put back the box and forgot about, well go back and get it.  What this does is it directs the air where you want it to go, which is down the hair shaft to smooth out the cuticle.

Start with clean hair add the products you perfer, heat protectant, blow dry balm, root booster, whatever your hair type needs. If you’re not sure talk to your hairstylist we love talking about products and reccommending things lol.

Now the first mistake people make is that they just go right into blowdrying their hair with a brush, dont.  Not only is this wasted effort, but when your hair is wet is when its the most fragile – brushes can pull and break your hair.  So begin by just doing what is called “rough drying” to get your hair about 80% dry.  Do this by just lifting your hair and just quickly drying it, if you want more volume at the root flip your head over or lift the hair where you want the lift.  When it is almost dry this is when you start to go at your hair with a brush, get a good comfortable round brush and start blow drying your hair in sections.  Sectioning the hair allows you to concertrate on each section to completly smooth it, this is will make your finished product look more polished, remember to keep your brush and dryer moving, I like to tell people to think of their brush as a truck and the dryer as a trailor, they always need to stay together.

- bang tip! – If you have bangs style them first before doing the rest of your hair or else you could end up with a bad bang day.

Flat Ironing –

Flat ironing is another great temporary way to get your hair straight.  This will make the hair more flat than blowdrying and will give the hair a really shiny smooth appearance.

You will need a good flat iron with a temperature control.  This is where I say don’t skimp.  Save up for something good.  A good flat iron will last for years and will cause less damage than a cheaper, lower quality one will.

Make sure you set the heat for your hair type.  Sure a flat iron can go to 450 degrees, but why… you don’t need it, I like to start around 320 for fine, damaged, and blonde hair types and slowly bump it up a few degrees for thicker coarser hair.

I can’t watch people flat iron hair because about 90% of people do it completly wrong.  I watch YouTube videos of people just smacking the plates together over any chunk of hair the iron grabs and pulling it down quickly over and over again trying to get it straight.  This is totally a don’t.

Again you want to start sectioning your hair, start at the bottom and work your way up.  The proper technique  is to take a section between the plates, I like to then take the flat iron and tilt the top towards me about 45 degrees, this will help give you good tension which will help give smoother results.  Now that you have your hair in the proper position SLOWLY drag the flat iron down.  You need to give your hair enough time to heat up, by just quickly running the iron over your hair you will need to go over each section many times, you should only need to go over each section once.  Keep doing this technique until you run out of hair and you will have the straightest shiny-est hair on the block.

Semi- Permanant to Permanant 

Brazilian Blowout

If you guys follow me on twitter or facebook you will know that I LOVE Brazilian Blowouts.  I have had it on my hair for almost a year and honestly I could never live without it.  My hair is naturally very wavy, it was bleached blonde for almost 10 years (read: fried) and has never looked shiny everrrrrr.  Now people think that my hair is naturally this smooth.

So what is it?

Brazilian Blowout is a semi-permant treatment that must be done by your hairstylist.  It can keep your hair smooth and frizz-free for about 4 months, sometimes more.  It is a treatment that includes a liquid keratin (the protein your hair is made of) that is applied to your hair then blowdried and flat ironed to steal.  This treatment takes about 1.5-2 hours depending on the thickness and length of your hair, and your hair will feel amazing the moment you leave the salon.

Who is this for?

Anyone with unruley hair that wants to prevent frizz and smooth out their hair.  This can be applied to even damaged and colored hair with great results!

What makes it so great?

The best thing about the Brazilian Blowout is that it doesn’t last forever.  The reason this is great is because it is no commitment.  Since this product slowly wears away you don’t get “roots”.  Once this wears away it is gone and you can either do the whole treatment again, or if you decided it wasn’t for you (I’d have to question your judgement…) but it’s okay, don’t do it again and no one will ever know!

What else do I need to know?

This can be a costly process depending on your hair and who does it.  It usually ranges in the $250-$500 range but can be more expensive.  You will also need to switch to using a sulfate-free shampoo for the duration of the treatment as sulfates in shampoos will wear the product away faster.

Japanese Straightening

This is my sister’s favorite way of straightening her hair.  It could be because she doesn’t have to pay for it and it requires the least amount of maintenence.. but its totally because she gets it for free…  This treatment is a permanent solution to keeping your hair straight.  Clients love this because their hair becomes “poker” straight without effort (on their part at least) and it lasts until they cut it off.

So what is it?

A Japanese relaxer is a permanent relaxer that uses chemicals as well as flat ironing to get super straight results.  It beings with washing your hair, applying the product, processing, then a good lengthy rinse.  Next the hair is blown dry and flat ironed in the style you want, after a neutralizing solution is applyed, processed, rinsed and then you are back in the chair for another blow dry and flat iron.. phewwww

Who is this for?

This is perfect for people with minimally damaged curly or textured hair.  Usually I make my clients choose between their hair color and their relaxer, but this of course depends on your actual hair type.  I wouldn NEVER do this on anyone with very lightened hair, or overly processed hair.  But if you are just changing your color within a few shades it is totally possible.  However this treatment is not to be taken lightly, and should only be done after a VERY detailed consultation.

So what makes it so great?

This is a great permanant way to make your hair straight with very little maintence.  My sister loves it because it is “wash and go” she can literally let it air dry and know that is going to be exactly the same everytime.

What else do I need to know?

Since this is a permanent process the only way to get rid of it is by cutting it off, so make sure this type of relaxer is what you want before you do it.  Also you will get “roots” with this process and you can usually only do this every 6 months as the stylist needs enough new growth to make sure that we do not overlap the product onto previously processed hair.  This process also takes some time, usually at minimum 5 hours! Luckly you only have to do it twice a year, right!  It is also pretty expensive, usually about $400-$1000 but if these are the results you are after it is money well spent.   Also after you have this treatment you cannot wash your hair for 2-3 days, as shampoo will reverse the chemicals applied to the hair, and one remember the scene from Legaly Blonde when Elle is in the court room? She explains why.. and she was totally right.

Hopefully I have helped you decide which method is best for you, I am hoping to start making some more videos to demonstrate some of these processes especially a flat ironing one!  So keep an eye out!

 

 

Permalink to Victoria’s Secret Hair in 10 sections or less!

Victoria’s Secret Hair in 10 sections or less!

by Kristin|on 12/09/2011 |in tips and reccomendations |tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , |Leave a comment

Often times I am asked how to get hair looks like the Victoria’s secret hair.  You know what hair I am talking about, that effortless wavy volume that is just messy enough to be carefree but clean enough to not look like bed head.  Well luckly it is probably one of the easiest things to do.

When I was assisting in my first salon, my mentors would often do time trials with me.  We were a busy salon, usually booked every half hour from about 8am-9pm… kind of insane.  Since we were so busy we had to learn how to make the most of our time so during a slower part of the day I was given little tests.  One of the first ones I remember being told to do was “Victoria’s Secret hair”

Literally there was a client in the chair and my mentor Jody just said, “Victorias Secret in no more than 8 sections, I will be back in 10 minutes and go.”

So as I stood there stunned that i was being tested with so little time i stood there and was like how the heck am I going to do this… but the reality is is really easy!

All you need is about 10 duck bill style clips a 1.0-1.5 inch curling iron (depending on hair length) and a hair spray and/or spray wax

The sectioning is the most important with hair with normal density you would start with a center mohawked section on the top of the head, from the hair line to just below the crown make three sections one behind the other horizontally.  Make sure when are curling the hair that the curls are on the base, this will give you the volume you are after.  After you heat up each curl and release it from the curling iron do not unroll it!  This is very important.  When you remove it from the curling iron, neatly roll it back up like it is on an invisible roller and then clip it into place.

After you do the top three sections now we can move onto the sides and back.  Your side sections should be parted just behind your ear and each side will be one section.  When curling the sides the only difference is that you want to make these curls vertical and the curls going away from the face.  Again do the same thing as the top, heat up the hair on the curling iron, remove it but do not unroll it and clip it into place.

Now for the back, usually you can get away with doing only three sections, make the sectioning go vertical as well as the curls just like the sides.  Heat the hair, and clip into the center of each section.

After you are done pinning the curls take your hair spray and lightly mist the hair and let it cool.  This is very important, you have to remember that heat is what tells the hair what to do, but cooling the hair is what sets the memory.  So by leaving these curls pinned in the curl shape until they are totally cooled will make these curls last all day.

Once the hair is cooled remove the clips and let the curls fall, I usually do another light misting of hair spray and then have my client flip over their hair.  I will then run my hands through the curls to break them up and then hair the client flip their hair back over and there it is, perfect Victoria’s Secret hair.  If you are after that piecey-ness that some of the girls have you can take a spray wax and hold up some of the hair and lightly mist with the wax, but you want to be careful a little goes a long way with spray wax so start with a little and add more if needed.

Keep in mind that this is the quickest technique for a loose wavy hair style if you are after a little more curl, have more time, or have thicker hair you may want to add a few extra sections.

Permalink to Taking hair color advice over the internet

Taking hair color advice over the internet

by Kristin|on 12/02/2011 |in tips and reccomendations |tagged , , , , , , , , |Leave a comment

Just say No

Lately I have been watching YouTube tutorials, and have seen in certain beauty forums people (even professionals!) giving one size fits all advice on how to do things to their hair.

I cannot repeat enough, to NEVER take advice from someone online about what to do about your hair unless this person knows your hair in person.  Sure what makes one person’s hair go platinum works for them, but it might and probably won’t on you.

Why is this?

Because you might have hair color on your hair from previous processes, you might have chemically straightened your hair, or maybe you are of different decent than that person, so you will have different undertones in your hair.

There are so many variables that only a trained professional (after a consultation of course) would know exactly how to get the results you are after.

Sure there are many times that you could do it yourself, like when you want to take your hair a shade or two darker.  But to expect a box of hair color with a picture that was done by a professional (and photoshopped like crazy) to give you exact results is, well, crazy.  Its just not how it works

Don’t even get me started on the line that features Beyonce as the face of their boxed color line… we all know she wears wigs!  You really think her hair is that heathy and the color is that perfect from a box???

I recieve so many messages from people asking me to tell them how to make their hair platinum at home and i refuse to tell them.  How can I know exactly how to do it if I don’t know about their hair.  I just can’t.

People that give advice for processes like that don’t think about the other variables that could make their steps go absolutly wrong and ruin your hair.

If you already had highlights on your hair or if it is chemically straightened your hair will be too weak to withstand what someone else that had no previous color on their hair can.

There is no answer to how long to leave a bleach on, or how long to leave a relaxer on.  It is all individualized to each person.  Sure there are guidlines but every head of hair is different.

I recently saw a post where a person told someone to go buy a specific relaxer and to just do it at home.  That is crazy, the person that recommended it does not know that there are two different types of relaxers, and that you CANNOT mix them.  There are hydroxide relaxers (typically used on ethnic hair) and thyo based relaxers (typically in curly perms, or japanese straighting solutions).  These relaxers break down the hair in different ways but when mixed they do one thing, break the hair right off.  By telling someone that they have never met in person or talked to to find out what they have on their hair and telling them to use what works on them, is just asking for fryed hair, if you have any left.

These chemicals are not to be taken lightly, while as time goes on formulas are improving and are getting more gentle on your hair, they can still destroy it as well, and by using these products that are meant for pros by yourself you are just asking to ruin your hair.

After all to get a full head of color done by a pro, might seem expensive but to get a color correction because you messed up your hair color so badly is a lot more expensive.  Usually upwards of $100+ per hour and it is usually many hours worth of work., not to mention it is much more damaging.

So bottom line, please go to a pro if you are thinking about doing something drastic to your hair, and do not trust anyone but a fully trained licensed professional, not someone that happens to be popular on youTube or a forum.

Permalink to “I liked what you did last time…”

“I liked what you did last time…”

by Kristin|on 10/30/2011 |in tips and reccomendations |tagged , , , , , , |Leave a comment

 

 

 

I recently joined a forum that has women do product reviews and test products.  On the front page was an article by a member called “When good haircuts go bad”  of course that piqued my interest and I had to read it and find out what it was about.  This woman goes into her story talking about how she had a great cut that she loved, went to the same person to cut her hair again and then she watched more hair than she wanted get cut off.

There were multiple problems with what she wrote, she never talked about having a consultation, or even telling her stylist that she wanted the same cut just cleaned up.  She also said that she noticed that too much hair was getting cut off but since she didn’t have her glasses she didn’t speak up.

A consultation is the most important part of your hair cut.  Whenever I see a client the first thing I do is sit the client in my chair look and touch their hair and ask them what they are looking for with their style.  Sure this step adds some time to my booking time but it also makes sure that my client gets what they want and inturn wants to come back to me again and again.  Often times I find that returning clients will say “I liked what you did last time, just do that”  While yes, I do remember my clients, and I often have a pretty good idea of what I did, I don’t remember every tiny detail.  Clients seem to forget that I have most likely done hundreds of hair cuts in between their visits.  If you loved your cut last time the best thing to do is to bring in a picture of your hair that was taken when it was cut.  This insures that you get a similar hair cut and your length is what you were expecting.  Pictures really are worth 1000 words, especially during a hair consultation.  If you don’t have a picture at least explain your ideas clearly and demonstrate how much you want off, an inch to me, might be two inches to you, or the other way around.

Another issue with what this woman wrote was that she thought that her stylist was cutting off too much hair but she didn’t say anything.  Speaking up is very important.  If a stylist is doing something that you aren’t sure of don’t be scared to say something.  This could have prevented the too short hair cut completly.

Communication is the key in getting a great hair cut.  It needs to start with a good consultation and it is up to you, the client to speak up if there is something that is making you uncomfortable.  So the next time you are in the salon chair and you have that perfect style that you want, the best way to get it is to bring in a photo or photos and to speak up and tell your stylist exactly what you are hoping for, and if something isn’t going as plan, speak up before the end of the hair cut.  This will help you get the best cut you have ever had.

 

 

 

Permalink to My Hair Kit – tools edition

My Hair Kit – tools edition

by Kristin|on 09/11/2011 |in tips and reccomendations |tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Leave a comment

I was recently asked on twitter what is in my hair kit which is a great question.

My go to hair kit is very small, which a lot of people think is crazy, but really I think it is totally the other way around, why carry something if you don’t need it.  I suppose I am like the Alton Brown of hair, I hate Uni-taskers.  Also living and working in NYC and traveling by either my scooter, or subway makes you pick and choose what you want to carry since you just can’t throw it in a trunk and go to your job.

Since this is going to be a semi long post I am going to split it into two posts, tools and products.

my list of tools

My favorite dryer (I own 3!)  is the Parlux 3200 dryer, I don’t think I will ever mess with a dryer that is not italian made.. I don’t know why, they just make the best dryers hands down,  coming in a close second (they are ultimatly the same dryer) is the Twin Turbo

yes it comes in other colors, but why bother?

 

Next I carry the only flat iron I will ever own, the Paul Mitchell Pro Tools 1.0, not only does it heat up super quick, and not pull hair, it has little silicone strips that give you perfect tension to your hair making it so that you only have to go over each section once.

it needs to be in pink!

 

I only carry two curling irons, I only own three!  I have never felt like I need a different size ever.  Want bigger curls? take bigger sections.  smaller? take smaller sections.  I like hot tools curling irons, but I use the marcel style not the spring and often times I wrap the hair around the iron instead of using it the traditional way.  Many models have asked me why I don’t just get one of the clip-less curling irons, the answer is because then it would be another thing to carry!  I carry a 1.5 inch and a 3/4 inch and thats it, if I know i want to make frizzy hair or an afro type hair style i will carry my 1/2 inch

how i roll

 

thats it.  seriously.  I don’t believe in hot rollers, you can just use pin curl clips and a curling iron and get better results!  See my youtube tutorial on how to do a pin curl set

The only round brush I will use is by Cricket it is the Technique line .  They never get caught in hair, they make perfect brush sets, they last forever and are super comfortable to use.  My favorite size is the 370.  At my salon I have the 390, 2- 370′s, 2- 350′s, and 2- 330′s.  In my kit for shoots I only carry a 390, 370 and 350 if that. The best part of this brush line is every October they come out with the brushes in pink for breast cancer awareness.. this is when I stock up!  I also carry a teasing brush which i typically use to to tease hair and to brush out curls as well.

heaven in a brush

Wonder which color I own?

I am a comb snob, once I got my hands on the Y/S Park brand of combs I never used another brand again.  The amount of engineering that went into this combs is nothing short of crazy,  the way the teeth are aligned, the way it feels when you hold it.. its just awesome.  and they come in pink!  When it comes to my tail combs I never waste my time with the ones with the plastic ends, not only do they break but what else is it good for.  A tail comb with a good metal end is also an amazing teeny curling iron!  just wrap the hair around and heat it with your flat iron!  I usually carry up to 4 cutting combs and 2 tail combs

last but not least is my clips and pins.  for sectioning I turn again to the Y/S park line, their clips are expensive but last forever and just work…

 

 

I think one of the most important things for a session stylist to carry is what I call an “up-do box”  Why on earth would you want to carry all your hair pins in the cardboard boxes they come in, its messy and just crazy.  I keep all mine in a organizer I got from home depot, and it fits perfectly at the bottom of my Zuca Backpack   This box has everything I need, pin curl clips to do pin curl sets, hair pins, bobby pins, and large bobby pins in black and brown, and rubber bands all in one perfectly organized container.

needs to be stocked but you get the idea

My bag of choice is of course the Zuca and since dragging something through the subways and up the stairs is annoying, I refuse to do it and carry a backpack.  This bag is perfect, its organized and even has a pocket for hot curling irons that can with-stand up to 350 degrees!

if it doesn't fit, its not coming with!

 

That is pretty much what I carry if I don’t know what I am doing at a shoot, if I am going to shoot a fantasy hair style my kit would be drasticly different, but also much smaller

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Permalink to Hair Battle Spectacular Blog Episode 2

Hair Battle Spectacular Blog Episode 2

by Kristin|on 09/05/2011 |in hair battle spectacular |tagged , , , , , , , , , |Leave a comment

This is taken from my blog for Oxygen.com

ready for a new day and a new challenge

This week’s Check Up from the Neck Up had me nervous because we had no clue what we were working with until after we picked it. When we showed up in the salon and saw all the hat boxes I just remember thinking oh no, anything can be in those things. When we were picking our boxes I went for the cool silvery metallic box because it was the prettiest. After I opened that box I was like crap, I totally should have gone with the obvious choice of pink! I had only silver hair, black mesh, and packing peanuts!! What the heck was I going to do with packing peanuts?! We hardly had any time and I was just sitting there trying to figure out a cool way to make those three pieces work together, and I was honestly stumped! In the end I came up with a crazy ponytail that kind of reminded me of a girlie tin man, and I made a bow out of the mesh and stuffed it with the packing peanuts. Then I decided I would glue the packing peanuts scattered onto the hair piece, I tried hot glue…they melted…then I tried weave glue…they melted. But at that point I had marks on my piece that i had to cover from the two trials with glue. So I decided to use hair pins to pin them on, the problem was you could see the pins because we only had black hair pins…ugh. And of course Derek J called me out on it, why wouldn’t he lol. If only the packing peanuts weren’t bio-degradable, my first idea would have totally worked out.

me, GQ and Bossa Nova

lol. loves it. my hair piece hitting Derek J

 

When Blondie put me against Camouflage I wasn’t really sure of her angle, I honestly thought she would put me against J9 because she saw that we had such a good connection, but I was pretty confident, especially when I found out what the challenge was, all black and white, and I had to make coordinating lashes!! Camouflage even said he was worried because I live for false eyelashes!! I know it is hard to tell on TV but every day that we filmed I wore lashes that I built out of different sets to be exactly what I wanted and super long and thick. Then that was the challenge…easy! I knew exactly what I was going to do.

When I make a hair piece, I don’t usually go into it with a set idea, I kind of like to see where it goes and let it happen. Which is sort of the hard thing for me on this show, I like to start a piece but finish the piece on the model, but with the way our time is given I can’t do it that way. So when I was in the supply room I saw cone shaped Styrofoam and I was just thinking kind of like opposites since we were starting with black and white. So then I was planning on working with different textures and rounded edges and angles. I ended up cutting a slice off of the cones so that one side was flat to give it that angular look, and then on the rounded side I smoothed on black hair and on the flat side I cut up white hair to give it more of a rough appearance. Then the rest of the hair piece I made it super teased and textured and wanted to make a smooth long bang that covered one of the eyes. The reason I wanted to cover an eye was because I wanted more lashes but we were only allowed to take two! That is totally not enough for me lol so I used all of them for one eye and that solved my problem, then I added three curled triangle pieces of paper to the top and bottom lashes to kind of mirror the cones in the hair. Perfect!

When I was named a Hair Don’t I was really surprised, I still stand by my hair piece and really thought that the challenge was meant to be more avant garde and when I got my critique they told me it was too avant garde and not enough fantasy. And while yes the lashes were extreme, I totally didn’t spend more time on the lashes than I did on my piece like they said, those lashes literally took me 5 minutes! I still love my piece and I was happy with it, so to me that is what matters. I was excited that J9 won! I loved her piece and I love her, we instantly connected over music and a bunch of other stuff so I was excited to see a friend win.

I was bummed out when I was eliminated, but I was also slightly relieved. I think that it was slightly obvious on the show that I was a little out of my element, and I am a creature of habit. I loved doing the hair, and if the whole show was just about hair, I would have loved it, but those performances killed me. I am just not a crazy performer; I like to let my hairstyling do the work of telling the story and impressing people. I personally think that if you need to sell your piece with a backflip then the hair piece failed. No offense to the people who did backflips lol, I give you credit for being able to do it, but I just don’t think that it is necessary. But really I think that it just cheapens the work. I was sad to leave the friends I made, and sad to keep pushing myself to my hair limits, but I guess I don’t totally need a show to do that! Since I have been home I have been working like crazy and making new hair pieces to release as the show airs. Sure I might not know all the challenges that were given after I left but I made my own challenges and I have never been happier with my work. I learned a ton, met cool people and got inspired, so even though I didn’t do as well on the show as I originally planned I am still happy I did it and still happy that I got the opportunity and I can’t wait for the opportunities to follow. This will not be the last that you see from me by any means!

at this point I knew it was me

 

If you want to still follow my work and see what else I have done since I have been off the show, add my facebook page! You won’t be disappointed!! www.facebook.com/Dimples.KristinJackson

Permalink to Dimples intro blog

Dimples intro blog

by Kristin|on 08/18/2011 |in hair battle spectacular |tagged , , , , , , , , , , |Leave a comment

This is from my blog for Oxygen.com

I guess my love for social networking and putting myself out there shamelessly helped me get onto HairBattle Spectacular. I watched the first season, and of course my quest to be famous made me interested in trying out for the next season. But for some reason I didn’t actually persue it, nor did I even hear that they were casting for a second season. Then, while I was doing a client’s hair at my salon, someone from the show called and said they were interested in me and wanted me to audition. Of course I said yes and was super excited! That is how I usually am, if I am given a good opportunity I can’t say no to it. Why work so hard to turn down your next big break? But later I got a little nervous about putting myself out there. In the end it was ultimately my good friend, Worm Carnevale, who told me I had to do it, and that I was good enough…he’s good at pep talks, and he was totally right!

While I am on the show I hope to push my skills to the limit. I can’t wait to see what I can produce! I am excited to learn new things from all the other cast members, and of course just create awesome hair with hair that I didn’t pay for or beg for a bigger budget for…I can’t wait to have everything at my fingertips and have the only limits be my imagination. If I leave the show, I just hope to leave with some new skills, some inspiration, and maybe a couple of friends to boot? But who knows about that last part haha.

My out-there sense of style makes me stand out. But I think in this competition it will be my personality. I might not be the loudest one in the bunch, but I definitely try to be the nicest. Why create unnecessary enemies when you can make friends… but I can have my catty side…we’ll see who will bring it out of me. I also think it will be my eye for detail which will set me apart. I like to keep everything super clean and sleek. I know when to stop adding elements and how to make the most out of my work. You know the rule of thumb: before you leave, you should take one accessory off. Well I feel like there are some fantasy hair stylists that don’t listen to that, and put too many elements into a style and just do too much. I would much rather see one or two really awesome clean things than a bunch of ehhh things. Let’s see if my strategy works…hopefully it will!

This season, expect to see me push myself to be my best and try to pull myself out of my comfort zone with hair. Expect to see some pretty awesome shoes; hopefully you get to see the small sampling of amazing shoes that I brought for the season! Expect to see a fun girlie girl wear a ton of make-up, a ton of hair, and a bunch of eyelashes, while trying to make the best hairstyles that she can. I already feel my creativity flowing and ready to come out!

Permalink to Get a little piece of Fantasy Hair from Dimples!!

Get a little piece of Fantasy Hair from Dimples!!

by Kristin|on 08/07/2011 |in Etsy |tagged , , , , , , , , |Leave a comment

Because of the demand I decided that I would reopen my etsy shop, well not exactly reopen it, I threw away the old Princess De La Coiffure name and just started a new one called KristinJacksonHair.  short and sweet and to the point.

 

So what will I be selling on my page… of course the usual braided headbands and bows will be on there, maybe some duct tape flowers and hair glasses.. but so far i just added my newest (and strangest!) creation of bacon made out of human hair.

 

Its kind of crazy that I even made it considering I have been vegetarian since I was really young, and honestly I don’t even remember what bacon even tastes like.  I modeled these after my morning star bacon, but they totally look more realistic lol.

 

Hair Bacon!

 

eep!

 

You can go to my etsy store here…. Kristin Jackson Hair’s Etsy!!  I will be adding new stuff throughout the week!

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