The Latest Hairstyles & Haircuts

Which of your recent looks are you most proud of doing?

Tell us about this...

As a hairdresser, I have always been most interested in looks that challenge my skill set. Not that I don't love doing a root retouch, but tackling a sizable hair "problem" taps into both my analytical and creative sides, which I super enjoy!Color corrections are a specialty of mine, and no two corrections can be approached in the same way (despite a desired similar outcome).Take Hannah P. for instance (first photo from left). She came to me wanting to change her brassy level 8 blonde weave with 4 inches of level 5 grow out to a white, platinum blonde. After 6 hours, one entire 15.8 oz canister of Schwartzkopf Blonde Me lightener, several ounces of Olaplex, and my trusty Wella platinum toner, we got her there! Since her initial visit we've played with various fashion color concepts (some mixed with her platinum, some a solid Millennial Pink), but her current iridescent dove grey/silver is by far my most favorite look on her.Karen S. is another look that I've been so excited about (second and third photos)! Karen found me because her signature look is pink -- and after her first few sessions with me, she decided to let me start "playing" with her color, as long as her look predominately read rosey. This pink look is one of my favorites on her, and no fibs this was inspired by a 1980's-Trapper-Keeper-featuring-a-Unicorn kind of vibe. I first lightened her regrowth with Schwartzkopf Blonde Me and Olaplex, and then melted two different shades of pink into an intense blue and purple (all Joico Color Intensity shades infused with Olaplex) using a star sectioning formation.Fast forward a couple of months and Karen threw me for a loop... she wanted to embrace her childhood natural blonde! This is the scenario that gets exciting for me...how to completely extract stubborn residual fashion color (especially the dreaded blue as well as the red-based pink and purple) and get someone back to light blonde! Karen had also been using a pink color-depositing conditioner between her visits, making this project even more challenging. I lightened her regrowth with Schwartzkopf Blonde Me and Olaplex, and used the Joico Intensity Color Remover on her length...and then a surprise strategy of a pastel green direct dye to cancel out the final traces of the pink/red undertones. I followed this with a 10-minute Olaplex No 2 treatment and then thoroughly towel dried her.I believe that unless the client's goal is a solid white/platinum shade, blondes look better and more natural with a shadow root look. I toned Karen with a gorgeous level 9 champagne blonde tone from the demi Joico K-PAK Chrome series from root to end. I processed her for 10 minutes and then tapped in a level 5 neutral brown (also Joico K-PAK Chrome) over top the level 9 shade just at the roots, and combed thoroughly to blend....knowing that the level 5 over the level 9 would create a level 7 shade at the scalp that would transition softly into her level 9 ends. By the end of this appointment, Karen went from a faded pink fashion color with 2 inches of regrowth into a beautiful, natural rooted champagne blonde.The final look (fourth photo) I'd like to talk about is one of my longest long-term clients (and my resident dark unicorn), Samm. She and I go way back, and you name the color, we have done it! Her extra challenge is that she is a natural level 8 blonde, so she's colored a Level 2N from Paul Mitchell The Color at every appointment -- which is gorgeous on her, but poses a ton of challenges when it comes to lifting past the dreaded level 7 blorange.For this look I balayaged her mid-lengths and ends with Schwartzkopf Blonde Me and Olaplex while her permanent color was processing, incubating the balayage in foils for additional lift. She was then given an Olaplex No 2 treatment, shampooed (not conditioned), and blown dry.I was so excited to see that we got enough lift from her dark hair to be able to go with Samm's rainbow inspo! For this color I wanted to play with the Framesi Framcolor Bold collection (infused with Olaplex), especially because I knew how opaque their coverage was, even with their lighter tones (I'm looking at you, yellow!). I color melted all seven ROYGBIV shades into her dark base, starting with either the red or purple for the softest transition from the permanent black color to the fashion shades.....making sure there was lots of pops of the lighter shades on the majority of her length.

What’s your absolute favorite hair trend right now?

Why do you love this trend so much?

I am absolutely loving the dimensional trend right now! As much as I'm here for my double-process platinum blondes (hollah!), I love the complexity of intertwined tones.Dimensional color creates softness and longevity in a look. Plus, using dimensional colors in a fantasy palette -- I believe -- makes the look more wearable and natural. I love it when my fashion color clients tell me about the compliments they receive on their looks...and that often people tell them they didn't notice how artificial their color was because of all the different tones/shades that could be seen.Dimensional color also provides a more youthful image. By confusing the onlooker's eyes, dimensional color distracts from any imperfections in the skin, giving us an almost airbrushed appearance. Because of this phenomena, I have many "older than you think" fashion color clients because the dimensional tones (albeit vivid tones) still create that appearance of youth. I adore that all hair colors can be worn at any age and that the only rules out there about hair color are the ones we impose on ourselves.I use all the tricks in the book to infuse dimension in my clients' colors....balayage, foliage, teasy-lights, strand lights, and color melting. Sometimes my fashion color folks get strand lights and balayage, and sometimes my "natural palette" folks are color melted -- I'm open to any and all strategies to get my clients to the most gorgeous, most dimensional look possible!