Awkward...

This is the best way to waste your professional hair products and lose a lot of the friends you currently have! In all seriousness though this may be a great tip video for all the mums out there having a hard time getting the gunk out of their daughters favourite friend!

Epic Cat Battle... Oskar vs. The Hair Dryer!

Although this little kitten is absolutely adorable and somehow this made me laugh out loud, I gotta ask.... Is The Pet abuse?

Holy Caboki!

Okay this tripped me out when I saw it! How do you feel about this?





The Magic is Immense...

Christmas Do!

Check Out this great Christmas hair style tutorial by Lilith Moon, she does a phenomenal job and creates a very inspirational do!

Save Yourself the Grief!

So every once in a while there is a brilliant invention,  from the little pizza tables inside your delivered pizza ( You know the one that keeps the box from squishing it)  to the amazing Apple iPad.  There are also some great ones in the hair world like feather hair extensions and the TiGi curl stick which we have covered.  Today I am bringing you another one that we are absolutely thrilled with in the salon,  the particular one that I have chosen to post above is called the Tangle Teezer which was the original.  This brush is phenomenal!  There are different lengths of bristles which makes it easier to get to the tangles on the outer and inner layer of your hair at the same time ( BRILLIANT).  They were also intelligent enough to make the bristles flexible enough,  to ensure that the brush ALWAYS gets through your hair. 

We are selling these things like hot cakes in the shop and the sale is an easy one considering it saves time and damage!  A great tool that I recommend you all take a look at this holiday... It will make you very very happy you did!

Going Bald With Envy!

Even Bald Cats are jealous of luscious locks! Check It Out!

Looking For Some Feedback...

Hello guys I hope everyone is doing well out there and handling the weather shift well.   I wanted to chat with you today about drug store products.  I have been in this industry for 12 years now and seem to meet at least 5 guests a day that are cooked on their "Shoppers"  brand of choice.


My curiosity has led me to enquire with you all what exactly is it that gets you guys hooked?  Is it the television adverts that keep you going back every six weeks for that next shampoo and conditioner or what?  We know that it is not the most ideal product to be using on our hair,  we know that the shampoos and conditioners generally offer little to know actual nourishment for our hair shaft.  Is it price point driven?  that would make logistical sense however I feel that most guests are willing to pay for what they get.  It could be that the marketing behind big brands is so strong we forget that regardless of how professional they try to appear they are mass produced brands.  Gone are the days of people realizing that when a company makes everything in the world (from household cleaners to laundry detergent,  floor cleaner, windex AND hair products) they seldom make all well.  Traditional drug store brands are often only a few chemicals away from being the same formula as your floor cleaner yet we feel like they are enough to use on our scalps?  Anyway I don`t want to go on a rant here (hehe) I would love some feedback from you all to find out how we the professionals can market to you better,  and get you using products both you and your scalp can be proud of!

Sexy Gone Wrong!

This is what happens when you mix drugs, alcohol, bathtubs, bikini`s, and candles all together, that @%*! don`t go together!
Honestly one of the funniest videos I have seen on Youtube, sad because weaves are not cheap and neither is self esteem. She must have felt a little embarrassed after this because it came out of no where while she was attempting to look as sexy as anyone ever has. I don`t know I mean its rude to laugh and ever more shameful because I style the stuff for a living but wow this vid caught me off guard!
Check This one out, hope you enjoy a little chuckle at someone else`s expense from time to time...

The Loonie Bird!

Okay every once in a while you find a someone who defies logic with their actions. To be honest, I can`t say that I haven`t thought about doing this to one or two of clients before (only if they have TOOO Much hair!) but to see it done on someone with hair this gorgeous absolutely broke my heart. The worst part about it is that she didn't even have any remorse! This crazy chick woke up one morning and decided she wanted to be bald. I thought it was worth a watch and when I did I decided I needed to show you. Hope you found it as bizarre as I did!

YEAH BANGS!

Hey everyone!  Glad to be back behind the computer today answering your questions and sharing ideas!

Today we are gonna respond to a great question I got regarding bangs.  People seem to always have the same question when it comes to bangs,  so as you would imagine that makes my life pretty easy when it comes to giving them an answer!  Let me share that query with you today!....

"Hi Jon,  it has been a really long time since iv`e had bangs and I`m thinking about going at them again!   BUT before I do I need to know what you think is trending right now in the bangs world?!"

Okay bangs kinda do this funny thing to people,  in that they are either truly ready for bangs and are not shy to get right at it with an all out full bang.  OR they seem to take a short cut and go for more of a side swept fringe that is more subtle.  I think to look at what is trending is the right approach as long as you are on the front end of that statement and are ready to sport a full bang.  Otherwise you are probably better off sticking to the fringe because it`s the safer bet.  Now,  having said that if you are ready than full bangs are super trending right now and have been for a little while.  They don`t seem to be on the way out at all and that`s a great thing considering I love them!  I have attached a pic of the type of bang I am talking about for your enjoyment,  It all however depends on facial shape,  hair length and texture along with how much styling your`e willing to do!  Hope that was helpful and that you go for it!!!!

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!

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!

Hey Hey VK !

So from time to time even the most dedicated of bloggers has to take a trip no?  I mean I really am gonna have a hard time not blogging over the next 10 days or so but... I need a VK too!  So having said that Today will be our last blog entry until Tuesday,  August 23,  2011 with the same bat time (1:30pm - 2:00pm) on this same bat channel! 

I am really excited about where I am off too,  I think they will probably have some pretty cool salons I can check out in Banff and or in Jasper Alberta!  Yipppeeeeee!  We will still be posting a daily hair tip on Facebook and a look of the day for you guys to enjoy but blogging is gonna take a side seat while I lap it up in the Rockies!  Anyway, here is hoping that you guys miss us the way I will miss writing all of you!


See you again soon...
Jon :)

Taming your Curlies!

Hey Guys! Hope you are all doing well out there and that all you peoples who were complaining about the HOT weather are happy now! ;(
What is it with this Rain?! Anyway I feel like this was a great week in the salons so far as even though the weather has n`t been at its best we have been pretty busy, so thanks to our fans and those who make what we do everyday so rewarding! Anyway without any further adieu here is today`s question!


" Hi, I was wondering if you guys did Afro- Canadian hair at either of your two salon locations? I am in the market for a new stylist and love all the great things I have heard about you guys. Is there anyone who is a specialist with this type of texture working at either of your salons? Thanks"


Yes! At evoke our stylists are trained to cut hair for shape, which means that we all have a strong understanding of how to create a strong shape that grows in well and that is easy to self style. A lot of salons are coming out now and claiming to be specialist in cutting curl, but at evoke we are of the mind that if you have a strong grasp of geometrical cutting you can truly work on ANY hair texture. I personally will say that the tighter and curlier the curl the more fun it is to work with! Anyway, let me save you the terminology and technical talk because it`s only us stylists get catch a rush on it! Check out this AWESOME makeover that Ergys Tafilica was able to do out of our Yonge St. Location, I am sure that this will help you gain some confidence in just what it is I am talking about... Check it Out!

We ARE What We EAT!

Hey today we have a topic that I think will be a real great one for some of our readers.  I know that I am extremely pumped by this article and think that a certain Nutritionist friend of mine will be real proud of it!  I think that over the course of the last 150 blog entries we have posted ( Oh Yeah by the way we hit 150 entries yesterday!!!)  We have tried to touch on various topics that are hair related.  We have shown funny videos,  we have provided information that people can gain knowledge from,  and of course we have tried to answer as many questions as we could.  This however is one topic I don`t believe I have covered,  and that surprises me because it is quite important!  Lets get to it shall we? 


In my chair at 11am this morning I had a wonderful lady named Anne who`s hair I have been cutting for two years now ask me a GREAT question,  here it is...


"Jon,  Have you ever covered the topic of food and haircare?  I mean do the two even relate?  What are the important things to get from our diet that relate to our hair`s strength and health?"

NO!, ... No I haven`t,  and I am very glad that you asked Anne!  So glad I didnt even go to email today for a question as I really wanna talk about this!


Okay so our hair shafts are made up predominately of protein,  Keratin,  and Melanin.  What this means essentially is that our hair is a fibre and requires certain nutrients to maintain its overall health.  What we put in,  like everything else in life is exactly what we get out!  This concept very much applies to our hair, skin,  and nails because they are the places we notice deficiencies first.  Our hair in particular is a record of our diets,  in that if we are not taking in enough of any particular vitamin or nutrient our hair WILL show it.  As an example,  you may be a person who does not get enough protein in your diet and therefore your hair becomes fragile and brittle,  you get less body and "Life" from it.  In short,  insufficient protein in one`s diet decreases the hair shafts diameter,  making it less healthy, strong, and thick.  Crash dieting has a HUGE effect on hair in that you can begin to lose more hair as a result of a highly impacted growth cycle which causes a higher than normal amount of hair follicles to shed their attached hair fibres.  Vitamins also have a huge impact in that you can gain  a lot of what you are unable to get through food by supplementing it in.  As an example you can maximize your hair`s shine, vitality and strength by taking a proper blend of amino acids and B vitamins.  It is important to include B6, B12 and minerals such as Magnesium,  Sulfur,  Silica,  and Zinc when aiming to achieve healthy, strong and shiny hair.  In short,  when it comes to hair and overall health we REALLY ARE what we eat!  Thanks for reading and send me your queries to Dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Thank You!

So today guys I am going to switch things up a bit,  in that today I am not going to answer a question.  Today I want to start by saying that we as a salon team feel blessed,  I mean we run two very successful salons and have an AMAZING team that make that possible.  We also however would not need our team if it was n`t for the SPECTACULAR group of guests we have that have been soo loyal to us for so many years.  There is however a new group of people that we really want to thank,  and that group is you guys!  Our wonderfully supportive and inspirational on line community.  We really love interacting with you guys daily and sharing everything from experiences to embarrassments to special moments.  I must say that I am really inspired by the people who take time everyday to share thoughts and words in a world where we have very little time left to do so.  Having said this there is also a special new group within this existing group who we are truly and utterly flattered by!  And they are our guests... who also happen to be bloggers! Or Tweeters!  People who take it upon themselves to share with the world the experience that they cherish at evoke.  I can honestly say to you that we feel blessed and truly humbled by your efforts and by the way we seem to have touched your lives,  we will not stop trying our BEST for you!  I have an example of what I am talking about in the link below,  please take the time to read it because I can say that I was blown away and it made me feel really lucky!  It is you guys that we do this for... it means a lot. 


THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!


http://bit.ly/rizNn3

Grey Is The Way!

Okay,  is it just me or is this the hottest weather we have ever seen in Toronto?  I cannot believe this!  I will say though that this is NOT a complaint.  I will take heat and humidity over -30 ANY day of the week.  Alright so today we have a question that either pertains to you now or will at some point,  and seeing as how I turn 30 in a little over a month I am already there!

"Hi there,  I have recently started going greyer and greyer over the last little while and can honestly say that it is having a bigger effect on me than I thought it would.  I just feel old and boring and I am not sure what to do.  I am a person who would prefer to avoid maintenance when it comes to my hair,  and even more importantly don`t really want to spend extra money.  I have seen a lot of women my age just leaving the grey and wanted to know what you thought of this idea?"


I LOVE IT!  I will tell you this,  I have successfully converted three clients in the last month!  These are guests that used to colour their hair with us and that I have convinced that going grey is a better idea!  This is crazy for a business owner!  I mean for as long as they keep their insecurity toward their hair colour I will continue to profit.  However,  I have NEVER been that kind of business owner so why start now?  Anyway I feel that there is an air of sophistication that women have when they attain the confidence to go grey.  It really is a matter of how you feel when you look at yourself,  some feel proud and others are just dying to rewind the clock.  The difference may also lie in your haircut,  It seems to me that one of the reasons women give up and go back to colouring is that they don`t change the WHOLE look.  When you make the decision to go grey you will need an edgier cut or more fashionable one anyway to make you feel sexy and trendy.  I believe that most women can look fantastic grey as long as they stay current and trendy with their hair cuts.  Anyway if I had it my way you would be grey all the way!  but with a sexy progressive cut to match!  Hope that helped and please feel free to send me any more questions at dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Rockin` Out the side Pony!

Hey everyone! Today we have a question that came in from Jessie in Toronto that I think will be of use to you all. Jessie says that she has noticed more and more side ponies replacing the standard one and wanted some help on how to achieve the look. Easy enough when you have a self styling genius like Lindsay Plaskett in your ranks! Check out his fast and effective way to achieve the look we all love!


" Hi Jon and LOVE THE BLOG by the way! I was wondering if you had any videos showcasing side ponytails? I love the "How to" videos! Thanks."


So here we are with Lindsay getting right into this look, watch the movements her body makes as she does this also, because I for one believe that if you can make achieving the look comfortable than you will succeed in achieving it with consistency. Check This Out!

You gotta smooth it out!

Hi everyone!  I hope you are all getting out there and enjoying the beautiful summer we have now moved into.  I know I am!  Here in Massacheusetts the weather is absolutely stunning,  yesterday was 31 degrees and I can tell you that my legs are feeling it!  Just a little sunburnt is all.  Anyway,  today we have a question that I thought was funny and unfortunate all at the same time.  Here it is,  and tell me what you think because I could not help answering this one!

"Is it true that I should`nt use conditioner after shampooing?  I was told by a friend that it is bad for your hair."

The simple answer to that is NO,  conditioner like shampoo has an immense importance to your hair shafts vitality and strength.  The way it works is simple,  on the PH Balance scale we have acidity and alkalinity,  as I have covered in previous blog entries.  Anything below 7 on the scale is regarded as acidic and hence is an astringent (closes pores, cuticles, etc...) where as anything above 7 is considered alkaline and has an adverse effect.  The idea behind ensuring you use the combination of these products is simple,  you must open you hair shaft (alkaline) to scrub it clean inside and out.  Once finished however,  it is very advisable to close the cuticle layer back down and leave your hair shaft smooth, closed and protected (acidic).  I really hope you put the kibosh to your fear of conditioner because the simple fact is your hair will love you for it!