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Are you a good candidate for Fashion Colours?

Are you a good candidate for Fashion Colours?

by | Dec 8, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

We all love the pictures of Fashion hair colour!! Just to clarify from the start – Vivid/Fashion terms are interchangeable when talking about this type of colour ?

Whatever you want to call it, it’s safe to say whether you would wear it or not, it draws your attention! All the colours of the rainbow (and more!), bright, bold and beautiful.

While wearing them isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (just ask Danielle when I tried it once ?  ? ), if you love them and have always wanted to unleash your inner unicorn?  here are some questions to ask yourself before taking the leap.

Don’t get me wrong, if you want to do it, DO IT! These questions are just some food for thought if you are sitting on the fence of indecision!

1. Do you wash your hair everyday?

If you feel you need to wash your hair daily your colour will fade significantly faster than someone washing their hair biweekly.  Fashion colours are semi permanent dyes which means every time you wash, you can wave good bye to a bit more of your colour as it goes down the drain.

Some manufacturers claim a lifetime of 25-42 washes for their colours.  My experience is that claim is pretty generous.

Truth Bomb ?  The more you shampoo the faster it fades, and by fades I mean disappears.  If you want the colour, you have to love washing your hair far less frequently.

2.  Do you invest in professional products?

This is not a sales pitch, just facts. (If you don’t believe me check out my other blog about Magic Products LOL) ?

One wash with the wrong shampoo using a harsh cleansing ingredient and/or a high ph, means kissing the colour goodbye. Literally.  The type of semi-permanent colour used can make a difference as can whether it was applied on dry or wet hair, how long it was processed, and how it was rinsed out, etc, etc.

BUT – none of the factors I just listed matters as much when it comes to the longevity of your colour as what products you use to take care of it. It is #1.

Truth Bomb ?  Use what your Stylist recommends to you.  They do so knowing it will help keep your new colour as long as possible because they’ve tested it.  Seriously!

3.  Are you willing to make a substantial financial investment in salon services?

Few clients understand the process necessary to get the bright, beautiful colours plastered all over social media – and that’s OK! 

It’s not your job to know, its our job to explain it to you…….so here we are! ?

Fashion Colours cost more to create because they require a multi service process.

The hair must be lightened to a very light blonde before the Fashion colour can be as bright as what you see on Insta ?

If we applied the same fashion colour onto brunette hair and pre-lightened blonde hair, the results will cement the necessity for prelightening in your mind. Maybe that can be an entire blog of its own…….?

Anyway, the brunette hair will appear practically no different at all while the blonde hair will give an incredibly vibrant colour result. It’s simply the nature of this type of dye.  Without lightening you will not be walking away with anything remotely like a fashion colour. 

Truth Bomb ?  The darker your hair is the more pre-lighteneing work that needs to be done. This means you will need to invest in multiple services before walking away with your desired colour.  Trust me – if we could simplify this process we 100% would!

4.  Is your desire for Fashion Colours a whim or a well thought out desperation for wearing this type of colour?

Whims are awesome. They inject a variety into life and keep it exciting! They come to us as quckly as they leave us and are almot always created by our basic human need for variety.

Well thought out desperation on the other hand, means we know we’re in it for the long haul.  We’ll do what’s necessary to get the best result.  

Truth Bomb ?  Whims should be indulged in with tape or clip in Fashion extensions.  Quick, instant, and you can be back to your normal as quickly as it takes to remove them. Well thought out despertion on the other hand……it’s seriously time to book an appointment ??‍♀️

My goal is never to deter you from getting a service done but to make sure you have all the info to make an educated choice.  

And the choice is always yours ?

No great haircolour ever came to be by a Stylist convincing a client to get it.  

The desire for the Unicorn Life ?  starts inside you!

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca 

 

 

There are no Magic Products

There are no Magic Products

by | Sep 28, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

That’s right – I just said it! ?

Me.  A salon owner.  A Hairstylist.  A seller of all kinds of hair products.

And in spite of all of those reasons to say ‘This product will solve all your problems!’ I can’t do it.  I can’t do it because it would be a lie, and we all know how I feel about being honest and transparent with clients ?

In fact, this blog has actually been inspired by a real life conversation between Team members over lunch, because they won’t say it either! Lol

Don’t get me wrong.  There are products on our shelves that I LOVE.  Products that I’ve never had as great a result with.  Products that do exactly what they say they will do and give clients amazing results.  Products that I confidently recommend to clients because I know with 100% certainty that it will help with their haircare and/or styling routine.

Products are a way for you (and us!) to help get you closer to the hair you want to have.

❌  They are not magic.

❌  They aren’t one size fits all.

❌  There is no magic product line (seriously though – if there was you wouldn’t see six million and one different lines out there!).

❌  They don’t work overnight.

❌  They don’t change your hair texture.

❌  They do not defy the laws of gravity until you choose to wash your hair next.

Ever gotten a product recommendation from a friend who raves about how this product instantly changed their hair and you just have to try it?  So you spend your money on this holy grail of a product and are SO disappointed because it literally does nothing for your hair?

We hear about it all the time.  ALL. THE. TIME. ?

I completely understand though.  We all want things that make our lives easier.  We want whatever will work best to get us the look we want to create. Depending on the struggle you experience with your hair, you may have a strong bit of evidence under you bathroom sink to prove your continuing quest. ?

Here’s what I want you to know:

✅  Products can help you.

✅  Products can prevent heat styling damage.

✅   Products can improve the look and feel of your hair.

✅  Products can make styling your hair easier.

✅  Products can temporarily enhance or combat your natural texture.

The above benefits will not be provided by a single bottle and its super important to remember that what works for your hair will be entirely different from what works for someone else.

These reasons are why we carry different product ranges, and are continually testing new products before we add them to the shelves to be sold.  It is a continual process to seek out the best for you.

The truth is we need product to do your hair in order to give you the result you want.

We aren’t selling a product because of a kickback or a commission.  We’re recommending it based on the fact that it was necessary for us to use to get you the results you wanted, and we know for you to replicate those results at home, you are going to need it too.

It’s honeslty that simple.

Our goal is to build a longterm relationship with you and help you acheive the results you really want.

So I’ll say it again for the people in the back……

‘There are no magic products to solve your hair problems.  BUT – there are incredibley beneficial products that when used properly and in combination with one another can really help you get closer to your hair goals.”

We know this because we need them for you too ?

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

 

Consultation Confessional – the truth is always best!

Consultation Confessional – the truth is always best!

by | Aug 4, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

Are you guilty of leaving a little something left unsaid during your consultation? A little at home craftiness or perhaps a visit with a different Stylist? ?

Your consultation is where a Stylist learns everything they need to know about your hair. We call this ‘hair history’.  Think of it like your hair’s life story – exactly what your hair would say if it was spilling the T ☕️

Your very first consultation with a new Hairstylist should be DETAILED ?.  Questions which may seem almost silly to you, can hold very valuable information for us that we need to anticipate how your hair will react during your service. Even for returning clients, your subsequent consultations (yes – there should always be one) will contain lots of questions on your experience with your hair since we last saw you.

So when a Hairstylist asks you ‘Is there any hair colour on your hair right now?’ or ‘Have you had hair colour since you were last here?’ and you answer ‘NO’, there’s a few different ways this can all play out……

Scenario 1:

There really is no hair colour nor has there ever been hair colour on your hair. Congratulations! ?  You are officially a Hairstylist’s dream client and have won the ‘We can make your hair ANY colour you want!’ Prize.  Seriously – you are a catch! A hair colour virgin!  We’ve heard of you but until now thought you were a rare mythical creature only seen in our hair colour dreams!!  Yes, we are excited ?

Scenario 2:

There is no hair colour left in your hair because it’s all ‘faded out’ – and anyway that was 6 months ago. Those highlights that you covered up with said colour – you can’t see those anymore either. What difference would it make now?

Considering the conversation you’ve just had with yourself, you answer ‘NO’. Now visually this may be true – you aren’t ‘lying’. You just can’t see the colour anymore so what’s the big deal?

Red Flag! ?  Or in your Hairstylist’s case, white flag! ?  ?

Let’s say you are asking your Hairstylist to put some highlights in your hair.  After sitting forever to have all the foils put in your Stylist comes back to check if you are ready to rinse and oddly asks you ‘Are you sure there isn’t any hair colour on your hair?’. 

Want to know why we ask this? Staring back at us from that open foil is the exact line where your new blonde goes from beautiful and light (on your natural hair) to orangey and dark (where that ‘faded out’ old hair colour is). Oh and then look there where it goes from beautiful and light to white and shredding exaclty where those old highlights were ?   We could have formulated for this – had we only known……

Scenario 3:

You want to confess but are afraid to hurt our feelings.  Or maybe you are embarrassed about experimenting (side note: we’ve alllllll experimented ?  )  or simply just don’t want to have what you anticipate being an awkward conversation ??‍♀️.   So in response to our question about any recent hair colour, you go ahead answer ‘NO’.

Red Flag! ?  Or in your Hairstylist’s case, white flag! ?. ?

See the results from Scenario 2.  They apply here as well.

Let me fill you in on a little secret ?.  There are very, very few cases where we look at the hair during consultation and can’t tell whether it has been previously coloured or not.  But as in the scenarios above when we ask ‘Is there any hair colour on your hair?’ and you say ‘NO’, we believe you and formulate accordingly.

The hair history you give us at the beginning of your appointment helps us get you the hair colour you want.  If we have all the information (no matter what you really wish was better left unsaid) we can anticipate problems and account for them.  We can realistically tell you what will happen, considering your hair history, and exactly what your options are to get you to where you want to go.

Moral of the story?  Don’t be afraid! Spill your heart out in the consultation.  Tell us every single, little tiny thing you’ve ever done, or had done to your hair!  Have long hair? Get comfy – that’s a good 3 to 4 years of story telling you have ahead of you.

Just spill it sister ☕️  We’ll just be here listening and taking notes!

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

How to Choose a Stylist Part 6 – Do You Feel Important?

How to Choose a Stylist Part 6 – Do You Feel Important?

by | Jul 14, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

Hopefully if you’ve follow along with this blog series so far you are already starting to realize that feeling important is what it’s all about!  You are the priority! How your experiences make you feel play a huge part in your decision to find your perfect Hairstylist.

★When you contacted the Salon to book the consultation what was your experience like?

★When you came in for the consultation did someone greet you right away or did you feel a bit awkward wondering if you should tell them you’d arrived?

★Was your consultation rushed or did the Stylist take time to really listen to your concerns?

★Did your Stylist recommend the products and services you actually needed or did they go straight for the monthly promotions? 

★Did you feel like a person or a number? 

★Did your Stylist take time to create a solution for your concerns or was the importance of those concerns somehow lost in further conversation?

When you feel important you’ll know it!

Choosing a Hairstylist doesn’t have to be any more complicated than this.  Do you feel important? It’s ok to start expecting more out of your hair appointment and truthfully, you should! 

It can be overwhelming to get started trying to find a Hairstylist because of the sheer number of Salons and Stylists you have to choose from.  Instead of becoming overwhelmed just remember what a good thing all that choice really is! Everyone is looking for something different and the more choice you have, the higher the chance of meeting your perfect Hairstylist!

A reminder on the steps you took with me in this series:  

#1.  Know What You Want

#2.  Go Window Shopping

#3.  Look at the Salon

#4.  Have Interviews

#5.  Compare on Value not Price

#6.  Do you Feel Important?

Take these tips, work through the process and create a success story of your very own.  I promise you the time you spend working through this process will reward you in the end! 

A little word in closing………

Yes, we are a hair salon full of Stylists who would be happy to help you but that’s still not the point.

The point of this series is for you to feel confident in choosing who the right Stylist is for YOU.

It’s entirely about YOU!

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

How to Choose a Hairstylist Part 5 – Value is different than Price

How to Choose a Hairstylist Part 5 – Value is different than Price

by | Jun 27, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

How did your interviews go? Hopefully you have a standout candidate already, but if you haven’t had time to do them or are still scratching your head wondering how you choose you are in the right place!  Today we are talking about the ????

It absolutely pays to be picky about personal services which is definitely why I’m writing this for you! A salon experience should be more than money due for services rendered.  You should receive far more value than the amount of money you paid. 

So what exactly does that mean? 

What else did you get out of your hair appointment besides the hair?

Example:

  1. Thelma goes to Salon ‘A’ for a cut and style and pays $45 for a great service.
  2. Louise goes to Salon ‘B’ for a cut and style and also pays $45 for a great service.

They look exactly the same right?

Hold up ? We have may more to talk about besides price!

Thelma’s appointment at Salon ‘A’ took around 30 minutes.  A quick in and out with lots of time to run a few errands after! 

Louise’s appointment at Salon ‘B’ on the other hand was 45 minutes since there was a lengthy shampoo and scalp massage included for a little extra pampering as well as some in-depth problem solving for the issue she’s been having with getting enough volume.

With both appointments priced at $45 which one has greater value? The one that saves you time or the one that takes time to pamper and help you? 

There is no ‘right’ choice, only the choice you see the most value in.

Personally this is why I love how many Salon/Stylist options there are locally.  That may sound backwards to you as I am an owner of one of those salons, but it’s so true!  We all offer something different making the odds of finding somewhere that aligns with what you value most that much greater.

One more example:

  1. Betty goes to Stylist ‘A’ for a full head of foil highlights, toner, cut and style, and pays $165 for a great service.
  2. Veronica goes to Stylist ‘B’ for a full head of foil highlights, toner, cut and style, and pays $195 for a great service.

Sure, if you are measuring on price alone Stylist ‘A’ would be a clear winner because her price was $30 lower but  here’s how it breaks down keeping value top of mind. 

Stylist ‘A’ has been licensed for 2 years with no additional education.  Stylist ‘B’ has also been licensed for 2 years but has completed an additional year of continuing education, and uses very high quality products.

Do you place the most value on price or do you see the value in paying an extra $30 for your service knowing that your Stylist has had more training and you receive the benefit of top of the line products?

Again, there’s no right choice – just your choice. 

Here’s a list of some common things you may want to check out in order to fully compare value:

  • How long the service takes
  • Perks of being a client (promotions, giveaways, etc)
  • The experience provided during your service
  • Quality of products used during your service
  • Total price and the cost of future maintenance
  • Your Stylist’s knowledge on how to keep your hair healthy doing the services you love to have
  • Your Stylist’s level of Education
  • Involvement in your community – does part of the payment you leave get put directly back into your community?

Just think about it.  The relationship you develop with your Hairstylist is very unique.  This is the person that sees you through getting married, births, deaths, sickness and celebration! That’s no ordinary relationship! ?

I’ll be back to wrap up this blog series with part 6, which in my opinion is the most important one!

 

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca 

 

 

How to Choose a Hairstylist Part 4 – Time for an Interview

How to Choose a Hairstylist Part 4 – Time for an Interview

by | Jun 11, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

You’re armed with your inspo pictures, you’ve window shopped, done your online sleuthing and you’ve found some Stylists and Salons that have sparked your interest. 

The next step is to schedule an interview. Yes, an interview! 

What you were really doing while window shopping is looking at a resumes. Between Facebook, Instagram and a website you’ve got a good feel for the Salon vibe and standards, been able to read a biography of a Stylist (or two!), discovered their education and training, and maybe even read a little diddy on their outside interests and hobbies.  Kind of sounds like what you’d read on a resume, doesn’t it?

While many, many clients choose to skip this step, I really, really recommend you don’t.

Interview ALL your potential Hairstylists.  In Hairstylist terms this is called a Consultation but for you it’s nothing more than an interview.  I highly suggest you meet more than one candidate before filling the position and here’s why…….

Things can be made to look shiny and magical online but at a consultation, there can be no smoke or mirrors.  It’s just you and the Stylist, in the Salon, talking about what they have to offer you. 

Here are some questions you’ll want to know the answers to after your ‘Interviews’:

✔ Who did you immediately feel comfortable with? Intuition is an amazing thing

✔ Who gave you their full, undivided attention and stopped talking long enough to listen to everything you were requesting? 

✔ Who asked questions? Thoughtful ones, focused entirely on you

✔ Who said ‘No’? Don’t take this one the wrong way but don’t you want someone you can trust?  Someone willing to tell you why a different option would be more complimentary for you or to let you know your hair could really use a break from colour and needs some tlc? You want a professional.  Professionals take their responsibility to you seriously even if that means recommending a lesser service because their job is to get you the best result possible.

✔ Who surprised you? Who did you learn something from that you didn’t know before?

✔ Who would you have to wait to get an appointment with? This one is twofold.  The longer you have to wait to get your service done the more people there are that already love that Stylist’s work.  This one will either be a positive or a negative for you but since this is about you and your perfect Stylist, you get to decide!

✔ Who made pricing part of the consultation? You have to see the value in the cost of the services.  Again, this is something that only you can decide but you are going to need to know the price before you’ll know if it seems reasonable to you based on your experience so far. So much more about this topic in Part 5!!

✔ Who did you just genuinely enjoy talking and being with? This matters! If you are putting the effort in to find your perfect Stylist I’ll guarantee you’ll want to choose them for all your future services too. Wouldn’t it be nicer to do that with someone you actually like, in the environment where you feel most comfortable? 

The key here is to gather the same information from all the Stylist’s you interview.  You’ll have enough information for a comparison so you can then make an informed decision.  Informed decisions get the best results! 

I’ll be back soon with a deep dive into the rabbit hole of salon pricing.  You do NOT want to miss it! ?

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

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