Tame That Swirl Girl!

So the questions have been flooding in over the last little while and i want to say thank you to our readers for their commitment to having great hair and asking us for advice on just how to get there!  Its has been very flattering indeed to see all of the questions.  For a while there in the beginning I wondered if people really cared to ask questions.  It felt like maybe they wanted to read the answers but maybe not produce the question,  I can`t answer if you don`t ask!  Well,  so much for that problem... Its Been GREAT!  Having said that,  lets get to today`s... 

" Jon,  I recently started reading the blog and want to say that I think the concept of using the blog to have my hair questions answered is great.  I have a hair dilemma,  I have a bob haircut that refuses to tuck under!  It is driving me nuts because it ends up looking more like a flippy cut than a classic bob.  Do you have any tips on how I can get it to sit under a bit better?  Thanks again"


Okay,  the bob is the worlds most difficult cut to create,  I think I should start by saying that.  Anyone can look at the bob and think "What`s so hard?,  Its only one length!"  Yeah but try cutting all the hair to one even length without any dips or bevels in the line... NOT SO EASY.  What else makes the bob a difficult cut is that if you do not layer it correctly ( meaning leave the layers long enough on the inside of the cut)  then it will definitely flip up all over the place.  Now,  lets presume that your bob was cut correctly from the beginning,  you may just need to take a look at how you dry it.  IF your layers are long enough that they are situated predominately in the bottom of the shape then you may just be styling it wrong.  Because we have a circular swirl in our growth patterns,  we have to be careful in the way we dry our hair.  As an example,  the top of a baby`s head had a circular swirl that is plain to see.  Most people don`t realize that that swirl never goes away,  when we are older the hair is just longer so the swirl is less evident.  Because it is circular,  the hair on one side of your head will grow forward and the other side back,  so when we dry it we must even that out.  The way we do that is by drying both sides of the front back and off our hairline in the direction of the back of our heads.  Basically,  pull the front backward and fight the side that grows forward.  You will be shocked!  It will tuck right under.  I hope that helped and if your layers are too short let me know.... I would love to take a look! :) Fire me off an email if you need a question answered at dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Bringin` It Back!

Hello everyone,  and I am sorry if any of you feel like it was me who jinxed the weather by being so optimistic and happy that it was still beautiful out there!... My Bad.  I hope at least that it does n`t last any longer than necessary,  because if there is one type of weather  condition I hate its rain!  Well,  lets get right to it here and work on today`s question.


"Hi there,  I was wondering if you could give me some advice here.  I know that fashion moves in decades and considering that we are coming out of the 80`s era,  will the 90`s be next?  The reason I ask is because I would really like to have my hair cut into that Rachel from friends shape again.  I LOVED THAT CUT,  it was just soo easy and I would love to wear it again.  Am I dreaming?"

NO!  You are FAR from dreaming!  I am amazed to  have been asked this question and had to answer it because believe it or not I just did that classic shape on a girl in her late teens the other day!  I found that extremely interesting because you do not normally have a younger clientele like that asking for a look that was around when they were like 8 or 9!  It was awesome and confirmed for me that YES! We ARE moving back into the 90`s with this next wave of fashion and hair.  I was soo happy to perform the cut because I knew that she was ahead of the curve by asking for it and that we at evoke LOVE to try and beat the clock and get to these trendy looks fast.  I am so pumped by this upcoming trend that I even decided to start trying to sell it to guests in advance... Kind of like a sneak peek!  Anyway,  DO NOT Hesitate!  Get it done today!

Top CROP!

YES!!  This summer just won`t quit! Thank goodness!  I mean we are getting away with wearing shorts out there still!  CRAZY!  Anyway,  hopefully you are all enjoying this amazing weather and taking it in for all that its worth.  I have a great question to answer today for a guest who has been quite patient in waiting for my reply!  Let`s get to it!...

"I have short, relatively thick, grey hair. My stylist left my current salon. Because the owner feels “short cuts are easy”, I have been assigned on the last two occasions to new hairstylists. Neither gave me the look I like/asked for: quite short and funky/spiky. I think short cuts are tough to do. My hair likes to grow forward and I have 4 cowlicks to contend with. This last cut gave me what I call a “Caesar-like” look. Can you recommend me to the best stylist Evoke (Eglinton & Yonge) has for short hair? I’d like to take Sara up on her enthusiastic recommendation and thought I would take advantage of your Q&A blog to find the right stylist for me".


I can for sure!  I would recommend that you check out Ergys Tafilica as your go to guy!  He is AWESOME when it comes to creating short, textured looks that have an edge to them.  Ergys is our senior most stylist at the Yonge and Eglinton location and has worked for the company for 8 years now.  He is stylist to Rick Campanelli of ET Canada has  earned a reputation for being and industry leader with his eclectic collection of Trendsetting edgy cuts that set the bar for cutting edge fashion.  A real people person with a penchant for change and progression,  I think you would not only have a great time being in Ergys` chair but also really love the finished product!  Hope that helped and please let me know how it goes Lorraine! Thanks again for your question and sorry for my tardy response!

Whats your NAME?... evokesalon.com

So every once in a while we get a little silly... When we do you don`t really ever know what is going to come out of it. We will generally make a video to help showcase just how silly we can get! Anyway the other day a couple of stylists from the Yonge St. location decided it would be a good idea to make a video, a video that would showcase one of our stylists. That stylist was Ryan Yee, an up and coming artist at our Yonge and Eglinton location. Needless to say, after you watch this you will see just how wrong these videos can go when you step up and don`t really have content! Hilarious! Anyway the objective was to ask him what he enjoyed most about his job, and what he loves about his clients.... Check this out.

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin !!!

Hello Everybody! Its Saturday Night!!!!

I hope that you are all gearing up for a great remainder of the weekend. Having said that for me this is just the start! Anyway tonight we had a question come in from Margaret in Toronto and she wanted to know how I felt about hot rollers and whether or not she should chuck hers or continue to use them. I hope to have given her a great answer that will help in her quest for wonderfully full hair that takes 3 minutes to create! Check out this vid...

Its Natur-all in Vegas!

Vegas is such a cool and weird place at the same time!  I mean you fly in and land in the middle of the desert (literally)  within minutes you are in a car and on your way for a three to five minute drive to the strip.  On this drive (like in quite a few american cities)  you are in what feels like a very desolite area where people are living with the bare minimums in life.  Then,  your driver makes one left and two rights and your are in the most spectacular scene with the biggest and brightest lights surrounding you!  Literally it feels like ashy and classy are only 20 seconds apart!  Gucci, Brioni, Armani, Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton are common place,  people are walking in with their winnings from the tables and re-deposting them into Vegas!  Its hilarious!  I even heard from one retailier that when and if they lose they come back in to return their items!  Such a weird place... An adult play ground for sure!

As I would have expected,  they also have some amazing salons!  There are these shops called Natur where all they do is extension work! That to me is astonishing considering that their entire business revolves around women wanting to spend upwards of twelve hundred dollars to get their hair extended to a longer length!  Its crazy... what we call luxury is an everyday service in Vegas!  Anyway I thought I would share a little about my time there considering I spent all that time away from you guys!  I look forward to getting back into my groove with my feet planted in our beautiful and more realistic city!  However I will say this... VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!!

VEGAS BABY!!!

So this week Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!! is gonna take place in Vegas.  The only problem is that as much as I love you guys.... I`m leaving you here.  This will be a short pause however as one can only live out the Hangover for a couple of days!  I will be back on friday the 24th with a couple of great entries to finish out next week well.  Lots of love guys and have a great week till we meet again!

Wild On These NUTS!!!

Today we are going to talk nuts,  yeah you heard me!  NUTS!  I know,  I know quite inappropriate.   However nuts can be a great thing to speak about on a hair blog as long as you all manage to keep your minds out of the gutter.  Today`s question just so happened to relate to nuts,  hence the reason for our nutty review (I`m on a roll here).  Anyway,  lets get to the point shall we?


" Hi,  I am using the Moroccan oil for my hair when I blow dry it out,  is this the best product for my hair texture?  I have thick, coarse, curly hair."

YES!  it is a fantastic product for you to be using not just when you blow dry but also after on your dry hair as a smoothing product.  Moroccan oil hit it big a couple of years ago when they discovered that Argan oil was a fantastic moisturizer and protein enriching product for dry and frail hair.  The secret ingredient in this product is of course the nut from the Argan seed.  This nut,  when harvested and broken down reveals and incredibly lustrous and rich oil.  This oil is extremely rich in protein and in keratin which makes it a power pack for your hair!  The hair shaft requires protein for strength and keratin for lustre and softness,  few products combine both needs in one.  The fact that it occurs naturally in this nut is even more impressive!   Anyway,  great product for the hair when it is wet or dry because it leaves a beautiful feel on the hair shaft and produces an incredible shine.  I love it and use it on many of my guests.  

Your Natural Progression...

WOW Its Cold out there!  I can`t believe that the weather switched literally over night!  I am amazed and quite upset that this could be the case considering that we are still in September!  Anyway,  it is what it is,  unfortunate as that may be for all of the celebs here for TIFF ( although I must say I don`t feel too bad considering next month while I freeze they will be in FIGI or something!)  So, without any further adieu lets get to today`s question shall we?


" Jon,  How do I know when the right time to change my look is?  I am pretty bored of what I am currently wearing but just don`t know what else to do."

Well in that case I generally recommend giving something else a shot,  I mean I always say that it is hair and that we should try to have some fun with it.  The ideal situation would be that you take a look through some of the styles you see on others and get a feel for what it is you are thinking.  OR if you feel confident in your stylists abilities,  let them offer you some suggestions.  When looking to change I believe you should first assess what type of change you are looking for,  meaning do you want to push the envelope and really make a vast change or will the addition of bangs be enough for you to feel re-inspired?  The level of change that person is looking for MUST be assessed first,  because if you came to me and said I want a change I would try to get a read for what you were thinking first.  I mean is cutting it all off and dying it black what your`e  thinking or would you be happy to add a couple of different tones to what you already have and cut a shorter fringe?  That you need to answer first.  Then gather inspiration,  ask friends what they think,  or even go online and get a better idea of what is out there that you love.  When you have gathered your research,  your stylist will have to be on point to get you what you are looking for.  Hope that helped and please feel free to get back to me with any more questions at Dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Colour Your World!

Hello peoples! This is the longest summer ever! YES! Here is hoping it continues....  I hope you have all been taking in the sights and sounds of this year`s TIFF festival in Toronto.  I know I have having already seen two films that rocked!  Anyway I always feel so alive in Toronto at this time of year and feel generally proud to be a Torontonian experience the awesome time that TIFF is.  Having said that I decided that this year I was gonna try something with this whole TIFF Buzz.  We are going to post the look of a celebrity who is currently here everyday that this festival goes on!  Why Not?  Let us show you our favourite looks of TIFF!  Anyway,  keep your eyes peeled for that on our Facebook page!  But for now lets get to today`s question...


"Hi there,  I was wondering how to choose the right colour for my skin tone when going a little darker for fall?"




Well the first thing to assess is your skin tone.  If you are a person with pale skin the last thing you want to do is go too dark!  If you go too dark it will wash you out and make you look more pale and in some cases even slightly older!  Crazy I know!  But true.  What you want to bare in my is that you want to avoid too much of a contrast,  you never want to end up with a hair colour that is too severely opposite you skin tone ( Unless of course you are Kate Beckinsale who can pull off literally anything!)  You always want to try and compliment your natural tone,  so when going darker if you have a lighter skin tone maybe add a very soft Balayage of a lighter complimentary tone that just meshes in.  An example of that would be...

If that is not the case and you have a warmer skin tone (Latino, Greek, Italian etc...)  then your natural tone is going to fall somewhere in and around the darker and warmer tones anyway which will allow you to stay a bit darker while still complimenting your skins glow.  Either way I would have to say that a good consultation with your colourist is ALWAYS the best way to choose and that if you can please, please, please avoid doing it on your own!  And,  don`t be scared to be a bit daring!... adding a soft blended highlight of any tone just brightens the whole look up a bit more!

Cool BEANS gets a do!

BEAN! Who on earth does n`t LOVE BEAN! I mean I think this guy is an absolute Classic! He has that uncanny ability to mess up even the most simple of things. That is his skill in comedy anyway is n`t it? His ability to just make an absolute mockery out of getting ready for work, or even taking his car to the mechanic! I think what made him timeless is that he showcases everyday average moments in life that he managed to absolutely destroy by being a complete and utter numbskull! Anyway as one would imagine his skills are not adverse to a barber, in this episode he shows us how a mistake in identity can make for a really, really bad hair experience! Check out this vid and have yourself a real laugh!

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!

Hey everyone! I hope your all geared up for the weekend and that its already gotten off to a positive start! Tonight on Saturday Night Lights, Camera Askin!! I review a great question I got this week. "What is the difference between Mask and Conditioner?" To be honest that is one that is slightly more difficult to answer in that technically they are the same thing... (Kind of) anyway hope I got to the point as I explain it the best I could! ...Enjoy.

Timing Is Everything...

WOW we have a hot day here today!  Amazing that we are into September and even though the days are obviously getting shorter we at least still have some really hot weather out there!  It feels today like its 30 degrees out there!  Hopefully this is a sign of things to come over the next month and a half,  we get that stretched out summer we all love.  Today I have a pretty good question to answer for you all so here we go!

"I`m trying to grow my hair out a little longer and am a wondering when the right time to come in for a cut again is.  I was at the salon about three weeks ago and was told I should be there in six weeks,  so I guess I would like some confirmation from you.  Is it normal to get your hair cut every six weeks if you want it to grow?  I have a long bob currently and would love to grow it out long,  Thanks for your response."

The simple answer is NO!  Just like you cannot tailor a suit that fits every man perfectly,  you cannot tailor a women`s hair cut schedule.  I generally recommend to my clients that they book they`re cuts every 8-12 weeks for that very reason.  Although your stylist is correct in telling you that your ends need maintaining if you want your hair to grow,  the timeline (for me) seems a little off.  When I have a guest who is trying to let it grow out I generally recommend that they stay as far away as possible from me for as long as they can.  Although your ends should be neat in order to see your new length growing in,  hair DOES NOT GROW FROM YOUR ENDS!  It grows from your roots!  My best advice would be that you should eat clean and get all your vitamins and then stay away and wait until you just can`t deal with the ends anymore.  When that time arrives you need to see your stylist fro a MILD trim to tidy the ends and continue to allow that new length to come in.  Lighten up you're styling a little and don`t fuss much with your hair,  this has its place in helping new growth also.  Hope this helped out,  and that you end up with luscious "Pantene" like flowy locks!

Don`t Rush! Pick The RIGHT Brush!

Hey guys,  hope you found yesterdays video post as hilarious as I did when I first saw it!   I think I need to take it back a little more serious today.  I know you all love the videos and interactive stuff BUT I think you really  would prefer some help with your hair.  I think the majority of our readers would prefer to hear about some good tips and advice,  well let`s be honest they probably would just prefer I move in and do it everyday!  Here we go with today`s question....

"Hi there I was just curious about what brush I should be using when blowing out my hair.  I have a bob cut currently and my stylist dries it with a flat brush that has white bristles.  He always seems to get it laying just right and I was wondering if I had trouble because I was using the wrong brush?  I have a round brush that I use.  What do you think?"

I think that to be honest you would have an incredibly hard time using a Denman brush ( which is what the flat brush with white bristles is called)  to dry your bob.  The stylists will always make that look easy because we have done it 1,000,000 times!  The Denman was the original brush used by Vidal Sassoon when he created the bob in the first place,  and it is an optimal tool to use when used correctly.  However,  if you do not have experience with it it can be difficult to get your hair to sit under well.  I recommend sticking with the tool you are more comfortable with ( the round brush) because it will achieve a great result and you can duplicate what he did with ease.  OR come visit me and I will give you lessons for like 2 years on how to use the Denman (haha)  anyway,  thanks for your question and have a GREAT day!

Keep Your Strands To Yourself!

Another funny, funny ad I had to show you guys! This one will get all of you out there that over use your conditioners laughing. There is such thing as using too much conditioner on your hair after shampooing and in all fairness I think this is the best depiction I have seen of what it looks like when you do. I found this commercial hilarious for multiple reasons, One is that we are in Canada so something like this would NEVER make it on to our T.V stations. The other is that I am in the industry and therefore have been lucky enough to have to try and wash your hair out after you have used this much! It just gets to be a little too ga Reesy! ( Little Encino man there for anyone who cares) so this vid had me in stitches. Check it out and tell me what you thought!

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!!

Here we are again guys with another episode of Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!! And this one had to be especially good considering the fact that this weekend is a longer one! My ugly mug has to be up there just a little longer on the blog this week! Anyway hope you enjoy it as I touch on the difference between flat ironing and blow drying your hair straight. Believe it or not one is worse for your hair than the other... Check Out This Vid!

The Right DO 4 U!!!

Hey Guys and Gals!  Ready for the long weekend?  Sad to say the last long weekend of the summer,  But at least it looks like we are gonna have some nice weather.  Anyway I for one am super pumped and ready to get together with my peeps and have a great time!  Anyway,  today we have a question that comes to us from Louise in Toronto!  So let`s get to it!

Hi!

I'm a huge fan of your blog (and your salon - shout out to my fabulous hair stylist Ryan at Y&E).  I've been growing my hair for my upcoming wedding, however afterwards I'm really looking to cut it.  It's not that I don't love the long hair, but with my crazy busy schedule, I never seem to find Me time to actually do anything with it and it ends up in a pony tail.  I find when my hair is shorter, I'm forced to actually style it each morning.  

Today you posted a blog about bangs for round faced people.  I am one of those round face individuals, but instead of the bang question I have a question about cutting my hair shorter. Now I don't want to go pixy cut short, but was looking for more of a just about the shoulder length, however from what I've heard, cutting it just above the shoulder isn't the most flattering look for us round faced individuals. 

Any advice or suggestions?  I know Ryan will give me fantastic advice when I go and see him next, but I just wanted to do my research first!

Thanks,
Louise

AMAZING QUESTION!!!  Thank you for asking it Louise!  Okay so I personally feel as though there are two lengths that are a NO GO for round faced individuals. The first being chin length,  there is absolutely not one cut I feel is worse for a lady with a round face shape!  When you place the emphasis of the cut (being its overall baseline or length) right at your chin (the roundest part of your face shape) you are doing the opposite of what you are looking for.  The other cut which is the on that you are inquiring about Louise is the other.  The reason I don`t love this cut is multi facetted!  In that I generally don`t love the length as I find it boring and for lack of a better term (Mommyish)  I know its a terrible thing to say for all the moms out there,  But try to understand what I mean.  Jennifer Aniston ruined everyone when she coined the look in the nineties!  I just find it a standard everyday unflattering length on most women let alone those with round face shapes.  My recommendation to you Louise is to hit the middle ground,  Not chin length OR slightly above shoulder length but MID NECK LENGTH.  So literally have the sassy bob finish in the mid point of your neck,  with a gradual slope and some mild layering through the bottom to get it to sit nicely under.  AHHH My fave compromise!  Short hair that isn`t too short AND compliments a round face shape!  Hope the Pic above helps make it clear if I have n`t already, and maybe slightly, slightly shorter?  Thanks again for your question,  please feel free to send and others my way at dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

C`mon Baby... Let`s Do The Twist!

Hey Folks! Hope everyone is well and dry on this rainy rainy day. I think that slowly and steadily this awesome summer is passing us by :(
As much as I am gonna hate that, at least we have had a beautiful one filled with sun and fun! Well, it`s not over yet and as I am writing this the sun has just come out again! Anyway let`s get to today`s Million Dollar question!


"Hi Jon, I have started to take notice of this trend that we are so obviously living out right now, and that is VINTAGE! Its all over the place, from furniture and nic-naks, to clothing and accessories it is everywhere. My favourite "old-time" hair style is the french roll and I was wondering if you had any videos that I could watch to help me learn how to do one on myself? Thanks and keep it up, I have really enjoyed reading and watching your content."


You Are In LUCK !!! We DO have a video that showcases exactly that! Lindsay Plaskett is one of our most senior stylists at our Yonge and Eglinton location. She is not only a phenomenal stylist for other people but also is AMAZING at styling her own! Anyway I have to have you take a look at this video because I am astonished that it is exactly what you asked me about! I think you will take a lot out of this vid and I hope you master it after this! Thanks again for your kind words and I hope to keep you interested in our content. Thank you for your continued readership.