Braids made a big appearance at the SAG Awards with stars like Kaley Cuoco, Dianna Agron and Busy Phillips opting for the casually beautiful, chic style. Celebrity and editorial stylist Ted Gibson created a milkmaid braided look at a recent Rachel Roy show and offers this how-to: First, part hair down the middle all the way to the nape of the neck. To create the texture necessary to “grip” the braided style, he recommends prepping the hair with L’Oréal Professionnel Texture Expert Expansion mousse. Divide the hair into two, low, symmetrical pigtails. Next, braid each pigtail, pulling at pieces for a more natural, mussed-up effect. Secure both braids along the crown with bobby pins to create the appearance of one continuous braid and use L’Oréal Professionnel Texture Expert Architexture to smooth flyaways at the crown and finish with a misting of hairspray. Get the how-to for Busy Phillips’ bohemian braid!

Years ago, purple, pink, blue or green hair was considered “alternative” and “rebellious.” Those who dared to sport such colors were viewed as individuals who had creative lifestyles and eccentric jobs. Oh, how times have changed! Today it’s not uncommon to see a pink hue here and a blue highlight there on working-class men and women. And thanks to celebs like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, expression of individuality through hair color is becoming the norm. Clients wanting to express the lavender lover nestling inside them should consider this “Blaze” color how-to from Wella Professionals. On a Level 6 client, start by taking a veil-shaped section from the front hairline to the crown. Next, take a foil-width section on each side, from the front hairline to the back of the head. After sectioning, take diagonal sections at the front and alternate weaves and slices toward the back using Koleston Perfect 12/11 + 12% Koleston Perfect Crème Developer (40 vol.), Wella Blondor Soft Cream + 3% Koleston Perfect Crème Developer (10 vol.) and Koleston Perfect 12/96 + 12% Koleston Perfect Crème Developer (40 vol.). Pivot around the crown and allow color to process. Shampoo, rinse and apply a color glaze using Wella Color Touch 1 part 0/68 + 2 parts 0/00 + 1.9% Color Touch Emulsion (6 vol.). Learn the cutting step-by-step for this look!

Glee cutie Chris Colfer added some serious sex appeal to his style at this weekend’s SAG Awards, rocking a look worthy of its own song. His stylist, Solo Artists’ Charles Dujic, shares how to get his look: “Chris wanted to add a bit of edge to his look tonight to complement his Vivienne Westwood suit,” Charles explains. “So I styled his hair in an asymmetrical modern pompadour.” Charles first prepped Chris’ damp hair with Bumble and bumble gel, and then blow-dried it into the shape with just his fingers to give it direction. He followed up by applying Bumble and bumble sumotech to add texture, definition and shine then once again worked the style into place with his fingers. And with that, Chris had a look to take him from the halls of William McKinley High School to the glitz of the SAG Awards! See 5 more styles from the SAG Awards!

According to beauty business expert Dave Ray, creating an employee handbook is one of the most, if not the most crucial part of your business. “It can determine the success or failure of your endeavors,” he explains. “Topics like avoiding conflicts, compensation, benefits, expectations, disciplinary actions, vacation and a whole lot more can be solved with just this document.” The following matters should be clearly explained in your handbook: objectives, pre-employment qualifications, terms and conditions, time book procedures, meal breaks, pay, leave, sick leave, maternity leave, medical expenses, conduct, confidentiality, money, grievances, suggestions, termination of employment, layoffs/rotation, discipline/offense, and how you’ll handle reprimands, warnings, suspensions and dismissals. “Some people may argue that all of this is unnecessary,” notes Dave. “But running a business can become dirty if you’re not protected, especially in the parts of the world where unions are prevalent in employees’ favor. This is the real world, and you need to be prepared!” Now, learn how to create a front desk handbook!

Goldwell International Artistic Master and NAHA Winner Dimitrios Tsioumas is back again with another great how- to. This versatile, modern undercut from the new FasciNature collection can be styled sleekly or wildly with icy cool color to match! As always, start with sectioning. Take the sides and nape above the hatline from the crown and create four subsections at the crown: fringe, back and two side sections. Next you’ll need to determine the undercut length at the nape and sides. From the nape, evenly graduate the length toward the sides using the scissor over comb technique. Now, move onto the back and choose the length. Comb hair in a vertical direction, creating a convex shape from the occipital bone towards the ear. The hair should now cover the upper outline of the ear. Moving onto the sides, once again determine the length, comb the hair in a vertical direction and cut a line from the established length at the ear towards the corner of the eye. All that’s left is the fringe! Come hair vertically and connect the two side sections. Tip: Use the base of the nose to establish the length of the fringe. Want to learn the color technique? Register for Goldwell’s FREE Webinar ‘Amazing Creative Color’!

In our January 16th Business Tip of the Day, we featured some advice from BTC Booth Renting Expert Judiffier Pearson. Unfortunately, that information was inaccurately quoted. But have no fear, for Judiffier is here to readdress how to properly find new booth renters! First, Judiffier recommends you always keep in mind that booth renters are business owners running their own “mini-salon operation” under a larger salon establishment’s roof. “To reach this population of mini-operators, I recommend aligning your marketing strategy to attract these potential tenants,” she shares. “A ‘For Rent’ sign in the window will not be enough. Make sure you have a consistent message across all of your marketing platforms. It must be one that clearly communicates what your salon has to offer and how you’re different from other competitors.” She also recommends you network with professional beauty distributors, sales reps, cosmetology program alumni associations, photographers, make-up artists and nail technicians. “This will put you as a booth rental salon owner in the right circles to reach your target market,” she adds. “Building strong relationships in various segments of the professional community is vital to your success.” Get more ideas and suggestions from Judiffier!

In her new show Once Upon a Time, actress Jennifer Morrison’s character, Emma Swan, is believed to be the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. And when Morrison was slated to appear at three promotional events in NYC recently, she needed a little magic of her own to ensure her coif looked as pretty as a princess. Enter Matrix Artistic Director and celebrity stylist Ammon Carver, who kept the star looking spot-on all day. It started with an appearance on Good Morning America, where Ammon created a look similar to her character’s on the show—long and gently waved. He applied Matrix Total Results Moisture Cure 2-Phase Treatment and Design Pulse Go Big Extra Strong Hold Mousse to damp hair, blow-dried and then swirled sections vertically with a curling iron, alternating the rotation direction for natural movement. Once cooled, he “set” the style with a few blasts of Vavoom ShapeMaker Extra-Hold Hairspray. For Live! With Kelly! Ammon performed a quick change by sweeping Morrison’s long fringe back and pinning it into place, keeping the ends full and flouncy. For her last stop at Sirius Radio, Ammon gathered her hair into a bouncy ponytail and fashioned her fringe into a trendy braid. A happy ending fit for a fairytale princess! Enter to WIN a year’s supply of Matrix Total Results!

How do you keep mature clients coming back for more? With flawless gray coverage, of course! Joico International Vero K-PAK Color Spokesperson Beth Minardi shares her “Timeless Brunette” how-to to help you gain return visits. This service is ideal for a natural level 4 client with 55% gray in the front, 20% gray in the back and hair that has been previously lightened at the base with highlights. For the base color, take fine sections and apply Vero K-PAK Color Age Defy ½ oz 6NN+ and ½ oz 8NGC+ with 1 oz 20 Volume Veroxide (1:1) close to the scalp at the re-growth. To minimize staining on the hairline, apply color using the tip of the bottle. Make tiny circles while ensuring the tip maintains contact with the scalp. Follow through by tapping the haircolor along the hairline. And for the lowlights, rather than just refreshing color down to the ends, Beth recommends refreshing only selected strands to create dimensional color using Vero K-PAK Color Chrome 1½ oz G6 + ½ oz RB4 with 2 oz Chrome Activator (1:1). Yes, gray coverage IS that easy! Win Beth Minardi’s Signature Color Formula book!

Gray hair is no longer the sole bastion of AARP members. In fact, the haircolor trend has seen several resurgences in the past year alone, and tons of cool celebs—from Kelly Osbourne to Lady Gaga—have been spotted sporting a variety of silver-y styles. “Brilliant shades of gray have been around for quite some time,” says Goldwell Art Director John Simpson. “With the tools we have now, we can embrace sterling, pewter, pepper and cool pearl tones and formulate them to sparkle and reflect.” When you work with these shades, he advises, you need to think of the new hair as vinyl, the mid-shaft as wool and the ends as cotton. “Your formula needs to drive the vinyl and offer durability through the wool and cotton!” John likes this Goldwell Topchic glaze: 20mls 10 or 20-volume developer + 20mls distilled water + 17mls 10A + 3mls 2A. “Before placing the detail slices or glaze, make sure you balance the porosity of the ‘wool and cotton’ with a stabilizer,” advises John. Check out another awesome color trend: pink hair!

Bad customer feedback is a nightmare for any business and now, thanks to the proliferation of online review sites, it’s more difficult to manage. But rather than dismiss a bad review online, try taking action. Not only will you head off future complaints, you might just turn your critics into some of your best clients. Peggy Wynne Borgman, owner of the Preston Wynne Day Spas in Saratoga, CA, suggests doing a web search of your salon’s name, city and state. Some sites, such as Yahoo! Local, offer services that alert you to new reviews via email. Peggy became a member of Yelp, which allows the business owner to contact reviewers directly by email rather than simply posting a rebuttal. She contacted every client who reviewed her salon, both good and bad, apologizing to those who reported disappointing experiences and inviting them back for a free service. “The worst tact you can take is to ignore any publicity that may be awaiting you online.” Peggy says. “If a business is unaware and isn’t actively working and managing reviews, it can be a liability. And if you don’t have good customer service, you can’t fake it. You have to have both in place.” Get 5 more tips on how to turn bad reviews into raves!