Conscious about Curls

Having a great salon is like having great hair. You want it to look effortless. But as will all good things, it takes some work and care to keep it maintained. Throughout the year, we evaluate the services we render and look for ways to improve the salon experience for our clients. And, we understand that our clients have a variety of special hair care needs. That's why once a month Blue Velvet takes some time for ourselves to facilitate ongoing educational workshops for our team. Niki Guin, Senior Stylist and Director of Education, facilitates our programs. She co-ordinates with our stylist, representatives from Bumble & Bumble — or Blue Velvet Salon owner, Rachelle Perrin, as she did this month for the topic of styling curly hair.

Got Curls?? Here's a few tips from our resident Curly Girl

As a kid in the late 70’s I was really jealous of the smooth “Farah Faucet” wings, unfortunately I felt cursed with frizzy curls. Like a lot of my naturally curly brothers and sisters, I grew up hating my curls. I lived through bad haircuts that were always cut too short because the stylist didn’t consider “shrinkage.” I tried every crazy thing I heard of to get those long straight locks. Like orange juice cans as rollers, really harsh chemical strengtheners that broke my fine hair, and I have to mention how my best friend would help me use an actual clothes iron to straighten my hair out! That’s not healthy.

Even when I became a stylist, I was motivated by vicariously living through the silky straight hair of my clients. As the years passed, new products were developed and my knowledge grew of the hair world. I finally learned to love my curls, but it wasn’t will out a lot of trial and error… and a few tears.

If you’re a curly girl, my hope is to share with you some tips to take to your stylist that will help you get the best cut for your curls. Be prepared! Stylist love pictures! It gives us a visual to work from. Think about the texture of your hair. For instance if you have fine thin curly hair, don’t take your stylist a picture of someone with thick course curls.

Long layers work great with curls! It doesn’t matter if your hair is a chin length bob or curls down to your waist. A common complaint I hear from new curly clients is that they have flat hair at the roots and “poofy” hair toward the ends. It creates a triangle shape. Long layers will help create balance throughout the shape of your hair. Ask your stylist to cut your hair where you part it. I have often seen clients come in with imbalanced haircuts because who ever cut their hair last parted it in the middle. Cutting hair with a middle part is fine if you part it in the middle every day, but if you part your hair to one side, get it cut that way. Your curls will hang better and you will have a more consistent style every day.

Okay, so here is where I get controversial. I believe cutting curly hair with even the sharpest razor makes it frizz. Your stylist may not agree, but I am a scissor girl all the way! There’s a time and texture for the razor but on curly hair it acts like curling a ribbon on a Christmas present.

Lastly, depending on how tightly curled your hair is, remind your stylist that your hair shrinks up! I suggest adding an extra 2-3 inches to your desired length. You can always ask to have it cut shorter .As you probably know curly hair seems to take longer to grow because of the curl.
-Rachelle Perrin, owner Blue Velvet Salon

February Salon News

Blue Velvet News

Newsletter Spotlight
Use code word “Email when checking out at the salon to save $15 on any service over $30. *Not valid with any other offer. Expires 2/28/10 *All offers expire 2/28/10. None of the special prices or offers may be combined.

Blue Velvet goes Green - we’re donating hair to help clean up oil spills
Hair used to absorb oil spills
"You shampoo your hair because it gets greasy. Hair is very efficient at collecting oil out of the air, off surfaces like your skin and out of the water, even petroleum oil. Hair is adsorbant (as in "clings to" unlike absorbant which is to "soak up.") There are over 370,000 hair salons in the US and each collects about 1 pound of hair a day. Right now, most of that goes into the waste stream, but it should all be made into hairmats." - Phil McCrory, inventor and stylist
Stylists and barbers are generously mailing in hair clippings to us and excited about this program and cleanup of oil spills.
Salons are sweeping up their hair clippings into plastic garbage bags, reusing the large boxes they get from shampoo deliveries and mailing us the hair. As well as for emergency oil spills, the mats are extremely efficient for drip pans during oil changes or under leaky cars, machinery, pipelines, even as booms for storm drains.
For more information go to www.matteroftrust.org

50% Off Select Products:

Shine
Use this finishing spray for smooth texture, high shine and a polished finish.

Bb. Treatment
Damage Therapy
For chemically treated hair (colored, permed or straightened)

Dehydration Therapy
For dry, dull, frizzy and hard-to-manage hair

Density Therapy
For thinning hair

Scalp Rebalancing Therapy
For flaking, irritated, itchy scalps

Student's Winter Special

The frantic fray of holiday travel is enough to leave any college student feeling a little blue. So we’d like to offer you a little something special to help you feel better and look great this winter.

Blue Velvet Salon Student’s Winter Special
Receive $10 off any service of $25 or more.*
Call and ask about appointments with Brittney, Leslie or Niki: 205.879.2080

*A valid college student ID must be presented at time of service. Offer runs from now through March 19, 2010 and may not be combined with any other offer.

Static Frustration

Niki Guin
Senior Stylist
Director of Education

Its been cold outside, if you haven’t noticed. Lots of people have pulled out their favorite sweaters, wool coats and crocheted scarfs. But there’s one thing dry Winter weather brings that no one wants besides frozen pipes and snow-flurry school closings – fly-away static hair.

Why does this happen? Well, dry hair collects positive electrical charges each time you brush it or that you pull that scarf around your neck. Positively charged hairs will repel one another just like the positive sides of two magnets will push each other away. So, the more you brush, the worse the problem can get.

Here are some continuing-care solutions I recommend for you to use:

+ A shampoo and conditioner like Bumble & Bumble’s Alojoba. won’t strip the natural oils from your hair. We liken Alojoba to a smoothie for your hair! It leaves your hair healthy, soft and shiny.

+ Bumble’s Leave In (rinse out) is our lightest conditioner and can be left in even the finest of hair and not weigh it down.

+ A foundation product like Bumble’s Tonic Lotion has a great combination of essential oils like tea tree to help sooth your hair.

+ Finishing products can work well too. Grooming Crème is excellent for everyone. It gives your hair subtle hold with a smooth satin finish.

+ In a pinch, some people use dryer sheets. But this isn’t practical for curled or styled hair. You might also try spraying a little anti-static spray on your comb or brush, then running it through your hair.

We might not be able to help with the weather, but we can certainly help your hair look better.

Curly-haired models needed!

Curly headed? Blue Velvet needs you! Each month we have hands-on classes for our stylist. We need some models for a Bumble & Bumble styling class on February 4. So if you have wavy or curly hair, this would be a great class for you to sit in.

Please call the salon and leave your name and number with our receptionist. Niki, our Director of Education will give you a call back. Space is limited, call today :)

Class:
February 4, 2010
9am - 11:15am
at blue velvet salon
Call 205-879-2080 to take part

We hope to see you there!