DIVERSITY MATTERS: WAYS TO CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE SALON ENVIRONMENT
THE PROS AND CONS OF DIGITAL EDUCATION
*When used as a system of Food For Soft Shampoo, Conditioner or Mask, and Oil vs. Non-conditioning shampoo.
New! Food For Soft hydrating system, with avocado oil + hyaluronic acid, provides 7x more moisture for up to 72 hours!*
Avocado Oil
+
Hyaluronic Acid
1. Protects Against Color Fade
2. Excellent Leave-In Conditioner
3. Instantly Detangles
4. Makes Blow-Drying Easier
5. Moisturizes Parched Hair
6. Evens Out Porosity
7. Weightlessly Conditions
8. Ideal Cutting Lotion
1 product is sold every 4 minutes
1. Helps Prevent Split Ends
2. Helps Prevent Breakage From Brushing & Combing
3. Strengthens The Hair Fiber
4. Protects Against Heat Damage
5. Shields Against Environmental Damage
1. Smooths Out Hair Surface
2. Creates Silkiness
3. Seal’s the Hair Cuticle
4. Reduces Dryness
5. Controls Frizz
6. Reduces Static
7. Refreshes Hair For Restyling
8. Adds Shine
POWERED BY SILK + TECHNOLOGY FOR STRONGER, MORE BEAUTIFUL HAIR.
KERASILK, built on 40 years of innovation, 100% vegan and enhanced by Biomimetic Silk, will make you believe in the transformative power of hair care.
INTRODUCING THREE NEW ASH GOLD SHADES
Transcend blonde as you know it. Build your salon business with these multidimensional shades, providing the perfect balance of cool and warm to complement every skin tone and hair type.
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FEATURE
Time for Texture
With an increasing demand for more textured-hair services and education, industry experts share their top tips for working with curly and coily hair, along with some of the benefits of investing in expanding your skill set.
35
FEATURE
Grading the System
From virtual to blended formats, discover how manufacturers are making learning more accessible for everyone with digital offerings. Plus, find out how virtual platforms have shifted since the pandemic to help you get the most out of your education.
39
INSPIRATION
Collections
Josie Vilay; Donna Dolphy; Anna Pacitto; Paolo Giamattei; Brandon Messinger; Ilham Mestour for Balmain Hair Couture; Christopher Byrne
56
CONTESSA GALLERY
Carm Manno
Get to know this Ontariobased salon owner and first-time Contessa entrant, who discovered how competing can bring her team closer together.
“As an industry, let’s embrace the beauty of textured hair and our opportunity to work with different ethnicities and textures to make our clients feel beautiful.”
— FRANK CINI, CONTESSA 2023 FINALIST FOR MULTICULTURAL HAIRSTYLIST, AMBASSADOR FOR GOLDWELL AND CO-OWNER OF TAZ HAIR CO., TORONTO
14 Editor’s Letter
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LET’S GET DIGITAL SalonMagazine.ca
From creative how-tos and inspirational collections to in-the-moment updates and Contessa announcements, stay up to date this season by checking out what’s new on our website.
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WHAT’S NEW Hairlines
Get the lowdown on the latest product launches in haircare, colour, styling, nails and more. Plus, tips on how to dry-cut and colour curly hair.
48
4o
Learn how L.A.-based celebrity hairstylist and educator Vernon François got his start in the industry and how (and why) he’s become an advocate for curly and coily texture.
See how this Winnipegbased salon owner created a gallery-type space that’s both inspirational and inclusive.
With the growing demand for more diversity in the beauty industry, we caught up with industry experts to find out ways that salon owners, managers and hairstylists can bring more inclusive business practices to their salons.
A roundup of upcoming virtual and in-person textured-hair education from professional beauty brands.
ILHAM MESTOUR FOR BALMAIN HAIR COUTURE
JOSIE VILAY, HAIROLOGY STUDIO, WINNIPEG 44
Whether you believe it takes two weeks or two months to form a new habit, for those working in the beauty industry for 10 to 20-plus years, it can be hard to break bad ones, too. As they say, “Old habits die hard,” right?
But what if I were to tell you that by simply breaking some old routines and opening your mind to new skills, techniques and ideas, you can not only help build business and increase revenue but also provide a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all.
As more of us expand our self-awareness and knowledge around diversity and inclusion in the beauty industry, we at Salon want to help you on your journey. That’s why we’re committed to dedicating an entire issue to textured hair each year. This year, we have decided to combine it with education since we strongly believe that the two need to work more hand in hand in our industry. In Time for Texture (page 30), we break down the different curl types and share tips for working with curly and coily hair.
Fun fact: I actually have type 2B hair, which I’ve chosen to flat-iron since, gosh, probably the ninth grade! Like many of us, I definitely have some hair regrets, including not taking better care of my hair when I was younger. While my curl pattern has evolved as I’ve gotten older, I can still relate to stories of walking into a salon and seeing the fear in a hairstylist’s eyes when they see my hair. While their “fears” are often put to rest once they finally work with my hair, I’m still often questioned about if I’ve had it chemically straightened (no, but I would be lying if I said I’ve never thought about it). In Going All In (page 58), we speak with two experts about creating a safe space for all hair textures in your salon and how doing so can reap rewards, such as growing your clientele and building loyalty.
Regardless of whether you or your salon currently offer textured-hair services, I truly hope this issue motivates you to break out of your comfort zone and expand your skill set to be able to confidently work with all hair types and textures. No excuses!
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Veronica Boodhan veronica@salonmagazine.ca
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR (ACTING) Barbara Burrows
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR (ON LEAVE) Stephanie MacDonald Gallant stephanie@salonmagazine.ca
DIGITAL SPECIALIST Shanice Romelus shanice@salonmagazine.ca
CONTRIBUTORS Lucy Mazzucco, Abiola Regan
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Marc Gadbois marc@salonmagazine.ca
SALES & EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Lauren Farrugia lauren@salonmagazine.ca
PRODUCTION MANAGER Alan Swinton production@salonmagazine.ca
OFFICE MANAGER Cathy Donaghy cathy@salonmagazine.ca
CIRCULATION MANAGER Adrian Holland helpdesk@subscriptions.salon
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & PUBLISHER Tom Arkell tom@salonmagazine.ca
Veronica Boodhan Editorial Director
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The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement and any and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not of the publisher. The publisher is not liable to any advertiser for any misprints in advertising not the fault of the publisher and in such an event the limit of the publisher’s liability shall not exceed the amount of the publisher’s charge for such advertising. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in all or part, without the express written permission of the publisher.
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This project has been made possible [in part] by the Government of Canada.
Get inspired by our archive of glamorous, high-fashion collections from hairstylists all over the world.
Entries for the 2024 Contessa Awards open in May, marking the official start to Contessa season! Read up on everything you need to know about entering this year’s awards.
See our roundup of texture education across Canada to help you learn or advance your curly-hair skills.
Calling all salon owners and managers! Use our job board to share new opportunities in your salon and help build your dream team.
Created in celebration of different hair textures, the Noir Collection by Scotland-based hairstylist and Rainbow Room International artistic director Suzie McGill features a compelling range of looks, each with their own unique style, texture and colour. With black-and-white imagery, McGill stayed true to her vision of creating a collection that exuded a military feel. From straight to curly hair, this collection is sure to inspire you to play with all hair types and textures this season.
PHOTO:
These semi-permanent colour-depositing masks leave zero damage to enable clients to change up their look at home while maintaining their hair’s integrity. Available in 13 shades (including two new ones: Cool Espresso and Peach Blush), the masks enhance colour while helping to keep hair smooth and shiny. The shades can be used to neutralize and reduce unwanted brassy tones, revive and refresh colour or offer a bold and vibrant transformation. All shades are formulated without the use of silicones or animal-derived ingredients and are ideal on hair levels four or lighter, depending on the shade.
Meet the new and improved Kerasilk, now formulated with vegan, sustainably sourced and cruelty-free ingredients.
For more than 40 years, Kerasilk has been combining silk and keratin in haircare to help strengthen clients’ hair, regardless of hair type or texture. Now, Kerasilk is reintroducing itself as a stand-alone brand and features a formula infused with vegan Silk+ Technology, which combines its exclusive bioengineered Biomimetic Silk with other high-potency ingredients to continue to provide strong, shiny and soft results.
The brand’s product lineup features three ranges that include Kerasilk Essentials, Specialists and Styling. Essentials includes shampoos and conditioners that are free of silicones and sulfates and target different hair needs, such as smoothing, repairing and volumizing. Specialists includes a range of highperformance products, such as masks, balms, oils, sprays and scalp care, designed for hair optimization and targeted improvement. The Styling range includes hairspray, finishing spray and styling foam, among others.
While both virgin and colour-treated hair can experience breakage, clients with the latter may also notice uneven colour results due to metal deposits found inside the hair fibre. L’Oréal Professionnel is introducing a fourth product to its Metal Detox lineup that’s designed to target metal in the hair fibre, resulting in less damage and improved colour results. The new Metal Detox Professional High Protection Cream is an anti-metal moisturizer that offers lightweight, natural results while offering 72 hours of antifrizz, UV and heat protection up to 440°F.
Help your clients maintain their colour at home with new Color Fresh Mask shades from Wella Professionals.
Customize your styling routine with American Crew’s new pucks.
American Crew has kicked off the new year with its styling puck renovation. Paired with the brand’s 2023 campaign, Join the Crew, which aims to inspire stylists and clients to find the best styling product for their hair type and desired look, American Crew is showcasing its range of styling pucks that are suitable for specific hair textures, densities, cuts and lengths. Featuring a new look while maintaining the brand’s beloved formulas, the 10 styling pucks include Cream Pomade, Defining Paste, Fiber, Forming Cream, Grooming Cream, Heavy Hold Pomade, Matte Clay, Molding Clay, Pomade and Whip to enable you and your clients to achieve any look, regardless of length, texture, style or shine.
Get full coverage with more shine with Redken’s Color Gels Oils.
For those who don’t want to compromise on coverage, shine and conditioning, Redken’s Color Gels Oils is an ammonia-free permanent colour range that offers up to 100 per cent grey coverage. Plus, it increases shine by 78 per cent and condition by 30 per cent! The shades are formulated with two per cent apricot oil to to even out the porosity for smoother results. Available in 38 shades and 13 colour families, providing deep and saturated pigment with hair adhesion for no drip, all Color Gels Oils are fragrance-free and made in Canada without the use of silicones and PPD.
Help your clients avoid humidity and add volume with new launches from Kenra Professional.
When it comes to your clients’ overall hair look, styling and finishing are often just as important as their colour and cuts. Just in time for summer, these two new styling products will help them extend and refresh their styles.
Kenra Professional Anti-Humidity Spray 5: This spray can be applied to damp or dry hair and is ideal for all hair types to help provide humidity protection for up to three days. Its lightweight and low-hold formula helps to reduce frizz and control static and can also be used for thermal protection up to 450°F.
Kenra Professional Volume Mist 2: This light-hold styler helps add long-lasting volume for up to 48 hours. Ideal for clients who are looking for an effortlessly styled look, it also provides thermal protection up to 450°F while adding shine. Plus, its fine-mist spray pattern and non-aerosol pump allow for a buildable result.
Infused with avocado oil and hyaluronic acid to attract water while filling in porous and dry cracks in the hair cuticle, Matrix’s Food For Soft line features four products made with concentrated formulas to help moisturize and soften hair. The Hydrating Shampoo is ideal for all hair types, as well as colour-treated hair, to help clean and moisturize strands. The Detangling Hydrating Conditioner also helps to moisturize and soften hair and features a rich formula that won’t strip your clients’ locks of essential nutrients. The Rich Hydrating Treatment Mask is ideal for clients with very dry and porous hair and contains a rich and creamy formula that’s designed to help achieve soft and touchable hair for three days, with just three pumps and in three minutes. The line’s Multi-Use Hair Oil Serum helps protect hair from heat damage while adding shine and taming frizz. Plus, it can be used on wet or dry hair!
Say bye-bye to oily hair and scalps with Oribe’s Serene Scalp Oil Control.
The brand is extending its Serene Scalp portfolio with the Oil Control Collection, which helps to reduce and absorb excess oil and sebum on the hair and scalp while also helping to rebalance your clients’ microbiome on the surface of their skin. The Serene Scalp Oil Control Shampoo is formulated with Oribe’s signature complex, as well as a biome-balancing complex, biomimetic amino acid and sugar-derived prebiotic to gently cleanse the hair and scalp without drying it out while also reducing sebum on the hair and scalp to regulate excess oil. The Serene Scalp Oil Control Treatment Mist helps to mattify the scalp while protecting against pollutants from the environment. Formulated with green marine algae, peppermint oil and other good-for-your-scalp ingredients, the mist also helps to detoxify the scalp while maintaining a lightweight formula that won’t weigh hair down.
The Serene Scalp Oil Control Dry Shampoo
Powder is translucent, which makes it ideal for all hair types and colours, and includes a blend of starch, kaolin clay and other ingredients to absorb oil, dirt and product buildup while resetting your clients’ scalps and reducing the appearance of oil.
The 2024 Contessa Awards entry guide has gone digital! Now, you can find all the info you need about this year’s awards, including rule changes, info on our newest category (Emerging Colourist), photo shoot tips and more—all by simply scanning this QR code.
Whether you’re a first-time entrant or Contessa veteran, make sure to check it out for everything you’ll want (and need) to know about entering. A special thank you to our Contessa experts for their contributions to this year’s entry guide.
Entries open in May!
Deadline: September 6, 2023
Gala Date: November 12, 2023
Help your clients extend their styles between washes with Olaplex’s No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo.
In addition to providing the common benefits of dry shampoo, such as absorbing oil, odour-causing pollutants and sweat, Olaplex’s No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo is designed for all hair types and textures and is formulated with the brand’s patented Bond Building Technology to help repair damage and strengthen hair by relinking broken bonds. It also contains rambutan seed extract, which helps detoxify and soothe the scalp, and ultrafine micro starch, which helps absorb oil and buildup without clogging pores. Plus, it’s vegan, colour-safe and free of sulfates, parabens, gluten and phthalates, without leaving behind a powdery residue.
Create the ideal shade of blonde with Moroccanoil’s Color Calypso Demi-Permanent Gloss, now available in three new shades.
With a balance of cool and warm tones, these shades offer multidimensional blonde results suited to all skin tones and hair types. With Lightest Ash Gold Blonde (10BG/10.13), Medium Ash Gold Blonde (7BG/7.13) and Dark Ash Gold Blonde (6BG/6.13), each provides the same Color Calypso benefits, which include increased shine, and more conditioned and manageable hair with more than nine weeks of vibrant colour. Plus, they feature the brand’s signature combination of ProArginine, an amino acid that’s found in the hair fibre and helps to support the hair colour chemistry while repairing and restoring damaged areas of the hair’s cuticle, as well as ArganID technology, which infuses the hair’s cortex with antioxidants for additional moisturizing benefits.
Showcase your craft at Wella’s 2023 Beauty Envision Awards, now featuring video entries!
From haircuts and colour to styling and nails, show off your skills and techniques at Wella’s 2023 Beauty Envision Awards (BEA). For this year, the brand is entering its “Neo Flux” era, which challenges stylists, colourists and nail artists to “dig deep into your arsenal of abilities.” With 15 subcategories within its four main categories of Color, Cut, Style and Nails, the competition now requires entrants to enter by posting a 60- to 90-second video (reel) on Instagram that showcases their creative process, story and end result, along with an explanation of why they decided to enter, their interpretation of the Neo Flux theme and descriptions of their techniques, formula and products in the caption, among other entry requirements. In addition to competing for BEA’s trophies and titles, entrants have a chance to win prizes ranging from cash to education. The deadline to enter is August 1, 2023.
Achieve stronger hair with less breakage with the Bond Rx System from John Paul Mitchell Systems.
From chemical to heat damage, clients with overprocessed hair are in need of some extra TLC. The Bond Rx System includes its two-step Professional Treatment, which is ideal to use with lighteners or permanent hair colour (but can also be used as a standalone treatment service) to help target weak and damaged bonds and restore strength to the hair fibre. Formulated with a patented silicone-protein bond-building technology, Bond Rx forms a protective barrier on the hair while restoring lipids within the hair to help strengthen and replenish strands. The system’s technology is heat-activated (i.e. blow-drying hair) to help strengthen and restore hair from the inside out. The Bond Rx System also includes a shampoo, conditioner and treatment for clients to use at home to continue building their hair’s bonds in between salon visits.
Help your clients embrace and enhance their curls with new additions to Kevin.Murphy’s Killer.Curls lineup.
Designed with the uniqueness of each individual curl in mind, the brand’s three new products include Killer.Curls Wash and Killer.Curls Rinse, both of which feature a lightweight formula that’s powered by plants— including vegan and organic oat milk—to hydrate and prep curly and coily hair. Killer.Curls Rinse also includes an antioxidant-rich formula that’s high in fatty acids to help protect hair while sealing in moisture with castor seed oil. The brand has also launched Killer.Twirls, which is designed to help define and enhance different curl textures while leaving hair with a soft and healthy yet natural finish. Its crème formula also features organic oat milk for nourished and bouncy curls, along with shea butter to boost hydration.
Learn about the Ontario Professional Hairstylist Association’s hairstylist mentorship program.
The Ontario Professional Hairstylist Association (OPHA) has launched OPHA Connect, a free online mentoring program to provide education for mentors, students, apprentices and employers, with learning modules designed to streamline the hairstyling certification process. In partnership with Ontario’s Skills Development Fund, OPHA Connect supports more than 35,000 hairstylists across the province with its online resource platform and is working toward a goal of delivering the program to at least 750 candidates in hopes of supporting the next generation of hairstylists.
In Ontario, hairstyling is a compulsory skilled trade that requires government licensing and apprenticeships that include both in-salon and school education training. With OPHA Connect, its mission is to make it easier to navigate the hairstylist apprentice program.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT OPH-ASSOCIATION.COM/JOIN.
Take an organic approach to hair colour with Saco’s Color AKA.
Available in 38 shades, Saco’s Color AKA professional colour line offers ammonia-free permanent colour with 100 per cent grey coverage. The colour line is vegan, sustainable and organic, formulated with the brand’s Anti-Age Complex, active botanicals and argan oil to help smooth and soften hair. It also contains peach kernel oil, which is rich in vitamins A and E, as well as essential fatty acids that help nourish hair while offering elasticizing and antioxidant properties, along with other pure essential oils and other ingredients.
#mydentity has unveiled its first-ever liquid demi-permanent colour. With just a 15-minute processing time, the colour has a liquid gel consistency, contains no ammonia and is alcoholfree. It also includes keratin amino acids with the brand’s signature lavender jasmine fragrance. The versatile formula offers easy mixing and effortless application and is ideal for enhancing or intensifying colour, as well as glossing or toning, while helping to improve softness and increase shine for up to 25 shampoos.
In March, we were invited to Los Angeles for an exclusive sneak preview at Henkel’s Culver City headquarters, where we caught up with Guy Tang to find out more about the
Congratulations on the launch of Reflect, #mydentity’s first liquid demi! Why was now the right time to launch it?
Prepare your clients for the sunny days ahead with Balmain Hair Couture’s Riviera Collection.
Offering a range of styling and care products to help protect hair from the sun while infusing it with extra moisture and volume, the brand’s Riviera Collection includes the Riviera Soleil Set, which features Sun Protection Spray to shield hair from UV rays and Texturizing Salt Spray to achieve effortless beachy waves, along with a white cellulose acetate hair barrette to finish off their summer hair look. The Riviera Moisture Set features Moisturizing Styling Cream to help control frizz and Leave-In Conditioning Spray to offer nourishment while detangling hair, along with a hair scrunchie. For clients looking for extra volume, the Riviera Volume Set includes Volume Shampoo to cleanse and add body, Volume Conditioner to nourish and strengthen hair as well as a Leave-In Conditioning Spray.
It was a natural evolution. We started with cream colour and, during that time, I was doing a lot of cream colouring. I noticed a lot of people in our #Hairbesties community were asking for liquids, and I wanted to do something that was different from what was already out there: a liquid gel consistency with a 15-minute processing time while having shades that are still signature to our brand, like the very popular rose gold and silver. And having a name like Reflect, which has meaning and depth to it. Other than the fact that the hair is reflective and shiny, it’s also about looking inward to empower us to be ourselves and set ourselves free with our truth.
Why was having a 15-minute processing time important to you?
Most demis have a 20- to 25-minute processing time, so saving five to 10 minutes means I can take a break, use the restroom or take a phone call—whatever the case may be. It just gives you time to recover—otherwise you’ll burn yourself out. If you’re working on three clients, that means you can save up to 30 minutes when you add it all up. It also means you can fit in another service, like a haircut. Then you’re not only making more money but also saving time to do things you want to do while still getting amazing results.
Not only is the processing time shorter but, because it’s a liquid gel, the application time is shorter, too, because it just sinks right in. You’re not using your thumb and wrist muscles to overly push the product. You’re working less hard and processing faster, which saves a lot of time and energy.
From long and embellished to short and simple, get inspired by these nail trends from Fashion Week spring/summer 2023.
1 Nail artist Julie Kandalec used CND products to create long and edgy nails for The Blonds’ show at New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Kandalec even spiced up the look by embellishing each nail with gold studs.
2 For the Peter Do show at NYFW, editorial manicurist Jin Soon opted for shorter nails that featured a hot pink shade to match the model’s glittery eyebrows.
3 Also at Do’s NYFW show were metallic looks that Soon created by adding silver chrome foil to a short and neutral base.
4 At Paris Fashion Week (PFW), celebrity manicurist Christina Conrad kept things bold and bright with this purple nail look for the Thom Browne show.
5 Also at PFW was a neutral nude look, which
featured a long almond nail shape, created by manicurist Lauren Michelle Pires for the OffWhite show.
6 For the Rebecca Minkoff show at NYFW, celebrity nail stylist Gina Edwards created iridescent chrome nails that featured crystals on one nail on each hand.
7 Edwards also created light blue patterned nails that included a grey rose pattern for the LoveShackFancy show.
8 Soon opted to keep things simple yet classic with a short French manicure for the Fendi show at NYFW.
9 Nail artist Naomi Yasuda opted for a long coffin shape for the Luar show at NYFW. She spiced things up by adorning two nails with a silver decal that spelt out the brand’s name.
Gelish
Channel your inner Ariel this summer with Corally Invited, a peach coral crème from the Splash of Color Collection—inspired by Disney’s The Little Mermaid!
Bio Sculpture
Boost your clients’ mood this season with Peach Sorbet, a light and happy shade from the Délice Pastel Collection.
OPI
Get clients ready for summer vacation with Flex on the Beach. This bold coral crème shade from the Make the Rules Collection is sure to suit any tropical destination.
Entity
Lady Guava, a shimmery coral-pink shade from the So Fresh Collection, is sure to add some sparkle to your clients’ step this season.
Hot days are ahead, so embrace them with Bring the Heat, a coral pink neon crème, from the Sunny Daze collection.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ENTERING, including rule changes, photo shoot tips and info on our newest category: Emerging Colourist!
FROM AVOIDING SHRINKAGE TO CREATING THE PERFECT SHAPE, THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS TO DRYCUTTING CURLY HAIR. WE CHATTED WITH TWO TEXTURE EXPERTS ABOUT THEIR TOP CURLY CUTTING TIPS.
When working with curly hair, we can all agree that it requires a different process than straight hair, and that’s no different when it comes to cutting hair. With more and more clients embracing their natural curls, there’s no better time than the present to take a deep dive into dry-cutting and how it can help you create the best result for curls.
“The cool thing about dry-cutting curly hair is that you really get to see how the hair sits,” says Glenna Sandy, a Toronto-based celebrity hairstylist and textured-hair specialist. “Curly hair has a lot more volume than straight or wavy hair, so the main thing is that you really have to see the shape with curly hair. Curls have a mind of their own; not every curl is always going to curl the same, and dry-cutting really allows stylists to see as much of the natural hair as possible and cut accordingly.”
A key factor in the dry-cutting process is the consultation. While it’s important to take the time to assess your client's curl type and pattern, it’s also vital to discuss their ideal result.
“I always ask for an inspiration photo first,” says Sandy. “I’ll ask some lifestyle questions that can include things like how they like to wear their hair, how much time they like to spend styling their hair, what products they like to
use, etc.”
“I check through their whole head so I can really understand all of the textures we’re working with since not everybody has the same texture throughout their head,” adds Michelle St Hill, a Vancouver-based salon owner and educator. “For me, the rule of thumb with curly hair is that you always dry-cut it since you want to be able to see where the curl lives. When you wet the hair, you straighten it out. So when you’re cutting the hair, you’re forgetting the spring. Because curly hair isn’t always even, you could end up giving the client an uneven haircut. When the hair is dry, it’s living how it would normally live, so whatever hair type or texture the client has, it’s presented to you in its natural state and you’re able to really work your magic from that point.”
After determining the client’s curl pattern, it’s important to get to know their lifestyle and how they like to style their hair at home. Once you understand what they want their hair to look like, you can start sectioning the hair and begin making the cut.
“I like to start by sectioning the hair into three vertical sections in the back, from the crown to the nape, and then those can be divided into subsections when I actually start to cut,” says St Hill. “I also have a section at the temple and one at the top of the crown, so in total I’m working with about six to 10 sections, depending on the length and density of the hair.”
From there, St Hill prefers to start her cut at the nape of the neck while
working her way up the head to reduce weight and create shape.
Sandy starts by brushing out the client’s hair, which allows her to stretch out the hair a little bit while keeping shrinkage in mind. “I start with the perimeter of the hair and, during this, ask the client how long or short they want the look to be,” she says. “I start cutting from there, starting to build the shape and adding layers to the hair, making my way up the head. After I’m done with a majority of the cut, I style the hair and apply product to see how the hair reacts, and then I go in and cut any final touches.”
When selecting the right tools to dry-cut curly hair, experts say it’s important to be flexible. “I’m a righthanded stylist, but I do have some left-handed shears because I sometimes need to change the angle that I hold my shears at, so the left-handed ones may work better for me,” says St Hill. “I recommend having a pair of long, medium and short shears so you can decide which ones to grab, depending on your client’s hair. When dry-cutting, it’s all about the hand work. There are no combs; it’s just your scissors, your hands and section clips, which you want to make sure are big enough to hold the hair.”
A common misconception around drycutting hair is that the client is going to miss out on the opportunity to get their hair washed, styled and finished, but that shouldn’t be the case.
“Just because we don’t follow the same order as a wet cut doesn’t mean the client isn’t getting the full experience,”
WHEN DRY-CUTTING CURLS, BOTH ST HILL AND SANDY SAY LESS IS MORE. REMEMBER: YOU DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO CUT THE SAME LENGTH OFF EACH STRAND OR SECTION OF THE HAIR. START OFF BY CUTTING LESS, SEE HOW THE HAIR SPRINGS UP AND GO FROM THERE. says St Hill. “We still wash and style the hair, but we reverse the order so that part comes second to the cut. Part of the process is letting the client know what the appointment is going to be like. If you walk them through the process and they know exactly what they’re getting, they won’t feel like they’re missing out on anything.”
Taking the time to educate your curlyhaired clients can also be a great way to add value to their service. Teaching them how to properly wash their hair and selecting the right products are just a few examples of how you can help your client maintain their results. “Part of deciding what stylers I end up using comes into play while I’m doing the consultation,” says Sandy. “Clients have their own preferences on what products they like and how they want their hair to look, so I pick my products based on that. Although some clients might not listen to your recommendations, taking the time to really understand them during the consultation and providing them with product recommendations and your own reasoning behind those recommendations, as well as walking them through the process, is a great way to make them feel more comfortable.”
“Educate yourself on not only the cut, but also products, terminology and the history of what naturally textured and curly hair means to your clients so that you’re able to feel truly comfortable working with the hair and clients will come to you for your technical abilities and knowledge.”
— MICHELLE ST HILL, SALON OWNER AND EDUCATOR, VANCOUVER
THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT COLOURING CURLS? THINK AGAIN! WE CHECKED IN WITH THE CURL EXPERTS FOR THEIR TOP TIPS ON CURLY-HAIRED COLOUR PLACEMENT.
While colouring any hair type and texture comes with its challenges, curly texture can bring on a unique set of concerns when deciding on the placement of your client’s colour.
Since curls are often more delicate, it’s especially important to assess the hair type, curl pattern, porosity, density and overall hair condition before deciding on your colour placement and committing to being able to achieve your client’s colour goals.
“Curls are so sensitive to damage, so when it comes to consulting with somebody with curly hair, understanding the history of the colour and chemicals in their hair is really important,” says Lauren Wilde, a Wella design team artist, curl specialist and owner of Rose and Onyx in St. Albert, Alta. “Even if they are just a little bit overprocessed, it can massively impact the curl pattern in the hair, so it’s important to understand that before you begin working with their hair.”
While some clients (and stylists) can get pigeonholed into classifying curls into one curl type (such as 3B or 4C), it can be quite common for clients to have more than one curl pattern on their head.
“There are so many reasons why a client will have multiple curl types,” says Wilde. “It could be a result of damage or how they wear their hair. They may have some waves and pieces that are more coily with tighter curls, so if you classify
PRO TIP FOR HAIR THAT’S WORN CURLY, IT’S IMPORTANT TO APPLY THE COLOUR IN THE CLIENT’S NATURAL STATE AND AVOID THE TEMPTATION TO STRAIGHTEN IT FIRST. WHILE APPLYING THE COLOUR WHEN THE HAIR IS STRAIGHT MAY MAKE THE COLOUR APPLICATION EASIER (AND FASTER), IT WON’T CREATE THE RESULT THAT YOU (OR YOUR CLIENT) IS LOOKING FOR.
them into only one curl type, you can get trapped and the colour isn’t going to translate the way you want it to.” Wilde suggests assessing the tightness of the curl to determine if it’s going to shrink and provide a different result than expected. “When it comes to tighter coils, I think this is especially important when you’re highlighting or colouring since it’s going to diffuse differently, especially if someone wants a high-contrast look.”
Before deciding on your colour placement, it’s important to understand how your client prefers to wear their hair on a daily basis. For example, if they wear their hair curly most of the time, the placement (and result) will
drastically differ compared to if (or when) they wear their hair straight.
“If you’re foiling, balayaging or painting hair that’s styled curly, it’s going to give you a darker, more diffused result than if it’s worn on straight hair, in which colour tends to look brighter,” says Wilde. “If you decide to do traditional foils, babylights or weaves, it’s going to have a big impact on straight hair but may disappear on curly hair. Because curls are more compact, they appear darker and the highlights aren’t as apparent so you definitely want to choose a more impactful approach.”
While you may need to be more heavy-handed with your placement for curly hair, that doesn’t mean you need to reach for stronger lightener or colour products.
This permanent colour cream is ideal for creating healthy-looking, multidimensional results with cool reflects.
This multi-use powder lightener contains the brand’s bonding technology and antiyellow molecules for up to seven levels of lift with less breakage.
Matrix Curl Lights
This two-step lightening system is designed to preserve curl patterns and has a creamy texture for easier application.
“It’s about being low and slow and as gentle as possible,” she says. “The most devastating thing for a client is to see their curl pattern destroyed, which is very common. The slower and gentler the method, the better.”
While wavy (type 2) hair can often be approached similarly to straight-hair types, curls (type 3) and coils (type 4) require a more tailored approach. Experts recommend hand-painting the individual curls to ensure that the placement is soft yet visible.
“It’s not to say that you can’t foil curly hair if you need that incubation, but my approach is geared toward hand-painting and insulating it with a processing cap or plastic wrap to ensure that the lightening result is enough,”
PRO TIP SINCE CURLY HAIR TENDS TO NOT BE AS SHINY OR REFLECTIVE AS STRAIGHT HAIR, ROSE RECOMMENDS CREATING DIMENSION IN CURLS BY USING TWO SHADES LIGHTER TO CREATE DEFINITION AND MAKE THE CURLS POP.
says Marilyn Rose, an international Redken artist, curl specialist and owner of Curlology by Marilyn in Ottawa. “Saturation is important for any lightening service, but it can be tricky on curly hair. It’s important to make sure that the curl is saturated all the way around, underneath and throughout that curl strand.”
When applying highlights or babylights to curly hair, it’s important to colour individual curls and avoid slicing the hair as you would for straight-hair types. For those who want an all-over lightened result, Rose suggests applying babylights back to back for a lighter and brighter result. However, note that applying only a few babylights throughout the head will often get lost in curly hair.
“Some people may feel like they put in so many highlights, but you can’t see them when the hair is dried because the highlights were too small. The colour wasn’t customized to the client’s hair and they weren’t painting individual curls,” she says. “The more textured the hair is and tighter the curl, the finer the sections should be to make sure you have complete saturation for depositing or lifting.”
For curly-haired clients who are just looking to add some dimension into their hair, it’s recommended to avoid high-contrast (and high-maintenance) colour. Instead, opt for a more natural, sun-kissed approach.
“Having some colour and dimension in the hair will make curls look better,” says Rose. “For dimensional colour, maintenance is very low. They usually need to do it twice a year. Hair grows out before it grows down, and the roots aren’t as noticeable compared to straight hair.”
“CURLY-HAIRED CLIENTS TEND TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE WITH THEIR COLOUR CHOICES SINCE IT OFTEN TAKES THEM SO LONG TO FIND SOMEBODY WHO UNDERSTANDS HOW TO WORK WITH THEIR HAIR AND THEY DON’T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES TRYING SOMETHING THAT MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT FOR THEM.”
— MARILYN ROSE, INTERNATIONAL REDKEN ARTIST, CURL SPECIALIST AND OWNER OF CURLOLOGY BY MARILYN, OTTAWARedken Color Fusion Wella BlondorPlex
BY LAUREN
From waves to coils, more than 50 per cent of us have some form of curly texture to our hair. So, it begs the question: Why isn’t this figure reflected in the number of salons and service providers who are willing and able to work with curly hair?
As more clients seek curly-hair services that allow them to comfortably
and confidently embrace their natural texture, learning how to care, cut, colour and style curly-hair types is more crucial than ever.
“Understanding textured-hair education and being able to provide professional hair services to texturedhair clients is so important,” says Dani Lourdes, a Montreal-based natural-
hair expert, salon owner and educator for L’Oréal Professionnel. “In our community, there are a lot of natural-hair girls who want to embrace it, but they don’t know how to and society doesn’t always accept it. It’s my goal to be able to inspire, educate and help other stylists to help them be able to better serve the textured-hair community.”
With more and more clients looking to embrace and enhance their curls and coils, the demand for hairstylists to be knowledgeable about working with all textures is key. We checked in with industry experts to get their top tips on how to expand your skill sets to work with all curl patterns.
FARRUGIA
When working with textured hair, it starts with the basics. It’s important to be able to identify clients’ specific hair types, textures and concerns. While being able to properly serve curly-haired clientele includes understanding how to cut, colour and style their hair, it also means providing them with a safe and comfortable space to share their past struggles and provide them with customized products and solutions.
Regardless of the hair type or texture, we can all agree on the importance of a thorough consultation at every appointment. When working with textured hair, identifying your client’s curl type and pattern is the best place to start so you can ensure that you’re asking the right questions. “Some clients don’t know what hair type they actually have, and sometimes clients can have more than one hair type or texture,” says Lourdes. “Most clients know the Walker hair chart [that helps to identify hair types and textures from 1A to 4B], so this is what I usually use to identify my client’s hair texture. It’s good to use because they already know about it, but they might not know how to use it, so that’s where we can help them.”
Since each client’s hair texture is unique, it’s often a good idea to come up with a list of questions that are broken down by hair type so you and your team can have a good starting point.
“For my type 2 clients, I’ll typically start by asking them for inspiration pictures, as well as what they’re loving and not loving about their hair, and from there I’ll look at the inspiration pictures to see if they match their curl type,” says Elisha Gotha, a curly-hair expert, Joico educator and owner of The Curl Lounge in Toronto. “Since type 3
clients face different challenges—often frizz, dryness and shrinkage—in this consultation, I also ask what they’re looking for and what their goals are. I also make sure to ask how often they go to the salon and what products they use at home.”
WHEN STYLING TYPE TWO HAIR, SCRUNCH ALL THE WAY UP TO THE ROOT OF THE HAIR. SINCE THIS CURL TYPE ISN’T AS TIGHT AS TYPE THREE OR FOUR, SCRUNCHING THE HAIR ALL THE WAY TO THE ROOT ENSURES THAT THE CURLS HOLD ALL DAY.
2 type
Type 2 (wavy hair) may have less of a curl pattern than other hair types, but it still comes with its own set of challenges, which sometimes require different techniques and processes, starting with the cut.
“A lot of people with this hair type don’t even know that they have wavy hair, so this is a big part of the conversation,” says Ken-Dell Salter, a hairstylist and artistic educator for Matrix and Biolage, based in New Brunswick. “Before cutting, I ask the client how they normally wear their hair. If the client wears their hair natural half of the time and heat-styled the other half of the time, I’ll cut their hair wet so I can ensure that I create a cut that will look good both straight and wavy. If they wear their hair natural the majority of the time, I’ll start off the cut dry and then finish it when the hair is wet.”
Another tip for determining how you’re going to cut type 2 hair is based
on the length desired by the client. Gotha recommends that if the client wants a short style, she would opt for a wet cut to be more efficient, but if they’re looking to keep her length, she would opt for a dry cut to see exactly how much she’s cutting.
To create more shape and texture in type 2 haircuts, layers often work well because they can offer the hair more volume and bouncier waves by removing some of the excess hair that may be weighing down the waves. “Most of the time, for type 2 hair, it’s mostly a layering and face-framing cut,” says Lourdes. “With this hair type, I’m doing a lot of smaller cuts, using a 90-degree angle to layer the hair.”
When it comes to styling, experts recommend reaching for lighter products and avoiding too many oils to prevent product buildup and avoid weighing down the hair. “Using heavy products can make the hair look greasy,” says Frank Cini, a Contessa 2023 finalist for Multicultural Hairstylist, ambassador for Goldwell and co-owner of Taz Hair Co. in Toronto. “Reaching for a curl-defining product that increases hydration helps to both enhance natural waves and curls while taming them at the same time.”
“I also advise my clients not to brush their hair when it’s dry and tell them not to touch it too much after it’s been styled, as this can disrupt the natural
“THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WITH TEXTURED HAIR THAT IT TRULY DOES NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED, ADVOCATED FOR AND TAUGHT IN OUR INDUSTRY. EVERY HAIRSTYLIST NEEDS TO KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH EVERY HAIR TEXTURE SO THAT THEY CAN SERVE ANY CLIENT THAT COMES INTO THEIR CHAIR.”
— KEN-DELL SALTER, HAIRSTYLIST AND ARTISTIC EDUCATOR FOR MATRIX AND BIOLAGE, NEW BRUNSWICK
pattern of the waves,” he adds. It’s also recommended for those with type 2 hair to avoid air-drying. Instead, try diffusing the hair upside down to allow you to take advantage of gravity while controlling how much wave you’re getting and how well it holds.
“I start off with a leave-in conditioner and apply that to the hair upside down, and then I use a handful of volumizing mousse,” says Salter. “I like to rake the product into the hair because, that way, you aren’t risking the curls falling out.”
PRO TIP
GOTHA SHARES THAT WHEN IT COMES TO STYLING TYPE 3 HAIR, THE WETTER THE BETTER. BY STYLING THE HAIR WHEN IT’S WET, YOU’RE ABLE TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF FRIZZ WHILE ENSURING THAT THE PRODUCT IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED.
clients normally have medium-density hair and a tighter curl pattern, so I like to pull down the curl to see how much shrinkage that particular client experiences.”
“Typically, type 3 clients want length,” says Gotha. “If they come to the salon regularly for trims, then I can start building shape within the hair with the cut. If they don’t get their hair cut regularly, then I like to let them know that I have to start with a trim and wait to build the shape. This hair type is more prone to spilt ends because their hair is usually finer and drier, so I hold off on the shape to preserve the length.”
For type 3 or curly hair, frizz, dryness and shrinkage will most likely be your client’s biggest concerns.
“I usually ask the client to come into the salon with their hair the way they normally style it on a daily basis,” says Salter. “This allows me to see where I need to adjust it. With this hair type,
“I like to cut off the length first and then determine where to place layers, depending on the look they’re going for,” she adds. “Straight, blunt haircuts are not really going to work for curlyhaired clients because they need that extra volume, but it just depends if they want the volume to be going outward or upward.” Salter says she prefers to start her cuts while the hair is dry to take some of the length off and then, after washing the hair, she can make any adjustments to it while it’s wet before styling.
Although layers can help add shape and volume to type 3 hair, it doesn’t mean that layering is the ideal recommendation for every client or that you have to add an abundance of layers during their first appointment.
As for styling type 3 hair, it’s all about moisture since dryness is often a big concern for clients. “You need a product that can help add moisture but also retain that moisture,” says Lourdes. “I like to use products with glycerine. Working in sections, I’ll start with a moisturizing cream and then add gel. The gel will help lock in and set the curls and offers more hold than a mousse would. Clients with curly hair want to be able to wear their hair for a few days without having to worry about the curls falling too much, and this will help them do that.”
“I like to start by applying a leavein conditioner or curl cream to damp hair,” adds Cini. “I also like to use a wide-toothed comb to gently detangle curly hair, and then I scrunch the curls to encourage their definition. To finish off the style, you can either let it air-dry naturally or diffuse the hair on a cooler setting.”
While some may consider type 4 hair to be more challenging to work with, it comes down to understanding the texture and the struggles your client may have experienced in the past. “For Black women with 4C hair, they often have insecurities about their hair, and it can hard to get them to embrace their natural texture,” says Gotha. “Typically, 4C hair comes with density issues and tangles and that all takes time to deal with. That’s
why when it comes to this hair type, not only do we, as stylists, have to know how to cut and colour textured hair but we also have to know how to really care for the hair. Knowing what all of the options
are and being able to provide the service without causing damage is also a key aspect in being able to service the curlyhaired community.”
Knowing what to offer your type 4
Although reading up on tips for working with textured hair is a start, the most crucial part to working with textured-hair clients is participating in education taught by other stylists who specialize in it.
“There are some good resources out there, but you have to do your research to find and take them,” says Gotha. “It’s not going to be as easy as finding a balayage class, but I recommend going to other stylists who specialize in curly and textured hair and learn from them.”
Whether it’s simply consulting with other stylists, actively seeking curl specialists to shadow or join your team or asking them to come to your salon for a group education class with your team, it allows you to have someone there who knows what they’re doing and who’s able to answer any questions that you or your team may have.
“Textured education is important to me because I don’t ever want to have a client sit down in my chair and not be able to service them or get them to their full potential,” says Cini. “I encourage other stylists to look for an artist that inspires them or to find a successful and experienced mentor so that they, too, can have their own form of success. You have to invest in your education. The more you participate in classes and the more you get out there and do it, the more passionate you become about your craft and the more e cient you become. This leads to becoming more comfortable and improving your quality of work on textured hair.”
“I was lucky to have a mentor who taught me about textured and curly hair,” adds Salter. “Finding a mentor who specializes in what you’re trying to learn is so helpful because you can get that one-on-one time to ask all the questions you have and learn as much as you can. Having someone to help you is always a good thing!”
If you’re still finding it di cult to find textured-hair mentors and education in your area, you may want to consider seeking it outside of your city, province or even country. “A lot of my education came from personal experience,” says Lourdes. “Finding classes, even outside of where you’re from, can be very helpful. I have travelled to the United States for education classes, which has helped me build on my existing knowledge. When it comes to learning about textured hair, I find the most valuable and useful education is in person.”
clients is essential to ensure that you can serve any client that comes into your salon. Also, realizing that dryness and breakage are common concerns for these clients is a good starting place for the conservation. “If I have a 4C client who doesn’t really love their hair in a natural style, in terms of a defined curl, I’ll try to suggest something they will feel more comfortable in,” says Gotha. “I might suggest a silk press or blow it out and trim it and show them products I would suggest. It’s better for them to come into the salon more often and get a silk press, for example, done by a stylist than to do it themselves because we will take extra measures to reduce damage, make sure the hair is hydrated with products and trim the hair so they can continue to grow it out.”
OF THE HAIR,
PRO TIP SALTER SAYS THAT SHE PAYS CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE ENDS OF THE HAIR. IF SHE NOTICES THAT THEY ARE STRAIGHTER THAN THE REST OF THE HAIR, IT’S OFTEN A SIGN THAT THE CLIENT IS IN NEED OF A CUT.
“On the other end of the spectrum, there are 4A clients who do get that definition,” she adds. “With these clients, I usually do a tapered haircut to make it look very clean, so it has a nice shape when they’re styling it at home. Because they often don’t wash their hair as often as other clients, having that shape is important so they can continue to wear it as it grows and keep that shape.”
Cini shares that, most of the time, he opts for a dry cut on type 4 hair to ensure that the coils are evenly distributed and that the length is consistent. He also recommends avoiding the use of razors and thinning shears because they can make the hair frizzy and harder to manage.
“I wash and detangle the hair, then blow it out to get it as straight as I can and get more length because it can
“AS A STYLIST, IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE’RE ABLE TO EDUCATE FOR THIS COMMUNITY. MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WANT TO WEAR THEIR HAIR NATURALLY. STYLISTS NEED TO STEP UP THEIR GAME IF THEY WANT TO STAY IN THE GAME.”
— DANI LOURDES, NATURAL-HAIR EXPERT, SALON OWNER AND L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL EDUCATOR, MONTREAL
shrink anywhere from 75 to 85 per cent, depending on the client,” says Lourdes. “Because I straighten it out, I really have to be very careful with how much I cut off.”
For clients who want to wear their hair naturally, working in sections when styling is imperative because it’s important to distribute the product evenly throughout the hair. “I like to start with a moisturizing cream,” says Lourdes. “But after that, you have to seal it. Depending on the styling technique, you can use a gel, but keep in mind the heavier, the better. When I work with type 4 hair, I apply the product to very damp hair because, when it’s wet, it helps the product get absorbed a lot easier, and I make sure to really work the product into the hair.”
When it comes to curly and textured hair, one of the most common hair concerns is breakage. Whether it’s from chemical, heat, environmental or another form of damage, addressing breakage at the core is crucial. Take a look at how these bond-building products can help your curly- and textured-hair clients.
Olaplex
Olaplex has put together a Curly Hair Kit for maximum repair on texturedhair clients. With this kit, the brand emphasizes something we already know: hydration is key for enhancing any curl pattern. The brand also has a hair quiz on its website for you and your clients to input details about hair concerns and desires to determine the best regimen for them. Some examples include weekly treatments of the brand’s No.8 mask to add moisture, shine, smoothness and body to curls, along with the No.0 and No.3 treatments to help repair damage for stronger hair. If a client uses heat to style or di use their hair, they can try using a mix of No.6 and No.7 for smooth and shiny hair with heat protection.
K18
According to K18, because of the uneven keratinization in curly hair, it can cause it to become more fragile. The brand recommends its K18Peptide, which is ideal for all hair types and textures to help repair damage by reconnecting broken keratin chains and restoring the hair’s core structure, which is responsible for curl’s strength and elasticity. Curly-haired clients can benefit from this because after their damage is repaired, their curl patterns will return and be strong, soft and bouncy. Using the brand’s K18 Pro Chelating Hair Complex in the salon can help remove metals and minerals from hair. Combine it with Detox Shampoo and Professional Molecular Repair Mist and Mask to reverse any damage while strengthening hair.
“I like to apply a leave-in conditioner and styling product to the hair,” adds Cini. “Since this hair type is generally thick and coarse, it’s important to use a product that will provide hold and definition, so you can use a hydrating serum, cream or gel. I also like to use a diffuser to help enhance the curls and coils, but I use a low heat setting to prevent any heat damage.” Cini also adds that sometimes he likes to finish the hair by scrunching it after it’s dry and then uses a pick or wide-toothed comb to fluff out the curls while creating volume.
“THE KEY TO SUCCESS WHEN WORKING WITH [CURLY HAIR] IS LISTENING TO THE CLIENT AND ASKING ABOUT THEIR HAIRCARE ROUTINE. THIS WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS AND PREFERENCES SO THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE THEM WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE.”
— FRANK CINI, HAIRSTYLIST, SALON OWNER AND GOLDWELL AMBASSADOR, TORONTO
When it comes to hairstyling, education is key to mastering techniques, improving one’s craft, and staying up to date with industry trends. While education was once most commonly accessed in person via masterclasses, workshops and demos at trade shows, the pandemic caused a shift that resulted in more and more educators experimenting with digital education. Whether it was live classes on Microsoft Teams or Instagram, Zoom webinars, YouTube tutorials or shorter videos on TikTok that cater to a specific demographic, it’s no surprise that digital education continues to be on the rise.
“Hairdressers tend to be tangible, hands-on, visual learners,” says Erinn De Luca, national education manager for Schwarzkopf Professional. “It’s our way of expressing art, so I think that there is a need for digitalization, but there’s also a need for the creative outlet, and
With virtual education continuing to gain momentum in the industry, learn how some manufacturers are incorporating more digital education into their curriculums to make learning easier and more accessible for beauty pros.
the two need to work together in this blended learning experience.”
While some may argue that in-person education reigns supreme, overlooking the benefits of digital education can be a missed opportunity since more and more hairstylists (especially aspiring ones) are turning to social media for inspiration and education.
“I think the stylist communities have embraced education in all forms,” says Kim Proal, senior director of global education, academy
and digital, for Moroccanoil. “The beauty is that there’s so much content to consume, and the hairstylist community wants to stay educated. They know that if they just need that dose of inspiration or education, they can quickly activate that.”
In terms of accessibility, digital education has paved the way for those who may not have had the opportunity to travel outside of their cities or provinces to attend in-person classes and has
allowed for education as a whole to become more accessible to a wider range of beauty professionals.
Alain Laroche, director of professional development for L’Oréal Professionnel, believes that while digital will never fully replace the need for in-person learning, there are benefits to both, including convenience for those who live outside of big cities and have less access to in-person education.
“I would say over the past couple of years now, we’ve seen a shift,” he says. “People
were asking a lot more about in-person learning, but they got a taste of what digital learning was all about and saw how easy it was to gather information from the comfort of their homes and just be in their own environment.”
For Moroccanoil Academy in New York, the brand thrived on offering digital education during the pandemic, which enabled hairstylists from outside of the state (and country) to be able to participate in its educational courses. For this reason, Moroccanoil continues to emphasize its digital education to make it accessible to more professionals in the industry. “We’re really focused on our on-demand education,” says Proal. “It’s bite-sized, on the run [education] for when you can’t fly or travel or you just can’t get to that class. You have access to education at your fingertips.”
“We’ve had really good attendance levels,” adds De Luca. “Our in-depth lookand-learn academy programs required people to sign up,
“AS A HAIRSTYLIST MYSELF, IT’S ABOUT THE TYPE OF CONTENT THAT’S BEING DELIVERED AND SHARED IN A WEBINAR FORMAT. IN TERMS OF TIMING, IT CANNOT BE TOO LONG, FOR EXAMPLE. IT SHOULD BE QUITE INSPIRATIONAL AND ACCESSIBLE ANYTIME. ”
— ALAIN LAROCHE, DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL
but were recorded to be able to be viewed later. They were very successful and engaging. We had an amazing turnout from that, so we’re actually bringing that back to our calendar this year.”
When it comes to learning more hands-on skills, such as hair extension installations, Chelsea Lovequist, coowner and CEO of Philocaly, says digital education has exceeded their expectations. “We thought it was going to be a temporary thing,” she says. “Based on the popularity and overall feedback we were getting about how easy it was to learn over Zoom and digitally, we’ve just carried on with it and it’s been one of our most popular sellers—sometimes even more so than our inperson classes!”
One approach to education that more brands are adopting is a hybrid method that combines live and digital elements. While some have noted a dip in interest around digital education on its own, several agree that incorporating both into curriculums allows for greater flexibility for participants who prefer to learn at their own pace and
on their own terms.
“Moving forward and over the next few years, people are going to get more adjusted to a hybrid [model], which is online and offline [education], because online will not replace the offline,” says Laroche. “In the future, we will see a perfect marriage between online and offline.”
De Luca also believes that while digital education is an
important tool, it will never be able to fully replace handson education. “We recognize that there’s always going to be a place in the hearts of hairdressers for in-person, hands-on education,” she says. “I don’t think that it can ever replace the screen, but what digitalization has allowed us to do is provide 24/7, on-demand education whenever the hairstylist is ready for it. I think that it allows you to really absorb the information at your own pace and from the comfort of your own home. We’ve actually done handson digital classes as well, in which we’ve shipped products and mannequins to people and they were able to follow along from their own salon.”
With all the advancements in the world of digital education, Proal says it isn’t about trying to replace inperson education. “I don’t think you can ever compete with in-person classes and
experiences,” she says. “I don’t think digital education is trying to; it’s trying to enhance education. There are in-person and digital opportunities, and they all come together to ultimately serve the goal of continuing to educate the professionals.”
When it comes to keeping hairstylists engaged in digital education specifically, it’s important to keep things fresh and exciting to remind them that it can be just as innovative and informative as hands-on learning.
“Offering variety is number one, for sure,” says Laroche. “People want lots of variety, just like with streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Disney+. You have categories with lots of content for everybody’s desires and needs. We need to do the same thing, and that’s what we’re working toward. That’s where I’m going to make it a lot more
Tips for accessing education as a freelance or independent beauty pro.
Throughout the course of the pandemic, some hairstylists and beauty pros decided to take the leap and go the independent route. All four experts agreed that digital education is a great way to reach independent artists since it’s something they can do at their own pace in the comfort of their own homes.
Proal says that, since the pandemic, there has been a lot more digital education that targets independent hairstylists specifically. “I think [digital education] is great for the independent stylists who are taking the leap from being in a salon and going freelance,” she says. “There are even a lot of curriculums on how you can support that. I think we’re speaking a lot to hairdressing techniques and looks but also about business planning and strategies. I’ve seen the freelance and independent stylists really gravitate toward that, which is wonderful.”
While education, particularly digital, is generally accessible to all hairstylists, one way that it can benefit independent hairstylists is by being an affordable alternative to in-person classes. “Obviously, there’s a larger cost associated with education, and
we’ve tried to make it obtainable for everyone—from full salons to freelance stylists—by offering up a ‘buy now, pay later’ option on our website,” says Lovequist, adding that they understand education is an investment and not everyone has the money to pay for classes upfront.
Among the additional portals where independent hairstylists can seek education is L’Oréal Access, a platform that was launched by L’Oréal Professionnel a few years ago. “Access is a digital learning platform that enables anyone to subscribe and offers access to any content in relation to everything that L’Oréal Canada adds,” says Laroche. “Access is the number one tool that we’re going to be promoting and putting a big focus on because anybody can access it on their mobile phones, laptops and iPads.”
“It depends on the aspect of their learning objective,” he adds. “For example, if they want to master colour, we will invite them to go on Access for a series of colour modules. This is the way to do it in terms of enabling people to remember the information and then they get certified at the end of that.”
exciting for people to log in to the digital world. They want to see lots of variety and different content pertaining to their needs, desires and interests— whether they’re a junior stylist, student, senior or master—and whether they like doing balayage, cutting, styling or learning more about business.”
De Luca says that Schwarzkopf Professional has also worked with various digital platforms to cater to individual hairstylists and their needs. “We’ve taken the approach where we are working with different digital platforms for different learning preferences and/or the capacity that they can dedicate time to education,” she says. “We have digital options through Microsoft Teams, live events on our Instagram page and our online academy. The way our educators are using this is that they are able to provide some of the really necessary ‘meat-and-potatoes’ of how to work with our brand and then maximizing our time in person in front of the hairstylist—in the salon or on stage—really focusing on techniques and creative
things and knowing that really important product knowledge has already been obtained through digital means. That’s sort of like our holistic approach: a blended learning experience where we are embracing digital but still very much respecting that time between the educator and the hairdresser that’s in person.”
In addition to offering a variety of content, Proal says that the keys to success for digital education are finding the sweet spot in terms of video length and delivering the right type of education to the right hairstylist. “I do think it’s about finding the right formula—the secret sauce to keep the hairstylist engaged,” she
says. “When it’s the right formula, it touches on all the curriculum and education points you want to without it being a superlong video when it’s on demand.”
According to Lovequist, Philocaly uses Zoom for all its online education due to the interactive aspect of it, which she feels is key when trying to keep hairstylists engaged. “I think people were nervous that they wouldn’t get the same experience,” she says. “But now we’ve proven that you can actually learn it just as well digitally as in person. We opted for this over only prerecorded videos because we really feel it adds that element of what they would receive in person, which is where they can actually ask questions and feel like they can interact with our educators. We’re looking at offering some sort of membership where they continue their learning for years to come after taking a class. We’ve also had people that wanted a one-on-one mentorship with our educators, so that’s something we’re looking to incorporate, where you
could possibly shadow one of our educators behind the chair and really learn what a master extensionist is.”
While having a variety of videos and content streams to choose from is a good start, it’s important to also keep hairstylists engaged and interested enough to dive deeper and learn as much as possible.
“What we’re developing right now are satellite academy locations across the country so that digitalization doesn’t necessarily replace what would have happened at the academy,” says De Luca. “We’re now taking that live component throughout the country at different satellite locations so that the handson portion will be easily accessible for people in all provinces.”
Proal says that while Moroccanoil still utilizes Instagram and Facebook live feeds, where hairstylists can be interactive, the brand is also shooting a lot of ondemand education, too. “We have an app that educates on our hair colour, which launched last year,” she says. “You can really pass a lot of education in shorterform videos and support those with step-by-steps and technique guides.”
Lovequist says that having the option to access to a library of pre-recorded videos can help hairstylists stay motivated. “We also use Vimeo to hold all of the back-end videos that people can rewatch afterward,” she says. “We’ve had a lot to promote the classes, but we’re working on being able to promote that more, so people actually see what it means to get that back-end access after they take their course and get excited about that side of things because I think there’s so much opportunity there.”
“PEOPLE DON’T JUST WANT DIGITAL EDUCATION. THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE’S A VALUE TO IT. FOR EXAMPLE, SHORTER SNIPPETS OF CONTENT YOU COULD SQUEEZE IN BETWEEN CLIENTS OR BEFORE YOU GO TO BED. I THINK THAT’S SOMETHING HAIRDRESSERS CRAVE BUT I DON’T THINK [DIGITAL-ONLY EDUCATION] IS SOMETHING THAT THE INDUSTRY IS READY FOR OR WANTS.”
— ERINN DE LUCA, NATIONAL EDUCATION MANAGER, SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL
An inspiring selection of hairstyles that will motivate you to take your craft to the next level.
This Canadian collection showcases the power of natural beauty with a range of texture and braiding techniques.
This Canadian collection emphasizes texture hairstyling prowess with eyecatching looks.
Inspired by the apex of where fantasy meets reality, this Canadian collection is brought to life with masterful editorial and avant-garde styling techniques.
With a striking range of textured styles and updos, this BHA newcomer finalist collection is a work of art.HAIR Paolo Giamattei, Marc Antoni, U.K. MAKEUP Katie Moore WARDROBE STYLING Ellen Spiller PHOTOS Jamie Blanshard
With bold styles and shapes, this black-andwhite collection celebrates the heritages and cultures of natural textures.
For Balmain Hair Couture’s Trend Forecast Collection
Volume 1, international artistic director, Ilham Mestour, combines nature and science in which strong shapes and curly texture meet geodesic dome patterns and rich, lustrous colour for strikingly strong yet feminine looks.
FOR A FULL BREAKDOWN ON THE HAIRCUTS AND COLOUR FORMULAS, VISIT SALONMAGAZINE.CA
It’s all about attitude in this Australian collection with its array of strong, feminine styles.HAIR Contessa 2023 Finalist, International Hairstylist, Christopher Byrne, Sloans of Lane Cove, Australia MAKEUP Mikele Simone WARDROBE STYLING Josie McManus PHOTOS Andrew O’Toole
After working in the industry for 30 years, Ontario-based stylist Carm Manno started her journey as a salon owner four years ago and decided to compete in the Contessa Awards as a means of bringing her team closer together.
“My favourite part of being a hairstylist is being in the salon and working with other people,” she says. “I don’t normally like to compete because it can be very intimidating, but I thought it would be really good for the girls at the salon. We felt like we needed a creative outlet after the pandemic, and I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to bond.”
In addition to her salon being named a finalist for Canadian Salon Team of the Year, Manno was a finalist for Canadian Colourist. For her collection, she says she took a lot of inspiration from sunsets and sunrises. “I love how the colours melt together, and that’s
really what I wanted to showcase—how colours can work together and melt beautifully,” says Manno, adding that she and her team split up the work for the collection to showcase each of their strengths. “Much like how colours work together, my team worked together to create this collection, as well as our Canadian Salon Team entry.”
“I had all of these ideas before we started, and it goes to show that you can plan something pretty well in your head but when you’re actually doing it, it just takes off in a different direction,” she adds. “I just went with it, started colouring and it created itself. There were no patterns, and I was just placing the colour where I thought it would work.”
For her model with textured hair, Manno decided to take a different approach to colouring that respected the client’s hair integrity and curl pattern. “I pre-lightened her hair and did a balayage technique,” she says. “I think
the biggest thing I keep in mind when colouring natural textured hair is going low and slow. Her texture was finer, and I think it’s really important to be mindful of the texture of the hair that you’re working on. It’s going to be different on every client, so really taking the time to determine what their texture is and then working accordingly is the best way to approach it.”
Although Manno and her team didn’t win this past year, the lessons they learned from creating and competing together were priceless. “For me, it wasn’t about winning,” she says. “I think a lot of other great things can come from competing. You’re able to push your limits, put yourself out there and gain exposure to others in the industry.”
“Creating this collection was so much fun,” she adds. “I think for a lot of people, including myself, when you’re intimidated by something, you just have to go for it, push yourself outside of your comfort zone and put a strong team together that can help you with your vision. My mission was to make the team even stronger than it already was, and I think we accomplished that. Just seeing how everyone pulled together and how excited they all were about what we were doing, and watching the collaboration in real time was so cool. We’re all very different, and I think this collection was such a great way of showing how well we can work together and how strong we are as a team.”
“We’re surrounded by so many different people, so it’s important to celebrate all of those differences and be on the same page about showcasing diversity because that’s when you’re really able to make the biggest impact.”
With growing calls for beauty pros to create a more diverse and inclusive environment for their staff and clients, we spoke with two industry experts to gain insight into how salon owners and managers can incorporate more inclusive business practices to help attract new staff and clientele—all the while maintaining a safe space for all.
Offering a diverse and inclusive environment extends far beyond the services offered in your salon. From consultations and appointments to hiring and training, addressing your challenges from within is the first real step to creating meaningful change.
“We don’t just want diversity; we want safety, growth and inclusivity,” says Allison Hill, owner of Hill Studio in Toronto. “We want people to have access to different levels of things and to be able to learn from one another, and that requires that we really open up.”
When it comes to appointments, clients value not only the overall service experience but also the importance of feeling safe and comfortable within the salon environment. While that includes having trust in their service provider, it’s also about feeling welcome in the salon space.
“Different people bring different perspectives,” says Hill. “They bring different cultures, ideas and energy. If you want to switch up the environment you have, the best way to do that is to change up the people that come into the
space. If you’re always with one group that has one culture, one look and one aesthetic, then that eventually is what that salon will breed and attract. If you can bring different voices, stories and cultures into the space, then you will invite in those same things.”
While it can be difficult for some salon owners and managers to recognize aspects of their business that are most challenging and require the most amount of work, it’s about having the self-awareness to identify and address areas in need of change.
“There are some serious questions
that owners and managers should ask themselves to understand how we got here in the first place,” says Orinthia Babb, a curly-hair consultant based in Winnipeg. “Diversity is a hot topic right now across any industry. More importantly, ask yourselves some hard questions like, ‘What is your motive? Is it because diversity is trendy right now?’”
Although news and current events may have sparked the change for some, it’s important to see the benefits of these changes and address them from within on an ongoing basis.
“Is the potential to make more money your motive?” asks Babb. “Curly and Black hair is a huge industry on its own.
Do you honestly want to be able to properly service all clients and all hair types that walk through your door? It’s important to look at what your motive is and why the ones that are interested want to do it because it’s not as simple as throwing a person of colour in there. You can’t explore the idea of creating a more ‘diverse and inclusive salon’ without advocating.”
According to Babb, creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone involves ensuring that your staff includes hairstylists who have been educated in—and are
comfortable working with—different hair textures.
“If a person with textured, curly or Afro hair walks into a salon, oftentimes the stylist freaks out because they didn’t get proper training (or any training) in this and don’t know what to do,” she says. “It’s preposterous that this is still going on in 2023. Curly hair is still considered a specialty, and Afro hair is even more of a niche market, so all these people are left behind.”
“What you can do is have more training in curly hair by bringing in experts,” adds Babb. “For those interested in learning about all hair types and having the full skill set to manage Afro and curly hair, support them with the training and education they need.”
When it comes to promoting diversity and inclusion in salons, it’s important for salon owners and managers to ensure that it’s a place where clients and staff feel that there’s an open-door policy. “We have to make sure that we’re opening our doors to different people and taking the time to respect and understand how different cultures relate to their hair,” says Hill. “We have to be specific about making sure that hairstylists are trained to manage different textures. By the time a salon owner hires somebody, they’re hiring them with the best skills they have. Diversity needs to start at the base of education, and that will
make it much easier for salons to be diverse. I’m not going into a salon that doesn’t understand how to manage my texture. We don’t expect clients to do that, so if we don’t teach hairstylists how to manage different textures and understand different cultures and how those different cultures relate to hair, then we will never be able to create diversity.”
“It’s not a matter of just putting somebody in there that is a person of colour,” adds Babb. “They need training and education. If you want your salon to look more diverse within the next five years, you need a plan and you need to look forward and be willing to take the steps to get there.”
“IF YOU’RE ALWAYS WITH ONE GROUP WITH ONE CULTURE, LOOK AND ESTHETIC THEN THAT IS EVENTUALLY WHAT THAT SALON WILL BREED AND THAT’S WHAT THE SALON WILL ATTRACT. IF YOU CAN BRING IN DIFFERENT VOICES, STORIES AND CULTURES INTO THE SPACE, THEN YOU WILL INVITE IN THOSE SAME THINGS.”
—ALLISON HILL, OWNER OF HILL STUDIO, TORONTO
From his hairstyling roots in the U.K. to editorial and red-carpet work in Los Angeles, celebrity hairstylist and educator Vernon François has been a leader in curly and coily hair and has made it his mission to keep it at the forefront.
BY VERONICA BOODHAN
Tell us about how you got your start in the beauty industry.
Teaching myself to braid at the age of eight sparked an obsession as fired, inquisitive, exploratory and passionate as it is to this day. My first job was working as an assistant at a prestigious salon in central London, which my mum helped me to land. I was 14, and it immediately felt like home. Not only was this where I could totally be myself, but even as a youngster, my talent was valued. Back then, like today in many places, not all pros had been trained to work with all hair textures. Curly and Afro hairdressers were few and far between in the affluent part of town where I worked, if at all, which gave me a golden opportunity to show what I could do with kinks, coils, curls and waves.
I understand you were self-taught at a young age. Did you always know you were going to be a hairstylist? What about hair appealed to you as a child? I taught myself to braid, loc and twist as a young child in defiance of my mum doing my hair, which was always eyewateringly painful and uncomfortable, and the result wasn’t even that great! I knew there must be pain-free ways of doing hair, so when my mum said, “Go do it yourself,” I was like, “OK then, I will.” To this day, “I can, I will, I shall” is a motto that drives me. And so, I set
about figuring it out, using whatever thread or twine I could lay my hands on—from unravelling and reforming strings on the mop head to driving my grandma crazy flat-twisting patterns into her beaded curtains.
I grew up in a Rastafarian household, and hair was always a vital part of my upbringing and has always signalled love and respect to me. While I didn’t always know I was going to be a hairstylist, looking back I remember schoolmates lining up for me to do their hair on the playground and friends and family getting me to style their hair in my free time. The signs were all there!
Tell us about some of your work with celebrities. What are some of your most memorable stories or experiences? There have been so many incredible highlights along the way. Creating a durag made with hair for Amandla Stenberg at the Met Gala is something I am proud of and have never seen done before. From film premieres to the Oscars, the hair art that Lupita Nyong’o and I collaborate on is always memorable. One funny experience we had was in Nigeria on an editorial photo shoot on location [and we had to use] the wardrobe stylist’s iron to do the job instead, which we found hilarious, and fans on social media did, too. Working with Serena Williams for her Vanity Fair cover during her
pregnancy was an honour. Willow Smith is a phenomenal artist that I have the privilege of working with who is unbothered by convention or other peoples’ expectations of what their hair should look like or what it should do.
What do you enjoy most about celebrity hairstyling? Any tips for other hairstylists who might be interested in working with celebrities? Anything they should keep in mind?
What I enjoy is the art of exploring and creating with hair. My tip for hairstylists interested in working with celebrities (and people, whether they are famous or not) is to treat everyone who sits in your chair and their hair—no matter what its texture, whether kinky, coily, curly, wavy or straight—with reverence, respect and value. The thing to keep in mind is everyone wants to feel their most beautiful, and as Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said or what you did but will never forget how you made them feel.”
You’ve been recognized as a champion of textured hair. Tell us about that and why it’s important to you to educate others about curly and coily hair?
I’ve always worked with all hair textures, which includes straight hair, but my work with Afro and curly hair is most often showcased. Today, curls, coils and kinks being celebrated by influential and successful women is helping to shift the narrative of what is “beautiful,” and we’re seeing more flexibility, not only with hair textures but also with colours, styles, shapes and sizes of hairstyles being worn across all genders.
It’s important to me to educate and excite others about the limitless possibilities of hair because all humans have some kind of relationship with hair, no matter how much or how little of it you believe you may have, and this is a vital part of ourselves, deserving of love, recognition and validation.
What tips do you have for other hairstylists who might be interested in working with curly and coily hair but feel intimidated or aren’t confident in their skill sets?
The first step in understanding how to work with all hair textures is using the correct language because we need to be very specific for successful learning outcomes. Texture means how something feels, and so, by definition, all hair has some kind of texture, including straight hair. The phrase “textured hair” has become a catch-all euphemism for kinky, coily or curly hair, which can be misleading, so let’s use these words
IN 2016, HE FOUNDED VERNON FRANÇOIS HAIRCARE AFTER “REALIZING THE GAP IN THE MARKET FOR BRANDS IN MAINSTREAM BEAUTY SPACES SEEING AND SERVING ALL HAIR TEXTURES, AND LISTENING TO MY CLIENTS’ FRUSTRATION. I UNDERSTAND FIRST-HAND ABOUT PRODUCT PERFORMANCE, THE BEST INGREDIENTS BY HAIR TYPE, AND HOW KINKS AND CURLS RESPOND IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS.”
instead to be clear about what is being talked about and worked upon.
Every single professional hairdresser has a responsibility to educate themselves on working with all hair textures because we have a responsibility to our clients to do the very best. With global education platforms, there really is no excuse for being underskilled.
At the end of the day, hair is hair, whether kinky, coily, curly, wavy or straight, so let’s make salons safe and welcoming spaces for all hair textures to be served, no matter the individual wearing them, and for all genders.
You also work with Redken as a global consultant and educator. Tell us about that and what you enjoy most about your role.
Being a global consultant, celebrity hairstylist and educator for Redken is something that I still pinch myself about today. It’s a highlight that’s hard for me to register at times because, growing up, I was led to believe my dyslexia would hold me back. Working with this brand, I kid you not, has been an ambition of mine since I was an assistant. I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but am forever grateful to have come onto their radar. Redken and I are authentically aligned in speaking to all hair experiences, advocating for full inclusivity, in front of and behind the camera, at all costs in an industry that is layered and complex.
Take a look inside this Winnipeg-based space that specializes in offering a diverse and inclusive salon experience.
BY ABIOLA REGAN
Located on the trendy Academy Road corridor in Winnipeg, Freshair Boutique opened in 2010 and was one of the city’s first greencertified hair salons. Its roots date back to owner and master stylist Praise Okwumabua, who spent her childhood cutting and styling her dolls’ hair, giving her brothers haircuts in the driveway and styling hair from her apartment.
After becoming a first-time parent, Okwumabua decided that it was time to open a salon of her own. “I was thinking if I’m going to do this, this is the best time,” she says. In 2010, she turned her childhood passion into a 1,300-square-foot, ecocertified salon that caters to a diverse range of clientele.
Okwumabua describes her inspiration for the
salon’s design as “classic and timeless,” as she wanted the space to have a gallery feel by showcasing new artwork on the salon’s white and wood walls every three months. The salon has undergone renovations that included brightening the walls from dark green to white to create a fresher, more light-filled space and adding thin wood privacy walls.
Through the use of various plants and greenery, reusable and repurposed window displays that change seasonally and custom elements like wood A-frame shelves, the space continuously evolves over time to provide the perfect decor for a variety of looks. “You could wear a ballgown or jeans in there,” says Okwumabua. “The textures and naturalness allow us to change it up and make it super cottage type or more modern.”
While cutting and styling a variety of hair lengths, textures and colours in a light, fresh and positive space, Okwumabua and her team at Freshair also provide education and certification opportunities for textured hair. “It’s a very foundational course,” she says. “I teach five basic services: washing and blow-drying, cornrows, single braids, twists and locs. There are three blocks on cutting. The least I can do with my experience is pass it down
and give people a version of it that they can take part in, restructure and then pass it down.”
“If you’re going to say [you work in the] ‘hair’ industry, then you should be talking about every type of hair,” she adds. “Being able to service all hair types is what really builds confidence in how we look at diversity in our industry. Stylists know that working here allows them to be able to learn about all hair types, and it empowers them to be better stylists.”
DETAILS
Opened in 2010, renovated in 2018
SIZE
1,300 square feet
TEAM 10
BRANDS
Kevin.Murphy Surface Hair Hairstory
WEBSITE freshairboutique.ca
SOCIAL @freshairboutique
Kevin.Murphy’s Canadian national business development manager, Levi Stilgoe-Trudgeon, was also in attendance (left).
Hairstylists and colourists from across Canada attended a VIP event hosted by Toronto Barber and Beauty Supply’s Liquid Luxuries division to showcase Kevin.Murphy’s Color.Me Gloss.
When & Where: March 26, Toronto
Among the attendees were Toronto Barber and Beauty Supply president, David Kaufman (right) and director of sales and education, Lisa Bremner, as well as Liquid Luxuries’ vicepresident of sales, Federico Messina (left).
In addition to featuring education about Color.Me Gloss, the event displayed a collection of looks created by Olson and the Kevin.Murphy team. Olson showcased five di erent looks that ranged from pastel pink and copper to warm brown and creamy blonde.
L’Oréal Professionnel portfolio artists and educators Victoria Hunter and Anya Martin explained each of the looks they had created for the models.
Among the attendees were L’Oréal Professionnel’s education and training manager, Carson Drake, marketing director, Rosie Lisa Malenfant and director of professional development, Alain Laroche (below, right).
Hairstylists, colourists and beauty influencers joined the L’Oréal Professionnel team for an immersive and interactive evening to celebrate the relaunch of the brand’s Inoa hair colour.
When & Where: April 2, Toronto
The evening featured a runway show to showcase the versatility of Inoa, the brand’s ammonia-free, permanent hair colour that’s powered by oil.
Looking to advance your skills with textured hair this season? Take a look at some of the industry’s upcoming in-person and virtual classes.
Let the Good Times Roll
June 5 at 1 p.m. (EST) oligoprofessionnel.ca
For those looking to pump up the volume with texture, Oligo Professionnel is showcasing its Waves & Texturizers range, which is designed to cater to your clients’ specific hair needs and types, ranging from soft waves to defined curls.
For more curly-hair education, check out Oligo’s Learn the Curl, an online series of short, free videos that break down each curl type with step-bystep colour and styling at oligoprofessionnel.ca.
Wella Curl Craft (I, II and III)
June 11 to 14 at 10 a.m. (EST) Wella Studio Toronto wellaed.com
Learn the basics of curly hair—from hair structure, curl types and terminology to proper haircare and styling techniques—to share with clients for athome maintenance. For advanced learners, discover techniques for short- and long-term protective styles, tips for consultations and more.
Inspired by KMS: Texture
June 26 at 2 p.m. (EST) kaosalonacademy.com
From products to techniques, the KMS education team is breaking down how to work with texture and elevate the experience for both you and your guests.
Confidence with Curls
Various dates and times @joicocanada
Joico has teamed up with Elisha Gotha, resident curl expert and owner of The Curl Lounge in Toronto, to co-create the brand’s curriculum to help everybody feel more comfortable and confident with caring, colouring and styling curls. The program is slated to be a three-part series that’s designed to “educate, inspire and connect the industry and all textures of hair.” In addition to helping stylists identify curl patterns, the curriculum plans on covering hands-on haircutting and colouring techniques, with Gotha sharing three colour placements she’s designed for low, medium and high impact on all lengths and curl patterns.
Signature Workshops: Curls and Coils
June 5 to 7
Moroccanoil Academy, New York moroccanoilprofessionals.com
This three-day workshop is designed to help you enhance the natural beauty of curls and coils, with a deep dive into diverse hair textures and curl formations to help reach new clients and grow your clientele. Moroccanoil artist Latavia Lewis and the brand’s global trend team member Barri Gibson will share their textured-hair expertise and provide demonstrations and handson experience with two haircuts (heart shape and tapered cut), colour techniques for creating dimensional highs and lows and three styles (twist-out, finger coils and silk press).
For Moroccanoil salons, the brand also offers in-salon education with Signature Styling: Curls Inspired, a “see-do” format that helps you enhance all curl types, from wavy to coily, with care and styling techniques, as well as a technical breakdown for creating flat twist-out, finger coils and diffused curls.
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