Big It UP!!!

Hey Guys,  Hope you are all gearing up for a fun and fabulous weekend with friends and family!  Anyway today we`ve got another question to get to that I think you will all enjoy,  so... Here we go!


" Hi Jon!  I am just curious if you knew of any products that would be able to help me get some more volume and fullness in my fine hair?"

For sure I can!  We at evoke carry multiple lines of professional product in both of our locations.  I for one can say that having worked with all of them there are a couple of products that I feel will benefit you in different ways.  The first one is in the Rockaholic line of products by Tigi,  and is called Your Highness.  Now this is not one particular product but a range of four or five.  I do think that you would benefit from the whole line because they all provide great results for different reasons.  The one I love most though would be the Thickening gel.  I find that on fine hair it really works to create lift all over and not weigh the hair down.  This is all over volume that will last all day!

The other one is a product that you can apply all over in spray form and that is awesome for the days you do nothing with your hair and just want that thick gritty sea side feel.  The product I am referring to is called Davines Sea Salt Spray.  we love this product for all the right reasons, it works, is relatively affordable for its size, and is easy (really easy) to use in that you spray it in and let your hair dry!  Hope These ideas helped and let me know if you have any more questions at dimauro.jon@gmail.com

What A BANG!!!

Today is another great day for a blog entry... everyday is! Anyway today i`ve got a question from Linda in Toronto who wants to know if I have any ideas for her bangs... Do I?! OOOH YEAH I DO!


"Hi there, I was wondering if you had any ideas for a funky bang? I have worn bangs for ten years and am bored of the same old style. I want something fresh and trendy!"


Okay well we have just the right idea in mind, and it comes to us courtesy of Ergys Tafilica at evoke Salon`s Yonge and Eglinton location. Ergys has been creating some pretty funky looks recently and really outdid himself with this awesome makeover recently. He not only created an asymetrical shape with really short areas, he topped it off with one of the coolest fringes I have seen in a while! Wicked cut and a beautiful feel.... Looks like Linda needs to make the trip up to Midtown!

Flat It OUT!

Hey Folks! Today we have a question from Candace in Milton. Its a great question because its one that we all ask a lot!


"Do I need to Blow dry with a brush before I flat iron?"

The answer to this question depends on a couple of different factors. If you have extremely thick curly dense hair with lots of frizz then I would say yes. The difference is that yopu want to try and avoid excess hot tool damage, so we try to encourage our guests to not use the brush first because its extra tool usage on your hair. If you can avoid that middle step and go straight on with your hot iron then you can cut the damage in half. However, if you have got thick curly and dense hair then in order to get it that straight you may need to get it smooth with a brush first. Ideally you would want to be able to just rough dry your hair and start running a comb and flat iron through if possible. Hope that helped and that you are getting geared up for this awesome upcoming long weekend! Send me your questions folks to dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin !!!

Hey Everyone! I hope you`ve all had an amazing week, and that you guys are ready for a smashing weekend! Anyway just before you get it all going check out this week`s Saturday Night segment!

Sexy Shape!

So today I am gonna address a question that I thought was really sweet, Kendra in Hamilton asked if I could showcase any of the makeovers that we have done in salon. I thought that was sweet because she followed that up with a "Show me some great stuff before I come down and see you guys!" Anyway, I thought that was nice of her to take an interest in what we do in our salons! So here is her question and our answer and makeover!


" Hey Jon, you guys seem to have a lot going on in your salons! I was curious if you had any videos of makeover haircuts that you or your staff have done recently and are proud of ?"


As a matter of fact we do! Priya Rampersaud who works out of our Yonge and Eglinton location did a phenomenal job making over one of her clients. We caught it on video and I will show it to you in case you had never seen it before. It is an INCREDIBLE change! As her guest decided it was time to take it short for a change. Check Out this cool makeover!

Stay Smooth!

Hey everyone! Hope the week is winding down well for all of you,  and that you have BIG happy plans for this sunny weekend.  Let`s get to today`s question shall we? 

"Hi Jon,  and thanks for taking the time to look at my question!  I have a full head of Crazy thick, curly, coarse hair,  can you recommend a product that can help me control some of the frizz I am experiencing with this humid weather? Thanks."

I sure can, we at the salon have really started using one product for this referal on a regular basis.  When I tell you about this product and ones like it you may have a chuckle.  We have been referring straightening products for clients that have wavy or curly hair and want to keep it smooth in this crAzy humidity.  I know it sounds weird to refer a straightening product to someone who is trying to shape their curl but the science behind it makes sense.  Straightening products are designed to get hair smooth and keep it there because of their built in anti-humectants,  so most clients feel that you should only use a straightening product when straightening.  However, BECAUSE of their anti-humectants they make great frizz tamers and smoothening products!  They work like a charm on ladies with curly hair on hot days because all you have to do is apply it on wet hair and let it dry right in,  thus keeping your hair shafts closed and smooth as they dry! AWESOME!  and it really does work.  So think about it, ANY line that has a straightening product in it can suffice.  Any product that says smoothening serum, or straightening balm, or relaxing cream ...etc.  We at our salon in Bloor West swear by a product by Davines Haircare called Relaxing Fluid,  its great and works like a charm! Check It Out,  and let me know what you thought at dimauro.jon@gmail.com.

Who Said They Had More Fun?

Hey everyone! I hope you're all having a GREAT week so far and that you've been enjoying our recent blog posts. If you've missed any, today seems to be the perfect day to catch up because no one wants to be out side in this rain! So,  lets get caught up and get to today`s question!


"Hi there, my name is Jessie and I am thinking of making a real change to my hair colour. Would you recommend I come in for a consult first? I want to get away from the blond tone I currently have and go a little deeper."


YES! Consultations are always something that a good hairdresser will recommend you do before booking any type of large change. I personally recommend to clients that you also come prepared, i.e., have images, tones, and even shapes that you like available to discuss with your stylist. This is the best way to ensure you guys cover all areas of the topic and have a clear understanding of what to expect. I have taken the liberty of adding a video for you to check out, I think it`s a fitting showcase of what we do here at evoke salon. Hope this helped you out and let us know when you're ready! Remember that you can always send me your questions to dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Screw It !!!

Alright I think we have a pretty helpful blog entry today for everyone who is interested. I got asked an awesome question that I feel will help quite a few of you out there when it comes to your hair maitanance. So, without any further adieu let`s get to today`s hot question:


" Hi my name is Jennifer and I am a local Toronto girl with a whack load of hair! Can you give me any advice on how I can easily put this mess up?! I mean I need to use like 100 bobby pins every time I leave the house. Any advice would be much appreciated".

Okay the first thing I have to say is that you are a local girl right? Which means you are close to our salons?  So why on earth are you leaving the house everyday with your hair up?!


Alright,  in all seriousness I do have some advice for you, I recently used a product that I think is brilliant and will help avoid the use of the 100 bobby pins! Its called the spin pin, and its a phenom that any lady with your amount of hair will fall in love with! These pins are used to hold a lot of hair up at once. They do it with a patented shape that you spin into a large bunch of hair. Amazingly enough these pins replace the equivalent of 20 bobby pins at once! That is CRAZY in itself, and now that I think about it they are a green, effective and cost effective way of achieveing the same effect as a lot more pins would. The funny thing is that they are available at most retailers of hair care products including Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws! They are made of metal and are produced by Goodie. They sell packages of two for like six bucks! The best six bucks that you my dear will EVER spend. Check these things out cause they really do work! Hope that helped Jenn!

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin !!!

Here we go folks another segment for your Saturday night enjoyment! Hopefully you love this one! I talk about natural hair colours and products and why we have yet to see more and more salons adopt their use. Check It Out!

Splitting up with Splits!

Ahhh yes,  a topic that I haven`t been asked about in a really long time...

Yeah Right! You guys are constantly fixated on your splits! This is a topic I discuss with 2 out of 5 of my guests (for the sake of averages anyway). Split ends are something so many clients want help with it doesn't surprise me that today we have a question about them. 

" Hey is there any way to help prevent split ends? I know I can get regular haircuts but what about in between."

That`s Awesome! Obviously your stylist is going to be the one who says that more frequent cuts will control your splits!  Anyway the truth is yeah, cutting your hair more often reduces splits (you never give them a real chance to form!)  However that`s not the only way to help. You can also try slathering some conditioner on your ends before jumping in the shower, this will keep them safe from the shampoo stripping natural oils away from them.  Another way to help is to look into using a split end mending serum.  These products are great because they allow you to moisturize while your on the go, and are generally made up of leave in conditioners that are meant to be applied on dry hair.  Hope that helped and I look forward to hearing from you. Send me your questions at dimauro.jon@gmail.com

Relax! Don`t get all tangled up!

Hey guys! Hope you`re all doing well! Today we have a question that comes to us from Julie in Toronto. Julie asked about putting her hair up by herself, whether or not we had any advice in that regard. Check it out...

"Hi, I have this Crazy straight hair and no clue what to do with it! I try and put it up by myself and always seem to have it fall out because I cannot for the life of me figure out what works to get it to stay! AAAAAGGGHH! Anyway a little help please :( "


So I figure the best way to help in this case is to show you a video that Ashley put together here at our Bloor St. West location. This vid should help you at least achieve the Topsy Tail! I am soo sorry that you are having all this trouble! Anyway the topsy is a great look that is easy to achieve and is ideal for straight hair, because your natural texture should show through. I hope you have an easy time of this and that putting your hair up and getting it to stay gets that much easier!

REAL Heat!

Hey Everyone!  We have another great question today that hopefully turns into a blog entry you all love! well, or at the least enjoyed reading ;)


"Hi, my name is Lisa and I would like to start by saying thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions! I am sure your clients love it as much as I do.  Anyway I was curious as I just bought a new flat iron,  how hot I can go when straightening?  My iron gets to 410 degrees and I am unsure of how safe that is for my hair.  Should I be using a lower temperature more often, or a higher temp and fewer passes? Thanks!"

Okay, this is a question I get asked a lot!, not just concerning flat ironing and straightening but also when clients use curling or waving irons.  The answer to this is largely based on basic science,  in that the fewer times you pass over a hair section with an extremely hot tool,  the less damage is created on that section.  I personally tell my guests that you are better off using a tool at its hottest temperature fewer times on each piece than vice-versa.  I recommend pre drying all of your hair to completely dry and then going through section by section one time on each piece,  this will minimize damage and create a smoother more polished finish. When curling however you will need to take the middle step and pass a brush through your hair while blowdrying,  this will create an overall smoother finish before you shape your curls with the irons. So Lisa crank that thing up to 410, just use it sparingly! 
Hope that helped out and thanks for your great question! Keep them coming at dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Our show on the Road!

Hey everyone! Thank you for your continuos support! Soo many questions I love it! Thank you soo much!
Anyway now that I got that off my chest! Lets get to today`s question, which I might add was an amazing one that came in from Jessica in Leslieville.


"Jessica asked I know this is a random question but what is the weirdest place you guys have ever cut hair?"


Well, that question has 1000 answers! In all honesty we are not exactly "normal" stylists at evoke specifically because we LOVE hair and cannot get enough of it! I personally have cut hair in some pretty crazy spots like, club washrooms, right on Yonge St., and even in a restaurant! But the video I am about to show you takes the cake, as J and I were paying a visit to his favourite music store on QueenSt. W Steve`s Music. What was amazing was that we walked into the records room and found these two girls behind the sales counter cutting each others hair! So naturally we figured it was a sign and we should take over!....

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!!

Hey guys I hope you`ve all had a great week and are gearing up for an even better weekend. Let`s get you started out with a segment that talks about colour shampoos and conditioners and their usages. I got this question and thought, "Yeah, that is a topic that needs addressing". So I figure what better way than on Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin! So here it is guys check out this helpful video hope you get something from it!

CUT IT OFF Baby!!!

Alright, so I was asked a great question yesterday and feel like I need to share this one with all of you who are on the verge of cutting all your hair off! Okay maybe their aren`t that many of you cutting it all off to share this with but their could be after! Anyway today`s question pertains to change, something most clients have a hard time with when it comes to their hair. That is precisely why most of us LOVE watching makeover`s but not BEING made over! Its always easier watching someone else do it!


" Hi there I was wondering if you had any advice for me. I have VERY long hair and am thinking of cutting a lot of it off, I really like long hair still but would love some change any ideas?"


I am a Stylist OF COURSE I have ideas! But... so did Leslie Martin at our Yonge and Eglinton location when she was asked the same question, OH YEAH she had an answer alright!

NEW!!!

So I decided that today I would take the opportunity to let you guys know that I changed the set up of our video sections above.  We now have organized groupings of all our videos and have updated them to include everything we have posted on Youtube.  We have included a section dedicated to our Satuday Night Lights, Camera, Askin! section,  along with a section dedicated to Testimonials and celebrity video.  I feel like the best way to get you guys involved in the sights and sounds that make evoke unique is to create great video footage for you to experience!  So we as a team have created quite a few videos to keep you abreast of what it is that a truly inspired hair team does on a regular basis.  The video sections above are broken up in four categories ( Yes we have THAT many vids!)  The first section is Video and is self explanatory.  In the Video section we will house all the videos that do not fit into another section (i.e. videos that we take at cool hair shows or when we perform an AWESOME makeover!)  Then we have a section for Tutorial videos,  self explanatory yet again!  All things educational can be found here, and believe me you will ALL love the knowledge shared.  We then have our Testimonial/Celebrity video section,  An area that mixes great testimonials from clients and celebrity clients alike.  Lastly we have our Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin section,  and for all of our regular readers out there this area is where you can recap Saturday`s video tip!  
Hopefully you all see the value in this new set up and enjoy the content that can be found there.  Thanks for reading guys,  and we love interacting with you!

GET A GRIP !

Hi Guys!  Hope everyone is enjoying this BEAUTIFUL summer weather we are having! I know I am!  Hope you are all doing well,  and spending good time with family and friends along with your hair of course!  Anyhoo, today we`ve got a question that came in from Jeremy in Toronto,  yes that`s right one for the boys today!


"Hey thanks for your daily hair advice,  my wife really loves reading your stuff.  Today though,  its me who has the question that needs an answer!  I am curious about product and have been looking for a good gripping mud for some time.  I used to use this stuff back home and I can`t get it here it was called Grip Glue.  Anyway, what i`m looking for is a dry matte hold,  preferably mud style texture any suggestions?"

YES!!! I do have suggestions considering that is exactly the style of product I love to use myself!  Anyway my long term love affair has always been with American Crew Fiber.  I absolutely love the stuff!  The smell, texture, and control are in my opinion unmatched.  It has a yellowish tinge and is a very matte dry finish.  Great control and texturizing capability come with tis product that is available for a relatively low price between $15- $25 dollars.  Its one of the oldest mud`s and you know what they say... "They don`t make products like they used to".

Good Bye Frizz Monster!

Considering that we have some warm weather finally I knew it was just a matter of time until all the ladies who have curl realized that... straightening right now is useless! (haha) Now trust me I am aware of the fact that this is quite painful for all of you out there that have an issue with your curls. I get it! But at the same time there is nothing you can do, any form of curl you have WILL form in humid weather. You can try all day to straighten but if I were you... I would save the energy. So anyway here is the question I received, hope it enlightens...


"Hi my name is Lisa and this question is one I know you have been asked before! I know because I am not the only girl out there trying to straight hair out of crazy curls. Unlike some ladies I am okay to wear my curl as long as it is smooth and frizz free, so my question is... Can you help me get frizz free curls?!"


Alright, I could try and explain OR just let Nicola Dupont our featured artist today out of our Yonge and Eglinton shop do the talking with her hands!

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin !!!

So here we have it guys week 9 of Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!! I am amazed that 9 weeks have already passed! Anyway tonight I cover a question regarding blow drying. Muriel asked if I had any techniques or tricks I could share that would make her life easier in the morning... Check It Out!

DAMN STRAIGHT !!!

Hi Everyone!
Okay so I was asked a question this week regarding Keratin Hair Treatments. Yes, these are the same as the Brazilian Treatment that everyone is talking about. These treatments are amazing! Anyway here is the question that came in from Meredith in Orangeville...


"Hi, and thanks for taking the time to respond to my question. I have a dear friend who like me has a tonne of really curly, coarse, thick hair and she just had the Keratin treatment done. She is absolutely enthralled by this treatment and thinks its just the greatest thing since sliced bread! How do you feel about these treatments and the news surrounding them?"


Okay, what I will say is that I have heard a lot of talk regarding these treatments and potential health scares associated. The concern is that most of these Keratin treatments have a certain amount of Formaldahyde built in to their chemical composition. This undoubtably is not the healthiest of all chemicals we can inhale or have applied to our scalp. However there is NO REAL PROOF that long term Keratin treatments cause Cancer or any other serious health conditions. On a side note I wonder how many of the people voicing these concerns are smokers who are inhaling that same chemical? Regardless I understand that many of us will be uneasy about using any products that can even be questioned. What is NOT up for discussion at all is whether or not the treatments work! Unbelievable results are being had from using these treatments. There is NO BETTER WAY to achieve smooth, silky, long lasting straightness! Whether or not you choose to go with the same service Meredith I can promise that when it comes to ease of styling (especially in this humidity) a Keratin Treatment will make your life a whole lot easier! I hope you found my answer helpful and I encourage you to continue to send me any questions you may have to dimauro.jon@gmail.com. Anyway, I will show a great video of one we did at our Yonge St. location to give you a taste of the effect... enjoy.

Shave It Off !!! I Dare You!

So I was asked a very basic question the other day which I thought was a great one. I was asked what I thought was the trendiest look out there right now. An awesome question because I really feel like the latest video we put out there as a salon kinda answers that question for me all at once! Here is the exact question and our video answer!...


"Hi my name is Jessica, I live right here in Toronto and I have started to see quite a few funky cuts on the street. I am the type of girl who loves to do edgy looks and was just curious what you thought the latest trend was for cuts?"


I think this video will definitely answers Jess` question well! Check it out and email me your questions at dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Vitamins!!!! They Make a Difference!

Today we have a question coming in from Lindsay in Oakville, Ontario.  Lindsay voiced a concern regarding the density of her hair and how if possible she could get more strength, health, density, and vitality out of her hair.  Here is Lindsay`s question and our answer!...

"Okay so my hair never progressed from the baby hair stage!  I have the thinnest, limpest, baby fine hair in the world and am dying to know if you have any tips on how I can make it fuller and stronger.  There isn`t anything I can do with this and i`m scared that at this rate by 40 their won`t be any left! "

Okay Lindsay I will start by being direct.... 

What you were given is what you have :(

However that does not have to be a bad thing! I would love the opportunity to work with your hair! I am only 40mins away in Bloor West Village! 

Okay in all seriousness I DO respect the client hairstylist relationship but I would have to see you shape to see if there was anyway of progressing it.  Having said that there are things you can do on your own to make a change.  First and foremost I recommend that if you are not currently eating a lot of meat and other protein rich foods then you kick up your intake.  There are a lot of ways to get those nutrients from foods, like Hemp Oil or even Pumpkin Seeds.  The main ingredient you are looking to take from those foods is B vitamins! They are so important in relation to healthy hair, skin and nails! B Vitamins, B vitamins, 

B vitamins!  Anyway If you are already in the loop and doing these things then it could be that your hair requires a different shape to create lift.  Let me know if you have any more questions and I hope that helped Lindsay thanks!