BeautiFyce

Have you ever walked into a salon knowing exactly what it was you wanted but left leaving disappointed due to not being able to describe to your stylist the look you were envisioning? Knowing how to ask for what you want is crucial in making sure you walk out of that salon completely satisfied EVERY time. Following are a few tips to aid in communicating with your stylist about the look you are trying to achieve:

PART 1- Making the Cut

First... pick a good stylist! Do your research. Ask around. If you see someone whose hair you absolutely love, ask them who they go to. Google the salons in your area. Read reviews online from sites like www.citysearch.com and www.yelp.com. Look for online biographies that may tell you what a particular stylist specializes in, or even a Facebook page which may demonstrate some of the work that he/she has done. Stalk your stylist a little bit! Also, spending money on a quality cut in a reputable salon who invests in and takes pride in the continued education of its stylists will save you money in the long run. Remember that "quick and easy" does not always translate to "good."

Hairstylists tend to be visual. Take magazine pictures with you of the look you are attempting to achieve. Keep in mind that what you want, may not work well with what you have. A good stylist will question which elements of the pictures you are attracted to and work with you to create a similar look that may be more flattering to your individual hair type and/or face shape.
When you tell your stylist you want a change but limit your stylist excessively, don't be disappointed when the change isn't as dramatic as you had hoped. "I want a change but I want to keep the length, no layers, no bangs, long but short, blonde but not more blonde than it already is..." What is more important to you: changing your look or not changing anything at all? A change is exactly that. It requires allowing your stylist to do something different.

     Be honest with your stylist and yourself. What is your lifestyle like? How much time are you really willing to devote to doing your hair in the morning? Can you manipulate a round brush? How important is it that your hair will still go up in a ponytail? These are all questions you should consider before determining a style.
    Don't just say, "Let's take about 3 inches off." Again, stylists are visual and your inch could be completely different from my inch. Physically show your stylist what you mean by an inch or show him or her a reference point as to where you would like your hair to fall.
     Always, ALWAYS make sure you understand your stylist! If there's something you don't understand, ask to see an example. Be certain that you understand what your stylist is doing, why he/she is doing it, and how you can recreate it at home.
     Finally, PRODUCT. Products can either make or break your style! Your stylist can recommend and demonstrate which products to use in order to achieve your desired style. Ask questions and go over the directions for use with your stylist. (More on products in PART 2)

Some salon lingo regarding hair cuts:

Layering- uses elevation to reduce bulk or weight to create movement.
Graduation- (also referred to as stacking) the process of using elevation to build weight or volume. Gives the appearance of more hair.
Choppy- a type of layering which creates various, less uniform lengths and is often done with a razor.
Movement- usually refers to adding layers to make it lighter and allowing it to swing and bounce.
Texturizing- On curly hair, this is done to make hair smoother, and is done by cutting into the hair diagonally. On flat hair, this is done to make hair appear fuller by cutting layers.
Thinning out- removing bulk from thick hair with a razor, thinning shears, and often with regular shears. Beware to clients with super fine hair, damaged hair, or overly porous hair as this may potentially produce massive amounts of frizz.

Other terms you may hear your stylist use are slicing, point cutting, slide cutting, and razoring. These all refer to different cutting techniques, each creating a different effect.
Now that you can effectively communicate with your stylist what it is that you really, really want, lean back and enjoy the shampoo!

Sources: www.citysearch.com, www.wilsonsonwashington.com

With fall comes the changing of leaves, cooler weather, and the exchange of favorite flip-flops for a pair of comfy suede boots. As the seasons change, so should your look! Flesh becomes more sparse as sweaters make their way out of closets. Brightly colored ensembles, polishes, and eye shadows are traded in for deeper, darker, richer toned numbers. but what about your hair!? Gradually, that summery bronze glow fades to...

well... pale, and your complexion begins to clash with what was once gorgeous, warm weather hair. This is where your hair stylist comes in! Here's what's dominating this years hottest fashion magazines.

This falls blonde's are all about cool, icy hues!

Always trust your colorist to guide you towards a complimentary shade of blonde. If icy is too cool, opt for beige or champagne blonde colors.

Rich chocolates and cool reds are also in this season.

Fringe!!! Bangs are so in! Go full, blunt, side-swept, or even short. Either way, they're going to frame your beautiful picture of a face and make your eyes pop!

I'm seeing a lot of ponytails this year! Ditch the messy bun and go for something a bit more structured.This years fashion runways have featured sky high ballerina buns,