The Divine Marchesa

Napoleon Perdis introduced his new fall makeup collection, The Divine Marchesa, at a press event at his apartment in New York City earlier this week. The collection is exclusive to Napoleon Perdis concept stores and ULTA nationwide. “Napoleon Perdis is a brand that resonates with our customers,” said Lynn Kirby, CEO of ULTA, who attended the event.

Perdis dedlcated the collection to the Marchesa Luisa Casati, an Italian noblewoman who lived from 1881 to 1957, and was the source of inspiration for countless leading artists and designers of the 20th century. “Luisa Casati was no great beauty—she had an ashen complexion, enormous kohl-rimmed eyes and a shocking corona of red hair—but she really worked it,” says Perdis. “She is one of history’s great originals.”

In October, a lavish coffee table book, The Marchesa Casati: Portrait of a Muse by Scott D. Ryersson and Michael Orlando Yaccarino, will be published celebrating the style icon. The Napoleon Perdis collection will be featured in the book alongside the work of Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld and others. The Divine Marchesa collection includes Boudoir Mist Spray Foundation, Dramatic Eye Shadow Quad for ultra-smoky eyes, Black Sapphire nail color, and Ravishing Rose Lip Shine.

Ouidad Celebrates Curls

Ouidad (a.k.a. The Queen of Curl) wants curly-haired ladies to embrace their natural hair by entering the If These Curls Could Talk! contest. To enter, visit ouidad.com, upload a picture of your curly ‘do and, using the provided “talk bubbles,” tell them what your curls would say. Then pick your favorite Ouidad products that would help you tame the wave and achieve the look you want. One lucky girl will win the ultimate New York City weekend, which includes a makeover with Ouidad at her New York flagship salon, two nights at the W hotel, two tickets to see In The Heights on Broadway, a $500 American Express gift card, a collection of Ouidad products, a Ouidad Curl Ambassador title and a guest blogger spot on ouidad.com. The contest ends on July 14, so enter now at ouidad.com.

FREE Redken Webinar on Best Client Practices

As part of its ongoing Professional Edge Webinar Series, Redken will present “Best Client Practices of Top 20 Stylists” on Monday, July 6 at 6:00pm EST. The webinar will be led by Michael Cole, founder and president of Salon Development Corporation, an international company specializing in salon business training. Cole will provide  proven tips from successful stylists designed to increase profitability in your salon. Ideas include learning how to “keep score” and using a jump journal to boost income. Register now for this FREE educational offering.

After you register for next week’s broadcast, you can also check out archived content from this series of monthly business building and professional growth webinars.

Farah Fawcett: A Hair Legend

In memory of Farah Fawcett, truly an iconic figure in American pop culture–and in hair–InStyle.com posted a great retrospective of her hairstyles through the years.

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/transformations/0,,20287770_20638763,00.html

Ruth Roche on Using Products That Protect Color

Ruth Roche

When owning a color-focused salon, it’s important to find a manufacturer that supports our color work and the client’s investment with color protecting products. At my New York City salon, Rare, we’ve partnered with Pureology, and I’ve found many benefits to using color protecting hair care and styling products on clients, as well as educating clients about protecting their hair color with the right products at home. Here are a few benefits I’ve discovered:

• Opens doors for add-on services. At Rare, we use the color protecting styling products as conversation starters with our clients. They ask questions about what we’re using to style their hair and why. This gives us the opportunity to talk about the science behind color and why the technology helps color last longer. You now have an opening to ask if they’ve experienced color fading in the past, or, if this particular client doesn’t have color on their hair, to suggest a color service that can be added on that day, boosting your bottom line

• Boosts retail. Purchasing color-safe products is an investment for clients that protects their color investment. I used to be shy about suggesting products to clients. Not anymore. We are not ‘pushing’ product on clients; we are educating and helping them maintain their color, ensuring they have the best looking and feeling hair they can possibly have. Who doesn’t want that?

• Builds your profile as an expert. Using and recommending color protecting products to your clients protects the integrity of your work and ensures that your professional reputation stays as wonderful as it is!

Ruth Roche is a salon owner, editorial stylist, platform artist and educator, whose work has appeared in magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Vanity Fair, Interview, Self, More and Cosmopolitan. Her celebrity clients have included Sheryl Crow, Claire Danes, Lindsay Lohan, Kelly Ripa, and Mariska Hargitay. With almost two decades in beauty, Ruth has been honored multiple times by the North American Hairstyling Awards, including Master Stylist of the Year, and is featured in the newly released documentary, Stars Behind the Chair: The Leading Ladies of Hair. She opened Rare Salon in 2003.

La-Brasiliana Presents Keratin Treatment with Collagen

American Salon's Nicole Palmieri poses with Senses owner Antonio Rosa after receiving the La-Brasiliana treatment.

I recently had the opportunity to try La-Brasiliana’s Keratin Treatment with Collagen at the hip Senses New York Salon & Spa in the Flatiron district in Manhattan. I’ve always dreamed of being able to wash my hair and let it dry naturally without it looking like I just got out of bed, but since my hair is neither stick-straight nor curly, I was convinced no treatment would ever allow me to do this—until now. I entered the salon and was first led to the shampoo area to be washed twice with a clarifying shampoo. Next, I sat down at the styling station and had my hair blown out leaving 10 percent dampness in the hair. Antonio, one of the owners of Senses, divided my hair into four sections and applied the treatment precisely, making sure my hair was completely covered. My hair was then blown out again with the treatment still in. Antonio then straightened my hair with a 450-degree flatiron, which seals in moisture, hydrates, and creates a glossy, completely straight finish. The entire process took about 2.5 hours, but the length and time varies depending on hair length and thickness, and the treatment results last anywhere from two to four months. Because the treatment is keratin-based, it is actually good for the hair and is supposed to dramatically reduce styling time, leave hair in its original healthy, shiny, and smooth state, eliminate frizz, and improve hair’s elasticity.

Before I left the salon, I was given strict orders not to wash my hair or even get it wet for four days. After the four days, I washed my hair with La-Brasiliana’s line of products designed to maintain and prolong the results of the treatment. I decided to put the treatment to the true test: I washed my hair and decided to let it dry naturally without using a hairdryer or a flat iron. To my surprise, I was delighted with the results. My hair naturally dried quicker than usual and it was left feeling silky smooth and frizz-free. It still has body and some wave to it, but I walked around all day loving the fact that I was able to “wash-and-go”—and still feel confident!

Senses New York Salon & Spa in the Flatiron district in Manhattan

La-Brasiliana's line of products helps clients prolong the results of the treatment.

Salon Pasca Collects 68 Feet of Hair to Donate

Salon Pasca

Salon Pasca, in Wilmington, DE, hosted their second annual cut-a-thon for Pantene Beautiful Lengths on May 31st. A total of 57 people each received a free haircut and style in exchange for donating at least eight inches of hair to make wigs for cancer patients who have lost their hair because of chemotherapy. About 68 feet of hair was collected and donated to the national campaign by Pantene and the American Cancer Society.

The all-day event, which took place both inside and outside the salon, also featured face painting for children, cotton candy, popcorn and live entertainment. It was organized by salon client Patti Simpson, who had heard about the program in 2008 and later approached Salon owners Natasha Lantina and Ann Tasker.

Although they are generally not open on Sundays, the owners convinced all 14 of their staff members to come in and donate their time and efforts for the cause. The free haircut and style was valued between $40 and $75, and Latina and Tasker offered those who donated a 20 percent discount on their next visit. —Alexandra Finkel

Sam Villa Challenges Hairdressers to Be Team Players

Sam Villa

At a lot of salons I visit, the owner begs me for help in changing the competitive atmosphere that can turn off clients. Successful salons bring together not a group of individuals, but a team of individuals. How much do you contribute to your salon’s team? Ask yourself how well you fit the profile of a real team player:

• Adapt. Blessed are the flexible, for they will not get bent out of shape when change comes or problems arise. Being adaptable means that instead of figuring out why something can’t be done, you figure out how it can be done.
• Collaborate. Working together precedes winning together; completing one another is more important than competing with one another. Openly ask your colleagues for help when you need a second opinion. When you’re not busy, go stand by someone conducting a consultation or performing a service. You’ll learn something, and maybe you also can contribute, because two heads are better than one. Be supportive rather than suspicious. Develop a culture that gives clients the comfort of knowing they can go to anyone if their stylist isn’t available.
• Commit. I’ve seen very talented people squander their talent and less talented people produce awesome work. The difference is commitment. Commitment is not an emotion, it’s a character quality. And it relies not on ability, but on will. Human emotions go up and down, while true commitment is rock solid. If there’s no commitment, there’s very little chance for success, and a team-oriented salon offers the best odds of obtaining buy-in from everybody.
• Discipline yourself. Discipline is the fire by which talent is built. It’s doing what you don’t want to do so that you can do what you really want to do. Strengthening your work habits means that if you want to be a great hairdresser, you may have to practice a technique over and over—daily, not monthly. Discipline both your emotions and your actions. One time a client asked me, “Are you okay today?” She had read my body language and could tell something was bothering me. By not disciplining my emotions and actions, I lost focus and risked losing my client’s confidence in me.
• Communicate. A team is many voices with a single heart. But to make sense of all of the chatter, you have to talk to each other. Hold team meetings, and in between, keep a log of topics you each want to cover. Establish a “24-hour rule” requiring team members to either address their issues with one another within 24 hours of an incident or let go of the issue. Without structured communication, all you have is gossip and complaining.
• Follow through. Take responsibility for doing what you promise to do so that your team members know you’re dependable. When you find yourself pushing aside that promise, try to determine your motives. And if this happens a lot, start writing down your commitments. Read them every day, and I guarantee you’ll start following through.

Clients come to the salon to receive focused attention and spend time in an atmosphere with great enthusiasm, positive attitude and no tension. When they leave, each one is a reflection on the salon. The first question people ask is, “Where did you have your hair done?” Only after that do they ask for the name of the stylist. Accept nothing less than excellence, and become a teammate who can be depended on to consistently deliver in a way that drives success for your entire team.

—Sam Villa

Sam Villa has more than 25 years experience as a platform artist and educator for major salon professional companies. Part of the Redken family for the past 11 years, Sam is Redken’s Education Artistic Director and Design & Training Consultant and appears on redken.com as a spokesperson for consumer consultations. He is in constant demand at international and domestic trade shows and in-salon programs, where his progressive teaching approach enables stylists to absorb new techniques quickly and for practical use in the salon. In 2008, Sam launched his website, www.samvilla.com, along with his own brand of digital media education and styling tools for salon professionals.

Mirabella Gives Hope with New Lipstick

Mirabella Hope Lip Colour

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month isn’t until October, but Mirabella Beauty is helping salons and spas and their clients get a head start on raising funds for breast cancer research, treatment and education with its new Hope Lip Colour. For each tube of Hope that’s sold between now and October 31, Mirabella will donate $1 to City of Hope.

“We created Hope, the perfect shade of pink lipstick that looks gorgeous on everyone, as a tribute to the work done by City of Hope in research, education and treatment of breast cancer,” explains Adrienne Kramer, president of Mirabella Beauty. “It gives salons and spas a gorgeous new product that helps their clients feel beautiful about looking beautiful.”

Increase retail sales with Redken’s FREE Webinar

Redken’s Professional Edge Webinar Series, which offers tips by top industry leaders in business and personal growth education, launches “Reinventing Your Space For Increased Profitability” by Peter Millard on Monday, June 22 at 6:00pm EST.

Learn what makes a salon look professional and discover the do’s and don’ts of reinventing your salon to make it recession-proof. Millard offers five simple steps that will ignite retail sales, increasing your profitability instantly.

Register now for this FREE webinar. The webinar series site also offers a schedule of upcoming webinars as well as previous webinars for online viewing.

— Alexandra Finkel