Revive, Restore, Recover

Your Answer in a Bottle! Most clients walking into the salon say, "My hair feels so dry, and it doesn't feel like my hair anymore." They are concerned and wish to remedy the situation, but not much seems to work.

Till now, that is! The latest product release from L'Oreal Professionnel just this month is going to change your life.

An in-salon treatment that takes about 5 minutes, resurfaces the hair. Not only that, but the shampoo, conditioner, or Masque you take home with you will help to maintain the del of the treatment.

But the really exciting thing is, in your take-home package, their Recharge, which you apply every fourth shampoo and it completely charges up the hair again.

We tested this beautiful treatment in NYC, on very fine, bleached, and very thirsty hair, and the result was amazing.

Where before I was leaning towards Phyto, I am moving in the direction of L'Oreal Professionnel in the attempt to go for the beautiful finish.  When it comes right down to it, we need to love the way our hair feels. The finish on the hair after Pro Fiber treatment, and the hair care at home are unsurpassed.

One Winner!

Although you are all winners, in my opinion, I drew one name out of three that "Liked" us on Facebook last month. Jill Lesperance won a gift certificate to Homestead Restaurant on Piedmont Ave. Enjoy Jill, and thank you for the "Like". I will be choosing a winner every month to enjoy local restaurants, so if you are a Facebook user, please "like" or "share" today and maybe you will be our next winner!  another benefit to our social media friends, you will receive specials that are ONLY for our Facebook and Instagram users.

ShineForth Salon just celebrated it's 1st Anniversary!  We celebrated with Prosecco, Macaroons by Batch Pastries and Giveaways!  My husband and I, Greg, set up a table out front near the street, with our neighbors Reflexology Wellness.  I met Johanna Thaxter, a certified Reflexologist, and owner, she was offering free half hour sessions!  She is a lovely person and I can't wait to enjoy my session.We said hello to people as they were heading back from hearing music, having dinner, and or walking with ice cream cones in hand.

It was a beautiful night and great to meet more of our community. Third Thursday every month, Piedmont Avenue has an event called the Piedmont Stroll. They hold it only during the summer months, I plan to participate in August as well.  Maybe we will see you there.

Currently, I am having 30% sale on selected items in the salon.  They are on the counter for you to select from.  These are discontinued items, as I am making room for new products. There are also Dry Hair, Color Treated Hair, and Damaged Hair Sets available now.

May you all enjoy this beautiful summer.

A Bit of Paris

I'll get to a bit of Paris in a moment, I need to give you the background first. I traveled to Austin for a week with my professional friends, and we immersed ourselves in professional development, readying ourselves for the big show, and then I actually participated as a student, then helped to run a room of hair styling for the students. My segment of the "big show" was to be inspired by Paris in the 20's. There were four of us from the National Team in this segment.  The rest of the photos are behind the scenes.

Wedding Hairstyling

What I love about wedding hairstyling is that you get to meet wonderful people and be a part of a day to be remembered for a long, long time. I consider it an honor to be a part of the day but to help the bride find a wedding hairstyle that will bring out her regality and compliment her dress and theme for her wedding.

I loved Lindsay from the moment I met her. Ease, grace, and kindness are words I would use to describe her.  I think she looked just beautiful!

ShineForth Salon Helps to Raise Money for Corey Reich

ShineForth will participate in a Cut-a-Thon to help raise money for Corey Reich at Calm Salon on Piedmont Avenue on November 16, 2014, from 10 am to 3 pm. For those wanting to see us for the first time, this is a great way to get discounted haircuts, blowouts, or treatment and blowout, and donate your money to Corey.

In 2007 Corey was diagnosed with ALS. Since then, he has sought to bring awareness to ALS and the development of treatments that work. Corey has also, along with his family, raised money for ALS through various avenues and continues to.

He has won various distinguished awards, and when he is not out there advocating, he can be found at Piedmont High, coaching the tennis team.

Come show some support and leave with beautiful hair!

Touching Up a Sleek Style?

One of my styling tips was just tweeted by L'Oreal Professionnel!  Check it out!

Lumi Controle is a fabulous wax for medium to thick hair. It offers control, definition, and pearlescent shine.  Lumi wax contains Pearl Protein Extract, a UV Filter, Anti-Oxidant Vitamin E Acetate, and Incell® to help repair and reinforce sensitized hair.  The result is an illuminated separation and finishing for all styles.  Beautiful shine!  I love this stuff!

Modern Salon Magazine

Underground Fairy just made into Modern Salon Magazine today! We photographed in a secret location, and maybe you can even guess! We enjoyed ourselves immensely on this shoot.

My dear friend and talented photographer captured a whimsical series.

I used L’Oreal Professionnel Dia Richesse to tone lightened extensions and lots of Infinium Hairspray #3 and flower pieces I handcrafted.

As with any photoshoot, it takes a team of dedicated professionals to make it happen. Our model Monika Ka was a great delight, and we enjoyed working with her very much.

Photography by Kristina Varaksina

ShineForth Salon is now OPEN!

The idea for a new home brewed in my heart for about a year, as I struggled with the joy and gratitude for being busy and yet feeling I was unable to deliver my full attention to my clients.  I felt distracted by the "salon" environment, which has become the norm out in the world.  I wanted to create beauty, in a place of beauty, without the usual hubbub of a salon.  The idea of moving had to happen, my soul needed it.

Opening Night

A colleague showed me pictures of his new, beautiful studio in Southern California and said he never looked back, going out on his own and working alone.  And that meeting is what cinched it for me.

I knew enough that it would have to be a case of the right place, right timing, and then leaping!  So I kept my eyes open, and then I saw it.

Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, CA, is where I worked 15 years ago.  The street has changed in a good way, with more going on, more youth, and yet classic restaurants like Bay Wolfe still thrive on the street.

I am happy to be in my new home, as we continue working on the last details.  Thank you to all my clients who have made this move with me, who continue to support my dreams, and who give so much!  I want to give to you even more than what you expect because I can.  And a special thanks to the clients who purchased services ahead of time to make a move possible. 

Thank you to one of my best friends, Mary Anne McKearnie of MA Designs, who designed the space and gave her time as a gift!  I love my new home.

We will have a Grand Opening in the Fall, so stay tuned.

Hair Drying Tips

Have your ever wondered why your hair never looks like when you left the hairdressers?  Most clients haven't been taught proper hair drying tips!  Here are a few.

Think of hair as fabric.  What is the texture of hair you are starting with, and what is the "finish" you are trying to achieve?  The answer to these two questions will help decide what finishing product to use on the hair.  For most textures of hair, I would start off with a primer like Mythic Reinforcing Milk or Volumetry Spray by L'Oreal Professionnel, Prep Spray by Bumble and Bumble, or Shu Uemera Depsea Water, throughout the hair, and brush gently with the Wet Brush.

Then apply your styling product.  Some of my favorites are Liquid Fabric for texture to fine hair, Satin Design for soothing the cuticle by Shu Uemura, or any of the Thermiques by Kerastase for a conditioning, softer finish on the hair, or Texture Spray for hold and substance, or Curl Satin Mousse for shine, condition and volume without frizz, by L'Oreal Professionnel.  Apply throughout and distribute through the hair with a comb or soft cushion brush.

Now, for the pre-dry!  It may sound like we are adding an extra step, but truly, this will make your life easier.  Using your hand, and blow dryer, think about drying the scalp versus the ends of your hair to dry the hair in the cuticle direction to create smooth hair or against the cuticle of the hair if you desire volume.  Dry all your hair 80-90% with a medium to hot dryer.  Then, brush your hair using a soft cushion brush like the Mason Pearson.

Mason Pearson Popular Mixture Bristle/Nylon Mix Hair Brush

Then dry the hair, continuing with Mason Pearson, or round brush for volume, using concentrator nozzle a blowout, using high heat and moving in an arc movement, heat moving over the strand of hair, and cool before releasing.  Section your hair, separating the front from the back, securing with clips, the hair in front of the hair towards your face.  Then section out a 2-inch section at the nape, and clip the rest either to the sides for smooth style or up for more volume.  Continue this parting and clipping away hair until you have no hair left to section off.

Use Infinium #3 hair spray by L'Oreal Professionnel to ends, or smoke a Dry Shampoo into the hair, like True Grip by L'Oreal Professionnel or Pret a Powder by Bumble and Bumble.

Happy Drying!

Lifestyle/Advertising Photo Shoot

We had a great time working in the studio for this Lifestyle/Advertising photo shoot with photographer Liz Caruana, a fabulous people photographer located in San Francisco!

I wanted to keep the hair looking relaxed yet with some texture for this photo shoot, using L'Oreal Professionnel's Texture Expert products. On dry hair, I sprayed Fresh Dust throughout the hair, then lightly dusted True Grip throughout the hair. My small crimping iron came in handy to give density and fullness to a side ponytail hairstyle.

Liz Caruna Photography

Working with photographer Kristina Varaksina opened my eyes to what it is like to meet your creative match and to see how hair can be a focus in fine art photography!

Try at home!

Liz Caruna Photography

Mad for Love

Nikol Elaine, my favorite local makeup artist, and I met up with many hip, fun entrepreneurs in the wedding industry. The event, Mad for Love, provided a small venue for brides to meet up with local vendors in a more accessible setting.

Meeting brides is always a fun endeavor. Nikol and I shared our expertise and handed out business cards. I also found meeting the other service providers to be exciting and beneficial.

So if you are planning a wedding, feel free to reach out if you are looking for a dress, caterer, florist, or photographer.

Wedding Photo Shoot

Photo shoots are an excellent way for me to exercise my creativity. I love the camaraderie on a shoot, where "the team" is working on a common goal of getting fabulous pictures. The purpose of this shoot was to create a series of bridal looks.

The team consisted of photographer Kristina Varaksina, beautiful designs by Joseph Domingo, Makeup Artist Chloe Rainwater, Model Lindy Castro, and flowers by 7 Victoria Street. Great group of inspired creatives! In bridal looks, detail is everything.

'For this series, I began with the looks that were the softest in texture to allow me to build the hair up with products as the day progressed. This shoot was ALL DAY!

I worked with L'Oreal Professionnel products, beginning with Volumetry and Volume Envy Mousse. Second look, I used some Infinium hairspray.

Third look, more Infinium hair spray, and the use of pins.

Tuesday Tips

Today we are going to talk about the Blow-dry!  You're only as good as your tools.  Chi Pro-dryer GF-1505 - $154 CHI Pro Low EMF Professional Hair Dryer with Diffuser (GF1505). The price point is average.  Panelists love this dryer because it is quiet, lightweight, and dries the hair quickly. 

You can spend $20. for the Revlon Ionic Ceramic Pro Stylist RV484, as it has a feature that the higher-cost brands didn't have, separate heat and airflow settings, which I like.

Styling at Ma Jolie Salon in San Ramon

Ma Jolie Salon in San Ramon hosted L'Oreal Professionnel and invited other salons to participate in this Hands-On workshop led by Sean Metcalf-hair colorist at Grasshopper Salon in Sf, and yours truly got to style these waves.

It's incredibly satisfying to educate in the field and help other hairstylists strengthen their skill set in styling. Here we used various texture-building products on dry hair, then we protected the hair against the heat of the curling wands and irons and sprayed in the sets with Infinium #3 and #4.

I love the flexibility of the L'Oreal Professionnel styling products for photo shoots and weddings. These products are classic, but we used them differently than you might think or how the directions say to use them. "You can break the rules when you know why you are breaking them," I always tell my students.

The vibe was friendly and welcoming at Ma Jolie. since we colored the hair, we had the opportunity to start the styling with a blow dry. As you can see in the photos, with long hair, it is essential, so I can dry accordingly with round brushes in the direction we want the hair to go. From the get-go, I could build the texture and smoothness from the beginning and establish where the partings would go.

I finished the hair using the curling iron, parting the hair in sections following the direction of the fall of hair, pinning as we went along. I finished by spraying the hair, and then I let the hair cool down so that it would hold better.

I pinned hair in place for the up style, and because of the set with an iron, it held much better. 

Overall, it was a fun and enjoyable day.

Short Cuts for 2012-2013

My versions of short hairstyles for 2012-2013 on real people!  Coworkers at Keter Salon.

Wedding Hairstyle

Styling hair for weddings can be tricky. A bride usually brings in a photo that may or may not look like the same texture as her own. From there, it's my job to recognize her hair texture and be honest about what it will or will not do. Of course, working with a client who respects this honesty is always easier. Managing expectations is part of my job.

I always focus on what I can do. For Candace, who has lots of hair, it was essential to find a way to dress up her hair so that it felt gorgeous and would stay put.! I brushed L'Oreal Professionnel's Mousse Volupt́é into the hair to create a texture of hair that would hold. Then I sprayed Infinium #3 on each section, used a curling rod, and pinned the curls.

I wanted to create an elegant hairstyle that, that night or the next day, could be taken down and have lots of body in the hair.

Salon Update

I realize I've been so busy with beauty shoots, that I haven't given a salon update in awhile.  I got away from writing about specific clients on my blog if you haven't noticed, I am afraid to quite honestly.  It took one client recognizing herself in one of my posts, walking into the salon and confronting me about it.  Thing is, I didn't say anything negative, just personality quirks(like we all have)!  Maybe I should talk more about my own quirks instead. What do you think?  There are plenty of blogs about how to's for hair, and not enough about the psychological side of hairdressing. However, I am finding the psychological side less interesting, and the creating of beauty more compelling!  Maybe I should change the name of the blog.

Poppy and Bordeaux

Katerina's new look- Poppy and Bordeaux is an excellent example of what I can achieve with the new demi permanent hair color products by L'Oreal Professionnel.  Katerina is a great joy to work with, as she is open yet has clear ideas about the direction for her look.

Beauty

I read this story this morning, and this woman's story touched me deeply.  Her words remind me of why I do what I do for a living, and have for the last 30 years.

Storyboard

Storyboards are always a great way to start the creative process when planning a fashion or hair photo shoot, and talk about a salon team building experience!  Recently, at Keter Salon, where I am coordinating their 2nd photo shoot, everybody presented their boards, and spoke of what is inspiring them.  When the last person finished, there were nine boards.  Beautiful!