Mischo Beauty: hairstylist

Showing posts with label hairstylist. Show all posts

Mischo Beauty School: Haircuts 101

I continue to receive the same question with regards to how to go about achieving a great haircut. It's actually a perfect time to revisit this topic- with the arrival of Spring in a few weeks, it's a great time to consider reinventing your look!

And just so you know, every haircut is made up of a combination of basic techniques used to create varying shapes and effects on the hair. Before having your haircut, I recommend the following:

- Consultation with stylist (discuss face shape, hair texture and lifestyle)

- Review haircut pictures with stylist

- Consider home maintenance requirements

- BE REALISTIC

Taking the above into consideration will ensure that you and the stylist agree on the best direction and that the stylist has adequate information to achieve the desired end result. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions. Oh, and I'd love to hear your haircut stories! Love your hair.

Mischo Beauty School: Understanding Your Hair Type (A Lesson from Oprah's Hairstylist)

It makes me cringe when I hear that hair is still being defined by race, I mean it is 2011, right? Well this week's "Ask Mischo Beauty..." prompted my sharing with you, again, the term "hair type" which was originated by Oprah's hairstylist, Andre Walker. In his book "Andre Talks Hair!", he states the following:

"Stop reading fashion magazines that tell you there's just one hair type if you're African-American, Asian, or whatever. Forget about race- there's no such thing as "black" hair or "Asian" hair or even "Caucasian" hair. And, please, please, please, let's retire forever those antiquated stereotypes about "good" hair versus "bad" hair. The fact is, everyone has "good" hair - you just have to know how to take care of your hair type."

And so he goes on to break hair type down into the following categories (there are subtypes within each category, such as A, B, C, etc.):

Type 1: Straight Hair: Hair holds no curl or wave, but has lots of shine.

Type 2: Wavy Hair: Hair tends to be coarse, with a definite "S" shape pattern.

Type 3: Curly Hair: Hair is very fine in texture; definite loopy "S" pattern.

Type 4: Kinky Hair: Hair is very fragile; very tightly coiled/curled.

Any questions? What's your hair type? Love your hair.

Mischo Beauty School: Understanding Your Hair Type (A Lesson from Andre Walker)

If you watched Oprah's "Ultimate Favorite Things" show a few weeks ago, then you know by now that her hairstylist, Andre Walker, has finally released a collection of hair care products which are formulated to work with all hair types and textures. Well, I'm dying to try them and as soon as I do, I'll let you know my thoughts!

But in the meantime, I wanted to share with you all a post on "hair types" from almost two years ago. I was first introduced to the concept after reading through a few hair forums. Yes, I'm a licensed cosmetologist, but I'd never heard the term - neither in cosmetology school, or in any of my cosmetology textbooks. I guess the closest to what I'd learned about "hair type" was hair texture.

A reader asked a question about hair types here, and I followed up with this post. Andre is credited with originating this term and in his book "Andre Talks Hair!", he states the following:

"Stop reading fashion magazines that tell you there's just one hair type if you're African-American, Asian, or whatever. Forget about race- there's no such thing as "black" hair or "Asian" hair or even "Caucasian" hair. And, please, please, please, let's retire forever those antiquated stereotypes about "good" hair versus "bad" hair. The fact is, everyone has "good" hair - you just have to know how to take care of your hair type."

And so he goes on to break hair type down into the following categories (there are subtypes within each category, such as A, B, C, etc.):

Type 1: Straight Hair: Hair holds no curl or wave, but has lots of shine.

Type 2: Wavy Hair: Hair tends to be coarse, with a definite "S" shape pattern.

Type 3: Curly Hair: Hair is very fine in texture; definite loopy "S" pattern.

Type 4: Kinky Hair: Hair is very fragile; very tightly coiled/curled.

Ok, so there you have it- according to Andre! Now the book is full of tips on solving hair issues, finding the right stylist, choosing a haircut and a whole lot more. I definitely recommend checking it out!

Any questions? Love your hair.

Mischo Beauty Loves Goldwell HiBlondes Collection

I thought the photos above were such an amazing example of "Beauty Is Art" - as my beauty editor, Ayanna would say! While not everyone wants to or even can go blonde, there are a large number who want to go a shade or two lighter during the summer. And so I'm always anxiously awaiting the launch of haircolor collections that take my breath away! Goldwell's new Topchic HiBlondes Control collection, used in the above photos, did just that. The overall creative direction (haircolor, hairstyling, makeup, fashion styling & photography) is amazing and I thought you all would enjoy!

photos: behindthechair.com

Mischo Beauty Superstar of the Week: Keith Campbell: The Hair Architect

This week's "Mischo Beauty Superstar" is celebrity hairstylist, Keith Campbell. Now when I tell you that Keith's work speaks for itself- It. Speaks. For. Itself! And if you don't believe me, take a look at his portfolio and you'll agree. He works on celebrities (Tracee Ellis Ross, Nia Long, Eva Pigford, etc.), styles ad campaigns, does tons of editorial work, commercials- and the list goes on and on.

What I love most about Keith is that he's mastered every texture of hair (and no I'm not referring to "good hair", "black hair", "white hair"- because we all know those terms are incorrect by now- right?). He effortlessly styles hair types 1-4, without a blink of an eye. And his cuts, color, weaves and updos are nothing less than perfection! And yes, he does still do hair out of his salon in New Jersey- oh, and he's got a new blog over on Essence.com.

So now you hopefully see why I HEART him so much, and why he's been my "Mischo Beauty Hairstylist of the Month" (check the left-hand column) for like ever!!! Be sure to visit his website, check out his blog and follow him on Twitter! Enjoy.

Love his work? Let me know!

Mischo Beauty Alert Reminder: Kérastase's "Our Treat" Event - Complimentary (FREE!) Hair Services

I wanted to remind you all about the Kerastase "Our Treat" Event happening now! Be sure to check out the Kerastase blog for photos, stories from clients and updates from events in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. Enjoy!

Mischo Beauty Loves: Claudia Schiffer for Yves Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2009 Ad Campaign

I'm loving Claudia's hair in the current YSL ad campaign, just as much as I loved Naomi's in last fall's ad campaign.

I'm partial to soft and flowing roller-set, pin-curled hairstyles. They're simple, classic and glamorous. Here, her hair is reminiscent of 1940's Lena Horne and Veronica Lake. I've been searching all over the web to find the hairstylist who created this look, but no such luck yet...

At any rate, the clothes, shoes and accessories - I LOVE! View more at YSL.com

Mischo Beauty Covers Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week: Sebastian Professional, Wella & Malandrino Fall 2009/#NYFW

My absolute favorite show for hair, during fashion week, was the Catherine Malandrino show! The inspiration for the look was drawn from the Surrealist movement, which resulted in the "unexpected and curious".

Eva Scrivo, owner of Eva Scrivo Salon in NYC, customized 90 colored extensions exclusively with Wella Professionals color. Large and small panels of hair were colored in sections of varying widths, so when the hair overlaps in the updo, the colors weave together for a very natural effect, similar to that of wood grain.

Hair was prepped using Sebastian Professional Shine Define to protect it from hot styling tools and also to leave a shinier finish. Next, the hair was tightly combed up to the front/top of the head into one ponytail and sprayed with Sebastian Professional Shaper Zero Gravity and Re-Shaper.

The hair was then separated into three sections and extensions were added to create three-four chignons interweaving pieces from the models' real hair.

Shaper Zero Gravity is a dry, brushable lightweight control hairspray and Re-Shaper is a brushable, humidity resistant strong hold hairspray.

The chignons were secured with bobby pins and netting.

As you can see the colored extensions add depth and dimension, while perfectly blending together to add both color and life to the collection. Love it!

Mischo Beauty School: Hair Relaxers 101

I've recently received a few questions on the difference between "lye" and "no lye" relaxers, so I've decided to answer the questions in a blog post. So, let's understand the difference between "lye" and "no lye" relaxers. In general, relaxers break certain chemical bonds in the hair so that they aren't able to reform. This simply means that hair that was once curly, is now permanently straightened.

Certain relaxers use a chemical called "lye" to break the bonds in the hair. "Lye" is a very strong chemical base that will burn your skin and damage your hair if not used correctly. With "no lye" relaxers, another chemical is used in the place of lye and is considered a medium strength base. Research has shown that the use of "no lye" relaxers results in less scalp irritation, but the same safety rules apply. Both types of relaxers will burn your scalp if used incorrectly and it's wrong to assume that compared to "lye" relaxers, "no lye" relaxers take the worry out of straightening your hair. Both types of relaxers contain caustic chemicals.

If you choose to apply your own relaxer, please ask for help! I'll say that again- if you choose to apply your own relaxer, ask for help! You aren't able to see and reach the top and back of your hair and this could lead to an improper application of the relaxer. Also, making sure that the relaxer is thoroughly rinsed can be a challenge. Relaxers should be used according to the manufacturer's directions, left on no longer than the suggested time, carefully washed out with neutralizing shampoo, and followed up with regular conditioning.

Any questions? I'd love to hear your relaxer stories! Love your hair.

Mischo Beauty Review: Sedu Revolution Nano Tourmaline Ionic 1" Styling Iron

So after hearing my beauty blogging friends, Urbane Girl and All About The Pretty, rave about the new Sedu flat iron, I couldn't wait to try it! Well my test for a new flat iron is always whether or not it will straighten my type 4B hair, without burning it or drying it out. After shampooing and deep conditioning my hair, I choose to sit under my hooded hair dryer, as opposed to blow drying. Oh, and I used my FHI Heat Hot Sauce as my thermal protectant.

After training with Vidal Sassoon, I learned that the key to a successfully flat ironing the hair is to first section the hair for organization, and then flat iron sections no thicker than 1/2 inch (if not smaller, depending on the texture of your hair). I used the highest temperature setting on my natural hair, due to the fact that it's coarse and tightly coiled. Shiny, silky, and soft hair was the end result for me- and yes, I was very pleased.

A few other facts about the Sedu that I love are:

- The Sedu comes with a heatproof mat (I often style my hair on the go, so the mat makes
traveling with the Sedu easy!)

- The adjustable temperature control allows me to set the temperature based on my hair's
texture (in case I decide to relax my hair) and needs

- The Nano Tourmaline plates ensure an even distribution of heat and a smooth finish

- The curved edges of the plates allow for easy curling of your hair, and the Sedu comes with an
instruction DVD with easy to follow steps for achieving curls, waves, etc.

Oh, and I love the packaging (very sleek and chic), which made me excited about trying what was inside. Overall, the Sedu is a winner and I recommend it!

Because You're Worth It!: Kiyah Wright & Warren-Tricomi Salon

For those of you wanting to reinvent your look or just wanting a fabulous cut or color, you need to get booked with celebrity hairstylist, Kiyah Wright! Her work has been featured in Vogue, Essence, Elle and Glamour, and she's responsible for the looks of the biggest stars!

Simply put, her work is AMAZING! You can now book an appointment with her at the Warren Tricomi Salon in LA, and you should because you're worth it!

Have you had services at a Warren Tricomi Salon? If you were the winner of a makeover, what would you choose to have done?

Beautiful hair needs an expert: No Frizz by Living Proof

For those of you who constantly deal with frizzy hair, you'll want to consider trying No Frizz by Living Proof. "Straight Making" and "Wave Shaping/Curl Defining" are styling aids which were developed "to do what silicones can't: eliminate frizz by blocking humidity". I love the fact that these products have a formulation for your specific hair type: fine to medium hair, medium to thick hair and thick to coarse hair.

You all know that I advise on using products for your specific hair, skin or nail needs/issues and so the fact that these products are broken down by hair type and need, makes them worth trying! They are available beginning February 2009 and because I love Tracee Ellis Ross' hair so much I'm recommending this line for her!