Bringing Back The Warmth...

I think we are all trying to warm up or something!   The amount of young ladies coming in to the shop over last couple of weeks asking for warmer reddish/ coppery tones is CRAZY!  I have to say though that we are truly loving it.  These tones are always so much fun to create because you get the opportunity to test out your colour line.  These are the tones that tell you what kind of colour your product of choice can really produce.  It takes a lot of pigment depth and shine to create a really impressive red tone.  Yesterday I posted one that was done on the weekend by our up and coming talented Alanna Janes at our Bloor Street location.  The vibrancy was amazing and she had some phenomenal dimension and shine to the colour (the stuff that makes a colour great).  


I think the trend started to really kick into full effect in the late summer month of August when we started to notice a lot more requests for warm and rich copper tones.  Everyone seemed to be looking for that auburn look (maybe it was Rihanna rich red that started it out).  Anyway since then it has taken off in our shops as more and more guests are coming in looking to go back to these shades.  This makes us really happy in our colours departments as we are always up for a challenge and are pumped by our results!

Why So Squeaky?!!!

I heard a client the other day say "Wow that shampoo really made my hair squeaky, eh?" the perception of what our hair should sound like seems to be very important to you guys.  The important thing to remember is that there are many factors to our perceptions.  When we have always used certain types of products on our hair we are accustomed to what they make our hair feel like.

As an example,  I am pretty sure that there aren`t very many of you out there that are currently using river water,  berries, lemon, and gelatine to wash your hair.  In early times these were very common cleansing concoctions mixed by women when attempting to wash their hair.  Nowadays we are way to comfortable with that silky softy feeling that we think must come with every single wash.  Problem is we aren`t willing to look into what exactly it is that is formulating that softness.  

Let`s take a look at a couple of things here... 1)  Your hair shaft is a natural fibre,  2) You have probably used some form of colour or chemical service on it in the last two years,  3) You probably hot style your hair at least one or two or more times a week,  4)  When you have it style you probably use some form of styling aid either when it was wet or when you finished the look.  All of these factors lead to one very important fact... Your fibre is being ruffed up.  When our natural hair fibres are ruffed up or compromised we can expect a dryer hair shaft,  the only reason your hair feels any "better" is because you just slathered it with silicone.  99.9% of shampoos on the market place currently use some form of slicking agent (anything that makes the hair feel silky) to "re soften" the cuticle layer.  The problem is you aren't re softening at all,  you are masking the real condition of your hair!  This all came up ironically when I used a local, certified organic, vegan, gluten free shampoo and conditioner system on that guest.  Funny... we are all starting to worry a bit more about what it is we put in our bodies (organic food, boycotts of fast food chains, etc...) but we haven't yet realized that when we slather on the silicone we aren't worrying about what we are putting ON our bodies!

In Summary,  when we lose the chemicals and start to care about what we`re putting on our bodies,  we may find that the transition can have a few squeaks in it.  If and when we stick it through,  it all gets silky yet again.

Colour For Lift And Volume?

Hey Everyone,  I hope your all staring to pull out those big Parkas and prepare for old man winter!  (Brrr Its cold out there!)  I for one have already started to curl up like an old man when walking outside.  Today I am gonna get back to   answering a question because I feel like it has been a while since I have done so.


"Hello,  I was wondering if you could tell me whether or not this is true;  I have heard from countless friends and even stylists that the best way to get extra volume on my fine hair is to colour it?  They say that it makes your hair thicker,  what is your opinion of that?  Thanks"


That is true,  it does definitely make your hair thicker.  The reason for that I don`t really like though!  What happens is that when your fine hair has been coloured it has had its cuticle layer damaged.  They way standard professional hair colour works is that when you were to have say a Highlighting service we go in with a "Pre-Lightener" (bleach)  and we strip your natural darker colour out of your hair shaft.  Then, when that colour is removed we find a nice new tone at that new level and apply a toner to even everything out.  The act of bleaching as one would imagine is not the most gentle on your hair`s condition,  the cuticle (the hair`s outer layer) is ruffed up by this procedure.  That is not however the only damaging part.  Even applying a solid colour can and will rough up the cuticle layer.  And although that rougher texture will help create lift and height in your fine hair,  the amount of conditioner you will need to get it feeling soft again cancels it out!  Give it a real thought before starting to colour because once you start,  stopping becomes very difficult.  Another way to get lift in your fine hair is to try root lifting agents like Powder lift by Eufora Or Dust It by Schwarzkopf.  They work wonders on fine hair and help to minimize oils and dirt build up.  

20`s , 30`s She`s Got It Nailed!!

I have been finding that a lot of the hair tutorial work I see on Youtube is extremely well done. Every time I go out there and check the web for cool hair tutorials to share with you I stumble across someone else who is doing it very very well! Today is no different, Today I came across this girls Youtube channel and thought, WOW she really has this down well. She extremely talented and showcases some phenomenal work, especially in the Vintage/ Pin up categories. I thought that the way in which the video was put together in the first place was also very cool. Anyway check out this vid and let me know what you think at dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Cool hair Vid man!

Something fun and light for cold November day! I am currently taking drawing classes and so I am a real fan all things drawing right now! Anyway as I scoured Youtube in search of educational videos on drawing I came across this video that tied both of these worlds together! I thought it was cool and wanted to share it with you all, I hope you enjoy it because I was amazed at how simple he made it look and how nicely it was finished. Anyway check it out!

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!!

Here we are again guys, Saturday Night!!!!! This one is special because its HALLOWEEN!!! I decided to make this one a little spookier... unintentionally with the mannequin. She`s kinda scary! But I will tell you that she was very helpful in the making of this vid! Anyway check out this vid for some help on how to apply a mattyfying powder to the scalp for volume. Check Out This Vid!

A Cut From The Heart... Thank You All!

I first of all would like thank everyone who came out and supported us this past sunday!  It was a fantastic success!  I would like to thank those of you who sent checks in the mail even though you were unable to here in person.  Your thoughts and donations were hugely appreciated by the Spencer family!  In total through cutting donations, T-shirt sales and raffle tickets sold we were able to raise an AMAZING $2107.00!!!!!!  

I would like to send out special thanks to Nature Clean for their donations,  support,  and the wonderful prizes they were able to help us put together!  Most importantly though,  from the bottom of my heart I would really, really like to thank the staff of evoke for donating soo generously of their family time on Sunday.  This cut a thon would not have been possible without the hands we had cutting!  Guys you are truly appreciated by us and mostly by the Spencer family!

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!

So here we go again folks! Its Saturday Night!!! So we have questions coming like crazy and tonight I decided to address one that I thought would really help the client who asked it. Tonight we are going to answer a question that I think a lot of people ask themselves. We were asked what the best bang to choose is for a round face shape. Check this vid out!

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.

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.  

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!

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!

Don`t FLIP Out!

Hey folks! We Are OFF! with another week of blogging for you to enjoy and we want to start the week of right today!. Hope you guys had beautiful weekends filled with time for family and friends. Anyway, I would like to extend my gratitude to our readers for staying engaged in what we do and actively contributing to the blog. Thanks for your readership and continuing to ask great questions that get me thinkin! So here we go with today`s question!...


" Hi Jon, I am having a real hard time working with my hair :( I seem to have this crazy flip happening on my right side and I have no idea why it always forms in the same place! Its crazy because it does n`t matter what I do to work with it, it always comes back! My hair is cut in a bob and it looks silly having one side tuck under really well while the other flips up like crazy. It looks like my hair is being blown with a gust of wind in one direction... Please help."

Funny because you have no idea just how often I am asked about this! Its even more often because it does n`t only relate to ladies wearing bobs. Rather it relates to ANY length of hair on ANY person! That`s right girls it also effects the guys! Anyway the reason that flip is forming is because we ALL have circular growth patterns that dictate which direction your hair will move in. Think back to the last time you took a look at the top of a baby`s head... Remember, remember that cute little swirl that formed in their crown? Well, as their hair gets longer (like yours did) the swirl just becomes more and more pronounced. All of the hair that grows back toward the crown area (back of your head) will tuck under beautifully, you won`t even have to work at it! BUT, the hair that grows forward (toward your forehead) that hair, THAT hair IS your problem. It will flip... that`s what it WILL do. It is the same scenario with 99.9% of my clientele. I have found over time that the BEST way to work with it is to trick it. What I mean is, try and trick the hair into believing that it actually grows the other way. We can achieve a more balanced style that does n`t flip as much if we blow out both sides in a backward direction. So, when drying the front area of you style you drag ALL of the hair, from the front of your hairline on both sides toward the back. As you stretch these sections toward the back ensure that you release them at the back by the nape and that will help to force it to tuck under better. Works for me ALL day, so there is no reason it won`t work for you!

Are You scared of the Dark?

Alright,  so this is how I know that we are getting closer to the fall,  When I start hearing the initial grumblings about whether or not its time to go dark!  Around this time ladies everywhere start to think about what colour they want to be over the fall season and into Christmas ( a great time for a hairstylist!)  So I was not surprised at all by the question I received from Sarah in Toronto,  lets take a look at it and I hope to answer some of your questions along the way!....


"Hey, I was just curious whether or not it was too early to get into a darker tone now?  Or should I wait a little longer until it gets a bit colder out?"

The answer to that question is simple... Do NOT RUSH SUMMER!  No in all seriousness it depends on your personal feeling.  I mean there was n`t really a reason to get away from the dark tones to begin with,  in that colour is very much a personal thing.  I feel like ladies should go slightly lighter in the spring but not sway to far because come this time of year most will want to go back to a warmer and deeper tone.  The amount of work required in going darker from that lighter shade,  and the amount it costs is lessened  if you haven't gone too much lighter.  However, at this time I have to say that yes (even though I am not ready for it)  the summer is winding down,  and if you are not planning to see your stylist again prior to October or even November than now is the time to deepen it up.  Gather some pics,  and prepare yourself for your visit as there are many deeper tones to choose from.  Also,  make sure that if your stylist is taking you a little darker they "fill" the hair shaft first to allow for better staying power in your colour.  Thanks again for your question Sarah and I hope to have answered it effectively!

Hairlarious!!!!!

Okay, every once in a while I get a tip about a video I have to check out on Youtube. When I hear about them they are usually pretty hilarious and end up on our blog. Today guys is NO different! I heard about this one from a client of mine who told me she almost wet herself when she saw it, so naturally I felt the need to look into it and see what all the fuss was about! When I took my first look at this vid I was in hysterics! I thought to myself that if I ever had a funny vid to post this was it! I mean I have clients like this! Anyway please take a minute to check it out because you won`t regret it!

We`re Ba ack!

Hey everyone!!!! 
So Happy to be back to the sunny and warm T.O!!!  Banff,  Jasper and the whole of the rockies is absolutely gorgeous! There is not a thing about that area that I did not enjoy.  The people are laid back and very relaxed ( you would be too if surrounded by breathtaking scenery!)  and the pace of life seems to move a little slower.  Although it is gorgeous it can get a little colder up there at that altitude and it is nice to get back to the heat!


Anyway without any further adieu lets get to today`s question!


"Hi there,  I was wondering if you could refer me a good product to use on fine hair that might help me get some more body and lift throughout the day?  I find that I can get it pretty full in the morning but by about 1pm its as flat as a board.  Something that can give me a little jolt mid day would be fabulous!"

Of course!  I must say that having worked as a stylist for 11 years in areas of the city that seem to have quite a few fine haired clients I see this a lot.  The most common complaint is exactly that,  volume is achieved at first but then disappears.  I will say this... Gravity sucks!  There is very little we can do to make hair that is supposed to fall flat stand up at attention!  However,  there have been some great progressions made in regard to volumizing products.  The objective is not so much to create body at the root as much as fullness everywhere,  and there are quite a few products that can "swell" your hair up!  I use the word swell because that is exactly what they do,  they swell the hair shaft making it seem fuller all over.  My favourite so far in this family of products is called "Dust it",  a talc powder that can make even the flattest hair seems huge!  You apply this product on dry hair by sprinkling a little into your palms,  emulsifying it slightly and then massaging it in all over.  The results are fantastic and the bottle is so small that keeping it in your purse because easy, care free,  and extremely beneficial!  This stuff has saved many of my clients from cutting it short in desperation so please give it a go... it works!


Thanks for your patience guys and hopefully you missed me as much as I missed you!

Dip It, Dip It Good!... da da da da... da da!

What is next?  What is hot?  What is Trending?...  Well,  this is what we are asked on a daily basis in salon.  Its what we as stylists try to stay on top of and what we feel it is our responsibility to know.  So when we are asked a question that relates to what is current we get excited enthusiastic and just overall pumped to share that with you!  Today is gonna be no different... today I was asked the question that every trendy stylist wants to be asked!

"What is Hot right now Jon?  I am looking to do something edgy and funky with my colour so if you could recommend anything what would it be?"

YEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!  I got asked!! Awesome!  Okay so when it comes to trends there are so many different things we could talk about!  The mere thought of it excites the crap outta me!  But,  what she really wants to know about is colour.  I mean in my world and in the world of most hair stylists the two go hand in hand but alright then I guess I can just focus on the one :(  Anyway,  trends are ever changing,  trends are created and re-created every single minute!  But when it comes to what I think is hot right now no doubt its Tie dye hair colour!  Ever since Miss Conrad (Lauren that is) decided it would be a good idea to redo this hot 80's look women everywhere are going batty for tie dye.  It is a hot look that can be achieved relatively easily and can change and be progressed with ease.  Anyway in salon we are achieving this look by literally dipping the hair in dye,  its hilarious and a lot of fun.  Having said that you could probably achieve this at home with food colouring just as easily.  Its soo cool and takes very little to achieve and maintain.  Anyway as a piece of advice I recommend that you look into it and if its not too funky go for it! you won't regret it!  I mean look how beautiful the image above is!

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!

So did someone leave colour on your forehead? Because that is exactly what happened to Brenda on her last visit to the hair salon! As obviously silly as that sounds you would surprised at how many people that has happened to! Anyway, in this clip we answer Brenda`s question, and take a crack at making sure you NEVER get stuck in the same position!

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!!

HELLO!!!!! Hope all is well out there! Okay so tonight I answer a question that I think might interest you ladies looking for long flowy locks! That`s right... extensions! Anyway I`m gonna just get right down to it then, Check out this Vid! and then have a nice weekend!

All Knotted Up!

So today folks we have a question from a new mom! She tells me what most new mom`s do... That they have 0 time for sleep, let alone hair styling! I think we can help her out though, you guys be the judge and let me know what you think or ask your own question at dimauro.jon@gmail.com.


"Hi there, I have just been blessed with my first little bundle of joy and although any form of rest is hard to come by I am soo in love! One part of me that isn`t very happy with this new change is my hair, do you have any tips for quick ways I can throw my hair up? I feel like if I just knew a way to tie it up then I would`nt look so frumpy. Thanks for the tip in advance! :)"


I have to admit that due to the fact that I am a man, and more precisely a man with short hair I don`t have very much experience at putting my own hair up! BUT... Luckily I have just the right staff to help you out. This is Lindsay Plaskett showing off her skills and how! Check out the work she creates in this video using nothing but knots and a couple bobby pins!