 Another Train the Trainer has come and gone! This past weekend, Sunlights Balayage had the distinct pleasure of hosting a whopping 37 trainers from all over the world right here in Atlanta, Georgia — including one from the United Kingdom and not one, but TWO from Sweden! It was truly a mind-blowing weekend overflowing with inspiration, fun, friendship, mentorship, and — most of all — SUNSHINE! The weekend kicked off with a bang, beginning with an entrepreneurship workshop that featured some of our Artisan Team “Legends” — Lacie Wehrle, Abby Warther, Wayne Giles, and Jessica Scott Santo. A tour of Candy’s award-winning 50 chair salon, Jamison Shaw Hairdressers, followed to give the class of 2019 a glimpse into a busy day at the birthplace of Sunlights. Afterward, our newest crop of Artisan Educators was treated to a wonderful night of celebration at the Balay Lama’s own home, including a beautiful piano and cello duet from two of their own — Dianne Sitar of New Hampshire, and Brendan Buoni of Washington! It wouldn’t be a Sunlights event if it wasn’t packed to the brim with education! The second day featured an intensive, all day, hands-on balayage class in which our newbies learned a wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques straight from the Balay Lama to carry with them into the classroom. After a busy day of painting, the group blew off some steam with a surprise trip to Top Golf to putt and play the night away — inflatable yellow suits included. On the final day of the event, painters were divided into teams to show off their skills on stage, all judged by Candy Shaw and the Artisan Team Legends! After winners were awarded, Candy took a few moments to honor those legends and give the new class back story on their journey with the Sunlights family. Diplomas were presented, educators were gifted their very own handmade Sunlights aprons, and the whole weekend was topped off with what else? A dance party! Train the Trainer is always a weekend full of laughter, tears, inspiration, new friendships, and life long bonds, and this fourth year was no exception. Please welcome to the family your 37 newest Sunlights Artisan Educators, the Train the Trainer Class of 2019!  Be on the lookout for classes in these brand new territories: Washington, New Hampshire, Maryland, Colorado, Arkansas, and Minnesota! For classes in the UK, please contact Rebel Beauty Brands; for classes in Sweden, please contact Baldacci Haircare.
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No, this isn't the trash you're thinking of! Watch this week's Tip & Trick as Candy Shaw explains how to clean up 'Trash', and how this time-saving tip helps you cut long layers!
Follow & Subscribe! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SunlightsBalayageInc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamisonShawHairdressers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunlightsbalayage/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebalaylama/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamisonshaw/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunlightsbalayage Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBalayLama Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamisonShawHairdresser  If you're familiar with balayage, you're familiar with Candy Shaw. With the moniker the "Balay Lama," Shaw has been building her brand for the better part of her life—her father, Jamison Shaw, was a former world champion hairdresser and her mother was a professional makeup artist. Now, with over 35 years of experience, Shaw owns Jamison Shaw Hairdressers, a 5,000-square-foot, 50-chair salon in Atlanta, and sees more than 30 clients a day with the help of multiple assistants.
In the hair color world, Shaw is regarded as a foremost authority on balayage education. She founded The Academy at Jamison Shaw, an advanced training facility teaching balayage highlighting more than 20 years ago, and launched a professional product line called Sunlights Balayage in 2014. Not to mention, she has worked with several A-list clients, including Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Karina Smirnoff, and received a number of honors including being named North America's Educator of the Year in 2017 by Intercoiffure. If you're wondering exactly how Shaw built her empire, she'll be sharing her secrets alongside some of the industry's most influential names at this year's International Beauty Show New York during the Leading Ladies segment. The brainchild of Tracey Hughes and Candy Shaw, Leading Ladies is an honest and realistic program that dives deep into what it takes for someone to reach the top in the beauty industry. Emcee Mark Bustos will guide the conversation between Candy Shaw, Kris Sorbie, Najah Aziz, Ruth Roche, and Tracey Hughes, who will share their respective stories about what it takes to succeed. "Beauty professionals can expect to take a number of things away from the Leading Ladies program," Shaw says. "Friendship, emotion, motivation, confirmation, and inspiration, to name a few. The program's raw and simple format—just five of us sitting on stools with a shared microphone—makes the audience feel as though they are onstage with us, appreciating the struggles and gaining confirmation that their journey is very similar to the panelists," Shaw adds. "Attendees will leave both motivated and inspired by the collective, shared wisdom of the accomplished panel of women." To learn more and register for this year's show, visit www.ibsnewyork.com. Check out the American Salon article by clicking here.  Sunlights Balayage, the makers and purveyors of the world’s leading balayage products and education, has once and for all blown the lid off toning shampoos and conditioners with the highly anticipated 2019 launch of its unique Violet Toning Shampoo — in both take home and in salon only versions — and Frost Toning Conditioner, a revolutionary new toning conditioner and pH balancing treatment in one.
Lovingly formulated with Sunflower Extract, which naturally conditions and moisturizes hair while protecting its color vibrancy, Violet & Frost are designed to maintain and prolong your clients’ balayage highlights and other color services. Also containing Grapeseed Oil, the new four SKU product line adds shine and smooths frizz without weighing hair down and is an excellent source of vitamin E, which promotes both hair growth and a healthy scalp. As you would expect, the products are both paraben and sulfate free and are color safe. Sunlights Violet Grapeseed & Sunflower Toning Shampoo comes in two strengths and sizes. A 12 oz. retail take home version for ‘Home-Use’ (suggested retail price to your salon guests is USD $22) and a 32 oz. ‘Professional Use Only’ version, containing a heavier pigment load, for back-bar In-Salon use. Both versions of Sunlights Violet Shampoo neutralize unwanted brassy tones and add brightness and shine to both natural and color treated hair. Sunlights Violet Grapeseed & Sunflower Toning Conditioner, comes in just one formula for both At-Home and In-Salon use, but also comes in two sizes: 12 oz. and 32 oz. (The MSRP to your salon guests for take home are USD $22 for the 12oz. size and $58 for the 32 oz. size). Sunlights violet based conditioner brightens and moisturizes while restoring the pH balance of both natural and color treated hair. Founded by stylist, salon owner and educator Candy Shaw, aka The Balay Lama, Sunlights Balayage is best known as both ‘America’s and The Worlds’ Balayage Brand’ since it’s now available in over a dozen countries. Sunlights, a garage start-up which is 100% woman owned and family operated turns five this year. Violet & Frost join Wash & Rinse, Sunlights’ original shampoo & conditioner designed to prolong your clients’ balayage highlights and other color services, as the third and fourth wet line options in Candy’s compact line of ‘hero’ products.  On this week's episode of Tips & Tricks Tuesday, The Balay Lama herself, Candy Shaw, shows you how to transition a dark base to balayage! Even though Candy is using foils, her ultimate goal is to convert this guest to balayage eventually, so watch this trick to learn the first step in doing so!
 Breaking News!
Sunlights Balayage has landed a new distributor in the Northeast, Sullivan Beauty! This past Monday, the husband and wife team of Jamison and Adrienne Codner had the great pleasure of launching Sunlights' newest supplier, Sullivan Beauty! We could not be more pleased with aligning ourselves with another like-minded, third generation family business. Based out of Hooksett, NH, Sullivan will service MA, ME, VT, CT, RI, and of course NH. For the launch, Adrienne (@balayme_lefty) taught a class focused on the core fundamentals of a successful balayage: Consistency, Brush Stroke, and Saturation. After the demo, students lined up at the registers to take home the original balayage kit, THE BALAY BOX and its companion THE BALAY BOX 2.0! One of the students mentioned to Tyler Sullivan, co-owner of Sullivan Beauty, that she "has taken 7 balayage classes, and this one was by far the most informative!" Once the class was wrapped up, the energy shifted over to introducing and launching the brand with the Sullivan sales force. Jamison (@thebalaylamason) spoke to the team about the power of the paintbrush and how to invite stylists to join this revolution in hair color. Needless to say, the team left ready to paint the Northeast yellow 2-hour 'Balayage Brilliance!' look + learn demo to (50) of Sullivan's VIP customers! For more information on how to get in touch with Sullivan Beauty, please visit their website https://www.sullivanbeauty.com/. On this week's episode of Tips & Tricks Tuesday, Artisan Educator Erika Valentine shows you how to cut a one-length bob on thick hair without adding layers with the 1-bis technique! Create gorgeous, beveled French cuts with ease by adding this simple technique to your arsenal. Follow & Subscribe! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SunlightsBalayageInc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamisonShawHairdressers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunlightsbalayage/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebalaylama/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamisonshaw/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunlightsbalayage Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBalayLama Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamisonShawHairdressers  For the first time ever Sunlights Balayage and its creator Candy Shaw were invited to teach in Cape Town, South Africa! Candy was invited by Baldacci, their Swedish Distributor, who brought over 50 of their best customers to an Education and Wellness event!
Each morning the group of hairdressers started their day with either Yoga or an exercise Boot Camp on the beach. Candy also shared her best business practices of how to run a salon in America. She taught them how she hires, how she trains, and how to become a six-figure hairdresser, all essential practices in running a successful salon. Candy also spent the afternoon introducing the Sunlights brand, and teaching a Look and Learn Balayage Demo. She stated, "my first impression of the Swedish hairdresser was since blondes are quite common, they would all know how to paint balayage!" However, to her surprise, the technique, although wildly popular in America, is just now catching on in Sweden! The Swedes were so excited to learn from The Balay Lama they are organizing a trip in 2020 to come to her Academy in Atlanta to see first hand how an American Salon and it’s business practices are run! We can't wait to spread the Balay Gospel all through Sweden! Purchase Sunlights through Baldacci here https://baldacci.se/brands/sunlights/  This year Candy Shaw is headlining Hair Expo 2019 after bringing her unstoppable energy and leading skills in balayage to Melbourne last year; Candy Shaw will return to Australia for the second time in Sydney!
As the foremost leader of Balayage education, Candy will be teaching TWO hands-on Balayage Workshops with fresh tips, tricks, tools, and techniques! With balayage continuing to be one of the most in-demand coloring services for salons, hairdressers will learn leading skills in the technique that they can use to grow their business and Paint Their Way to Financial Freedom! SUNLIGHTS has officially landed in Australia, and you can now find all the best balayage tools all the way across the globe with our new distributor Rogue Beauty. Purchase SUNLIGHTS in Australia here! See the full article on Candy Shaw at Hair Expo 2019 here!  Sunlights Balayage & Jamison Shaw Hairdressers Give Back We absolutely love what we do at Jamison Shaw! We can’t imagine anyone getting into the beauty industry that doesn’t thoroughly enjoy making people feel better about themselves, and seeing a priceless smile on their face at the end of their service! Even outside the salon, we love to make people feel beautiful! We had an amazing opportunity recently to spread our love for a friend who was going on a mission trip to La Vega, Costa Rica. We were able to donate haircutting kits with scissors, combs and hair care products to treat a special group of ladies to a spa night! La Vega is a very small rural town where a lot of the women and children had never had the opportunity to get pampered and get their hair done. The ladies on the mission trip were able to give massages, paint nails, give jewelry, soaps, and luxurious body products! We love that we've been able to bring happiness outside of the walls of our salon and give the gift of beauty to a well-deserving group of La Vega ladies. We are so happy to have been able to reach these beautiful ladies and put a smile on their face! It lets us know that we chose the right industry to be in. Check out these amazing photos to see their bright smiles!  Have you noticed after getting highlights your hair eventually loses that shine it had when you left the salon? Do you have hard water at home? Or live by the city where air quality is worse? Does your hair turn more gold/yellow after a while?
All of these factors can be assisted by using a violet toning shampoo and conditioner. Violet tones are often used to combat brassy or yellow/red tones by making them cooler. Although violet shampoo can be used on any hair color, the biggest benefit is on blondes. Blonde hair can be easily tainted by hard water, or pollution in the environment that eventually can leave hair a bit dull, and yellow. By using violet toning shampoo and conditioner it can take away dullness, and prolong the life of highlights with weekly use. These toning shampoos and conditioners aren't just for color treated hair, either. Violet tones can breathe new life and vibrancy into natural blonde hair to give it more dimension and shine than you ever thought possible! What better place to get your toning shampoo and conditioner than from the authorities on blonde, balayage, and so much more than Sunlights Balayage? That's right - we now have our VERY OWN toning line in Violet + Frost! Specially formulated by the Balay Lama herself, Candy Shaw, Violet + Frost are designed to neutralize brassy tones, add brightness and shimmer to both virgin and color treated hair, and even restore the pH balance of your hair! Even better, VIOLET Grapeseed and Sunflower Toning Shampoo comes in both a convenient 12oz take-home version for your guests and a 32oz version exclusively meant for professional use (with a much higher dye load to go with it)! Ready to order yours? Head over to our webstore and stock up or contact your local Sunlights distributor today!  The wait is almost over, UK -- the best lift in the industry will soon be available via Rebel Beauty Brands!
We're so excited to finally share the Balayage Revolution with our friends in the UK, and so grateful for the amazing team at RBB bringing us there. If you've been waiting to get your hands on Sunlights® Professionnel Balayage Lightener or Sunlights® tools, you'll finally be able to in January 2019! Of course, where there is Sunlights, there must be education, right? Keep your eyes peeled for world renowned Sunlights education coming your way, too! Where else will we go in 2019? Who knows! Be sure to check back often and keep up with us on our Instagram to find out! Rebel Beauty Brands is currently accepting pre-orders for Sunlights products via email at info@rebelbeautybrands.com, by phone at +01442248104, or you can simply visit them on Instagram and send them a direct message.  Candy sees anywhere from 20-30 clients every day! She works with a handful of talented assistants, however, she couldn’t do what she does without the tools to complete the job! Candy uses these tools on a daily basis to create beautiful works of art!
Her tried and true shear is the French 7” curved shear. 7 inches may sound like hedge cutting shears if you're used to the short British shears, but these shears are designed to saw hair, not snip hair. It's also ergonomically designed to help prevent carpal tunnel since the holes are large enough to sit at the base of the fingers. Check out these shears in action! Nothing is more satisfying in a haircut than to see the movement come into play. Candy loves her French 42 tooth texturizing shears for this purpose. Whether she is removing bulk, or adding texture, this texturizing shear is the best! She is able to cut interior (building weight) or exterior (removing weight) just by placing the teeth on the top or the bottom. Does anyone have those clients whose hair is so thick that no matter how much texturizing you do, it just does not seem to be enough? That is where the French chunking shears come to the rescue! Candy will use these to really add some texture and remove unnecessary bulk from haircuts. The chunking shear is able to give that razored effect, without causing the frizziness that can sometimes come with other texturizing shears. Candy has been asked before, what is the one tool she would take with her if she were stranded on an island. Most people are surprised by her answer: Clippers. Here at Jamison Shaw, the clippers are something that we use more than most would think and why not? They are quick, accurate and it can guarantee a straight line every time! And that’s it! Now granted, some cases cause her to use other tools to get the job done, however, these four tools are Candy Shaw’s go-to’s. Go to our SHOP page and check the tools out yourselves and see what difference it can make behind your chair!  Candy recently sat down with Melissa Scott of the Hello Courageous podcast to talk about her experience as a business owner. Head over to their website or search your favorite podcast player for Episode 11 to hear Candy discuss the wisdom that has helped her become the success she is today, as well as how she stays positive in the face of being a mother, salon owner, academy owner, and product manufacturer all while continuing to see clients behind the chair. To keep up with Candy, follow her on Instagram! Looking to up your skills as a hairdresser? Head over to our YouTube today!  It was an extremely exciting Monday in the Sunlights Camp! Not only did we have our last Atlanta Academy class of the year, but we also launched our new distributor in the Pacific Northwest!
Our Director of Smiles, Jamison Codner, flew to Portland to meet our new friends from Bassett Salon Solutions. He was accompained by Denise Mahoney, owner of the Colour Authority in Portland and top Sunlights Artisan Team Educator, as they shared the Balay Gospel with the entire sales force from Bassett. Jamison says, 'we are excited to be able to bring the industry's top balayage products and education to the PacNW. We FINALLY feel like we've found our home with Bassett, as we share similar core values and a true passion for education!' Bassett will be representing our brand in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Utah. For more information about this exciting new partnership and to locate a sales representative in your area, please visit the Bassett Salon Solutions website, HERE. Happy Painting, Balayage Believers!  Can you believe how fast the year's gone by? We just wrapped up our final Cutting Academy class of the year with a whopping 23 students! As if you needed any further proof that balayage and French Cutting go hand in hand, a few of the students were members of our very own Sunlights Artisan Team!
Although classes are all wrapped up for 2018, we've already begun releasing our 2019 schedule. Classes are filling up quickly, though, so make sure you get your registration in as soon as possible. It's a perfect chance to invest in yourself by investing in your career, education, and skills behind the chair. Prefer to catch Candy on the road or at a tradeshow? We'll be at ISSE Long Beach January 26 through 27 with two Intensive Hands-On Workshops and a Look & Learn class, all taught by the Balay Lama! Click here to register today! Want education at home? Head over to our YouTube channel for all the latest Tips, Tricks, and Techniques from Candy Shaw and her team! Don't forget to subscribe so you can be the first to know when we add new videos!  Candy Shaw, aka ‘The Balay Lama’, the founder of Sunlights Balayage — the makers and purveyors of the world’s leading balayage products and education — received Intercoiffure America/Canada’s (‘ICA’) prestigious ‘President’s Award’ at a black-tie ceremony at New York’s Hilton Hotel on Sunday, October 28, 2018 in recognition for her extraordinary service as the organization’s New Member Chair. Intercoiffure is the world’s leading hair and beauty organization.
ICA experienced unprecedent growth during Candy’s four-year reign as membership chair, explained Frank Gambuzza, the organization’s President. Fifty-two new members were inducted at the Fall Atelier including such industry leaders as: Sam Villa, Nick Stenson, Nick Arrojo, Scott Missad, Richy Kandasamy, Ginger Boyle and Edward Tricomi. Shaw also inducted a number of new manufacturer partners like: Kevin.Murphy, Davines, L’anza, Hairbrained.me, and Beth Minardi. The organization experienced a staggering 32% increase in ‘A’ members under the outgoing administration which included Gambuzza, 1st Vice President and Intercoiffure’s President elect Sheila Wilson, Candy Shaw and Artistic Director Van Council. In addition to receiving the coveted ‘President’s Award’, and personally pinning the new members, Shaw was joined by Sonya Dove and acting on behalf of Platinum Sponsor Wella, presented the inaugural ‘Fabio Sementilli Scholarship Award’ to Vivian Yeh, who’s salon was recently destroyed by a hurricane. ICA not only pitched in to help Yeh rebuild but the annual scholarship fund established in Fabio’s memory enabled her to attend this year’s Atelier and be recognized and encouraged by her peers. Trish Storhoff, who served on Shaw’s membership committee, takes over as Intercoiffure’s New Member Chair. Also serving on Shaw’s ‘blue ribbon’ committee were: Joseph Abolafia, Timothy Belcher, Sam Brocato, Marcy Cona, John Gialluisi, Shirley Gordon, Terry McKee, Angela Pantaleone, Debra Penzone, Coral Pleas, and Oliver Steinnagel. Shaw, who frequently says “joining Intercoiffure was the best business decision I ever made,” was recently appointed to the Advisory Board for Hair Expo, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and best hair show, which next takes place in Sydney, Australia in June of 2019. Shaw will continue to serve on Intercoiffure’s Board of Directors.  Transitioning your Guest to their Natural Grey!
The time has finally come: your client has finally decided to embrace the beauty of having their natural grey come through. Don’t panic! This can be incredibly intimidating as a stylist. There are a million thoughts going through your head: “Where do I start?” “How do I approach this?” “No more every 3 week regrowth touch up? That’s less money on their ticket.” First and foremost, be honest with your client. Are they really ready to embrace this? Or are they just having a bad day? If they're really ready to give up the color retouch, that’s the first hurdle! Next, what does their natural color look like? What color have you been applying on top of this? Is their hair short or long? Obviously, the lighter the color and the shorter the hair, the easier the transition will be. If they have long, brunette hair, the transition may be a little harder for them to handle. There are many options depending on how drastic and how fast you and your client decide you want to do the transition. Some tend to want to do it a little more organically. In that case, just let the color grow in, and get more frequent hair cuts. Others would prefer to lighten up with highlights gradually and tone with a color closer to their natural grey but it will take more time. However you approach it, you have to be honest with yourself and your client. This can be time consuming and costly. Explain to them that this is a process and will take time! Ask them to be patient, and in the end they'll be happy! Remeber that no matter what, our goal is to always make our guests happy.  Bobs are BACK, baby!
TREND ALERT! Popular hairstyles from the red carpet are always fun to imitate, some of the newest trends of this fall include bold bobs, bangs, and sleek parts!Bobs are trending in the celebrity world now, ranging from angular to straight. Perhaps the surge in 90’s fashion and hair inspired the re-emergence of edgy bobs, and we love it! The geometric look is in, whether you want your bob in layers or all one length you’ll be a trendsetter going for a chop! Fringe-bangs are also on trend, with beautiful versatility to them. Long, tapered bangs allow the look to be at once relaxed and soft, while also being classic and elegant. Wear them to the side, split down the middle, or messy; they're this season’s fun new addition that can add diversity to a look. Lastly, sleek looks with center parts are some of the most cool, sophisticated styles of this fall! Using a thin comb to get a perfectly straight line can make a style look sharp and clean. Even pair a center part with a edged bob to be even more trendy. Visit our salon today to get on trend – we have skilled stylists who have learned the French cutting method; an essential technique to cutting the perfect bob, or fringe! Why is Salon Education Important?
Here at Jamison Shaw Hairdressers the foundation of our success starts with education. Whether that education is from a salon, going to trade shows, or being self-taught watching youtube videos you are never too seasoned to stop educating yourself! You may find yourself wondering why your books aren’t as full as they used to be, or why your clients throw a fit if you raise your prices by a few dollars. But ask yourself, when was the last time I invested in myself and my education? Graduating from cosmetology school may not be enough. Within Jamison Shaw Hair Dressers we have a class every Friday morning for our stylists and our assistants. That’s right! We carve out at least an hour and a half of our busy schedules to dedicate to education each week. This education can range from our own stylists passing down their trade secrets, to outside educators coming in to show us the latest color formulating trends or (gasp!) even foiling. Jamison Shaw may be known for balayage, but if you don't use it, you lose it. We also have an in house academy that we host for people around the world to attend right here in Atlanta Georgia. Whether you are new to balayage, French hairdressing, or just need to refresh your skills, we encourage everyone to invest in their education at our Academy.  Balayage is one of the most requested services in the salon today. However, if you’ve been foiling since you left cosmetology school, painting hair can be intimidating, but it can be so rewarding to you as well as your clients once you get the hang of it!
First step: Sectioning After pre-cutting, you’ll want to section your guest’s hair to start your balayage. Make sure the crown is not over parted; meaning taking the hair where it naturally falls instead of forcing the section to be where you want it. Take a section from the crown to the top of the ear and clip away and mimic on the other side. Make sure the sections are clipped back taunt so that you can stay clean while you paint. Second step: Consistency & Saturation Using Sunlights Balayage lightener, you will want to use a 1:1 ratio of lightener and any crème developer. You want the consistency to be like cream cheese - not too runny, and not too thick. Mix it with love! A good check is once the bowl is mixed, if you can hold it upside down with no spillage, you know you’ve got it right! Third step: Application Tap, Rub, Push! Tapping the product on the regrowth first, you will then want to rub the product down the strand to the midshaft. Make sure the saturation is correct, before you move on to painting the ends and re-saturate if necessary at the regrowth and midshaft to avoid patchiness. Once you are happy with how the product looks on the strand, you then push your product onto the ends of the hair utilizing your balayage paddle, for full saturation and to have the “pop” on the ends. Balayage is a technique that can be tricky to master, but with our tutorials, and some practice you’ll be painting your way to financial freedom, and saving time behind the chair!  What's the difference?
For those of us who have attended cosmetology school, we learned the British way to cut hair. Did you know there is another way? Here in Atlanta we don’t have to go to cosmetology school, instead we have the opportunity to apprentice under a master stylist. Within our salon at Jamison Shaw Hairdressers, French cutting is the only thing we know, and do because it's better! Why is the French method better? Let’s break it down: British haircutting is building the shape from the bottom up. It is angular (90 degree angles, or 180 degree angles) and architectural. In some instances a British cut is what your client wants with hard lines and angles, and that’s okay! However, in French haircutting is building the shape from the top down. It's soft and less angular. Following the head shape it allows the hair to fall in soft moving layers. For that reason, the same haircut can look completely different person to person since each person’s head is a different shape. The French cutting method also provides versatility so the guest can wear their hair in different styles. In the time it takes someone to cut a traditional British bob, the French hairdresser will have cut 3 bobs and be well on their way to cutting the 4th. French cutting allows us to work smarter not harder! Everyone wants to know the secret to making more money behind the chair, and this is one of them! Invest in the French cutting education you need. At our academy in Atlanta our world renowned educators teach you the efficiency of French Hairdressing and how to build your clientele learning to cut french the right way!  In traveling to different salons and shows we often hear students say they do not need a balayage lightener, they just use foil lightener. Although foil lightener will lift the hair, the evenness of the application, as well as the end results, can sometimes be a little patchy. Why is that? Typical foil lighteners have what is called 'silica' in them. Silica is very tiny sand granules and is considered a buffer within the lightener. The amount of silica within the product is what determines the consistency. If you look at the ingredients on most foil lighteners, silica is typically one of the first ingredients listed. Because of that, foil lighteners have a grainy texture and their consistency tends to be thin.  Better for Balayage Of course, grainy texture and thin consistency aren't ideal for balayage. That's why Sunlights, which is specifically formulated for balayage, is Kaolin clay-based. Kaolin is a fine, soft, white clay that gives our lightener a smooth, creamy consistency rather than the grainy, thin consistency of granular, silica-based lighteners. It moisturizes hair while, and the application is incredibly smooth. Looking at the ingredients of Sunlights, you’ll see that Kaolin is one of the top ingredients listed. Sunlights mixes thicker to be able to paint directly on the hair much more easily, without needing foils! This results in better looking painted strands, and the better it looks on the strands you paint, the better the outcome of the finished product!  Candy Shaw recently sat down with Kati Whitledge of the Beyond the Technique podcast to discuss her life, hairdressing, and how she came to be the Balay Lama.
Check out the interview plus so many others on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player today! We’ve all heard it: Balayage is a fad. It’ll be out the door just like the cap. Well let us tell you! Balayage is like the little black dress. It isn’t going anywhere! Not only do we need to be educated in balayage and techniques, but we need to educate our guests on what is truth and what is myth about this beautiful technique:  This is not true! Can balayage create a beautiful melted ombre? Of course! It's not one trick pony, though! There are so many other options for this technique that all it takes is a little education, a lot of practice, and you'll be creating way more than just a typical ombre. Click here to see how!  False! As with using Sunlights lightener, our clay lightener can give up to 7 levels of lift when your application is correct. You have the option of making a bold statement, or beautiful subtle highlights.  We all have those blonde clients who get out of the chair after the service and immediately look at their regrowth to see how close you were able to get those foils. With balayage, we paint right up to the scalp and hairlines. There is no foil line and nothing in between the lightener and your scalp. You can’t get much closer than that!  You can use as many different colors as you'd like! If you want to use a low light or multiple low lights, you can be as creative as your mind allows. Using the balayage wrap will help keep your colors separated and will act as a window for you to see your creation come to life. You can also balayage with fashion colors or only low lights. You do not have to use lightener. Remember, balayage is a technique, not a style!  Wrong! Balayage lightener is mixed thicker than your standard foil lightener. Because of this, you are only painting on the surface of the hair therefore not the underneath side will not have anything on it.
Now you know the differences between balayage fact, and fiction! Check out our Youtube for more techniques on balayage. |
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