Holiday Hair: Give Her Hair That Special Feeling!

by Victoria Wurdinger on Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Help your clients get beautiful holiday hair! Hair by Noel Delisle, L Salon & Color Group, San Mateo, CA. Photo by Tom Carson. Production: Global Hair & Fashion Group.

When your client wants hair that shines-on in holiday photos and dazzles at celebratory events, start by thinking condition. Porous, damaged ends and roughed-up cuticles don’t work with upstyles or sexy half-up, half-down ‘dos. Snip off ends, offer serious conditioning treatments, add color glazes that put back the shine sans commitment and turn to one of the dry oils that add luster and sheen without the greasies, like Mizani Supreme Oil. It’s perfect for boosting curl’s reflection factor or creating shiny flat-ironed styles that can then be swept up or left to swing free.

Of course, “statement color” really razzle-dazzles when it’s placed with purpose. For instance, color accents transform the black-tie event or the family photo into your client’s opportunity to shine. Try perimeter color, end tipping, glimmers of gold on top (where light hits the hair)—or triangular sections, moving off a side part or pivoted around a central top point.
Most colorists say red in all its variations is a holiday favorite not only because it’s a clear-cut jewel tone but because it always stands out in a crowd. For those who don’t want full-on fire-engine, add a splash of the shade to your formula or use a semi-permanent version. Expected red-fade isn’t all bad: it can boost January bookings, when your client decides whether to put back the red or try something new.

Other ideas:

Rise, Shine, Dazzle

To make hair shine during the holidays start off with a healthy focus, says Sherri Jessee, RUSK Creative Stylist. “Curly hair tends to be naturally dry, so it’s important to add moisture. Try a deep conditioning masque like Rusk Sensories Wellness Bedew, which contains Exotic Organic Tahitian Oil to rehydrate coarse, dry hair.” A few drops of Deepshine Oil, smoothed through damp hair, will provide additional smoothing benefits, creating fabulous, frizz-free look.

According to Janine Jarman, a Sebastian Professional Stylist Design Team Member and owner of Hairroin Salon in Hollywood, CA, curly hair can look dull because curly strands are actually flatter and don’t offer the round reflection straight hair does. She advises using Sebastian Professional Cellophanes. “They’re a great way to add long-lasting shine without weighing down your hair,” she says. “They also makes color look shinier and healthier.”

Special FX

For amazingly festive curls, apply a generous amount of mousse throughout, then allow hair to air dry or gently dry it with a diffuser, says Rusk’s Jessee. Once hair is completely dry, gently separate the curls with your fingers. Touch-up the shape with a small curling iron, creating random curls. Adding accessories is an another easy way to dress-up a curly coif. “Twist back one side and secure it with a rhinestone clip, wear a gem-encrusted headband or tuck a few curls back with sparkly bobby pins,” advises Jessee. “You’re ready to party!”

When styling curly hair into updos or sexy half-up, half-down styles, Dreama Kees, owner of two Ivy Salon and Spas in the Greenville, SC-area says a spray-on-shine mist is a must, because you cannot disturb the hair once it’s in place without contributing to frizz. Kees’ fav: Aveda Brilliant. Pre-styling, a dry oil like MoroccanOil can be used before blow drying or as a finisher.

Try a pony ‘fro! From Sebastian’s Jarman: Spray Sebastian Professional Shine Define hairspray around the entire hair line. Then, using a soft brush, direct hair up into a high pony atop the head. “Spritz on Sebastian Professional Shaper Zero Gravity for dry, lightweight hold, and softly backcomb the pony to make it airy and large, she says. “Use four to six large hair pins to shape and secure for assured balance. For holiday hair, I like a mix of finishes with a shiny base and matte top.”

There are several new curling irons that are designed to make it easier to achieve various finishes by adding definition and shine. Says Margaret Nguyen, a senior stylist at James Joseph Salon in Boston, MA, “Use a standard curling iron to create specific-sized curls in certain areas to enhance natural texture. Take a star-shaped section at the crown, then wrap the hair in subsections while holding the iron vertically. For tighter, defined curl, choose an iron that is smaller in diameter to your natural curl; for a softer look, choose one that’s larger.”

Smooth Sparklers

Nguyen also notes that today’s flat irons are designed to add curl. The trick is to choose one that has a plate that is about one-inch wide. Then pull away from the head in one smooth movement, with the plate turned perpendicular. It’s like making a ribbon curl with the edge of scissors. “Make sure you manipulate the hair into a curl while it is still hot.”

Since curl absorbs light more than straight strands do, Kees advises a Keratin smoothing service for temporary, semi-permanent or permanent results—all with awesome sheen. “Most my clients have extreme curl and Keratin treatments have changed their lives,” says Kees. “I use the Coppola Keratin Complex shampoo at the back bar. When the hair is blown out and flat ironed, it lasts five days if done in the salon; if the client purchases the shampoo for take-home, it lasts from shampoo to shampoo. Either way, it eliminates almost all frizz; my clients couldn’t believe it when they first saw their hair!”

while the back-bar/retail smoothing shampoo allows options for a one-off event or a slightly longer time period, Keys also offers the new semi-permanent Keratin smoothing system (lasts 6 weeks), as well as a permanent one. In the salon, the main difference is the amount of time spent and detail paid to the flat-ironing step, she adds.