British Hairdressing Awards Announces 2009 Winners

Akin Konizi accepts his trophy as the 2009 British Hairdresser of the Year.

Congratulations to winners of the 25th annual British Hairdressing Awards! The awards were presented by Hairdressers Journal International and sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional at the JW Marriott Hotel in London’s Park Lane. “British hairdressing is renowned throughout the world for its creativity and innovation, and with the British Hairdressing Awards we are recognizing, rewarding and celebrating the best of British,” said Jayne Lewis-Orr, publisher and editor-in-chief of Hairdressers Journal International.

Here are the winners:

• British Hairdresser of the Year 2009: Akin Konizi, Hob salons
• Avant Garde Hairdresser of the Year: Darren Ambrose, D&J Ambrose, Middlesex
• Men’s Hairdresser of the Year: Desmond Murray, Atherton Cox, London
• Afro Hairdresser of the Year: Michelle Thompson, Francesco Group Advanced Academy, Stafford
• Artistic Team of the Year: Hob salons, London
• Newcomer of the Year: Shaun Hall, Mark Leeson Hair Body & Mind, Mansfield
• Schwarzkopf Professional British Colour Technician of the Year: Chris Williams, Rush London, Croydon
• London Hairdresser of the Year: Darren Bain, Hob salons, London
• Southern Hairdresser of the Year: Leo Bancroft, Leo Bancroft, Weybridge
• Eastern Hairdresser of the Year: Terri Kay, Mark Leeson Hair Body & Mind, Mansfield
• Midlands Hairdresser of the Year: James Whyte, Soul Hair, Chester
• North Eastern Hairdresser of the Year: Susan Hall, Reds Hair & Beauty, Sunderland
• North Western Hairdresser of the Year: Sharon Peake, Ethos, Manchester
• Wales & South West Hairdresser of the Year: Ken Picton, Ken Picton, Cardiff Bay
• Scottish Hairdresser of the Year: Janer Stewart, Angels, Aberdeen
• Northern Ireland Hairdresser of the Year: Kevin Kahan, Kevin Kahan, Bangor

A Day of Beauty at Invidia Salon and Spa

During my trip back home to Boston for Thanksgiving last week, I got the opportunity to visit the beautiful Invidia Salon and Spa in Sudbury, MA. I had seen pictures of the salon’s new expanded space, which opened in October, but those images didn’t even begin to compare with the real thing. Owner Phil Patzleiner clearly spared no expense when building the state-of-the-art salon and spa, and the service was just as impressive.

While waiting for my much-needed day of beauty to begin, I sipped cappuccino from the salon’s coffee bar and watched fashion show coverage courtesy of Redken FrontRow. Once I was in the second-floor spa area, I could feel my stress melting away as I sat by the fire in the relaxation room. I went on to experience a heavenly Acai and Dried Plum Body Wrap, a customized facial and a spa manicure (I’m obsessed with my new nail polish color, Regal from SpaRitual’s Forbidden collection). I then made my way downstairs to the salon, where I had a restorative L’Anza Ultimate Treatment and a fantastic blow-out from co-owner Nicole Demartini. Phil also gave me a tour of the spacious employee lounge and the amazingly organized color room and filled me in on some plans for the future, which include a bridal suite in a nearby hotel and a kid’s salon in Invidia’s old location.

Stay tuned for more information on Invidia in future issues of American Salon.

Holiday Offer from Temptu

Christmas and New Year’s Eve are the perfect occasions for promoting professional, long-lasting airbush makeup applications, and Temptu is getting into the holiday spirit by offering a FREE Airbrow Set, an $85 value, with the purchase of any S/B Airbrush kit. The company is also offering free shipping through December 26. Simply visit shop.temptupro.com and enter code HOLIDAYBROW at checkout.

Win New Salontech Tools For Your Salon

If your salon tool wardrobe is in need of a makeover, enter Salontech’s new contest, Show Off Your Style, and win brand new Salontech tools. Share your innovative hairstyling techniques by simply posting one to three pictures of your creations with an explanation of each look. The first ten stylists to post on the Salontech Web site will receive a Salontech Ceramic Ionic Brush and the first three will win a Salontech Titanium450 Flatiron. The two runner-ups and grand prize winners will receive:

• Sleek and Chic Winner: Salontech Silicone450 Flatiron
• Long Lasting Lift Winner: Salontech Turbo3200 Blow Dryer & Brush Set
• Most Stellar Style Winner: Salontech Silicone450 Flatiron 1″ and 1.5″, Titanium450 Flatiron 1″, Nano Silver Tourmaline Infused Flatiron 1″, Flat Iron Stand, Turbo3200 Tourmaline Ceramic Dryer, 2800 Featherlight Dryer, Master Hair Clips, five Blow Drying Brushes and four Carbon Combs

Submissions will be judged by one of Salontech’s talented creative directors in New York City. Hurry and get your entries in, winners will be announced the first week of January. For more information or to submit your pictures, click here.

Hanna Compton: Week 11

I got to try a lot of new things this week that I really enjoyed. I did a really nice platinum card on one of my clients that came out what I like to call the perfect “California Blonde” color that looked reallly natural and great on the client. Another client I got to do a full head foil highlight on. Her hair was a dark brown and we weaved about 50% of her hair to a light blonde then toned it to a light brown color. It took all day but the client was really patient and friendly and she loved the way it came out. She gave me an awesome tip too. It was weird there was like a pattern each day. One day there were all these women going blonde, the next day all these women going red, then the next day more women going blonde again. Haha.

I want to give kudos to my friend and classmate Lauren who did her first real perm on an actual client this week. It turned out sooo good and the lady even told her that it was the best perm she had ever gotten.

Also, I was accepted into Student Council. So I’ve been going to the meetings and trying to get everyone involved in our theme days and events. We have some rad events coming up. We’re having a potluck (my idea) the day before thanksgiving and on friday after thanksgiving our theme day is Jersey Day / Sports Day and we’re having a tailgate party that day as well. So just lots of new ideas flowing in and trying to get everyone involved. I really like it.

Also for our Guest Speaker event our learning Leaders put us in groups and each group got a picture from a magazine and had to do the hair and makeup like the picture and make the clothes out of newspaper. It was really cool and people came up with some really creative stuff. We had a mini fashion show afterwards too.

Things are going by so fast. To think I just started in September and I’m taking all these clients now and loving it! Still, I can’t wait to graduate and get started in my career.

Till next week,

Hanna Compton <3

NCA Announces Linda Whitehurst as LGFB National Project Director

The National Cosmetology Association (NCA) recently appointed Linda Whitehurst as the new NCA Look Good…Feel Better (LGFB) National Project Director. Whitehurst has been a NCA member since 1988 where she served as a state delegate, and is approaching her 20th year as a LGFB volunteer where she is in her second term as a North Carolina state trainer.

“I am honored to be appointed as the NCA Project Director for LGFB and feel the path has been well formed by Rose Reynolds,” says Whitehurst. “I plan to continue Rose’s example by helping the program continue to grow while working with the many wonderful volunteers and trainers we have.”

Whitehurst began her career straight out of high school and has been dedicated to the professional beauty industry ever since. Her passion has led her to become an American Board certified haircolorist, an educator for Logics and Artec, as well as a salon owner for over 20 years and currently owns The Parsol Hair Studio in Charlotte, North Carolina.

LGFB is a free program created to help improve self-image, appearance and quality of life for people undergoing cancer treatment by teaching beauty techniques that will guide them through treatment and recovery. NCA has been committed to the organization and encourages participation among all beauty professionals.

Says Whitehurst, “I am so proud to be the voice of the volunteers and to have the opportunity to work closely with all the LGFB collaborators.”

—Noelle Rivera

Get Ashley Greene’s Twilight Premiere Look

Twilight star Ashley Greene looked ready to vamp it up at last night’s New Moon premiere in New York City. Celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson created what he describes as a “downtown girl hip ponytail that’s all the rage,” and gave us the inside scoop on how to recreate it.

“First, start off with a really good blowdry using Build It Blowdrying Spray at the root to create ultimate volume and Ted Gibson’s Hairsheet Styling (or any lightweight styling cream) on the rest of the hair. To create that ultimate sexy texture, use a large barrel curling iron on medium heat to add texture and volume. After putting hair in the ponytail, use a shine serum or lotion to add more texture and lightweight shine,” Gibson tells us, warning, “It takes an over an hour to create sexy voluminous hair.”

Planet Hair Hosts 16th Annual ArtAID Event

ArtAID featured performances and art auctions to help raise money for Positive Directions.

Planet Hair in Wichita, KS, hosted its 16th annual ArtAID event in October. More than 15,000 people attended the event, which featured a live and silent auction of artwork donated by local artists and collectors, a fashion show featuring fashion from local businesses and hair and makeup by Planet Hair, and various other performances. The event, which began in 1993, has raised more than $1.1 million for Positive Directions, a Wichita-based organization that helps local residents with HIV and AIDS by supplying support, housing and food.

For more information on Planet Hair and three other leading Wichita salons, check out Our Town in American Salon’s November issue.

Hurry up and Register for Junior Style Stars Competition

Attention Junior Stylists: Think you have what it takes to create a winning bridal look? Junior Style Stars is holding their 2010 annual hair competition and all cosmetology students are encouraged to enter.

Students must register and pay the fee by November 30 and will receive a competition mannequin with 17-inch premium Chinese hair and a photo shoot session with your design in a JC Penney Photo Studio.

So get your applications in and get to work because the Junior Style Star winner will receive all expense paid trips to:

• C.E.A. (Cosmetology Educators in America) in Las Vegas
• Premiere Orlando where the winner will be introduced on the main stage
• Work side-by-side and learn from hair icon Jesse Briggs for five days
• Spend two days and two nights at a ThermaFuse Council Meeting to tour the factory an get to know top salon owners and managers
• Style with Edward Tytle, international artistic director for HAI Elite, at a hair show to be determined

If that’s not enough, the winner will also receive $5,000 cash and will be featured in Stylist & Salon newspaper, Hair’s How magazine and Salon City magazine.

For more information and to register visit juniorstylestars.com— Noelle Rivera

Ivan Zoot: How to Cut a Classic 5-Step Clipper Over Comb

Ivan Zoot a.k.a. the Clipper Guy is the director of education and training for Andis and holds the Guinness Book of World Record titles for the world’s fastest haircut, most haircuts in one hour and most haircuts in 24 hours. He recently posted a YouTube video where he demonstrates the classic five-step clipper-over-comb cutting method. “Ninety-nine percent of your men’s haircuts will be some variation on a classic tapered men’s haircut,” says Zoot. “If you’re going to be creating a classic tapering, you’re going to be using some element of a classic five-step clipper over comb technique.”

With Andis’ EasyStyle Clipper and Clipper Comb, Zoot gets to work:
Step 1: Comb straight down in three strokes for distribution
Step 2: Tip the comb and roll it back. Guide your comb so that 1/8-½ inch is left to cut.
Step 3: Carefully look at the hair
Step 4: Cut it off
Step 5: Follow through and set back up for step one

For anyone uncomfortable with this method, Zoot recommends using a #1 classic snap on attachment guide or clipper guard, which will automatically control the clipper, but will slow down the process.

In the video, Zoot also emphasizes the importance of holding the comb in the “essential position” and using the right comb for the job. Enjoy! — Noelle Rivera