Session stylist and On Paper columnist Garren has been in the industry for decades—his now-famous career has humble beginnings at a hair competition in Buffalo in 1969! Now he works with celebrities like Madonna, Victoria Beckham and Scarlett Johansson and his work has been featured on thousands of magazine covers. With his firsthand experience of life as an up-and-coming stylist, Garren is the perfect man to judge the seven RAW teams June 3! With all that experience, his advice to young stylists looking to make something of themselves is invaluable. The tips he gave to the RAW teams can be translated to any salon team working in a group—whether they’re producing a show or photo shoot for the salon, creating a collection or working backstage for a fashion show. “Don’t let feelings get in the way. The best colorist should direct the color. The best cutter should direct the cuts. Let the strongest person lead the way. Work as a team, but take advantage of the individual strengths on your team. And make sure to leave your attitude at home,” he says, adding that a successful group collaboration comes down to executing the details perfectly. “Don’t miss a single detail,” he explains. “The set, the models—everything has to be flawless. All of the components have to come together to make a fabulous show or picture. The must be continuity.” Want to get more advice Garren? See him at RAW, Sunday, June 3 in Orlando! Tickets only $20!

Ken Paves has quite the impressive resume: he serves as the Hair Department Head for The X-Factor has worked with the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson and Lady Gaga and created Hairdo Clip-In Extensions. He knows better than anyone how to wow a crowd, which is why he’s the perfect judge for RAW! His advice for young stylists? “Don’t worry about anyone else! Do YOUR thing and don’t look back or sideways,” he says. “Stand behind your creations because art is subjective. Who could have won—Picasso or Chagall?” His success, he says, comes from mentally preparing himself to do the best he can do, everyday, and learning to look for inspiration in new places—sage advice for any up-and-coming stylist who wants to become a star. “I close my mind off from anything I’ve seen before,” he says. “I avoid my usual references or places of inspiration. I like to look where no one else is looking; if I don’t, I’ll just see what they see.” In other words—it’s all about pushing your creativity as much as possible. “Life is a production. Real art doesn’t come from people who can afford to buy all the right ‘pieces.’ That’s easy—like a puzzle. Creativity is making something out of nothing. That is pure magic,” Ken says. Ken will share more amazing advice at RAW, Sunday, June 3 in Orlando! Get your tickets now!

Lilacs are in bloom both outside and on the red carpet! Kelly Osbourne recently transitioned from lustrous silver to luscious lilac, and we can’t get over how elegant and refined this color looks! Want to re-create this multitonal hue? Here’s a technique from PRAVANA Color Director Vadre Grigsby: First, pre-lighten to a light, pale yellow with PRAVANA Pure Light Power Lightener. Start with equal parts of Silk Degrees Shine Treatment, VIVIDs Silver and a drop of VIVIDs Violet and begin your application. When you want the color to gradate to a deeper violet, add an extra drop of VIVIDs Violet to the remaining mixture and continue. Process 30 minutes then rinse, shampoo and condition—your client will look perfectly violet in no time! See formulas for four other colorful celeb transformations! Click here!

Every bride has her own sense of style, but according to Marek Hartwig, owner of MAREK Bridal and Artistic Director at Frank Gironda Salon & Day Spa, a lot of brides are walking down the aisle with vintage-inspired looks with a modern twist. “Finger waves are a fitting homage to the golden era of Hollywood—polished style and very romantic,” Marek says. “In order to evoke this in 2012, let the waves transcend into a more relaxed texture, keeping it fresh and not too costume.” To keep your retro-chic brides looking current, don’t forget to play up the accessories! Marek suggests heavier, stoned headbands. “They balance the look to portray a true modern-vintage bride.” Click here to learn about two more bridal trends!

How do you create a show-stopping hair look? BTC BFFs Diana Arvizu Gonzalez, Jen Puebla and Alaine Monson of Tribeca Salon in Aliso Viejo, CA, make it look easy. This trio took the ombré technique and married it with the technicolor trend to create this stunning, on-trend look: the pink ombré! There’s one more spin to this story: that’s not color you’re seeing—it’s Davines Alchemic Red Conditioner! “I knew it would be gentle on the hair as opposed to using pink haircolor,” Diana says. “Also, since it is just conditioner, it lasts for the perfect time: 1 month to 1½ months.” Click here to read the full how-to for creating this look!

What did we learn at BTC last week? Our fans craft some killer updos! In our big updo contest on the BTC Facebook Page, we were overwhelmed by hundreds of entries that included everything from bold buns to sleek modern chignons and cascading curls. Yet there was one updo that ruled them all: the “double-waterfall updo” created by BTC Facebook Fan Erica Arroyo! “I wanted to create something detailed that still felt soft and sophisticated—something a bride might want to wear,” Erica says. “Best of all, this updo is EASY!” Making this look super on-trend is the addition of waterfall braids, the latest braid innovation that’s as versatile as it is pretty: incorporate them into updos or add them to accent your client’s long layers, you really can’t go wrong! Congratulations to Erica for creating a stunning updo! Learn how Erica created this updo in the full how-to! Click here!

Unless you live under a rock (and no judgment if you do!), you know The Hunger Games fever is taking over just about everything everywhere. And it’s far more than cheering on Katniss and crushing on Peeta; audiences are digging braids again and are sure to request Katniss’ chic brunette haircolor. Joico Guest Artist Cherry Petenbrink did the color work for the three leads and another 500 extras for the film, and she shared her color formula that transformed the blonde Jennifer Lawrence into a ravishing Level 5 brunette. To fill, apply Joico Vero K-PAK Chrome 2 oz. N6 + 2 oz. G8 + 4 oz. Chrome Activator from scalp to ends and process for 20 minutes. Rinse, apply K-PAK Deep Penetrating Reconstructor for 5 minutes, then rinse again and blow-dry. Next, apply Vero K-PAK Chrome 1 ½ oz. A5 + 1 oz. N4 + 5 oz. Chrome Activator from the scalp to midshafts, process for 10 minutes and pull through ends. Process an additional 10 minutes. Shampoo with K-PAK Color Therapy Shampoo, apply K-PAK Cuticle Sealer for 5 minutes, rinse, apply K-PAK Intense Hydrator for 5 minutes and K-PAK Deep Penetrating Reconstructor for another 5 minutes. For future retouches, apply Vero K-PAK Chrome ½ N6 + ½ N4 + Chrome Activator to regrowth, and apply equal parts Vero K-PAK Chrome N6 + N4 + Clear + Chrome Activator to midshafts and ends. Your client will be slingin’ arrows in no time! Read our exclusive interview with Cherry and see pastel color formulas for Effie Trinket!

Need a break from the traditional curl-and-pin updo? Try this look—a low, structured bun that looks stunning on a client with multi-dimensional color. BTC Facebook Fan Maurya Torgerson says the look is super popular in her salon for wedding season, and here’s how she creates it: “I start by prepping the hair with Kenra Platinum Dry Shampoo and a light back-brushing. Then I take a 4-inch section in the center-back of the head and create a smooth, ballet-style bun, using an elastic and bobby pins to hold in any loose edges,” Maurya says. “Then, in a way similar to doing a French braid, I start pulling pieces and bring them to the opposite side, pinning as I go. Next, I apply Kenra Platinum Silkening Gloss to my hands and gently pull back the top sections to create a soft and natural look, pinning it where the hair meets the bun and concealing the pins under the bun. I finish the look with a healthy dose of Kenra Platinum Volume Spray 25.” See 4 more ways to create this look!

When it comes to creating an overall look at New York Fashion Week, nails are definitely not an afterthought. To take their catwalk presence to the next level, 20 designers invited CND artists to create nail looks for their shows, each more stunning than the last. One of our favorites is this celestial-like nail crafted by CND’s Candice Manacchio for the Rachel Antonoff show. To create the look, Candice applied two coats of CND Colour in Midnight Sapphire, followed by a sponge overlay of Eclectic Purple and Studio White and a coat of CND Effects in Sapphire Sparkle. Whether you think it looks like the inner workings of a galaxy or a lake after nightfall, it’s a look as deep as the fashionista who wears it. See 5 other Fashion Week nail how-tos!

Blogs are buzzing about Katy Perry’s look on the latest Interview cover—they’re calling it a cross between Liz Taylor and Amy Winehouse. BTC’s Behind the Cover columnist Garren was responsible for Katy’s look and he dishes the details. “The ‘story’ (styled by Karl Templer) was that she was a burlesque showgirl getting ready in her dressing room,” Garren reveals. “So we wanted her to look sexy and very grown-up.” Sourcing bombshells like Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren and Linda Evangelista, Garren brought an array of short, textured wigs to the shoot, ranging in shades from blonde to black. “When Katy saw them,” he laughs, “she said, ‘I guess the blue hair is going under the wig.’ And she was completely onboard.” Get Garren’s complete step-by-step for this look!