Ron King: Spicing up Short Hairstyles

by The Style King/Ron King on Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Ron King has worked as a hairstylist, transforming people’s appearances, for more than 20 years. With a growing celebrity clientele, King travels the world taking inspiration from different cultures and countries. Along the way, he has developed his own “easy wear” style philosophy which plays up a woman’s natural hair texture and pairs it with natural-looking makeup that’s easy to apply. This mantra led him to launch a signature line of cosmetics for women who want to look pulled together but who are are short on time. King has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry, including L’Oreal Professional, Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo and Rick Wellman.

Every summer (AKA party season), I get an influx of short-haired women asking for ways to style their crops for parties or black tie events, instead of just doing it as they normally would. Short hair is sexy, sassy and all the rage right now, yet many people don’t know it can also be versatile. Simply glance at a fashion magazine and see a bevy of bobbed and cropped beauties making the look work on the red carpet for inspiration. Stars like Carey Mulligan with her Mia Farrow-esque look, beautiful and elegant Halle Berry and unpredictable Kelly Osbourne have all explored hairstyling options which make their short ‘dos festive and so can you.

Carey Mulligan

The tried and true idea is to add hair accessories. Sparkly and vintage-inspired pins, combs and barrettes are all adorable but may be best saved for those on the younger side. Try piling 2-3 decorative bobby pins on one side of the head and play around with positioning for a more modern, mature look. Headbands of every size and type are a great option as well. Funky ladies like Kelly Osbourne go for a not so subtle look of oversized bow headbands and bright colors. This is also a fun going out style but is not for the faint of heart. It helps to have a similarly unique hairstyle/color and clothing style to pull it off. For a more sophisticated look, opt for a simple black or solid colored headband. Chunky bands work better the older you are. For this style, I recommend adding a little volume at the crown after the headband, for a more fun and fashion forward style.

Another option is to change up color, part or texture. Does your client have stick-straight hair but want to dazzle during a night out? Curl hair with a curling iron or create some texture with a texturizing spray and a blow dryer. If hair is naturally wavy and you want to switch it up, simply section your hair and blow dry then go over it with a flat iron for a smooth finish. For a more long-term solution for boring short hair, add some color and shine with a glaze. On crops, I prefer solid but dimensional color rather than highlights. They are too much coupled with the short hair … and if all else fails, you can always throw in some extensions!

Ron King: Why So Blue?

by The Style King/Ron King on Monday, August 9th, 2010

Ron King has worked as a hairstylist, transforming people’s appearances, for more than 20 years. With a growing celebrity clientele, King travels the world taking inspiration from different cultures and countries. Along the way, he has developed his own “easy wear” style philosophy which plays up a woman’s natural hair texture and pairs it with natural-looking makeup that’s easy to apply. This mantra led him to launch a signature line of cosmetics for women who want to look pulled together but who are are short on time. King has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry, including L’Oreal Professional, Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo and Rick Wellman.

By now, you’ve probably heard that the color turquoise is big for this summer. But the bright color isn’t just limited to wearing ethnic jewelry and bright little dresses. For summer 2010, it’s all about blue shades on your nails as well. I know this may be a controversial trend. I realize that it might be interpreted as a bit too bold or juvenile for some of your clients, but it adds a fun, whimsical touch to any outfit and practically screams summer. If your clients are searching high and low for that perfect nail shade, suggest shades of blue. The key to making it look modern is to keep your nails short and rounded and perfectly groomed. This is not a punk look, per se. It can actually be fashionable and polished and be worn to work or for more formal events.

Another key thing to remember when trying this trend is to either go for a pale, milky shade of pastel blue a la Hard Candy nail polish circa 1996, or keep it in the metallic and royal blue family. To me, the pastel tone is a younger, sweeter look while the deeper shades of blue are a bit more sophisticated.

I like Milani for inexpensive nail polish and Rococo, Dior or B. Free for a more luxurious choice. Katy Perry, Lauren Conrad, La Lohan and Ke$ha all rock blue shades of nail polish and have even helped bring the trend to the mainstream. Now it’s your clients’ turn!

Check out last year’s predictions about the hot color for 2010 here

The Bigger, the Better

by The Style King/Ron King on Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Ron King has worked as a hairstylist, transforming people’s appearances, for more than 20 years. With a growing celebrity clientele, King travels the world taking inspiration from different cultures and countries. Along the way, he has developed his own “easy wear” style philosophy which plays up a woman’s natural hair texture and pairs it with natural-looking makeup that’s easy to apply. This mantra led him to launch a signature line of cosmetics for women who want to look pulled together but who are are short on time. King has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry, including L’Oreal Professional, Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo and Rick Wellman.

Having big features is not usually considered a good thing, especially not when it comes to body parts… But there is one facial feature where bigger is always better. I’m talking about having huge, expressive, doe eyes. Not only will having larger peepers (or the allusion of it) make you seem more attractive, younger and rested, it’s also just a plain cute look. If you’ve ever seen a picture of Twiggy, you’ll realize that much of her appeal had to do with her huge, adorable and blue eyes framed by spidery, black lashes.

Not all of us have been blessed with big eyes, however, so below, I’ve compiled some tips and tricks to make your clients’ eyes large and in charge (I work with a lot of makeup artists in my salon and on shoots, so I’ve managed to pick up these hints up). Here we go…

-Put a shimmery, light-colored eye shadow on either side of the bridge of the nose as well as on the lids (apply lightly here). White or light colors in general make the allusion of more space between the eyes and bigger eyes overall. Just don’t go crazy with the white eye shadow. This is not 1976.

-Try a peach-toned liner on the inner rims of the lower lid instead of black, white or brown (this is not as harsh and unnatural). Then, apply a black/brown/gray liner a little underneath the rim and the peach liner.

-Apply a darker shadow in the crease of the eyelids. If your client’s eyes are close-set, try just putting the shadow on the outer part of her crease. If her eyes are far apart, do the opposite and apply shadow on the inner part of the crease. Does your client have well-proportioned eyes? You’re in luck. You can play around with your makeup to find the best application to enhance your orbs.
-Lastly, don’t forget the mascara!!! This is key to creating a lush, sexy eye. I like black and glossy mascara for night and a more opaque and natural shade for day. Curl your lashes and apply a few coats of mascara (just make sure it doesn’t look goopy). Two brands that are great are DiorShow mascara and, for the more budget-conscious, any Maybelline kind (can’t mess with the tried and true).

Ron King: Beauty That Goes the Distance

by The Style King/Ron King on Monday, July 26th, 2010

Ron King has worked as a hairstylist, transforming people’s appearances, for more than 20 years. With a growing celebrity clientele, King travels the world taking inspiration from different cultures and countries. Along the way, he has developed his own “easy wear” style philosophy which plays up a woman’s natural hair texture and pairs it with natural-looking makeup that’s easy to apply. This mantra led him to launch a signature line of cosmetics for women who want to look pulled together but who are are short on time. King has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry, including L’Oreal Professional, Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo and Rick Wellman.

As salon owners and stylists, we want hair and beauty products that last a long time or at least have multiple uses … You know, things that give us the most bang for our buck and offer quick, easy, affordable solutions to beauty supply issues. Enter my many years of salon and stylist experience. As an entrepreneurial stylist, I know what it’s like to want to cut costs and only purchase products for your salon that are truly versatile. Below, I’ve put together a few quick tips of the trade to get the most use out of your beauty and hair stockroom.

1. Makeup artists, I can’t stress this enough. Good makeup is expensive but worth it. In that spirit, splurge on the best makeup you can get, but also find multiple uses for basic products. For example, when you are done with a tube of mascara, simply rinse the wand off, dry and use as a particularly helpful brow groomer. You can also mist it with water or spray and work on your client’s hairline to cancel out the frizzies and fuzzies that often sprout there with it. For bronzer that doesn’t match your client’s complexion or is simply too dark for a certain time of year, mix the remainder with some light moisturizer for a quick, dewy and universally flattering tinted moisturizer or use as a highlighter on the body.

2. Another quick tip: When you are nearly done with your good lipstick, but there is still a clump wedged in the tube, swipe a q-tip or lipstick brush with some lip gloss and use as a colored gloss on your clients’ lips.

3. We all drop powder compacts sometimes, whether they be finishing powder, blush or bronzer. Usually, these little suckers break into a million pieces and nice powder is wasted. Not so when you apply some rubbing alcohol to the rearranged powder compact and press it in to set. The alcohol reforms the powder and it will be ready to use again soon.

4. Finally, buy a conditioner for the salon that’s too rich or you just don’t like? Take it home and use as shaving cream when shaving your legs, ladies. At least, it’s not going to waste and you will have silky smooth stems. Also, if you’re a manicurist and your polishes are drying up and getting clumpy on you, just add a few drops of nail polish thinner and watch them regain their original consistency.

I hope these little hints serve you well in all your beauty endeavors!

Ron King: The “It” Sunglasses

by The Style King/Ron King on Monday, July 12th, 2010

Ron King has worked as a hairstylist, transforming people’s appearances, for more than 20 years. With a growing celebrity clientele, King travels the world taking inspiration from different cultures and countries. Along the way, he has developed his own “easy wear” style philosophy which plays up a woman’s natural hair texture and pairs it with natural-looking makeup that’s easy to apply. This mantra led him to launch a signature line of cosmetics for women who want to look pulled together but who are are short on time. King has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry, including L’Oreal Professional, Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo and Rick Wellman.

As stylists, we take inspiration from all different things, and lately I’ve been referencing a lot of retro looks. Lots of amazing and classic things came out of the 1950s … Prim sweater sets, classic Elvis and…. great eyewear? Yup, it’s true. The sunglasses of this summer are the nostalgic cat eye frames of yesteryear made popular by Hollywood luminaries at the time like Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly who sported non-tinted versions. The specs of the past were often decorated with rhinestones and kept in a fairly neutral color palette of black and, brown, but the current craze for the cat eye look is interpreted in bolder, more pronounced shapes, thicker frames and, occasionally, bright colors. Cat eye sunnies were trotted out on spring/summer runways as diverse as Giles Deacon, Sonia Rykiel and perhaps most tellingly, on design wunderkind Alexander Wang and quirky mainstay Prada. Soon, hip models were parading the shades off-duty and faster than you could blink an eye, so were starlets like Jessica Alba, Nicole Richie and the Olsen twins.

Many designers have come out with their own style of the cat eye and the result is mostly positive. Dior’s subtle (also in the collage) take is perfect for the more subdued stylista while Betsey Johnson sticks to her rock n’ roll take on fashion and goes for fab and outlandish shades. There are also more affordable styles out there such as British retailer Aso’s cool pair and Fossil’s gentler take on the trend.

The cat eye phenomenon is not only completely of the moment, it’s also wildly flattering. The high, pointed edges of the frames visually lift the face making you look younger, higher-cheek-boned and, of course, more glamorous. I’m a big proponent of cat eye specs also because they look new and fresh despite their storied history and add that fashionable je ne sais quoi to any ensemble. Wang’s futuristic glasses and Prada’s colorful pairs paired with pigtails, on the runway and in eye-catching ads like the one posted here, are the perfect contemporary twist on a classic trend. I suggest wearing the look while attired in timeless looks in plain neutral colors, leaving the glasses to take center stage. Just take a look at Scarlett Johanssen recently all dolled up at an event for inspiration. I made a collage of my favorite different types of cat eyes available in all price and style ranges, below, that’ll make you purr with satisfaction, including one non-tinted pair for those who rock specs appeal even when they’re not in the sun. Picks include shades from the aforementioned Alexander Wang, Tom Ford, Marc by Marc Jacobs, popular online retailer net-a-porter and colorful and irreverent Brooklyn-based retailer Fred Flare that are so cute they more than justify their mere $11 price tag (they actually have several cute pairs of cat eye sunglasses for peanuts).

Ron King: The Case for Commission

by The Style King/Ron King on Monday, June 28th, 2010

Ron King has worked as a hairstylist, transforming people’s appearances, for more than 20 years. With a growing celebrity clientele, King travels the world taking inspiration from different cultures and countries. Along the way, he has developed his own “easy wear” style philosophy which plays up a woman’s natural hair texture and pairs it with natural-looking makeup that’s easy to apply. This mantra led him to launch a signature line of cosmetics for women who want to look pulled together but who are are short on time. King has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry, including L’Oreal Professional, Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo and Rick Wellman.

Let’s face it; in our industry the only constant is change. And stylists are used to adjusting to new trends, products, coloring and cutting techniques, clients, and the list goes on. But when it comes to working on commission and leaving their independent contractor days behind, most stylists resist this change.

Now don’t get me wrong, as an entrepreneur I understand the appeal of working independently. I also worked as an independent contractor and employ several at bo Salon, my first location.

However, as a salon owner, I learned how fulfilling it can be to be part of a team of stylists. So as I prepare to open my second salon, Ron King Salon in the Four Seasons Austin, Texas, and interview possible new employees, I’ve found myself explaining the benefits of working for a larger company as opposed to working as an independent contractor. So, I’d like to share them with you as well.

1. Teamwork

When stylists are working for themselves, they are only interested in making more money for themselves. There certainly is no sense of helping each other out, and everyone is disconnected from each other. As a salon owner, this is not good and it’s not good as a stylist either. Learning from each other, working together and helping each other out only makes stylists stronger. Independent contractors are disconnected from this sense of community.

2. Education

Independent contractors are responsible for providing their own education, which takes initiative and discipline. It also is money out of their pocket. Once they realize all that goes into education, it’s been my experience that independent contractors let this fall to the wayside—and we all know how dangerous it is as stylists to fall behind on education. When time is already set aside for education, by an employer, the stylist is much more likely to take the classes.

3. Marketing & Finance

Other responsibilities that fall on independent contractors are managing their finances by paying their taxes on time, marketing themselves for new clients and providing themselves with healthcare. Working for a salon on commission can provide stylists with all of this, which is a major part of making it as a successful stylist.

Ron King: Try a Gloss or a Glaze

by The Style King/Ron King on Monday, June 14th, 2010

Ron King has worked as a hairstylist, transforming people’s appearances, for more than 20 years. With a growing celebrity clientele, King travels the world taking inspiration from different cultures and countries. Along the way, he has developed his own “easy wear” style philosophy which plays up a woman’s natural hair texture and pairs it with natural-looking makeup that’s easy to apply. This mantra led him to launch a signature line of cosmetics for women who want to look pulled together but who are are short on time. King has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry, including L’Oreal Professional, Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo and Rick Wellman.

When your clients’ hair is in need of some high-wattage shine and softness, consider a hair glossing treatment or perhaps a glaze. Though both add sheen and smooth the hair and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two. A gloss is in fact more permanent than a glaze, since it actually penetrates the hair’s cuticle, and doesn’t just add shine to the hair but can also adjust its tone, making color less brassy for example. A glaze, meanwhile, just coats the shaft, giving it subtle shine and semi-permanent color for a mere two weeks. If your client just wants to add some shininess to her hair, try a clear gloss or glaze. If they’re trying to bring out more color or call attention to highlights, use a glaze or gloss with color. Both make colored or highlighted locks last longer, can help with the dull effect of unhealthy hair, and cover the hair shaft, thereby protecting the hair.

Although both treatments can be done at home by your client, it is highly advisable to have her stylist do it at your salon. Gloss can be applied to dry or recently washed hair depending and the gloss should be left on hair for approximately five minutes or fifteen, and then rinsed off, depending on the glossing treatment you use. A good tip to ensure the gloss takes is to blast hair with a blow dryer before washing it off. The gloss should last from two to four weeks. For clients who are allergic to most hair products, recommend they try a natural glaze made of products like honey, eggs, or milk which can also give hair a nice shine. Honey, in particular, is effective. Simply dilute it in water and pour on the hair. Advise them not to rinse it off.

Ron King: Tips For Keeping Strands Safe During the Summer

by The Style King/Ron King on Monday, June 7th, 2010

Ron King has worked as a hairstylist, transforming people’s appearances, for more than 20 years. With a growing celebrity clientele, King travels the world taking inspiration from different cultures and countries. Along the way, he has developed his own “easy wear” style philosophy which plays up a woman’s natural hair texture and pairs it with natural-looking makeup that’s easy to apply. This mantra led him to launch a signature line of cosmetics for women who want to look pulled together but who are are short on time. King has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry, including L’Oreal Professional, Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo and Rick Wellman.

Many of your clients will be taking seaside romps this summer, which might seem like a good idea, but it can wreak havoc on their hair if it’s not properly protected from the sun and surf. Just as UVA and UVB rays can damage skin, they can also zap hair of moisture and color, leaving your clients with fraying ends and weakened hair overall, from the cuticle to the inner part of their strands. Doling out a little advice on the importance of sun protection in hair care, which will keep their locks luscious, is imperative. Read my tips below for some summertime inspiration:

- Use shampoos and conditioners with UV protection. Although not a perfect solution for sun-damaged hair since they rinse off, they will aid a bit and any additional help in the fight against hair damage is worth trying.

- On the other hand, using styling products with sun protection built into them is ideal since they are left to soak into the hair. Advising your clients to use products, leave-in conditioners and sprays might be their best option, with an SPF of 10-15 and applying generously before heading out for some fun in the sun.

- Wear a hat. As simple and old-fashioned as it sounds, hats not only protect your hair from the sun’s harmful rays but also shade your facial skin, which everyone could use. This will absolutely guarantee complete sun protection, and there are many stylish hat options currently, with a wide-brimmed, straw hat being perhaps the most protective and fabulous one.

- If your clients are wary of trying hair products with built in sun protection or don’t want to sport a hat, suggest they make their own hair SPF. An easy way to do so is to dilute 2 teaspoons of regular sunblock with an SPF of 25 with a cup of regular water. Using a spray bottle, then spray the hair while it’s damp and style as usual. This solution can even be reapplied throughout the day for added protection.

- Protect the scalp from peeling and damage. The scalp is one of the most common places for a sunburn but the solution to this problem is easy… Simply have your clients apply sunblock to their part when they are outdoors.

- Have them avoid sun-activated lightening treatments. Whether it is a homemade concoction involving lemon juice or a store-bought spray, these contain alcohol or peroxide usually, which will cause hair to dry out even faster throughout the summer.

- Moisturize, moisturize. A little bit of sun damage to hair is inevitable during the summer but have your clients combat this by conditioning daily in addition to using a weekly deep-conditioning treatment. Recommend using one with protein or keratin, which will strengthen hair.

- If possible, minimize the time spent in water as well. I know this is a tall order during the warmer months, but salt water and/or chlorine will wreck the quality of hair through prolonged exposure just as the sun would. Clients should keep tabs on this, opt to wear a swimming cap or simply keep their head above water when possible.

- Finally, if they are using hair care products with UV protection, have your clients use a clarifying shampoo once a week to prevent the products from leaving a residue and building up on the hair shaft.

Ron King: Complexion Perfection

by The Style King/Ron King on Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Ron King has worked as a hairstylist, transforming people’s appearances, for more than 20 years. With a growing celebrity clientele, King travels the world taking inspiration from different cultures and countries. Along the way, he has developed his own “easy wear” style philosophy which plays up a woman’s natural hair texture and pairs it with natural-looking makeup that’s easy to apply. This mantra led him to launch a signature line of cosmetics for women who want to look pulled together but who are are short on time. King has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry, including L’Oreal Professional, Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo and Rick Wellman.

Perhaps more than any other makeup in your cosmetics arsenal, products for the skin, like foundation, concealer, tinted moisturizer, and primer, are the most important. Think of clear, clean skin as a perfectly blank canvas on which you can apply whatever makeup you wish. The key to creating that pristine canvas and make up beautiful skin is to even its tone out. Keep in mind, depending on what look you are going for, that the idea is to make your client look like she isn’t wearing any makeup at all.

To erase dullness and make your client appear younger, advise her to exfoliate daily or even weekly with face scrubs, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, beta alpha hydroxy pads or any vitamin A products. If she hasn’t been staying on top of this, make sure to exfoliate facial skin before applying any makeup. A quick face wash with an exfoliating cleanser should do the trick. Without any type of exfoliation, foundation won’t glide over skin smoothly.

Prep the face for foundation or tinted moisturizer next by plumping up skin with a primer with SPF (if you don’t have primer on hand, a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 15 will do). This will leave your client’s face moisturized and primed for the main event, the makeup!

Before applying the foundation or tinted moisturizer, make sure the shade of the product is just right for your client’s skin tone. If you’re having a hard time selecting a color, mixing together two shades of foundation might help. The idea here is to blend, blend, blend the client’s makeup to perfection. Apply liberally on the areas where it is needed the most, along the cheeks, chin and nose. A few dabs of a creamy concealer on top of the foundation should be patted, not rubbed, under the eyes and on any blemishes.

Next, you might want to prep your client’s lids even if she is not going to be wearing eyeshadow. An evened-out eye area brightens and opens up the whole face. Apply an eye primer to brighten eyes and make eye shadow last longer. Again, be gentle when dealing with the eye area as it it is often a prime aging spot and a very delicate area.

Bring back some color to the face by applying bronzer or a creamy blush or both. If applying bronzer, use a large, fluffy brush to place the color where the sun hits naturally. The forehead, cheeks, and nose are all fair game. For that dewy look, apply the cream blush on the apples of cheeks.

Finally, set the entire face with a powder, though this step can be removed from the process if you want to keep the fresh, dewy look you just achieved. This will make the makeup underneath last much longer. Again, use a big brush to sweep some type of neutral or sheer powder over the whole face and voila, you’re done!