Did You Know You Could: Other Blonding Techniques

When you go in to your salon and want to be blonder, whats the first thing you say?

"Highlights please."

Don't lie. I know you do. Because I do too. But there are other ways to achieve the look you want.

Balayage 
It's a French technique found a couple of decades ago. The technique uses a thicker bleach mixture that allows for the stylist to freehand where they want to place the highlight. It can be used on pretty much any hair length, pixie to super long.

It's a nice technique that can produces a lot of cool effects, from ombre and subtle highlights to extreme blonding. It's great because since it is placed freehanded, it doesn't produce a harsh line when growing out like normal highlights sometimes can.


12 series
Here at On Stage we use Wella color, which has a line called 12 series. Basically, there are levels of hair shades. The lower the number the darker the hair. 12 is pretty much as blonde as you can get. The 12 series is a high-lift color, which can help you achieve that look you want without the harshness of bleach.


These are a couple of other options that you have for blonding. Next time your in the chair and want to say, "highlights please," talk with your haircare professional about some other options. Change can be good.

Gray Hair 101

Let's face it, gray hair sucks. In fact, it's a multibillion dollar industry...the anti-gray hair industry. Only few people can pull it off. Like Meryl Streep. But let's be honest...she could probably pull off purple hair. Or no hair.

So what causes it?

Something called apoptosis. Basically, the cells located at the base of the hair follicles slow, thus stopping the production of color pigment. It is the lack of pigment that makes the hair appear gray or white. So it's not really your hair turning gray, it's your hair losing its color.

Things that cause hair to turn gray are:

1. Obviously aging. More than 60% of Americans have some gray hair by the time their forty, but can start getting it as early as childhood.
2. Stress
3. Medical conditions. Albinism, malnutrition, Werner Syndrome.
4. Other factors. Like smoking. Some studies have found a link between smoking and gray hair. Just another reason not to do it.

Do you have gray hair? Do you cover it up, or let if grow free?

On Wednesdays We Wear Pink

Have you ever seen someone with their entire head of hair dyed pink? I have. And it's amazing. Full out. No regrets.

That's bravery people. Because you know where ever you go people are going to stare. You're lying if you say you wouldn't.

Check out some fierce woman and their pink hair.

Which is your favorite? Color? Shade? All over? Just a little bit? 

A Little of the Work We Do

Behind this blog is an actual hair salon. All that "insider information" I'm always talking about is from the professionals that I work with. They are some of the best hair stylists around. The training they go through is top notch. But they are also getting to train with top stylists like Nick Arrojo, Alexandra Matiz, and Anthony Cole. So obviously, our stylists can create some killer looks.


I know there are some stylists who read this blog, so for y'all I'm going to get technical. Everyone else. There's pictures too!

Here is one of our models. This is her before.

Stephanie, the stylist that worked on her, was testing out to become a Director, our top level of stylist. She decided to get really creative with her color. Check out the sectioning she had to do. 

As for the color itself, she used three different. 

Main Red: 55/46 0/33 with 20 volume

Some red: 0/33 0/45 with 20 volume

Brown: 9/1 3/0 with 10 volume

She alternated each section with a different color. As you can see, the effect is beautiful. As for the cut, that was really technical, and something I don't even know if I could describe. But it's fantastic.

The light hits all the colors just right. So much dimension.

Want to book an appointment with Stephanie? Call (281)259-1222.

Rise of the Ginger

I've been seeing so many people come into the salon lately wanting to be a red head, myself included. My gingerversery is coming up on Saturday and I almost feel like I should throw a party. A "I'm my true self now..or at least I am what should have been my true self" party. I think I should have been born a ginger. Make all the soulless jokes you want, but I mean, didn't you know...


....ginger is in. And it's beautiful.

Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde

Being a blonde is hard. You're always teetering on a fine line of white and yellow, brassy and gold. Yeah it looks fantastic when you leave the salon, but then you wash it, and you sit in front of the mirror wondering if the color could really change after just one shampoo. (Take it from a redhead, yes it can.)

Working at a hair salon totally has it's perks. We got shipped the new Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde line to try out before it hit the shelves. And let me tell you, we totally geeked out. Okay, maybe "geeked out" can only be used to describe me. but we were all pretty excited. It's out for everyone now, so take a look at the new line.

Two shampoos, a conditioner, and a repair treatment all designed with blondes in mind. How awesome?

Platinum Blonde Shampoo: Don't be alarmed. It's purple. But without going into some extensive color theory that I don't really know a whole lot about....purple neutralizes that brassy tone in your blonde. Hooray! Plus it softens strands and adds shine. So win, win.

Forever Blonde Shampoo: Different from the Platinum Blonde shampoo in that it's a daily shampoo, and it's not purple. But it does keep your blonde hair light and shiny. It's packed full of protein to help combat the damage made from bleach.

Forever Blonde Conditioner: An everyday conditioner that helps seal the cuticle, leaving your hair smooth and shiny. And just like its shampoo sibling, it also has lots of protein in it.

Forever Blonde Dramatic Repair: Smoothes, straightens, and replenishes depleted hair. It also has a lot of natural ingredients to help hydrate your thirsty hair.



You're geeking out now, aren't you?

An Ode To Fun Colored Hair

There was a time in my life when I had hot pink hair. It was a brief, but awesome time. I've been seeing a lot of fun colors in hair lately, and I'm sort of jealous. I'm just not sure if I have the guts to do it anymore. So I just lust over the ladies and men who have it.

I'll just live vicariously through y'all, okay?

Check out some of my favorite looks from Pinterest below.

Would you do something like this? Or maybe you already have? Send me a photo to cassidy@onstagehairdesign.com! 

3 Ways to Feel More Confident Instantly

You know what I love? Confidence. I find that it can be so lacking in so many people who should be welding the whip themselves. But I get it. Sometimes it's hard, and there's a fine line between confidence and vanity. But here are a couple of tips to help get you there when you're feeling a little blue.

1. Red lipstick

What's sexier than a pair of red lips? Not much. When I throw on some red lipstick I always feel more confident. I don't know if it's because everyone's eyes are drawn to my lips or the fact that I could plant a kiss on someone's cheek and everyone would know that I had been there. Whatever it is. I say use it to your advantage. 

But be careful! If you start wearing it everyday, the power of the red lipstick will diminish. 

     

     2.  Sexy Lingerie 

Wearing sexy lingerie under your clothes is a major way to feel more confident. There's something about having a secret like that and make me hold my shoulders a little bit higher.

     3. Hair Color

my hairsiration: Karen Gillan

Keeping up with your color is one thing, but picking a hair color that you feel comfortable in is another. I have all different kinds of colors, but ever since I made my change to red I feel different. It's as if I was suppose to always be a redhead and now that I am it just all makes sense.

And of course because I am where I'm suppose to be, I automatically feel more confident. It's just a bonus side effect. 

What are your tricks to feeling more confident? Tell me in the comments below!

In Between Color Tips

My hair grows at super human speed. If I don't do it every four weeks I have people telling me, "oohh...it's time to do your color." And just a heads up, no one likes to hear that. You'd think that working in a hair salon would make it easier to get your color done, but no. It's harder than a normal client. So a lot of times I go longer than four weeks, thus submitting myself to hear remarks about my roots. 

don't look at me or my roots!

But over the years I have learned a couple of tricks to make your color last longer and to conceal those pesky roots. Pay close attention. You'll want to know what I do. 

Help your color to last by...

• using a color shampoo. I switched over and went from needing every two weeks to every four.
• use a UV protectant out in the sun. Believe it or not, the sun can fade your color, so if you go out in it a lot, you need to protect it just like your skin.
• talk to your stylist about demi-permanent color.

Hide your roots by...

• I know it may seem silly, but hats really are an amazing product. Not only do they hide greasy hair, but they can also hide your roots too.
• try a hair mascara wand. It's like coverup for your hair. You paint it on your part line, and it effectively covers your roots...until your next shampoo of course. Don't forget to buy the right color!
• scarves. Tie 'em around and bam! no roots. 
• wear your hair down. I've noticed that when you pull your hair back, sometimes you can tell that you need your hair colored more than if you wore it down. 
• keep it clean! My hair turns dark at the roots when it's dirty, making it look like my root is really longer than it is. 

I didn't know what category to fit this tip into:

• prebook your appointment. A lot of the reasons that people go too long is because they forgot to make an appointment or their stylist is booked out for another two weeks. If you prebook, you never have to worry.

What are your tips to hide those grown out hairs? 

Color Safe VS Color Saver Shampoo

In one corner we've got "Color Safe", weighing in at a impressive 8.4 ounces.

In the other corner we've got "Color Saver", weighing in at an unbelievable 33.8 ounces!

Who will win? Read on to find out.

Color Safe

Color Safe! In fact, the whole Sebastian line is color safe!

You hear a lot of talk about whether or not a shampoo is "color safe". Well, at least I hear that a lot. But then again, I work in a hair salon. So what exactly does color safe mean?

Well, it pretty much means exactly that. The shampoo that you've picked up is safe to use on your color. Meaning, it won't strip out the color that your stylist worked so hard to put, or more importantly, the color that you just spent all that money on. Remember a long time ago I talked about clarifying shampoos? Those my friends are, for the most part, not color safe. Because they're stripping your hair of whatever impurities it has in it, and poof! out comes your color with it.

So if you have colored hair, you always want to make sure that your shampoo is color safe.

Now, what makes it a color saver? I'm so glad you asked.


Color Saver

Color Conserve, see it's right in the name

A color saver shampoo is different. It is specifically designed to preserve the color that is in your hair. There are a ton of color saver shampoos out there, and chances are your favorite brand makes one. The best part about them is that they're easy to spot. Most of the time the word "color" is in the name. Easy as pie.


How to choose:
Here's what I ask color clients: what is your biggest concern? If they answer, "my color" (that's me!) then I give them a color saver. If they say moisture, volume, shine, or anything else other than color, I give them a color safe shampoo.

priorities people, priorities. 




What is your favorite color safe or color saver shampoo?

So You Want Red Hair?

Photo Credit.

Yes! Yes! Yes!


I've been on the verge of dying my hair red for years now. Years! But I just couldn't work up the courage to do it. I was constantly making excuses.

I'm not pale enough.
Well, it's summer. Maybe in the Fall.
I'll do it when my bangs grow out.


Well last week I stopped making excuses, bucked up and did it. And let me tell you, I couldn't be happier about it.

Red has been popping up a lot lately in recent hair trends, and I've noticed it looks good on almost anyone. Your stylist should be able to tell you what color is going to go with your skin tone.

So maybe you're thinking about making the red hair journey. As a veteran, I've picked up a few things that are important for you to know.

1. Schedule a consultation. It took over 4 hours to take my color from a dark brown to a coppery-red. If you try to just call and schedule it without talking to your stylist beforehand, it could cause the stylist to run behind or for you not to get exactly what you want due to time constraints. 
2. At your consultation, talk with your stylist about the different shades of red that you could achieve. Bring a photo, a paint swatch, anything that has that perfect red color you're dying for. 
3. Don't be disappointed if your color doesn't come out the exact color the first time. Sometimes, color transformations are a long process and it could take several times to get there. 
4. Talk with the resident makeup artist to see if you need to change your makeup color pallet. 
5. Bring a book, magazine, DVD player, iPod, iPad, iPhone, iAnything. Like I said, it took me 4 hours. 

But my biggest tip is to just have fun. Stop making excuses. If you were thinking about tattooing Edward Cullen's face on your arm, I might suggest you think about it, but your hair color isn't permanent. And one day you might not have any hair to color, so do it while you can. 

Have you had a recent hair transformation? Red or otherwise? Tell me about your experience in the comments below. 

Hair Trends: Ombré

Ombré is a relatively new trend to hit the fashion world. Well maybe not that new. People have always let their roots grow out, but now--luckily for all y'all people who only like to get color two or three times a year-- you can call your look trendy.

Ombré: adj. shaded or graduated in tone

Basically, this is what ombré is. 

Photos from Google Images

See how the roots are dark and around the mid-shaft it turns to light? Genius right? It is a low-maintenance hair color that looks amazing. 

And if you're feeling really adventurous, you can do ombré with any color. 

Photo from Pinterest

Makeup That Compliments Your Hair Color

You always hear, "if you have X eye color, then wear Y eye shadow color". But I never really hear anything about makeup colors for your hair color. Which I find interesting. I mean, your hair is way more noticeable than your eyes. It only makes sense that your makeup should compliment you hair color as well.

A couple of years ago I went from having platinum blonde hair to a rich brown color. I absolutely loved it, but I was a little clueless with what to do with my makeup. And later this month I'm going to go from my rich brown color to red. (A process you'll get to see!)

So for those of you out there like me, who are changing your hair color drastically, or just need a little change from your routine, here's some help with what color makeup is best for what hair.

Blonde


Blondes. They have more fun. And there is a lot a blonde can do with makeup. But there are also some things to avoid. Like matte nudes. They tend to wash blondes out, and no one likes a ghostly blonde. They're no fun.

Think fruit. Berry. Peach. Champagne. Champagne is a fruit in  my mind. These are perfect colors for blondes. Add a soft pink lip and you're set!

Jane Iredale, Pure Pressed Triple Eye Shadow, Pink Bliss, $28.00

I absolutely love the Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Eye shadow. And the triple eye shadows are such a steal. The pink bliss triple eye shadow is perfect for blondes. It has pink, berry, and champagne. Hello, one stop shop.

Brunette

Brown. This is my realm. 

Hey brunettes! Please don't use a foundation that is paler than your actual skin tone. Actually, everyone please avoid using a foundation that is paler than your skin tone. But especially brunettes. Remember that girl from The Ring? You don't want to look like that.

For eye shadows, more natural colors are the best. Think bone, beige, or gray. But don't worry, you can bring your color in in your cheeks and lips. Wear that red lipstick girl! You can rock it. 

Jane Iredale PureMoist Lip Colour, Carrie, $20

But corals and pinks are also color pallets that will work for you. So try 'em out ladies.

Red

Ahh, redheads, how I wish to be one. Soon enough. Soon enough.

All you green eyed beauties out there with red hair have it made. Green is one of the best colors for red hair. Don't have green eyes? Don't worry. Swipe on a bit of green shadow or liner. pur-fection. 

Other than green, warm tones like peach or copper look great. And of course, red heads can pull off a pretty amazing smokey eye.

But on your lips and cheeks, ladies, stick to sheer or pinks. 

Jane Iredale Mystikol, Aquamarine, $20

Red and green. It's like Christmas. What could be better?

Tell me your favorite makeup to wear with your hair color in the comments below!

The Perfect Fall Color

Isn't that picture just idyllic? Unfortunately, I live in Texas. And this is what our Fall looks like...

BUT! That doesn't mean you can't have a little color in your life. 

Most everyone knows the basics to Fall colors. They're different from Spring and Summer colors, right? Well basically the history behind these denoted "season colors" all has to do with the plants. In the Spring, flowers are blooming, and well that's basically an explosion of colors. Cherry blossoms, gardenias, peonies, and a thousand others. They're all bright and vibrant. 

But in the Fall, the colors are different. Everything turns these beautiful reds and oranges. Deeper and darker. And on some level, we like to mimic nature, so naturally we change our wardrobe and hair. 

This Fall, it's all about the reds. Bright reds, dark reds, warm reds, cool reds, but most of all the copper reds. 

So, take your look to a whole new level this season. A look that says, hello I'm a redhead and I know I look good.

What is your favorite color for the Fall? Or do you keep your same color all year round? Tell us in the comments below!