A Quick Blowout with Mary

A Quick Blowout with Mary

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baby dog mama

baby dog mama

Baby Dog Mama is my new company along with partner Darcy Michalek. This is the official start of what has long been a passion of mine. I'll tell that long story soon enough but what I'm here to do is to introduce our first product, Dog Shampoo. Dog Shampoo is the...

Vegan Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Stew)

Vegan Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Stew)

My vegan version of a great Mexican dish my grandma and them my mom used to make called, Albondigas.  I’ve missed this so bad since becoming vegan years ago.  I’m so happy to crack the vegan code for this recipe.  Here’s the how to with recipe at the end....

Vegan Brunch

Vegan Brunch

In the latest installment of "Cooking Without Killing,"  my "how to" on cooking a vegan brunch including a delicious substitute for eggs.  Mostly just having fun but we really do eat this way.  :)Recent PostsFollow Mefacebooktwitterpinterestinstagramyoutube

To Blathe

To Blathe

This is a texturizing technique I call “Blathing” as in, “to Blathe”.

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baby dog mama

baby dog mama

Baby Dog Mama is my new company along with partner Darcy Michalek. This is the official start of what has long been a passion of mine. I'll tell that long story soon enough but what I'm here to do is to introduce our first product, Dog Shampoo. Dog Shampoo is the...

Vegan Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Stew)

Vegan Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Stew)

My vegan version of a great Mexican dish my grandma and them my mom used to make called, Albondigas.  I’ve missed this so bad since becoming vegan years ago.  I’m so happy to crack the vegan code for this recipe.  Here’s the how to with recipe at the end....

Vegan Brunch

Vegan Brunch

In the latest installment of "Cooking Without Killing,"  my "how to" on cooking a vegan brunch including a delicious substitute for eggs.  Mostly just having fun but we really do eat this way.  :)Recent PostsFollow Mefacebooktwitterpinterestinstagramyoutube

Subtle Lightening on Dark Hair Color

Subtle Lightening on Dark Hair Color

If your client wants to lighten her dark, artificially colored hair, talk to her about highlights.  They might be thinking they want an all-over color and/or have had disastrous results in the past.  If they haven’t had a nice subtle highlight before they might think you are talking about putting blonde stripes in their dark hair.  Assure them you won’t give her really light highlights and because of that they will blend nicely with her dark hair to give an overall softer look.  AND you can do it without it looking brassy.

What she had:

She had a level 2 neutral (almost black) artificially colored hair with 3/4 inch of natural outgrowth (natural 2.5 with 5% gray)

What she wanted:

Something lighter and softer without brassiness.

What I did:

  • Retouched her outgrowth all over at the roots with permanent level 3 neutral to cover her level 2.5 (2 1/2)natural blended with 5% gray with a slightly lighter color than she had on mid-shaft.  (this only works if you are going to blend with highlights).
  • Then highlighted right over the retouched color and all the way out to the ends.  I weaved a LOT of fine pieces with 35volume with bleach as quickly as possible.  I remixed more bleach for the back when I got to that.
  • Put her under a little heat for about 5 min around the 20 minute mark (after the entire head was woven) and then rinsed.
  • Toned her all over with semi-permanent ashy level 7.5 (7 1/2) for 25 minutes.
  • Round brush styled her for luxe finish.

Common mistakes:

Stylists don’t take time to really consult with clients about past experiences and what they are wanting.  You will often hear clues to what problems might have happened in the past or why they believe something that you know may not be true.  Magazines and stylists have passed along a lot of misinformation.  Also educating your client about what you know you can do and why it will be better.  But don’t use absolutes like, “always” or “never”.  Every head of hair is different and will react differently in every different condition.  Explain it’s a “process” and that you will work together through it.  Making them feel comfortable about you and what you are doing.  They are usually scared.  It’s understandable.  Let them know you know that, it’s ok and you’re on their team.

For this look you need to weave fine pieces to help you lift lighter.  Chunkier pieces are resistant to lifting because there will be hair in the middle of the chunky pieces that don’t lift.  Also, chunky can end up looking like stripes.  Fine pieces help you lift lighter than the target color you will eventually be toning to.  Doing this will help you eliminate the remaining warmth (brass).

A lot of stylists rinse toner off very quickly.  I believe if you are rinsing it quickly then you are using the wrong toner.  I understand time is money but if you don’t use the right color (and level) and processes it at least 15 to 20 minutes minimum, it’s going to fade out too fast.  I also think you will get a truer tone for a better looking color.  Plus it’s easier to duplicate when they come back in.

ALWAYS finish (style) your clients so they walk out looking and feeling amazing (even if they’re going home to do laundry.  Doing the laundry isn’t as bad when you look great.

This was the first time I met her or did her hair.  She posted this on social media later that week.  Happy clients are priceless!

and the right clients 🙂

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baby dog mama

baby dog mama

Baby Dog Mama is my new company along with partner Darcy Michalek. This is the official start of what has long been a passion of mine. I'll tell that long story soon enough but what I'm here to do is to introduce our first product, Dog Shampoo. Dog Shampoo is the...

Vegan Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Stew)

Vegan Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Stew)

My vegan version of a great Mexican dish my grandma and them my mom used to make called, Albondigas.  I’ve missed this so bad since becoming vegan years ago.  I’m so happy to crack the vegan code for this recipe.  Here’s the how to with recipe at the end....

Vegan Brunch

Vegan Brunch

In the latest installment of "Cooking Without Killing,"  my "how to" on cooking a vegan brunch including a delicious substitute for eggs.  Mostly just having fun but we really do eat this way.  :)Recent PostsFollow Mefacebooktwitterpinterestinstagramyoutube

Paying my respects where respect is due.

There was this guy. He just looked like a hair dresser. No, not a crazy hair colored, pierced or tattooed type of hairstylist you can peg a mile away but a real classic hair dresser. He was tall and thin and could wear about anything and look good but his style was more conservatively casual than you would guess but tastefully fashion forward. His hair was usually a sandy blonde and cut with texture but not crazy or outlandish. He was nice and more quiet than most the stylists whirling around him. After all, this was The Factory. For the uninitiated, The Factory was the first and maybe last salon of it’s kind in Omaha, Ne. It was a big,…no, huge high end salon filled with the most flamboyant to the most serious business minded stylists in town at the time. That time was the 70s through the 90s. It was an Omaha hair fashion institution. People went there to see and be seen. Sex, drugs, crime, transexuals, hard working, hustling, ass kicking, high drama, great hair…. The Factory had it all. It was Reality TV before Reality TV existed and that’s half the reason people went there. The other half was some pretty amazing hair stylists. But I digress. My reflections of The Factory will have to wait for it’s own story. But this story is about this guy named Rick Jones. By the time I started at The Factory, Rick had already been there a long time and was embedded into it’s lore. Like I said, he was quiet and calm yet always seemed up for anything and was always part of the action. His clients loved him. Ya, I know everyone’s clients love their hair stylists but no, really… Rick’s clients LOVED him. He styled a lot of the wealthier mature clients of the time. Names you would recognize, but the name that they all knew was Rick’s. He was their son, their confidant, their …. he was their gay hair stylist and everything that should mean. I looked up to him not only because he was so welcoming even to this straight new stylist at The Factory, but because he had everyone else’s respect and because he could dress some beautiful hair. My Dad taught me early to watch other good hairstylists and I watched Rick. He was the go-to stylist for brides. Out of this whole big salon, he was the one you sent your daughter to for her wedding style. I conceded the bridal business to Rick (what choice did I have?) but made my mind up to learn everything I could from him and apply it to prom and homecoming updo styling. I did just that and before I left to go out on my own I had built a decent reputation for prom and homecoming styles. Today, I have the honor of styling upwards of 100 brides a year. I can honestly say I took that cue by watching Rick Jones to build that niche. I sadly admit I’m not sure if I ever told him that directly. If I had, he would have modestly shook it. At the end of the day, Rick’s day, the thing that rings out the loudest about this man is not the great hair he did, or the crazy scene he played a part in, it’s his kindness. He will be remembered by all who knew him for his sweet, sweet kindness. Thanks Ricky.
Rick Jones passed away Feb 22nd from complications with a long running illness.

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