Tag Archive for "hairstyling" - Beauty Schools Directory Blog

Posts Tagged ‘hairstyling’

Getting a Head Start on Cosmetology Education in High School

Posted on: November 21st, 2012 by Heather 17 Comments

When most of us envision the typical high school experience, subjects like math, English and chemistry often come to mind before cosmetology, hair design, nail technology, skincare or massage. A traditional high school curriculum is designed to prepare students for a four-year university experience, but many students have a different plan for their educations and careers.

In high schools across the country, many educators think these students deserve to take practical classes that will introduce them to the subjects about which they are most interested. At some schools, this means an opportunity to begin a cosmetology education before graduation.

For instance, in Lancaster, Ohio, about 50 students at Lancaster High School apply each year for the school’s cosmetology program. To gain acceptance in the program, students must have a solid academic record and complete an interview process with their instructors. Teachers say that nearly all of their students in the program share a genuine enthusiasm for working in the cosmetology field, but they don’t yet realize how in-depth a cosmetology education really is. In the Lancaster High School cosmetology program, students begin the classes during their junior year, and study everything from the chemical compositions of hair products, massage treatments, common skin ailments and cosmetic applications.

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Hot Hair Trends: Try Hair Chalking for Color without Commitment

Posted on: November 17th, 2011 by Becca 58 Comments

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that people are always going to come up with creative ways to make a beauty statement.

We have feathers, we have lobe stretching, and now we have a hot new way to add some temporary color to your locks: hair chalking.

In case you haven’t watched the how-to video above, here’s how it goes:

Nab some colored chalk. You can use sidewalk chalk, but we’ve found you get more vibrant results using soft chalk pastels like the ones artists use. We’ve got some links below to show you what we mean.
You either soak your chalk in water or wet down small sections of your hair.
You rub the chalk product into those sections.
If you’re using pastels, then you just need to set it with heat. If you use a more traditional kind of chalk, then hairspray it down before you style.

And that’s…about it. Hair chalking is that easy and that low-commitment, which is probably why it’s kicking up in popularity. Feel like going wild and crazy tonight? Don some blue or hot pink streaks and then wash it all out in the shower the next day. Switch up the colors as often as you want or need. Color just the tips or entire lock lengths or maybe just your bangs. Who doesn’t love a hair trend that allows so much room for not just creativity but also variability?

What do you guys think? Have you tried hair chalking? Or are you sick of the flash-in-the-pan hair trends and think we just need to get back to basics already?

Try these colored chalks to do hair chalking at home:

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ILLUSION: Alternative Hair Show 2011

Posted on: October 11th, 2011 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

Yield your imagination to the whimsical visions of multihued, spiked, twisted and bulbous Lady Gaga-like hair creations. Gossamer designs, colored lights and sky-scraping tresses envelop, tantalize and sometimes shock the senses. Where are you? Is this an alien gathering for lunar stylists? No, you are one of the lucky attendees of the Alternative Hair Show, where anything goes when it comes to hair.

This one-of-a-kind, fantasy-filled charitable event envelops thousands in the bizarre, rainbow-colored world of hair couture. Founded by hairstylist Tony Rizzo in 1983, the Alternative Hair Show was ingeniously designed to heighten awareness and generate funding for leukemia research. Rizzo’s young son, whose death was caused by the disease, is the inspiration behind the show.

Since its inception, the elaborate, fun-filled event has become renowned as one of the world’s most celebrated hair shows. Princes and famous individuals fill the seats as impractical hairdos are flaunted across the stage. Each year’s fantastic theme becomes the motivational concept behind the sprayed, dyed and stiffened locks. The 2010 participants devised styles that embodied their interpretation of the word “masquerade.” The 2011 theme is “illusion.”

In 2004, Rizzo launched the Visionary Award, which encourages hairdressers to submit a photograph of one of their hair creations. Ten award winners are selected; each is invited to present a hair model at the Alternative Hair Show. Hairdressers from around the globe covet the Visionary Award and invitations to show off their dramatically artistic and somewhat outlandish coifs at their own expense.

Known to include major celebrities, the show’s success hinges on the creative prowess and collaboration of industry professionals and has become the pinnacle of hair entertainment. The Alternative Hair Show displays its unusual “dos” annually and hosts the following 2011 events: the Visionary Award Ireland, held this past July 10 at Dublin’s Thomas Prior Hall; the Visionary Award Ukraine, held this past Sept. 5 in Kiev; the Visionary Award Italy and Alternative Hair International Hair Design Masters Presentation, held this past Sept. 25 in Milan; the Illusion Alternative Hair Show Russia, held this Sept. 28 in Moscow’s State Kremlin Palace; and the Illusion Alternative Hair Show London, which will take place on Oct. 16 at Royal Albert Hall.

Alternative styling, like that seen in the Alternative Hair Show, is defined by its departure from the norm, but some of these less-than-popular hairdos could become the next trendsetters. Something has to inspire the pink bobs, white pixies and black spikes of tomorrow.

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Blow dry bars doing blowout business

Posted on: October 4th, 2011 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

It’s a fantastic feeling – stepping out of a salon after an appointment, styled to perfection by your hairdresser. It’s too bad you can’t have her (or him) fix your hair for you every day, right?

That’s exactly the idea behind a string of new beauty businesses springing up all over the country. They’re called blow dry bars, and they provide one specific service.

They style your hair.

No cut. No color. Just wash, dry, style and go. All for around $30-35.

It started with Blo, which opened in Vancouver in 2007, but it’s really taken off in the past year or so, with new chains like Drybar popping up from coast to coast. They’re a new take on the old school beauty parlors where women used to go to have their hair washed and set each week.

Blow dry bars are proving to be a cheaper option than trying to schedule a blowout at a regular salon, which often charges by length and thickness of hair. Modern women-on-the-go are becoming regular blow-dry-bar patrons for a number of reasons – to set themselves up for the work week on Monday mornings, to get ready for a date on Saturday nights, or just to give themselves a bit of a mood boost on a bad day.

This means that blow dry bars are all about convenient hours – many of them being open seven days a week, from early in the morning until late at night. And the business is all about volume. Getting customers in and out the door in 30 to 45 minutes is the aim, so stylists have to move fast, watch their time and be efficient.

That doesn’t mean that they’ve skimped on atmosphere, though. A tool around the Web to the websites of these blow dry bars – not just Blo and Drybar, but also chains like Blowout and Halo – shows an emphasis on chic, feminine flair and fun extra touches like chick flicks playing on televisions or free drinks, including wine or champagne.

Each chain has their own variation of styles to choose from, too, often with fun names. Blo puts twists on standard phrases – like the Executive Sweet, the Holly Would, the High Society (for updos). Drybar embraces the theme of an actual bar and names its styles to match – like the Mai Tai (beachy waves), the Southern Comfort (big curls and volume) and the Manhattan (sleek and straight).

They’re sassy, they’re convenient, and they’re cropping up everywhere. Proof that, no matter what the economy, the beauty industry just keeps evolving.

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Roots Showing? No biggie—Go Ombre for the Summer

Posted on: July 22nd, 2011 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

Ugh! Are you due for a highlight? Have your roots grown out to expose your darker, natural hair color? Don’t sweat it. If your lighter color has grown out a few inches, you may have the hottest hair trend going right now and not even realize it!

Ombre hair—you’ve seen it. Celebs have been rocking this two-toned hair color all year. From Jessica Biel, Rachel Bilson to Drew Barrymore, this unkempt look has been all over the red carpet.

The Ombre look is basically darker roots with a lighter hair color “grown out” about halfway down. Some of you may love it, some of you may hate it, but I think we can all agree the trend is hugely popular.

Tips on trying out Ombre hair color:

•    Make sure your hair is at least shoulder length
•    If you don’t want to dye your hair you can always add in a few extensions
•    For a dramatic look use more opposite hair colors
•    For a less dramatic look use more similar colors

What do you think? Have you tried out the Ombre hair trend or practiced performing it in hair design school? Don’t like the looks of it? Let us know.

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Grammy Beauty 2010

Posted on: February 2nd, 2010 by Beauty Schools Directory 1 Comment

Grammy night 2010 was full of hot music performances and high fashion that kept everyone talking well into the next day. But let’s not overlook the beauty! Take a look at some of our favorite beauty looks of the 2010 Grammys and the products you can use to recreate them at home or on your clients.

Carrie Underwood’s look was all glamour for the Grammys! She went for the smokey eye and nude lip combo, which is a modern classic. Try Lauren Luke My Smokey Classics and My Glossy Lips Complete Makeup Palette to recreate Carrie’s look with just one set of products.

Carrie’s shoulder length bob was incredibly shiny and featured a sultry side-swept bang. To get locks that shine like the American Idol star’s, smooth on a dime sized amount of CHI Silk Infusion before styling hair with a flat iron.

Taylor Swift channeled old Hollywood for her big night at the Grammys. Her wavy ‘do, kohl rimmed eyes and sheer red lip color was a blast from the beauty past! Even the straightest hair can mimic Taylor’s sexy waves with the Rsession Tools Nalu Waver.

To get Taylor’s makeup look, line the upper and lower eyelid with Make Up For Ever Kohl Pencil for dramatic effect, and finish the look with Lipstick Queen Medieval Lipstick for a sheer burst of crimson color, and a healthy dose of Vitamin E.

Lady Gaga not only turns heads with her performances, but with her show-stopping beauty looks. While this look in its entirety is not for every day wear (or the faint of heart) there are some great things to be pulled from this look.

For starters, Lady Gaga’s eye makeup application was impeccable! The strong brow, metallic eye color and lush lashes made for a bold and dramatic eye look. Create a bold, but natural, eye brow with MAC Eye Brows pencil. Turn to MAC Eye Shadow in Electra and MAC 6 Lash false lashes for perfect duplicates of the products used on Lady Gaga.

For a mod look, recreate Lady Gaga’s pastel pink pout with Lime Crime Candyfuture Lipstick in Great Pink Planet. If you really want to take a walk on the wild side, clip in a few Yellow Clip On Hair Extensions to bring out your inner Lady Gaga!

So, what do you think of these beauty looks? Will you be trying any of them? What celeb had your favorite look on Grammy night? Let us hear it!

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Real-Life Edward Scissorhands!

Posted on: December 17th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

Move over Johnny Depp – there’s a new Edward Scissorhands in town! Valentino LoSauro, a London-native operating a salon in Florida, has created devices that he says cut hair twice as fast as normal scissors. The device: little shears that attach to his hands making him look like a real-life Edward Scissorhands. The ‘CLAWZ‘ were born as a simple idea to bring a certain type of musicality to his hair styling.

Being a pianist, LoSauro wasn’t foreign to using his fingers. Now he’s just using them to cut hair instead of replicating piano masters like Beethoven or Bach. The music that inspired him is still important to his new hair cutting process. When he styles and cuts hair, some of the methods are named after famous works, like Flight of the Bumble Bee and Zap.

The prototype took years to develop and cost nearly $250,000 but eventually the CLAWZ became a reality and he was able to market them to other stylists. LoSauro patented these CLAWZ in 2001 and has sold 30,000 units so far. He cuts and styles with them, and has even done some celebrities’ hair with the CLAWZ, like Ritchie Sambora from the band Jon Bovi.

They might look funny but they get the job done! What do think? Would you like to have your hair cut by a real-life Edward Scissorhands? Hairstylists and hair design school students – would you give these CLAWZ a shot?

Staying Glamorous For the Long Night Out

Posted on: November 20th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

Getting ready to bump the beat and hit the street tonight? Clubbing is great fun and a way to keep the bonds with your ladies tight, but it can play hell on your skin and hair. You can take a few simple precautions to keep your look fresh and minimize the damage while you’re out getting dangerous.

The key to maintaining a glamorous look that’s actually low-maintenance is to “expect the unexpected.” Be prepared for conditions and hours that you might not see coming. So let’s look into it…

#1: Avoid makeup streaking
The easy precaution to this is to spritz your face with a light, non-aerosol hairspray. Some clubs get hot hot hot. Using this little trick means you’ll be dance floor-proof in seconds flat.

#2: The eyes have it
When making a first impression in clubs, restaurants or group outings make sure your eyes aren’t overdone and drawing more attention than you require. Because your eyes are the first thing that people notice about you, use lighter colors that compliment a smiling face, not darker colors that warn people away.

#3: Balance is beautiful
Dancing in a hot club can mean risking raccoon damage. Avoid putting any eyeliner pencil on the bottom and make up for it with some extra waterproof mascara on the bottom lashes. It’s basically the same effect and you won’t end up looking like you have a vitamin deficiency.

#4: Simple solution to avoid stringiness
Want to keep your hair looking beautiful all night? Comb in just a little bit of baby powder after you’ve finished setting it. Just go easy on it. Sprinkle a little bit, comb it through and you’re good to go. You can also bring a little bottle in your clutch if you need a booster during a long night.

#5: Reduce the damage the morning after
Nothing like a night out in a hot and smoky nightclub does damage to your skin and hair. A quick and easy solution to keeping it all at bay is a bath with some extra healing power. Draw a warm bath and stir in a cup of honey to help your skin rejuvenate to the soft and smooth condition it was in before.

What are your secrets to keeping yourself beautiful during a long night out? We want to hear about them!

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Review of Chris Rock’s “Good Hair”

Posted on: October 27th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

Chris Rock’s three-year-old daughter Lola asked him, “Daddy, why don’t I have good hair?” This launched the comedian headfirst into the topic of ‘good hair’ – commonly thought of as straight, shiny, European-looking locks. This topic has fueled debates within the African American community for generations.

Rock records this search for truth in African American hair culture in Good Hair, a thought-provoking and entertaining documentary produced by HBO Films and directed by Jeff Stilson. Good Hair tackles the topics of texture, hair relaxing, weaves, and the booming financial business of African American hair care to explore the way that hairstyles impact the relationships, lifestyles, health, wallets, and self-esteem of African American women.

It’s a bold topic – how American culture defines beauty, and the lengths that women to which women will go to in order to conform to that standard. As cosmetologists, we have a hand in this. We know how expensive and painful weaves can be. We know that often, women look even more beautiful rockin’ their natural hair than getting it relaxed. But still, African American hair is a big business – with special standards, techniques and training for stylists.

What’s great about Good Hair is that it doesn’t point any fingers or take sides. The film advocates self-love and appreciation, no matter whether women choose natural or relaxed hair.

Have you seen Good Hair? What do you think?

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Where Hair Extensions Come From

Posted on: October 21st, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 3 Comments

Have you ever wondered where hair extensions come from? According to Oprah.com, 1000 tons of human hair are imported into the U.S. every year. The finest quality hair comes from India.

One Indian landmark in particular is famous for exporting human hair. The Venkateswara Temple in Southern India earns around 18 million a year selling hair to exporters. As one of Hinduism’s holiest sites, worshipers to this temple leave an offering of their hair for Lord Venkateswara. Cutting off hair for religious reasons is part of a ritual called tonsuring.

Some salons sell this “temple hair” anywhere from $2000 to $4000 depending on the length of the extensions.
Hair from India is also collected by village women who pool their hair together and sell it to exporters. Other women collect hair after it falls out naturally and sell it.

If you want to learn how to do hair extensions and become a professional hairstylist, find cosmetology schools near you.