Bloor and Yonge Tie The Knot!

So THIS is what happens when our Yonge St. and Bloor St. locations work separately but together.... We Tie The Knot Baby!!!!  This is a post I have been waiting to put up until I finished with the New Year`s resolution posts of last week.  Greg Di Biase and Murielle (Di Biase?)  Tied the knot on October 22, 2011 and we are soooo happy for them!  Greg is a guest of mine at our Bloor St. shop while the lovely Murielle has been client of ours up at Yonge and Eg for some time now.  They looked gorgeous as you can see for yourselves and had a beautiful ceremony at the prestigious One King West.  Murielle`s hair is coloured up at Yonge by Michelle Ang while Julie Hasen was responsible for the bridal style.  Guys we wish you both a magical marriage filled with love,  respect, happiness and most of all FUN!  Glad you guys were able to bring our salons together on your big day of coming together!

Check Out The link to see more of their beautiful day... http://bit.ly/yPZmIB

Seduced By Smooth!

Today we are going to cover the second last in our series of potential new year resolutions.  Tomorrow being the last one I listed in the blog entry regarding possible hair resolutions,  products of choice.   I hope you have been getting a lot out of these because all of them keep us in business and you spending your hard earned dollars!  


These are a few ideas that can help you to minimize your exposure to damage and at the same time keep your hair looking healthy, happy and shiny!  We are going to talk about flat ironing today and figure out a couple of ways to avoid excessive use of this amazing yet damaging tool.  So,  we should start by looking at how you can start to get a little more time out of each wash.  Start by using a good heat protective product.  These are commonly called smoothing balm or relaxing fluids.  They are designed to go on the hair shaft wet and not only create an easier smoothing experience but also keep away humidity.  When the humidity is kept away the style can last longer,  not just in the summer months but also in the winter.  Another way to get a bit more time between washes is to avoid applying any "finishing" products aft flat ironing.  An example of these are shine drops or oils,  these can add the humidity you are trying to fight back onto the hair shaft.  When the hair has been ironed it is at its flattest point and therefore reflects light very well.  Meaning you will not need to enhance the shine as it should already be there very intensely.  If you find that the iron has left you with a little bit of static,  believe it or not I recommend a fabric softener sheet!  It is by far the best way to control that static without applying a topical product.  It will control the static AND ensure that you avoid that keep your style looking smooth and "soft"!  

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!

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!

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!!

Hi Everyone!! So, the idea behind Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin is to answer peoples questions on hair in video form. Well, tonight I am going to take a step back and let another lovely lady we know very well take the stage. This lovely lady`s name is Julia Darby, and she is a great client of ours at our Bloor St. Location. The reason I am handing over the mantle for this week is that we recieved a question I can answer however I would need the time to put a video together correctly. Why do that when Julia has already done such a fabulous job?! So having said that, this is the question I recieved from Melanie... "Hi Jon, Hope you are well. I have a video request for you... could you show us how to do a glam old Hollywood kind of look? ". Here it is then, lets get to it!

Rainy Day Hair Wear!

Hey guys hope you are all doing well and figuring out a way to stay dry during this torrential down pour that we are experiencing! Its crazy how much rain! But, what I will say is that its about time that we have a little cause it was starting to feel like Phoenix with all that dry and desert like weather. Anyway I figure the best thing I can do for you today is to show you a video that will make styling your hair in this weather a lot easier. The main objective with weather like this is to create a hairstyle that will last AND look good! And what I always tell my guests is that when the weather is this wet and soggy your best option is to tuck it away as cleanly and beautifully as possible, leaving you some real style in the process. In this vid Lindsay Plaskett (Our self style expert!) shows you an awesome way to do just that, check it out!

Just Say NO!

Hey Guys!,  Today I have a pretty awesome question to get to.  A question that I think must of us do not realize is extremely important!  One that most ladies and gentlemen out their don`t even know is important!  And it is in regard to the texture of our hair.  Most people battle with frizz and fly away daily,  what they know for sure is that they hate (those little hairs that stick out everywhere!)  However,  what they are unaware of is how they got there in the first place!


"Hi,  okay I am going to get right to this because I am soo frustrated right now!  I just went to the Hairdresser the other day and she destroyed my hair!  I have been trying for at least three months not to over style and keep it healthy,  Then I let her use those stupid scissors on my hair and "VOILA"!!!  Frizz central!   What happened?  Why does it feel like this now?"

The "Stupid Scissors" that she is referring to are called Thinning Shears... (A.K.A Death Touch!)  Okay so maybe that is a bit dramatic but hey! ...  Anyway I hate those things just as much as she does!  


I know that a lot of hairstylists just cannot work without those things but I have to be honest and say that they are a copout.  A way in which to speed up your hair cut process (your Stylists can earn more money doing more cutting!) and make your hair feel lighter.  That Sounds good no?  Well, that is going to  depend on how much time you have for styling in the morning!  Lets put it this way,  I am a 11 year hair professional and when those scissors have been used I have to blow dry your hair out about four times per piece to get it even close to smooth.  Then,  after having achieved a slightly smoother finish I wait about 30 seconds to watch as your hair shaft goes frizzy again!  


The reason is simple,  you have just been gifted a split Hair shaft!  And yes I said Hair shaft and not Hair ends because thinning shears are generally used throughout the hair shaft.  When a shear is used on your hair the blade of the scissors is being run from the root area of your hair all the way down to the ends.  This blade running along your hair shaft splits the cuticle layer (little pieces) from the main hair shaft.  Meaning,  it does not matter how much we blow dry and primp you now have two separate pieces that CANNOT,  EVER be smoothened back together.  


As you will notice in the picture above teeth intersect with the standard blade,  where they do the hair gets cut,  where they don`t your hair stays... Do you really want to create that much damage AND only have hair of your hair shafts potential?  The answer is simple, NO.... so just say NO!  Hopefully that helped and I am sorry that you had that happened all I can say is be patient hang in there let me know if I can be any further assistance at dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Tight Buns!

Hi Guys! Today we have a question regarding buns, ohh yeah that sounds sexy! Ha Ha! Anyway in all seriousness Tammy from Newmarket is gettin married this summer and wants to know if there is any video of us doing classical buns that are low and sleek. I have a video from one of our photo shoots this past year that I think will do just fine. Hope she gets a good feel for what we are able to do, Check out her question and our video to follow!

"Hi Jon, I am getting married this coming August and have yet to find a hair style! Anyway I really like polished buns that are placed slightly off center. Have you got any video of this type of look? Maybe it will be worth the drive from Newmarket!"

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!

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!

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!

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!

WOW, WHAT A MAKEOVER!!!!

Okay this is not a question I received at all, but... WHOA you MUST SEE THIS MAKEOVER!!! What a change!!! Leslie really out does herself here with this change and to be honest, there isn't much else to say! This is the second day in a row that we are covering a makeover and only because we know how much you love them! Enjoy guys because Leslie gives new meaning to the term Makeover with this AWESOME, AWESOME CHANGE!

Volume!  Today we`ve got a question regarding volume.  Sandy in Milton asked 


"I find it absolutely impossible to find a product that will help me get volume that lasts!  Every time I go to the salon I purchase a "NEW" volumizing product that works for about fifteen minutes until my hair flops over and dies!  What is there that you can recommend me? Thanks"

Okay the first thing to consider here is the shape of your haircut Sally,  and to be honest I also would really need to take a look at your texture to give you a real assessment.  Now having said that, I do feel like I can give you some advice that seems to be a general rule when talking about volume.  The first thing I would recommend is to avoid putting conditioner ANYWHERE near your scalp.  Conditioner will often weigh the hair shafts down enough to stop you from getting any volume at all.  Another thing I would recommend is that if you are round brushing your hair at all,  you should look into maybe stepping down one brush size.  This will allow you to create more bend and establish more wave,  hence creating more volume.  One last thing... DUST IT!  I absolutely swear by this product! (I know, I know, you have A LOT of products) But maybe you just need the right kind.  This product is a miracle!  It is a talc powder that creates extra grit right at the root area, thus allowing for better support of your lift right at the root!  That will make it very very difficult for hair to fall after styling.


Hopefully that helped!  Please feel free to send me any additional questions to dimauro.jon@gmail.com!  Thanks for reading folks!

2 Minute Stylin!

Alright guys this is the Question Of The Day!!! It comes in from Melissa in Hamilton who wants to know if I could show her a cool way to put her hair up. Here is Melissa`s question...


"Hi there, and thanks for taking the time to review my question. I was just wondering if you had any advice on a quick way that I can style my own hair up. I am a new mom and hate leaving the house looking ruff but do not really have the time to anything! Please help! "


Okay, well I can say this there are a lot of really cool two second updos that will have you looking chic when on your way out. Some of them are a little trickier than others but most are quite easy to achieve. Now then the first thing to assess is how long your hair is, some of the styles require a longer length of hair. I am going to have a really hard time trying to explain this by typing it soo.... I will attach a helpful video that will make it much easier to get across!

I Hope You Go BALD!

This is NUTS!
There really isn`t very much more to say than that. I mean, I know that this is the second video day in a row and I know that what you really want is hair tips (which I promise will be back soon, like tomorrow) but c`mon I had to post this vid! When you watch it you will definetly understand why! Let`s put it this way, it involves a group of weirdos who decide that deodorant or hairspray are good things to spray onto your hair before you apply a flame to it! As a stylist I am pleased to see people having a great time with their hair, and believe me we love the business and you will definitely need that fixed! However, as a regular everyday dude, I think these guys are idiots and should be left bald! I mean there are quite a few guys out there that have been thinning out and would love the hair these dudes have! Believe me the last thing they`d do is set it on fire! It just goes to show you that at this point even people with absolutely NO talent can end up on YouTube! Check This Out...





Jon Di Mauro

Saturday Night Lights, Camera, Askin!!!

So here I am interacting! Send me your hair questions cause i`ve got your answers! Check Out This Video for more details!

More than just "the fresh maker"

I had to put this out there because it had me in stitches! I love Mentos anyway but after this I may become a much larger consumer of their product! They have always made some pretty darn funny commercials but this one took the cake/mint for me. Maybe this is why they`ve stopped training young hairstylists to use a straight razor! I can honestly say that I have been fortunate enough to have never needed to think this quickly and cover up a mistake, BUT if I needed to, this would be an absolutely amazing way to do it! It`s obvious that good humour is universal! Check this Out!





Jon Di Mauro