9 Can’t-Miss Hair Cheats
Front Row was a festival-inspired hair show that took over Miami last weekend and the education and entertainment was HOT. HOT. HOT! BTC was there to get in on all the action. Here are the hottest tips, tricks and cheats we learned from the show!
1. S-Wave Cheat – When creating an S-wave, use your fingers to keep the tension on the hair while tapping the flat iron down your section. Open the wave around the eye and close the wave around the nose, keeping the ends straight to create a finger-wave effect. When doing an S-wave, if you use smaller sections you will get a bigger, fuller-looking result and if you use bigger sections, the look will turn out more flat and loose. Watch Nicci Welsh explain the S-wave below.
2. The Fashion is in The Details – When doing a high-fashion look, don’t overlook your prep or the details. If the hair is supposed to move in one consistent direction, take the time to blow-dry and brush around the entire head to get the hair exactly where you need it to be. “The structure of the style might be what gives you the shape, but to make your look more high fashion, it’s all about the details,” said Oribe Educator Gardner Edmunds.
The look from the hands-on class led by James Pecis. This style consisted of different technical aspects like braiding, sewing and curling the hair. James wanted the stylists focusing on the details of every technique.
3. Editorial Cheat – When working editorially or for a photoshoot, don’t be afraid to use anything and everything that can help you achieve the look you need to create. James Pecis showed us a master cheat in the insta pic below.
4. Long and Short can Live Together
– When working with a razor, a secret to note is that long and short pieces can live right next to one another and the look will still make sense. “Move the blade through to the keep the length while also remembering to take some shorter pieces,” says Coby Alcantar.
Coby explains her razor-cutting secret.
5. It’s OK to Stop – When working editorially, Thom Priano says the biggest piece of advice he can give to stylists is to know when to stop. “Don’t overwork the hair, because once you start overworking the hair, you end up destroying the vision. Hair is movement, so if I take my hands away and it looks good, I don’t touch it again. You have to learn to stop.”
6. Create a Color Story – Remember you don’t always have to add color everywhere! Instead, find specific focal points in the hair where you want to see the color most, said Goldwell Artistic Director Rebecca Hiele. If your client has a longer face shape, the focal point will most likely be on the sides to create more width. If your client has a rounder face, the focal point is likely to be on top of the head.
Rebecca creating her color story for the crowd.
7. Keywords to Use with Clients – How do you deal with a client who wants a certain color that looks pretty on the model in the picture they bring in, but might not look as great on him/her in real life? Easy! “I tell my clients, ‘I love the idea of your vision… but this is how I’m going to individualize it for you,’” says Rebecca. It’s important to bring their vision into real life and to be honest with your client—you’re going to give them a color that will work for them.
8. Leave Your Ego At The Door – When working with photographers, know that getting to the end result will take many attempts. “Be sure to leave your ego at the door and be willing to learn. If you can pick up one or two things every time you style a client, you will come to have a nice compilation of skills,” says Garren.
9. Trust Yourself – “It’s important to find an esthetic that you like and bury yourself in it. We all can cut hair, but what’s different between you and everyone else is huge. You have to find who you are and you have to own it,” advises Howard McLaren.
