Think about the editorial hair of your dreams…thick, voluminous, cloud-like texture that defies gravity and lends an air of sophistication to your client’s overall look. This look with wow factor attracts attention like a magnet, and it’s a look you should definitely know how to master. Check out this how-to from Matrix Artistic Director Nicholas French, and when the next charity runway show hits your town, wow the crowd with your awesome avant-garde sensibilities! Begin by misting slightly damp hair with Matrix Biolage Hydra Seal Softening Mist and comb through for even distribution. Set hair on large hair pins in a rick-rack, figure-eight formation. Seal each pin by pressing it between the plates of a flat iron. Release the hair and gently tease the roots with your fingers, then dress out the ends with your fingers and brush lightly with a boar bristle brush. Get $2 off the NEW Matrix Total Results Break Fix Leave-In Elixir!

When your client sits in your chair and says she wants “something different, but keep the length,” you’re flummoxed. Here’s a solution: give her a bold, full fringe like this one, created by TONI&GUY Advanced Academy Director Joseph Marzioli. First, take a horizontal parting at the top of the occipital and isolate the hair underneath it. Separate the desired fringe with a triangular section at the recession area, comb to 90 degrees and point-cut square. Finally, cross check at natural fall to create a rounded line. Add some face-framing layers to draw even more attention to her face, and voila! You have a cut that manages to both give the client a new look without taking off too much length! Learn more cutting techniques when you attend TONI&GUY’s 2-day classes! Click here for more info!

Smart stylists mine red carpet for looks they can adapt for wedding and prom clients. One of this year’s top red carpet coifs was the bagel bun, like the one Tina Fey wore to the Oscars. To create this high drama style, FHI Heat President Shauky Gulamani recommends working with longer length hair with medium to thicker density. Apply a volumizing mousse on damp hair and blow-dry using a large round brush. Set the hair using the FHI Heat Runway IQ Session Styling Rapid Roller Hair System. Place each roller on base for maximum lift at the crown. Through the sides and center back, take vertical partings and place the rollers in slightly under-directed positions. At the nape, place the rollers upward and over-directed. Once cool, remove the rollers and secure the hair into a high ponytail. Divide the ponytail into three sections. Backcomb the bottom section and divide into two separate loops; pin them under to create the base. Backcomb the middle section then fan it over the bottom loops while still maintaining some height with the style. Backcomb the top section gently and smooth the surface. Secure over the middle section with pins for a clean look then finish with Runway IQ Dry Spray. Pre-order the FHI Heat Runway IQ Session Styling Rapid Roller Hair System and get a FREE blow dryer and flat iron!

Maybe hot chocolate isn’t the beverage of choice during warm summer months, but it’s definitely a go-to haircolor option for brunettes looking to warm things up for the season. Try this technique from Alfaparf Milano using the new Evolution of the Color3: Take a 1½-inch off-centered diamond section on top of the head, staying about 1 inch away from the hairline. Apply Alfaparf EOC3 4.32 + 10-volume Oxid’o using a back-to-back slice technique. Using the corners of the diamond on the right side of the head, create a small triangle parting ending at the temple of the hairline. Apply EOC3 5.3 + 20-volume Oxid’o using a back to back slice technique. With the tip of the diamond and the back section, create another larger triangle extending to the crestline of the head. Apply EOC3 5.3 + 20-volume Oxid’o using a back to back slice technique. Apply EOC3 4nb + 10-volume Oxid’o throughout the remaining hair as a regular tint application. See the detailed sectioning diagrams for this step-by-step!

Modern finger waves are irresistible, especially when they’re as pretty and polished as the ones January Jones wore to the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party. “More and more of my clients are asking for classic hair styles with a modern twist,” says ONE Styling artist David Lopez. “And with prom and wedding season approaching, it’s a great alternative to an updo.” David says this hairstyle works on nearly all hair types, although your curly clients will need a smooth blowout first! “When consulting with your client on how to style her hair for a special occasion, it’s always important to pay close attention to the silhouette of her dress and neckline,” he adds. “You don’t want the hair and dress competing for attention.” David prefers to use a styling wand—like the ONE Styling VERGE Curl Styx—to achieve this soft, touchable look. “I like the wrapping technique for this style,” says David. “The hair should twist gently as you make your way around the barrel which, when released, will give you the perfect S-wave pattern.” Learn how you can win ONE Styling Tools!

Kim Kardashian. Jessica Simpson. Blake Lively. What do they all have in common? A penchant for long, voluminous waves. There’s something about the fluid shape of glamorous waves that exemplify modern Hollywood glamour, so it’s no surprise “Kim Kardashian waves” are a big request in your chair. Want an easy and efficient way to create the sought-after style? The pros at Bio Ionic have your back. Begin by blow-drying the hair until it’s 90 percent dry, then divide the hair into seven sections using Bio Ionic iClips. Dry the first section with the Bio:Blow Out round brush until the styling barrel changes color from blue to white. Wind the hair tightly around the barrel, then detach the brush handle and lock it in place with a styling clip. Repeat the process with the remaining sections until the entire head is “set” on the detachable brush heads. Once the barrel color to changes back to white, remove the brush heads. Use a Bio Ionic Silver Classic Paddle Brush to brush through the sections, then finish by winding vertical sections around a 1-inch StyleWinder® Styling Iron to help define the look. Win an in-salon blowout class worth $3,000 from Bio Ionic!

Men watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show to admire the leggy beauties clad in provocative lingerie. But women—many of whom are your clients—only have eyes for one thing. They’re noting the models’ long, luscious hair and beautiful haircolor, and then they’re demanding those looks when they’re in your chair. This year’s show was all about balayage, so we turned to one of the best celebrity colorists, Kim Vo, for his take on the babe-ilicious color. To create this “brunette smudge” look, Kim says to apply Schwarzkopf Igora Royal 6-1 + 20-volume developer to the base and process for four minutes. Rinse and dry the hair, then apply balayage highlights with Schwarzkopf BLONDME, focusing on the crown and face-framing sections. Process, with heat if necessary, then shampoo and apply a glaze for runway worthy shine. Watch a FREE cut and color how-to video from Schwarzkopf!

Boardwalk Empire character Jimmy Darmody’s (played by actor Michael Pitt) Prohibition-era haircut continues to build momentum as one of the hottest men’s cuts to emerge for many seasons. Men’s grooming expert and BTC On Paper columnist Thom Priano says that to recreate this disconnected cut, first create a V-shaped top section from the middle of the brow or the recession point back to the top of the occipital and clip it away. Next, using a clipper and #2 guard attachment, clip the side and back sections. Switch to a #1 guard and blend the nape and side sections into the #2 areas to produce a tapered fade. With an edger, edge the sides and back to create a crisp, tailored line. Release the top section. Part the hair down the center, as if you are going to cut a bob. Hold subsections perpendicular to the head to avoid layering and to limit graduation, then cut to the desired (longer) length. For shorter lengths, create a design line around the head. Comb the front section forward, create the desired length, then work back to the crown, blending the front and back design lines. Get a FREE Full-Size Sample of Bosley Professional Strength Thickening Hair Fibers!

Even the best teachers need a little education from time to time. Two-time Stylist Choice Award Educator of the Year Nick Arrojo offers instructors these five tips on making a difference in students’ lives:

Be Consistent: Keep the standards of education and teaching methods the same for each class. Make sure all educators cover the same material and use the same terminology and techniques.

Bite Size Bits: Separate demos and workshops into short, easy-to-understand segments and give students time to learn, practice, master and reinforce each technique.

Stay Educated: Keep up to date with current trends and techniques and find exciting, interesting ways to make them part of the curriculum. Most importantly, be an authority on the classic, foundation techniques.

Out and About: Get involved in your community by looking for charity benefits or other events where students can participate or donate services, it’s great experience for a good cause.

Love What You Do: Passion and commitment to the craft rubs off on students, keeps them motivated, ready and willing to learn, and on the path to success. Learn from top educators when you attend International Beauty Show NYC, April 22-24! Register NOW!

Sam Villa is constantly on the go, traveling far and wide in search of new cutting inspiration. Recently, he hopped the pond to get inspired by London street fashion and spotted lots of disconnected haircuts with chewed fringes. His salon-friendly rendition utilizes triangular sections to achieve this multi-textured, disconnected look. Here’s how it’s done: Begin in the nape area with a large triangle section in the center, elevate vertically and cut horizontally with Sam Villa Signature Series 7” Dry Cutting Shears. Isolate an oval umbrella section in the crown, then a triangle section in the fringe area from the high point of the head to the corner of the eyes. Connect two areas with a horseshoe section. Isolate the left and right front side areas. Elevate back center area vertically and cut horizontally. Overdirect the left and right side areas to the back area and connect into the horizontal line of the back area. Elevate the oval umbrella section diagonal with entire section pinched to center and point cut for a soft edge diagonally. Weave and cut with blending shears throughout the haircut to achieve your desired texture. Finish with Redken Wax Blast 10 and blast dry for a choppy, satin/matte finish with body and dimension. Now, check out Sam’s “Bardot” cutting how-to!