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The Art of the Blowdry

The Art of the Blowdry

by | Mar 12, 2020 | Hairstylist Life

Women used to flock to the hair salon for their weekly shampoo and roller set. All the ladies lined up in a row, hair wound tight on rollers, sitting under the dryer, coffee in hand waiting for their hair to dry. I’m sure there are still some faithful weekly roller setters out there but lets just say the phone is not ringing off the hook with requests.

Now some of you, I’m sure, think this happened eons ago and wouldn’t have affected any of us in our careers, but I can tell you that

Friday’s meant one thing for me early in my career, and that was roller set day.

I loved seeing these clients once a week, catching up with what they did on their weekend, who came over after church last Sunday and who was coming to visit this weekend, all while I shampooed and put their rollers in. All the clients knew each other too and looked forward to catching up between themselves, asking about each others children, new grand (and great grand) babies and of course who was in the hospital and what kind of casserole they took over to the family. They didn’t even own a blow dryer or a curling iron. Seriously!

I know it all sounds cliche. I know it sounds like 1940 but believe me it was NOT!

Those women with their rollers wanted what everyone really wants – their hair exactly how they liked it.

They just happened to like a hard, backcombed set that would last a week. But there were also clients who came in once a week and wanted something different…..

A few clients requested a curling iron set. Like the roller set only softer, yet still quite formal looking.

And then it happened – my foray into ‘The Art of The Blowdry’.

Ethel* was a wonderful lady, bright, happy and beautiful. What Ethel wasn’t was a roller set client. Her chin length grey hair required more muscle then what those rollers could handle and after her shampoo she promptly told me that she would like her hair blown dry with a round brush. Now don’t get me wrong – I’d used round brushes in hair school, punishing my classmates with a blow dry every now and then, but we spent 95% of our time rolling and backcombing. Doing a round brush blow dry was just not a honed skill of mine.

But Ethel was patient, and bless her heart came back again and again, and I learned how to smooth, curl and volumize all with that one little round brush.

All those roller sets that I could do with my eyes closed had already taught me how to section, angle and roll the hair for the best results.  What I needed to do was apply those same pricinples to Ethel’s blowdry to make sure it was the stuff of her dreams. What I didn’t realize at the time was how much Ethel, and her blow dry, was actually teaching me.

Hairstyling is an art, and one that gets passed over far too easily at the end of a service.

That blow dry lasted Ethel for a week. A week where she could feel beautiful with her hair exactly how she wanted it and I was lucky enough to be the person that could do that for her.

Now realistically I’m aware that times have changed and for some the thought of washing your hair only once a week is enough to get you into the fetal position. What hasn’t changed though, is the feeling that each client wants and should always have walking out the door after getting their hair done.  A chance to Experience Beautiful.

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

*name has been changed out of respect for the client

 

Girl, take a break. Literally.

Girl, take a break. Literally.

by | Mar 3, 2020 | Thoughts & Things

I see you.

I see you pouring that second (or third) cup of coffee, trying to make the most out of every minute of the day.

You’re a doer.  Once you set your mind on something you aren’t satisfied until you achieve it.

You’re a hard worker.  Burning the candle at both ends.  Working a side hustle in the wee hours of the morning just so you can eventually follow your passion full time.  If that’s not your life right now, it was once.  You have to plant those seeds and nurture them before your passion can show in full bloom.

You are amazing.  Nobody tells you this enough.  Few understand what it feels like to have that burning desire for more live inside of them.  It’s easily misunderstood.

Here’s the thing though.  I can also hear you.

I can hear what you tell yourself when you don’t live up to your expectations.  When you don’t finish your to do list.  On the days when you’re so damn tired that you wonder why you are doing it anymore at all.  The days that your passion is merely a warm coal instead of a full flame.

Girl, take a break.  Literally.

Take out your planner (I know you’ve got one) and put yourself on it.  Again, literally.

15 minutes, 30 minutes, it doesn’t matter.  Just get your name on it, and here’s what you are going to do when the time comes.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and hear these words:

‘You got this.’

You really, really do.  Deep breath again:

‘You are amazing.’

What you say to yourself is so damn important so remember to be kind.

‘You got this.’

Feel better now?

 

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

Ideas are born by the emotions we experience!

Ideas are born by the emotions we experience!

by | Feb 27, 2020 | Hairstylist Life

This is a personal story but one worth sharing since I know it’s relatable. This is my experience, my light bulb moment, when I realized it was about so much more than the hair.

My name is Carrie Robinson and I am the proud owner of the Studio.

Here is my story…..

I loved playing with hair from a very young age but it wasn’t until my teen years that I knew I wanted to be a Hairstylist.

Whenever I was having a rough time as a teen, or when I wanted to take a break where I couldn’t feel guilty for doing ‘nothing’, I would make a hair appointment.  I’d look forward to that appointment from the day I booked it until the second I walked in the salon door.

As soon as I stepped inside the salon I felt looked after.  I was the focus of my Stylists’ attention and I knew once I was finished, I’d feel confident and beautiful.

It was a boost to my mood, but more importantly it introduced me to what self-care truly is, and how vital it was for me.

Sometimes the Stylist would genuinely connect with me, invest in making me look and feel amazing, and other times not.  There were a few times things went south and I didn’t walk out feeling great about myself or my appearance at all.  Times where I had to stare at that bad hair service in the mirror for weeks, feeling the disappointment, while it grew out or while the colour faded. 

Those times taught me what I didn’t want.

My visits were frequent enough that even my Mom noticed.  After a particularly rough week in teenage drama land ?, I’d just hung up the phone from making a hair appointment and my Mom said…

‘You can’t just go and get your hair done every time you have a bad day!’

That was when it clicked. When I realized how much a visit to the salon actually did for me, and it really wasn’t about the hair. It was so much more than that.

In that moment I decided that I wanted to make other people feel the way I did when my hair service was amazing.  I wanted them to feel special and taken care of every single time they got their hair done. Not sometimes, every single time.  I wanted to provide an atmosphere where self care was simply part of the experience. 

I didn’t want to provide a simple service. I wanted to provide an experience.

Armed with a love for doing hair and an idea spurred on purely by an emotion, I knew in order to make it happen I had to accept responsibility to learn and do whatever necessary to provide a client with that level of service. The level where service truely does become an experience.

And the rest of the story? There are chapters upon chapters just waiting to be told ? but I’ll share the next one another time ?

 

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

How to Choose a Hairstylist Part 2 – Window Shopping!

How to Choose a Hairstylist Part 2 – Window Shopping!

by | Feb 22, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

How did you make out last week?

After the intro to this blog series on How To Choose a Hairstylist, you were off to look at inspiration pictures to narrow down exactly what you want to show your new Hairstylist. Hopefully you’ve found some good ones and you’re ready for the first step in your Hairstylist search.   So here we go with part 2!

 

The world is online and your new Hairstylist should be too!

Career Stylists will be visible on Facebook and Instagram, as well as on a personal or salon website.  Just being there isn’t enough though! 

Now that you know what you love and have your inspiration pictures ready, what you want to do is find similar examples of the colour, cut or style you are looking for right in yur potential new Stylist’s portfolio.

Seriously, I can’t stress how important this really is! 

Every Hairstylist naturally develops a style and by paying close attention to their pictures you will be able to tell tell which style they excel at. 

 

Your new Hairstylist needs to excel in what you want!! 

 

Read it again: YOUR NEW HAIRSTYLIST NEEDS TO EXCEL IN WHAT YOU WANT!

The best thing you can do is find your inspiration picture right from that Stylist’s portfolio.  Loving a portfolio is wonderful but if you can’t see yourself with the hair in that portfolio, it’s probably not the right match.  Keep in mind we are definitly talking about the overall ‘style’ of the hair. If you don’t see your exact colour that’s ok! As long as you love the overall look of the images, the Hairstylist very well could be your match!

So it’s time to window shop! Take the time to really look at a bunch of different local Stylist’s portfolio keeping this handy little checklist in mind.

 

Window shop until you can tick off each item on this list:

✔ Your new Stylist is on Facebook and  Instagram

✔ Your new Stylist is featured on a Salon’s website or has their own site

✔ Your new Stylist posts work regularly

✔ Your new Stylist has multiple pictures that are the style you really like

BONUS:

✔ You are able to choose an inspiration picture for your appointment right from the the Stylist’s portfolio

 

The best thing about this is you can window shop to your heart’s content! Take your time with it, see what options are local to you and broaden your search from there if necessary.  

A word of warning…..you know the saying ‘Don’t grocery shop while you’re hungry’? Ditto for this.  

I can hear you saying…..’these bangs won’t wait’…..’I need a change NOW’…..or the dreaded situation that’s left you saying  ‘I HAVE to get this fixed, TODAY!!’.  

 

I hear you, I really do but it’s time. Time to get off the rollercoaster ?  

 

If taking a few extra days to make this decision means you can find your forever Stylist, the one who will get it right each and every time, wouldn’t you do it? 

Time to Window Shop.  

I’ll be back with part 3 in the series soon! ?

If you have any comments or questions as we go through this please pop them below! I’m happy to help! 

 

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

 

 

 

How to Choose a Hairstylist – Part 1

How to Choose a Hairstylist – Part 1

by | Feb 18, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

Forward

About a year ago I wrote a free ebook about making the process of choosing a Hairstylist a little easier for clients. There were downloads of the book in it’s entirety but I really want to help more clients, regardless of the salon they choose, know the best things to check out before you decide.

So here we are! I’ve updated some info and can’t wait to share!  As there is a lot of information in each tip they will be shared in a series of blog posts so as not to info overload all at once.  Happy Reading!

 

If you’ve ever felt the pain of a haircut or hair colour that really wasn’t what you wanted, you already know why I’ve compiled these tips.  For those of you who haven’t experienced that (knocking on all surfaces of wood), here’s the deal…..

 So often new clients tell us how hard it has been for them to find a great Hairstylist that not only did amazing work, but really listened to what they were asking for. 

 As Stylists we know exactly what to look for before, during and after a consultation, and we also know a red flag when we see one. 

The problem is how are YOU, the most important person, supposed to know??? 

Now you will.  

So if this blog series prevents one more wonky haircut, one more damaging hair color and makes your life easier? Mission accomplished!

Think of the process of choosing a Stylist this way.

You are hiring a Hairstylist to complete a job for you.

How many applicants are hired without doing an interview? Without having to document their skills and education?  Without having to prove why they are the best person for the job? Without having references?

It doesn’t happen very often (if ever) and there’s a BIG reason for that. Hiring without doing some homework first simply doesn’t work.  What I’m suggesting, is that finding a Hairstylist shouldn’t be any different!

By working through these 5 Tips in the order I post them, you will know everything you need to watch for and do, to find the Hairstylist that’s the perfect match for you!

A little word before I finish this first post………

Yes, we are a hair salon full of Stylists who would be happy to help you but that’s not the point.  The point of this is for you to feel confident in choosing the right Stylist for YOU, no matter where they may work.

And since its all about you……. I have to honestly tell you that before you even think of choosing a Stylist you have to know what you want. Yes your Stylist should help you choose and yes your Stylist can help you gain clarity on what you’ll need, but I can tell you with 100% honestly that Stylists cannot provide a result you will love unless it is 1000% what you actually want.

We aren’t mind readers.  Oh how I wish we were, but we aren’t quite that magical ?

So here’s a bit of homework before the tips role out!

If you want to book with a new Stylist for a haircut, you need to bring two pictures with you.  One showing the front and another showing the back.  This shows us the exact shape you are wanting.  You will also need to know the answers to a couple of questions. What you are willing to do for styling your hair each day and how often you’re willing to visit the salon for maintenance.

If you want to book with a new Stylist for a haircolour, again you need to bring two pictures with you.  One that shows the actual colour you love (platinum, caramel, chestnut, hazelnut, etc, etc), and one that shows the placement or style that you love (ombre, colour melt, bold highlights, super natural highlights).  You don’t need to know what the techniques are actually called – you just need to know how you want the colour you love to actually look on your head!  Ditto on the questions above about daily styling and maintenance.

A word of warning.  If you have an entire Pinterest board pinned with 14 different cut and colour pictures you love, you might not be really sure what you want yet.  And that is totally ok! Sometimes we don’t know what we want.  Sometimes it takes a few weeks of looking at pictures and deciding yay or nay.

Ask any Hairstylist what their response would be to coworker who’s asked them to do their hair, then showed 12 photos of what they like. It will absolutely sound something like this:

“You have to narrow it down.  I can’t do it until you know for sure what you really want.”

Amen ??

I understand that as a client, its not that simple and you do need help with the process!  That’s what we are here for and are happy to help you with.  Just have a look at the number of pictures you plan to show.  If it’s over 5 for cut and/or colour, you still need to narrow it down a little more.  Once you get to about 3 or 4 pictures max, that is an amazing time to book an appointment!

Ok – you know what you need to do! Get busy finding those pictures and narrowing things down and I’ll be back to turn the focus to exactly how to choose the right Hairstylist for you!

 

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

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