Creative HEAD Ireland September/October 2023

BLOCK PARTY

IT'S COLOUR THAT CLIENTS REALLY, REALLY WANT

BOLD, BOLDER, BOLDEST BOLD, BOLDER, BOLDEST BOLD, BOLDER, BOLDEST BOLD, BOLDER, BOLDEST

YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO COLOUR BLOCKING FROM WELLA PROFESSIONALS

YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO COLOUR BLOCKING FROM WELLA PROFESSIONALS

YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO COLOUR BLOCKING FROM WELLA PROFESSIONALS

YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO COLOUR BLOCKING FROM WELLA PROFESSIONALS

(Yes, it’s back. And it’s very good for business!)

ROCK THE BLOCK ROCK THE BLOCK ROCK THE BLOCK ROCK THE BLOCK

Why choose one colour when you can have two or three? That’s the mindset that clients are bringing into the salon – and with plenty of multi-tonal inspo pics from the ‘90s. The culprit? Colour blocking, the viral trend that’s transforming clients’ go-to hair colour with head-turning split dyes, bold placement, peekaboo shades and more. Luckily for you, Wella Professionals is on hand to help.

Don’t be surprised if you see an in ux of new colourful requests this autumn. Colour blocking is already ‘a thing’ in creative, self-expressive industries such as fashion, make-up and design, and it’s ltering down to the high street at a rate of knots. From high-contrast shades of blonde to cool combinations of tonal browns, dreamy romantic pastels and optimistic, bright power pops, there’s a vibrant, positive energy about this trend – using colour to re ect or lift mood, with clever combinations and playful geometry conveying a more extroverted, happy feeling. In times of strife (which, let’s be honest, we’ve had plenty of in recent years), we seek joy wherever we can get it, including our hair colour.

And that’s great for you as a hairdresser, because colour blocking requires technique – and the skill and expertise of the pro. The secret to a supreme colour block lies in a combination of precise colour tones carefully selected to help your client feel what’s right for their vibe. Colour blocking is about breaking the boundaries of colour theory and using different colour schemes that you wouldn’t think go together. Sometimes those make for the best outcomes and the coolest contrasts!

From contrast to monochromatic, highlights to face frame, colour blocking is the trend that’s fuelling the season...

BLOCKS ON YOUR BLOCKS ON YOUR BLOCKS ON YOUR BLOCKS ON YOUR

Three premium colour blocking services with Koleston Perfect and Shine nity by Wella Professionals – and how to make them perfect every time!

COLOUR BLOCKING FACE FRAME

The perfect rst step into colour blocking for clients looking to try the new trend

Ideal client: Full head colour or highlights

Best product to choose: BlondorPlex and Shine nity

Tools: Wide foils and brush

COLOUR BLOCKING HIGHLIGHTS

A super-chic take on highlights or balayage

Ideal client: Highlights or balayage

Best product to choose: Blondorplex and Koleston Perfect Tools: Extra-wide brush and foils

COLOUR BLOCKING PANELS

A great way to make a statement is with bold panels of colour that can be either permanent or temporary

Ideal client: Full head colour bleach and tone

Best product to choose: BlondorPlex, Koleston Perfect and Shinefinity

Tools: Extra-wide foils and extra-wide brush

From soft, calming pastels to hyper-invigorating, highimpact nocturnal teal blues, the A/W23 colour palette is driven by emotion. People are looking for a return to a more natural, human-centric way of life, with wellbeing and self-care playing a vital role. Colours inspired by nature and the environment are going to be huge this season, highlighting the need for relaxation and rest but also for rejuvenation – we want to feel energised, driven by a mood of hope. For colourists, it’s all about contrast – opacity versus translucency; tonal versus natural; bright versus dark – all brought about by placement.

A/W23 THE OUTLOOK IS POSITIVE A/W23 THE OUTLOOK IS POSITIVE A/W23 THE OUTLOOK IS POSITIVE

A/W23 THE OUTLOOK IS POSITIVE

KEEP YOUR COOL

Quick techniques plus high-maintenance looks equals the best way to boost your colour business. Koleston Perfect is formulated with dye technology that reduces the risk of developing an allergy. Use the new Koleston Perfect shades in your colour blocking techniques to deliver long-lasting cool tones for up to eight weeks,* a colour nish that lasts longer than ever before!

And you know that damage is one of the biggest client concerns, so have the solution ready for them. By adding new Ultimate Repair Step 3 to the service, you can ensure 99 per cent less breakage and 12-times smoother hair.** It’s the perfect partner for your colour services. Koleston Perfect’s vegan formula is also dermatologically tested and includes an innovative metal puri er within its ingredients, meaning there’s no need for a pre-treatment to neutralise any nasty metals that can dull your colour work. Driving more frequent salon visits with the bonus of extra retail sales, this is your complete colour service!

Add this to ght damage!

Shine nity helps you achieve a long-lasting colour glaze with zero lift and zero damage, staying true-to-tone, even on porous hair. Now the range has been extended into 0/10 levels with three new Flash shades and a 500ml Clear. Use them to create a Flash Glaze service that delivers brilliant shine in ve minutes, and with up to 50 per cent softer hair.*** It’s vegan, dermatologically tested and boasts the same metal puri er technology as Koleston Perfect, so that shine won’t be dulled by any pesky metals – it will always have that diamond dazzle. And that new, extra large bottle of Clear? Yes, you can mix it with other shades but it’s a big opportunity to introduce non-colour clients to a gorgeous glaze without them worrying about damage.

* Provided hair is washed three times a week, instrumental testing. ** After Koleston Perfect colour service, when using Ultimate Repair Step 3, instrumental test versus non-conditioning shampoo. *** Instrumental testing versus regular demi.

THE TREND GET TO KNOW

THE TREND GET TO KNOW THE TREND GET TO KNOW THE TREND GET TO KNOW

Your Colour Blocking 101 from Wella Professionals’ UK & Ireland colour and trends ambassador, Jordanna Cobella

When did the colour blocking trend start?

Jordanna Cobella: “It’s an evolution of the popular ‘money piece’ that gradually got bolder and less blended, into a pop of colour or a statement shade that stands alone as a panel of colour to make any hair colour and style really pop.”

Do you see the trend evolving?

JC: “I really do. Unlike other colour trends in the past few years, colour blocking is super-versatile and will be used to express individuality and identity. It’s a chance for clients to have fun, experiment with all the different types of looks and personalities at play. It’s so refreshing to see it being used on grey clients too, and super-fun to work with panel sectioning patterns across the head.”

How do you talk to clients about colour blocking?

JC: “It can be introduced in different ways. A bold panel pop at the front could be a nice introduction to a colour change, but a lower commitment as you’re only doing that panel. For those

a bit bored of highlights, it could be introduced as an Alice band of colour behind the front piece and done using a toner – great for a low-maintenance change. For mid-length or bob clients, it could be introduced as a hidden panel underneath from the occipital to the nape, so only visible when in a ponytail or from underneath – this has been a real hit in my salon.”

What are your favourite colour products to colour block with?

JC: “Koleston Perfect gives you the flexibility of using the product to cover grey, to lift natural hair or even to use as a toner. You can create beautiful metallic shades using Special Mix, too. In a salon, stocking Koleston Perfect equips you to create a vast array of options and shades. Shinefinity is my hero for fashion shades with low commitment as everything fades true to tone and can be removed safely with no traces using Colour Renew, which is a great tool for blonde clients looking to try something with low commitment.”

Now you’re ready for the A/W23 colour blocking trend! Shop the new Koleston Perfect and Shinefinity shades at uk.wella.professionalstore.com/colour-blocking

Learn more about colour blocking, and discover techniques and formulas at education.wella.com

SUBSCRIBE NOW TO CREATIVE HEAD

AND RECEIVE A SELECTION OF PRODUCTS FROM THE FLOWER POWER RANGE BY MILK_SHAKE, WORTH MORE THAN €80*

Be one of the rst 10 new subscribers to Creative HEAD Ireland and you’ll receive four products from the Flower Power range by milk_shake, worth more than €80.

For the rst time, some of the most iconic milk_shake products for colour treated hair are available in 100 per cent vegan editions. As well as containing high-performance ingredients such as soy proteins and the superfood moringa oleifera extract, they smell divine.

Already a Creative HEAD subscriber? Then we’ve got something for you too! One lucky subscriber will win three of every product in the range, worth more than €250.

For the full milk_shake product portfolio, visit milkshakehaircare.ie

* For the rst 10 new subscribers to sign up between 1 September and 31 October 2023. Subject to availability, no cash equivalent will be offered. Products selected at random.

WELLA COLOUR EXPERT

BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN YOU

Wouldn't it be fantastic to be the expert in any colour situation and become the colour authority that colleagues rely on and clients are searching for?

Make it happen with the Wella Colour Expert (formerly MCP). Wella’s comprehensive programme in hair colour has changed the lives of thousands of hairdressers worldwide, by not only growing their professional skills and business, but also their confidence, motivation, and inspiration.

NOW AVAILABLE AS A BLENDED PROGRAMME!

As one of our most popular and prestigious courses, we are pleased to now offer a wider choice of learning formats for the Wella Colour Expert than ever before; online, face-to-face in studio, or a blended combination of both!

Before you start...

PRE-REQUISITE COURSES

Before starting your WCE journey you are required to attend the Colour Craft Essential, Colour Craft Correction, Colour Craft Highlights and Colour Genius courses. Check out our WCE-PLUS package which combine these with the Wella Colour Expert at a 20% package discount.

STAGE 1

• Wella Professionals colour fundamentals.

• How we see colour.

• Structure of the hair.

• Inspirational handson workshops.

YOU’LL BE IN GREAT COMPANY

SOME OF THE MOST ESTEEMED COLOURISTS IN THE INDUSTRY ARE GRADUATES OF THE WELLA COLOUR EXPERT (FORMERLY MCP):

STAGE 4 STAGE 3 STAGE 2

• Wella Artist creative day.

• Hair and scalp science.

• The origin of pigment.

• Global hair textures.

• Hydrogen peroxide.

• MEA and ammonia.

• Persulfate lightening.

• pH levels of hair and colour.

• Written assessment.

• Wella Artist creative day.

• Written assessment.

• Practical assessment.

• Feedback and review.

“To really excel in colour, you need to understand the foundation of colour and how products work and affect the hair. The Wella Colour Expert delivers over and above on those parts.”

CHRISTEL BARRON-HOUGH, STIL.

“Wella Colour Expert is very dear to me and plays a huge role in my working life. An amazing conceptual vibe and hugely rewarding experience, for anyone embarking on a colour journey with Wella. It gives me true freedom of expression and a great platform to deliver the best experience I can.”

JAYSON GRAY, KARBON KYD.

“I find the science of colour incredibly interesting. Achieving my Wella Colour Expert gave me a completely different approach to colour both creatively and on a corrective level.”

AND IT DOESN’T STOP THERE....

Wella Professionals have launched the industry’s first ever degree in hair colour! The Wella Colour Higher Level Diploma is a fully university accredited degree-level course, delivered in a blended format over 18 months, enabling you to continue your learning career and reach the very pinnacle of the industry.

PLACES AVAILABLE TO START NOW!

Contact your nearest Wella Studio to find a start date and format to suit you. Payment plans are available on selected packages.

LONDON Wellastudiolondon@wella.com / 0203 650 4700

MANCHESTER & EDINBURGH Wellastudiomanchester@wella.com / 0161 834 2645

DUBLIN Wellastudiodublin@wella.com 01 416 0900

“The most valuable learning of WCE was the ‘WHY’ behind every decision we make as a colourist. It is so empowering to be able to predict every process that will take place in the hair and all the scientific knowledge behind it.”

JORDANNA COBELLA, COBELLA.

SARAH MASON, SARAH MASON PROFESSIONAL

EDITOR’S LETTER

As this issue lands, we’ll be in the eye of the Most Wanted and It List Grand Final storm, which is always an exhilarating place to be! Our winners and finalists offer a smorgasbord of imaginative ideas, innovation and artistry, which I can share in the pages of Creative HEAD Ireland over the coming months. Take Danielle Garner as an example (from page 24) – a Most Wanted AND It List winner in 2022 – who shares with us her fresh thinking on creative working, as she unveils her new Wholehearted location (from a camper van in mainland Europe!). Hearing her approach to balancing work and life, we were seriously fangirling. It’s my new motto – be more Danielle This issue also gets us up to date with A/W trends – colour blocking is BACK! –and we have a street smart collection from Zeba Hairdressing as its celebrates its pearly 30th anniversary. I’m confident you’ll find plenty to sink your teeth into. Enjoy!

28 itit it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST

JOIN US!

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for… on Monday 4 September, the 2023 Most Wanted and It List winners will be named at a glittering Grand Final event at Tate Modern in London. If you don’t have a ticket, watch the stars come out on social – search #MWIT23

Save the date: Sunday 29 October marks the return of Self/Styled Sundays (page 44) – Zooming in for a few hours packed full with education and empowerment for freelancers. Finally, hop over to the Salon Smart HUB (page 45) for a double dose of business insight and advice, delivered by Most Wanted 2022 Best Salon Team winner Billi Currie, and Most Wanted 2023 finalist, Samantha Cusick. creativeheadmag.com/events

WHAT’S INSIDE

COLOUR SPECIAL

The trends, techniques, and products you need to know for your best colour offering this autumn

DANIELLE GARNER

The Dublin salon entrepreneur reveals her Wholehearted concept

ON THE

SCENE

The Coterie returns (pictured), and Authentic Beauty Concept gets styled with Peggy Gou

IN THE KNOW

A SELECTION OF THE ESSENTIALS

SEE IT!

Everybody’s talking about… Wella

TrendVision Award

IHF keeps pressure on gov over VAT

The Irish Hairdressers Federation (IHF), alongside the Restaurants Association of Ireland, has urged nance minister Michael McGrath to keep the 9 per cent VAT rate on hairdressing and restaurant costs in place. The rate is due to increase this month. The IHF called for an urgent meeting with McGrath to highlight the negative impact an increase would have.

BOOK IT!

DELILAH BON

OPEN NOW!

The countdown has started for the Wella Professionals TrendVision Award UK & Ireland 2023 Final at Magazine London on 25 September. Alongside the nalists’ work will be exclusive shows from Wella Artists, including Cheynes, Francesco Group, Dom Capel from Lara Johnson Lifestyle, Nikki Clifford from NJUK, Simon Tuckwell, Cobella, Stil and HOB Academy. The night will close with six winners announced across four categories: Colour Visionary (UK winner and Ireland winner), Craft Visionary (UK winner and Ireland winner), Editorial Look (joint UK & Ireland winner), and the student category, XPOSURE Creative Colour (joint UK & Ireland winner). Both countries will be combined in a single competition for the People’s Choice Award in each category, which is voted for by the public.

Sebastian Professional is searching for creatives for the new 2024 Sebastian CULT Team. Entries close 13 September – nd out more at globaleventsworld.com/ EN/SebastianCULT

THE SECRETS OF PROFITABLE SALONS WITH ALFAPARF MILANO PROFESSIONAL

Real profit goes beyond the salon owner’s salary and should be used to invest back into the business, says veteran hairdresser and educator Alan Austin-Smith (pictured), who will take salon owners and managers through the key steps of a winning strategy to set up for success, on this Xpert Professional course. WHEN AND WHERE 19 September, Dublin BOOK accademia.ie

CATCH-UP

Salon software brand Vagaro has launched a partner-led industry podcast with Paul Mitchell artistic director, Paula Peralta

Christian Melcher has been appointed global chief marketing of cer for Kao Salon Business.

Colourstart is now integrated with Phorest salon software, making patch testing and recording easier.

Ben Brown, founder of Bbeducation, is joining ALFAPARF Milano Professional as digital brand ambassador UKI.

Do something a little different this autumn and experience the musical works of Delilah Bon (pictured). An independent artist known for her eclectic ‘Brat Punk’ sound, her gig at Dublin’s Academy 2 is sure to be a show and a half! Her bright, bold hair looks will appeal to the more adventurous stylists among us… rock out and get inspired!

WHERE Academy 2, Dublin

WHEN 23 September, 7pm COST €15.90 each BOOK ticketmaster.ie

BUY IT!

9 SECRETS TO A MEANINGFUL LIFE , BY ANDREW DUNNE

Want to know the secrets that will let you stay true to yourself and how to apply age-old wisdom to the day-to-day? Well, Andrew Dunne’s got them honed down to nine, and he’s sharing them in his rst book launch! The global Wella ambassador’s new tome shares his personal journey after realising that a negative mindset was holding him back. Grab it now on Amazon!

IHF president Lisa Eccles

STOCK IT!

LAUNCHES AND INNOVATIONS READY TO HIT YOUR SALON SHELVES

Boss your colour-blocking skills with these new shades from Wella Professionals. Reach for the fresh Cool Heroes shades from Koleston Perfect, and three new Flash shades from Shine nity, for all those pops and panels. Oh, and Shine nity’s clear shade is now available in a larger size, for costeffective glazing.

In-salon service

ie.wella.professionalstore.com

The new Textures & Curls collection is a high performance and silicone-free range sure to boost curly hair creativity. Part of the dynamic My Hair. My Canvas line from Alterna, naturally derived ingredients and frizz ghting formulas abound.

RRP from €35.20 alternadirect.co.uk

Designed with the input of stylists such as session favourite Syd

Hayes, Falco is BaByliss PRO’s quietest ever dryer, and includes attachments such as a diffuser and, available separately, a pik attachment to lift, stretch and smooth curly or coily hair.

RRP €250

babylisspro.com

Authentic Beauty Concept has expanded its Hydrate range with three new products for textured tresses. There’s a Hydrate Curl Enhancer and Hydrate Smoothing Serum, and the Hydrate Intense Treatment mask is a ve- to 10-minute enriching pit-stop. There’s also a premium Gift Bag Set featuring Hydrate treats, endorsed by iconic DJ Peggy Gou, the new

RRP from €42.80, gift set RRP €89.30 authenticbeautyconcept.co.uk

Dull, dry, at colour? Forget about it with Color Excel and Color Excel Gloss, two time-ef cient duos from Revlon Professional that create stronger, healthier hair. Color Excel Gloss makes hair six-times smoother in just 10 minutes. In-salon service

revlonproshop.com

Haircare takes a benevolent turn with Benvoleo, a new haircare range from ALFAPARF Milano, packed with natural and vitality-giving ingredients. Its nature, bottled. RRP from €15.50 alfaparfmilanopro.com

face of the brand.

Think pink as ghd celebrates 20 years of supporting breast cancer charities, with more than $23m (€21m) raised worldwide. There’s a selection of pastel pink tools to choose from, with €10 donated to Irish Cancer Society for each product sold.

RRP from €179 ghdhair.com

Paint your way to ammonia and odour free colour perfection with IGORA ZERO AMM by Schwarzkopf Professional. Made by hair professionals for hair professionals, this is a true-and-trusted permanent colour solution you can rely on.

In-salon service

schwarzkopfpro.com

Toning is supercharged with No.5P Blonde Enhancer Toning Conditioner by OLAPLEX, the perfect partner to its No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo. Expect hydration without heaviness and signature bond-building technology while effectively ghting brass.

RRP €29.50 xpertprofessional.ie capitalhairandbeauty.ie

New from Keune, Con dent Curl is a six-strong range that’s tailored to all types of curly hair, from the softest waves to the tightest coils. It boasts 90 per cent less breakage and instant 24-hour frizz protection from humidity.

RRP from €24.50 capitalhairandbeauty.ie

Next-level hair repair has arrived!

Absolut Repair

Molecular from L’Oréal Professionnel

Paris includes an insalon pre-shampoo treatment, a rich foam shampoo, a rinse off serum, and a leave-in mask.

In-salon service; RRP from €30.60 lorealpartnershop.com/ie

Curls have just got cooler with the new Coils & Curls line by Maria Nila. The winner here is the Curl Guard complex, which breathes back life into lacklustre waves, coils, and curls.

RRP from €15 marianila.com

L’ANZA’s new Pro Color Pigment

Remover is an innovative addition to its Healing Color portfolio of support tools, gently removing up to 3+ levels of unwanted colour without compromising hair’s integrity.

Salon price €16.30 lanza.com

The Hair & Beauty Conference for Salon Owners & Managers

Johnstown House Estate, Enfield

Monday, October 9th 9am - 5.30pm

PLATINUM EXPERT HAIR, DUBLIN

@platinumexperthair

THE PLACES

THE PLACES

Located on D’Olier Street in central Dublin, Platinum Expert Hair has received a rather eye-catching rebrand and salon makeover. Chief executive Onagh Chira – named Image PwC Young Businesswoman of the Year Under 35, by the way – collaborated closely with designer Celine Cummins of Celine Cummins Design Studio to bring her vision for the space to life. The goal was to create a luxury space with soft, muted tones and a contemporary touch of modern geometric shapes while visually expanding the salon with slender proportions. The newly devised brand colour palette is intentionally simple yet distinctive, evoking a sense of luxury with a warm and welcoming twist, which permeates throughout the salon. To enhance the overall design, clever use of mirrors, concealed lighting, and linear concrete elements were incorporated, resulting in a minimalist and beautifully spacious space. Gold standard? No, this is Platinum indeed.

NEW SPACES, FRESH LOOKS AND LOCATIONS TO HELP YOU WORK BETTER

G HOTEL, GALWAY

@theghotel

Following a makeover, the new avant-garde design of the g Hotel’s lounges, grand salon, bar and restaurant offers plenty of choice for meeting locations.

HR2, LETTERKENNY

@headrushhairandbeautylk

The second outpost for owner Triona Holian, the salon environment is strictly “good vibes only”, and includes a scalp and hair loss clinic.

Head in the game

The hair industry needs a healthy workforce. Head Up – the new mental health mission from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris – is the treatment it needs

Positivity in power

Hairdressers are busy, working under constant pressure. With an increasingly burned-out workforce, the need for mental health intervention is clear.

L’Oréal Professionnel Paris is here to help, with Head Up

Cuts, colours, restyles, photoshoots, live shows – whether hairdressers are bossing it on the salon floor, freelancing, or in session work, it’s a life lived in the fast lane. In a high-octane industry all about performance, there’s not much time to think about when your tank is running low. Not just technicians and creative talents, hairdressers are unofficial therapists, fulfilling a unique role as listeners as well as service providers. The fact that 75 per cent of clients consider a hair appointment a form of self-care* shows the level of responsibility stylists hold. But how are

hair pros spend an average of 2,000** hours a year listening to clients, it’s no wonder they need more support.

A mental health pandemic is raging in this vibrant industry. If we fail to intervene, we could lose our brightest and best, not to mention the next generation of talent, which tends to prioritise their mental health. Feeling drained and overwhelmed shouldn’t be the norm in a hairdresser’s day. But there is help on hand…

A trusted partner since 1909 – there to help educate and inspire – L’Oréal Professionnel Paris is going further to help today’s hair community

Find your head space

Through Head Up’s free and easily accessible mental health training, users can expect top-grade teaching for hair professionals by hair professionals, the people who know best what those struggles are like at the coalface.

This is no ash in the pan – Head Up will be a permanent xture for L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, providing solutions to improve hair pro happiness and mental health on the salon and session oor, helping to create a more harmonious, inclusive and prosperous industry.

Hosted by former colourist and working psychotherapist Hayley Jepson, and hair professional and brand educator, Daniel Mason Jones, Head Up Keys offers four certifying and easily digestible modules to supercharge stylist mental health. Those on the Head Up journey will also have use of a digital workbook for both online and of ine training. Stylists can access Head Up Keys online via lorealprofessionnel.co.uk, @lorealpro on YouTube and on the L’Oréal learning platform, Access Lasting eight minutes each, these four modules include:

• Head Up Keys Résumé

• Mental Health Matters

• Self-care

• YOU: Setting boundaries

Forget buzzwords and lofty statements, Head Up has its mission set to train 20,000 hair professionals by the end of 2023, rising to 100,000 by 2025

Head Up means getting on with the business of hitting those mental health milestones – that’s why all L’Oréal Professionnel Paris employees are encouraged to complete the Head Up course, meaning the people behind the programme are in it with you.

“I know how mental health can affect a pro’s personal and professional life and the struggles it can cause. Working to create resources for our community on mental health is a true opportunity”

Daniel Mason Jones

Pay it forward

Hairdressers aren’t rivals, they’re a community. Pass on the Head Up message with L’Oréal Professionnel Paris

A path to better mental health is here for all, and we can share the love in a heartbeat. Want to let your followers and fans know about Head Up, and help more hairdressers find better mental health? Simply share the hope sign (pictured, above), announcing your support of Head Up to others.

The word’s out. Now spread it wide and help your fellow stylists build a more resilient mental health, an essential in an industry

that needs to balance the demands of time pressures with client service. We’re all in this together.

Anxiety, burnout, and feeling overwhelmed do not have to be your fate – but we need to change to keep us all happy and healthy. So, make the sign and let us all align with Heads Up from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, for real education intervention, positive change, and a better future on the floor and off it.

Ready to help yourself and others build better mental health?

Head to @lorealpro #HeadUp #HeadUpKeys

itit it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST LIST

Who will win big at the Most Wanted and It List Grand Final on 4 September? Head online for the inside scoop on our 2023 winners, as well as all the action from the night

Joining us at the Tate Modern for THE hottest event in the hairdressing calendar?

To get you in the party mood, we’ve curated a #MWIT23 Mega Mix over on Spotify. Press play and glam up in style!

Ever wondered what makes colour queen Samantha Cusick tick? From bucket list moments to the Instagram accounts she’s obsessed with, Samantha spills the tea over some quick-fire questions

Looking for ways to unwind?

Press play on our new-look video page for curated playlists featuring candid conversation, all the action from our events, and plenty of hair inspo

ACCESS ALL AREAS:

Damaged hair, damaged con dence.Tackle your clients’ number one worry head-on with the latest launch from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris – Absolut Repair Molecular

Innovation never stops; consumers are always searching for the best solutions to their beauty problems. For more than a century, L’Oréal Professionnel Paris has been a pioneer of haircare, ensuring that hair professionals across the globe have the best tools to answer their clients’ needs. Look at the portfolio of hair care collections, and you will see professional hair tech that elevates you, the expert, to deliver a premium service and gorgeous hair, every day. But what are today’s clients worried about when they sit in your chair? Right now, damage is the hot topic of conversation, the number one hair concern for women. An incredible 39 per cent of women categorise their hair as damaged,1 rising to half of 16- to 34-year-olds. And a quick look at Google illustrates they are searching for answers, with searches for solutions growing 22 per cent year on year.2 Why is damage causing so much worry? Clients who style their hair using heat and who use chemical treatments are more likely to claim they have damaged hair. And that has a real impact on a client’s identity and self-con dence if they feel their hair looks bad. Nearly threequarters of British women agree haircare helps to improve their self-esteem. And they are willing to invest to access effective problem solvers, with half of women buying haircare from brands that offer high-potent solutions to boost their self-esteem.3

As the hair professional, you’ll see that the language surrounding damage has also evolved. We used to talk about repairing problems such as breakage, rough and split ends, lack of shine and bounce with nutrition, and looking for instant results. Now, strength is fuelling the ght against a lack of suppleness and elasticity, with progressive results that are long lasting.4

It’s another example of the ‘skini cation’ of hair, the trend that sees skincare terms and ingredients increasingly used in haircare. And as the hair expert, you can help. This presents an amazing opportunity to build services and retail speci cally to tackle damage head on. So start with the latest launch from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris. Get de ant in the face of damage with Absolut Repair Molecular.

THIS IS VIP TLC

Meet the new haircare collection your clients will love – Absolut Repair Molecular by L’Oréal Professionnel Paris

Every time hair gets damaged it loses peptides, its smallest molecular structure. But advanced research from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris has made a breakthrough discovery; peptides can be recreated at a molecular level. Harness this scientific power with the new L’Oréal Professionnel Paris Absolut Repair Molecular in-salon and at-home regimen. This is more than just bonding,

with formulations concentrated with up to 8 per cent peptide units, it is clinically proven to encourage and strengthen structure at a molecular level. Formulated with a beautiful bergamot, white lavender and sandalwood scent, the luxurious but science-driven formula will reinvigorate your client’s current hair routine and promise strength and body to hair with every wash.

Step one: Professional Concentrated Pre-Treatment

An in-salon exclusive, it strengthens damaged fibres with long-lasting and reparative active ingredients.

Step two: Professional Shampoo

Gently yet effectively cleanses hair, preparing it for later treatments, this builds on strengthening hair fibre.

Step three: Professional Rinse-off Serum

Concentrated and highly penetrating serum, this evens out hair porosity and restores suppleness.

Step four: Professional Leave-in Mask

Strengthens and protects hair, improving elasticity and movement, with heat protection up to 230˚C.

Help kick your clients’ damage worries to the kerb – rebuild and repair hair with Absolut Repair Molecular, the newest disruptive technology from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris. Discover more at lorealprofessionnel.co.uk

@lorealpro

THE FACES

THE FACES

THE PEOPLE IN ACTION

What Would Marco Dias Do?

Marco Dias, founder of Dublin’s The Studio, explains why hairdressers need to empower themselves with education to offer colour to textured hair clients and allay their fears of damage

TEXTURED HAIR IS a big conversation – whether it’s how we cut and colour it or how important it is to be ready when a client with textured hair walks through our door. To be more confident with it we need to know what we are doing.

Many textured hair clients are afraid of colouring their hair, especially lightening services, because of the risk of damage to the hair structure. But as stylists, we can do more. Start with a thorough consultation. Discuss their hair history, desired colour, and any concerns they may have. Understand their expectations and be transparent about the possibilities and limitations of colouring textured hair. This will establish trust.

Next, it’s crucial to assess and improve the health of the hair before colouring. Suggest deep conditioning treatments and a moisturising regime in the weeks leading up to the colour appointment. Emphasise the importance of maintaining

WHAT MADE ME LAURA FRANCIS Hession Hairdressing, Dublin @hessionhairdressing

Competitions give you the creative space to show off your work and your capabilities to the world. I would encourage younger staff in particular to compete; the confidence and drive it gives you is worth all the hard work involved. I can say that I really know hair extensions. I have been working with them for 20 years but solely with Great Lengths for the past 13 years at Hession Hairdressing. Great Lengths is well known for its awards

moisture after colouring as well.

Customisation is key. No two heads of textured hair are alike, so customise your techniques based on the client’s specific curl pattern, hair density, and desired outcome. Consider balayage, highlighting, or lowlighting techniques.

Now, onto mindful bleaching! Bleaching textured hair requires extra care. Conduct strand tests to assess the hair’s response to bleach and determine appropriate processing times. Deploy lower-volume developers and consider bonding agents to minimise damage. Regularly monitor the hair during the lightening process.

Finally, educate your textured hair clients on proper colour maintenance. Recommend sulphate-free, colour-safe products that cater to their specific hair type. Also offer styling tips to enhance and protect their colour, such as heatless styling methods and UV protection. Most importantly, listen to textured hair clients. Their hair history might be so rich that we could learn so much more! @thestudioie

and has regularly held competitions over the years that I’ve always enjoyed entering. It’s such an important part of hairdressing to take the opportunities that allow you to create beautiful things outside of everyday salon life. This year I won the Great Lengths Trophy for Extension Excellence, an award that despite the many years I’ve spent in hairdressing, I never thought I’d win. I can truly say that this has made me, it’s the climax of all those years of competing and specialising in extensions. It feels like a real validation of all that hard work across my career. I was encouraged by the staff at Hession to enter, and I’m glad I did. No matter how much experience you have, sometimes you need to be pushed to see what you can achieve. Believe me, the opportunities will always outweigh the effort!

A DAY OF WORK/LIFE BALANCE LAIN-ASHLEY WOODMAN (@ LAIN_ASHLEY) AT H

BY GARETH BROMWELL

I GET UP AT... 6am. The early bird catches the worm, and this boy is hungry!

MY WORK WARDROBE CONSISTS OF... Relaxed and trendy beauty. A staple is my baseball cap. I’m never out if it!

MY JOB ENTAILS... Making my clients look and feel a million dollars.

I GOT HERE BY... Having faith, believing in myself, through sheer hard work, determination, hunger, re and passion.

MY DAY CONSISTS OF... Af rmations, manifestations, creativity and fun.

MY FAVOURITE WORK TOOL IS... My tongs. Seriously, I get excited every time I pick them up!

MY DAILY FUEL IS... My mother. It may sound cheesy, but she really is the salt of the earth and a real treasure. She helps give me clarity and purpose. Surrounding yourself with the best

people will encourage and enrich your life. It is so important for growth and fuel, and with my mum I have just that.

MY SPOTIFY INCLUDES... Sinéad Harnett! Also Jessie Ware, and I’m obsessed with Amy Winehouse. I’ve recently got into Allie X too. I also love a cheeky gym remix!

I’M ALWAYS... Thankful. With maturity, I truly appreciate the idea and action of being thankful. Life has had its ups and downs, but to come out thankful is really liberating.

WHEN I GET STRESSED I... Call my mum!

WHEN I GET STUCK… I get stressed – and then I call my mum again. Honestly!

THE HABIT I NEED TO BREAK IS...

To stop being so self-critical. I’m my biggest critic and I often envisage things as being worse or harder than then they really are.

THE MISTAKE I LEARNT THE MOST FROM IS... Not everyone is who they say they are!

THE ADVICE I’M GLAD IGNORED IS...

To be honest, I don’t ignore advice. I always try to take everything onboard, although often it’s me dishing out the advice, and I’ll be damned if I’m ignored!

MY INBOX LOOKS LIKE... I’m VERY popular!

MY BIGGEST INDULGENCE IS... Looking damn ne in my out ts! But it’s a costly habit…

AFTER WORK I DECOMPRESS BY... Letting it out at the gym while blaring out Sinéad Harnett.

This is my staple and where I get all my ideas for hair and make-up looks for potential shoots.

is probably about 90 per cent of how I survive. I watch it on TV and constantly listen to it.

Instagram

Spotify  Music

Facebook I’m just one nosey fellow!

Wild at heart

As she unveils Wholehearted, it’s clear that hair stylist, educator and entrepreneur, Danielle Garner, is on a mission to shift the culture of the hairdressing industry… even from the seat of her campervan. Annie May Byrne Noonan pitches up

Danielle Garner carries a wisdom beyond her 31 years. So strong are the vibes, they permeate my laptop screen, and that’s saying something. Because Danielle is chatting to me all the way from a sun-drenched campsite on the Luxembourg/Germany border.

The founder of Dublin-based hair and beauty spot Wild ower Studio, Danielle is the owner of both The Entrepreneur and The One to Watch gongs from the 2022 It List awards, as well as the Most Wanted Best Client Experience award the same year. Now she nds herself sitting in a eld with partner and child in tow because, she says, necessity demands it.

The summer has been road trip time for Danielle and her family. It started in Ireland and took them on a tour of mainland Europe including the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland, culminating in her wedding to partner, Craig, a teacher, at Lake Garda in Italy. There’s no time like the present: “We have a four-year-old starting big school so if not now, when?”

Danielle is just 10 days into her trip when we speak and there has already been one hairy moment, missing their boat to Rotterdam. After failing to nd a spare space at a nearby campsite, they were forced to set up in a car park for the night with raving teenagers for neighbours. Not quite the relaxing evening they probably had in mind.

But time out from the daily grind isn’t just enriching Danielle’s family life, it’s a prudent business decision, too. “Stepping back and coming away from my businesses is giving the people who work in them the power to make decisions that maybe I wouldn’t make because I’d be too controlling or worried,” she admits. “We had to put our prices up just before I left, and I was so stressed out.

I was worried that we were going to lose our clients. But because I can’t do anything about it, the team had to get it together.”

Danielle Garner, photo by Annie Thompson

Yet she’s enjoying the benefits of taking a break. “I’ve only been gone 10 days and I’m already so excited to go back,” she beams. “You know when they say that an author can’t write without space? This trip has already given me the freedom to think creatively and envision exactly what is needed for the place.”

The European road trip follows the recent opening of another location, Wholehearted, a creative space and the reason I’ve interrupted her holiday. “It’s not just for hairdressing, it’s an artist’s blank canvas,” she explains of the venture. Wholehearted is a concept that Danielle’s been pursuing for a while, but the fact it launched this year feels like kismet, as its philosophy fits into what she’s doing on the road.

The idea for Wholehearted started in the Wildflower salon. “People doing what they feel is wholeheartedly their life’s desire was my original idea when I opened Wildflower. I wanted a room to do clients and allow others to come in and use it as well, but it was too small.”

Originally, the plan was to renovate Wildflower’s basement into a staff room and creative space, but a flood put an end to that plan. Then Danielle took to the road and discovered a small industrial unit just four minutes’ drive from the studio. That “shed”, as Danielle describes it, was in “pretty bad condition” when she first saw it, but now has been transformed into Wholehearted, a dynamic, artistic space that’s open to all.

“It’s the first hair and beauty concept space in Ireland,” she says brightly. “No-one else other than an academy has the kind of space to do hair and beauty content with the best light, and there are spaces to create actual

Wholehearted

content, including photoshoots. We can also recommend hair and make-up artists to go along with projects in the space.”

A multi-use area, hiring it is straightforward, and available for a minimum of four hours up to a full day. Rates are competitive, starting at €161 an hour – pretty good considering its 111m2 size. Wholehearted also doubles up as an education hub. “We run our education on Monday and Tuesday for Wild ower’s assistants, but it’s also a space for my own education, which I do every couple of months.” There’s a hair academy too, a space for stylists to learn and develop in a judgement-free environment away from the salon.

A fully stocked kitchen allows for Wholehearted to have another great use, as a wellness events venue, with catering available too (not to mention a built-in sound system) – the space really is whatever the artist wants it to be. Flexibility is the aim of the game.

A vocal advocate of wellness and new ways of working, Danielle’s seen more salon owners embrace a similar stance (as well as those she humorously says indulge in “well-washing”). But despite the sea change, she fears that nancial pressures are bringing back a harmful hustle culture. “I don’t want that to happen,” she argues passionately. “I don’t want nancial pressure to impact staff wellbeing as nothing matters more.”

It’s all a far cry from her rst job, at Hermans in Dundrum, a bus and tram ride away from her childhood home. But it was worth the hour and a half commute, the kind of place where you didn’t watch and learn, but you watched and did. “I would learn how to highlight, and then I would be on the oor doing the highlight on the client’s head at 15.” She credits the place for teaching her those core foundational skills including how to “blow-dry amazingly”. “Sometimes we forget about the power of the craft within a smaller salon because they are more down to earth and willing to share all their details all their skillsets,” she adds, wistfully.

Yet she admits there have been doubts. “I had a moment last year where I was like: ‘Maybe I’m not supposed to a hairdresser, maybe I should be doing different things’.” A visit to a spiritual healer offered some clarity. “I’m a sensitive empath. It’s called Heyoka, it means you feel the emotions of others and mirror it back to that person to learn a lesson. From that experience of learning what kind of person I am, I realised that being a hairdresser is the gift that I must communicate with the world; not to take it for granted or overcomplicate it. It’s about enjoying being with my clients and the experience of communication.”

So, what’s the near future looking like for Danielle after the road-trip and wedding, when she’s back in her hometown of Bray? “Everything I’ve ever aspired to do within my business and my personal career I have done, and the ful lment of it is amazing in the moment. But the impact on my life and personal world isn’t worth the stress of the few minutes of ful lment. I think it’s amazing when you’re building your career to do all that. But right now, I just want to be a human that is enjoying every day rather than striving for something else.”

Photo by Annie Thompson

22 TROPHIES WHO WON THEM?

Creative HEAD’s Most Wanted and It List awards celebrate the most exciting hair talents in the UK and Ireland. Head online to meet the 2023 winners!

PUBLISHED ONLINE 5 SEPTEMBER

IT LIST MOST WANTED CREATIVEHEADMAG.COM/EVENTS

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FASHION, FACES AND FLASH-BULB MOMENTS!

A FRIEND INDEED

Being a salon owner is busy. There are staff and profit margins, not to mention clients to deal with. Rushing from pillar to post, it can feel like you’re everyone else’s support system, but what about you? The person at the centre of it all?

Sean Costello of Koztello Hair & Beauty group understands the happy mania of salon life. He opened his first one 30 years ago in Galway city, followed by Koztello Beauty and Kozzys barber shop later, which cemented his success in the region’s hair scene. Despite his achievements, Sean is no distant business owner. He still looks after clients and plays a fundamental part in the team. But with all these plates spinning, and spinning rather successfully, Sean does have a helping hand, and it’s Wella Professionals. The partnership has helped Sean’s team upskill over the years, winning them colour awards and making them able to offer clients the latest and very best colour, cutting and styling services.

You can’t have a capable team without education. Wella Professionals offers Sean and his staff that in spades via training in its Dublin

studio and in-house support. Learning is never complete and Wella’s constant touchpoints with Sean and his team mean that education is part of the lifeblood and culture of Koztello, and never a one-off.

Some of Sean’s staff have been with him nearly as long as his first salon has been going, and that loyalty is thanks to his commitment to training and development. Held weekly, it helps the next Koztello stars of tomorrow rise, fuelled by creativity, positivity and hard work.

Armed with a loyal, talented team that constantly upskills, it’s no surprise that Sean’s brand is going from strength to strength. Today, he can boast a sensational state-of-theart 30-seater hair salon in Knocknacarra as the latest addition to the Koztello family.

No salon owner is invincible. There will always be urgent things to do. Even the best need a strong support system. So, here’s to the Koztello and Wella Professionals partnership, built on a shared passion for hairdressing and supporting talent and businesses to thrive.

You’re a passionate salon owner with a stunning salon space and full team, but you’re still missing something: education and business support from Wella Professionals

COURAGEOUS CURLS

Curly haircare will never be surface level again with Textured Hair Heroes, the new additions to the Hydrate line by Authentic Beauty Concept

Hydration is what everyone wants for their hair. But many don’t experience what so many products promise. Instead of softness, nourishment and hair packed with vitality, clients face a at and heavy texture, with product sitting stubbornly on the surface. The story gets worse for textured heads, who are predisposed to dryness. Interventions must be targeted to make textured tresses bounce with joy.

Authentic Beauty Concept, the home of ‘by hair pros for hair pros’ products, has expanded its Hydrate range to celebrate, serve and protect these treasured textured heads. The new tantalising trio is engineered to enhance natural hair pattern and is packed with ingredients that seal the hair shaft. Think restored shape for a smoother and frizz-free appearance. Client after greater de nition and a weightless nish without the unappealing crunch of product? Good things certainly come in three with these textured tools.

It’s not all about looks – all three hydration heroes contain sustainably sourced murumuru butter, which offers natural protection from sun damage and heat. There’s also linseed oil, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, it goes mega on the moisture and builds back strand strength. Added to this are a heady mix of vitamins E, B1, B2, B6 and biotin, which combine to supercharge the hair’s elasticity.

This is no jumping on the curly head client bandwagon. Co-created by curl expert and US-based salon owner Evan Joseph, and the result of extensive workshops and constant feedback from the #authenticbeautymovement community, say hello to a textured hair range with ALL the receipts.

For those after an intense hit of nourishment, opt for the Hydrate Intense Treatment. This is for scintillating shine, moisture and manageability. For a show-stopping styler, Hydrate Curl Enhancer is a wonder. A deeply hydrating leave-in gel and lightweight formula offers a medium hold without the crunch. Hair is also protected against humidity and frizz with greater smoothness and shine.

Finish things off with the Hydrate Smoothing Serum, which builds on the defrizzing and smoothing work of the other two products. This is for gallery-worthy curl art without the heaviness and even better shine and softness.

Show-stopping curls don’t simply manifest, they require expert tending and careful curation. The best tools for the job are built on real understanding and professional expertise –and that can only be Textured Hair Heroes by Authentic Beauty Concept.

“This new range makes premium haircare more inclusive, ensuring professionals have incredible products for every hair type. Rich in moisture for ultimate curl de nition without being oily or heavy, it works throughout the curl spectrum from waves to tight coils”

MATT SURPLICE, AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT UK ADVOCATE, CURL EXPERT AND SALON OWNER

A MODEL MISSION

BENVOLEO, A HAIRCARE RANGE BY ALFAPARF MILANO, CARES FOR PEOPLE IN YOUR CHAIR AND THE PLANET, AND IS READY TO SHARE HOW…

Straight from the heart of Italy, the home of hair innovation bound by a tradition of care, comes Benvoleo by ALFAPARF Milano, caring for all textures and hair types. Every time you reach for a Benvoleo product or recommend it as a retail purchase, you can be certain that you’re offering high performance and sustainability in perfect harmony.

Its main pillars – tradition and innovation, packaging with reduced environmental impact, and democratic and transparent action – are testament to this. A truly caring hair brand, it doesn’t just take from the world around it, it gives back.

• A range of professional, customisable, high-performance, and sustainable treatment products that work in harmony with nature.

• Naturally derived ingredients that are responsibly and locally sourced from Italy and ensure wellbeing and care for all hair textures and hair types.

• Hyperfermented active ingredients – an innovative, environmentally friendly two-step process for extracts with enhanced ef cacy.

• Biodegradable formulas that rinse away easily, using less water and energy, and all the packaging is 100 per cent recyclable, carbon neutral, and with zero impact on the environment.

Benvoleo believes all communities should thrive and shouts loud and proud about its sustainable projects for social and environmental good. One such project is the ‘Parks for Climate’ project in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines to increase the resilience of forests and oak trees to climate change, by aiding in their protection and committing to responsible sourcing. Further a eld there’s AGROCORTEX, a project to offset CO2 emissions in the Amazon rainforest.

In an industry where it feels like brands are watching out for themselves, Benvoleo by ALFAPARF Milano is a refreshing, caring alternative, for the future of hair, the people and the planet.

Let care for hair run deeper, visit alfaparfmilanopro.com/gb-en @alfaparfmilanopro_uki

Paul Stafford and Piero Gentile

THE A/W23 TREND REPORT

Fall in love with colour once more as the new season brings fresh techniques, trends, ideas and inspiration

Getting warmer

After years of icy blondes, the lighter side continues to move warmer. Cobain Chic is a perfect case in point – named for the Nirvana frontman, this trend is another masterpiece from Matrix editorial, colour and trend ambassador, Zoë Irwin.

Bold without brash

In the world of salon design and fashion, pink has been making a prominent appearance lately thanks to the roaring success of the Barbie movie. However, according to the iconic furniture maker Maletti, there’s an alternative approach that provides a more elegant solution: ‘Colori Forti Su Base Neutra’, or strong colours on a neutral base. Maletti – which is available via Gainfort – suggests incorporating dusky soft pinks, combining them with soft textures and neutral tones to craft an elegant and tranquil atmosphere with a delightful feminine touch.

Chip off the block

Hair inspiration from the ’90s has swept back into salons, but clients want colour blocking services that are gentler to their hair these days. Ensure colour blocks aren’t compromised with new Wella Professionals techniques, using fresh shades from Koleston Perfect and Shine nity.

The daily grind offers inspiration this season, as coffee comes into its own as an autumnal trend. Take this striking, staggered mocha nish from colourist Mark Sherwood and

stylist

Augusto Miranda at Zeba Hairdressing on Dublin’s South William Street, the overall winner of the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Ireland.

Smooth operator

You can bet that your clients want the following from colour: shiny hair, strong shades that cover white hairs, and a natural looking, glossy nish. Revamped iNOA by L’Oréal Professionnel Paris delivers on all those desires while drawing a hard line against hair damage and client discomfort. Powered by a vegan oil-based formula, the ammoniafree colour offers optimal scalp comfort

DAMAGE CAN DO ONE

The colour products and services that will show damage the door

Let that spectrum in

A range that is kinder to hair with a diverse colour palette to choose from, IGORA AMM by Schwarzkopf

Professional is the hot new damageadverse permanent addition on the market. Packed in its formula is the heady power of nature; grape seed and apricot kernel oil boost colour performance, creating true-to-tone, longer lasting colour.

Green glor y

Clients expect salons to stock sustainable products. Topchic Zero from Goldwell offers natural-looking and durable colour options with 100 per cent grey coverage and a green edge. Kind to heads and the great outdoors, its formula contains mostly naturally derived ingredients. Vegan to boot, you can cast your net wide with this colour collection, as it’s sure to appeal to many clients.

Turn on the light

Blonde should mean bright, ebullient and mesmerising. All too often, it’s an abrasive colouring experience leaving clients feeling fragile. Turn things up without the damage by opting for KEVIN. MURPHY+ BLONDE HIGH.LIFT, a new gentle yet high performance colour range that’s available through National Beauty Distribution. Think six high lift blonde shades for ultra-light blondes.

Brilliant blonding

There is another way to take your clients lighter. The No Bleach Blonde service from Wella Professionals does what it says on the tin. The lift may be gentler on heads, but it’s still mighty powerful. Offering up to ve levels of super-clean yet controlled lightening using Koleston Perfect Special Blonde, there are no bleached-out blondes here! A great option for clients taking their rst steps into blonde.

Time to excel

Revlon Professional’s bespoke GLOWin System in its Color Excel re lls and repairs the protein structure, preparing hair for the best colour deposit possible. Its Color Excel Gloss is a no-lift, no-risk option with 31 shades that reverses damage from its rst use to create standout hair that looks and feels better, and all in 10 minutes of processing. Get your glow on!

For a pleasant colour experience without compromise, reach for IGORA ZERO AMM, the new ammonia-free addition to the IGORA portfolio from Schwarzkopf Professional

IN

COLOUR WE TRUST

Colour. Alongside scissors, you can’t have hairdressing without it. No hair salon deserves the name without colour tubes and bottles sitting pretty on its shelves, waiting to create true art. When delivering colour masterpieces that wow clients and get bums back on seats for more, it’s what’s inside that counts. You need to feel confident you’ll get the performance and finish you want, every time.

Ammonia and odour-free, with product performance you can rely on and created by and for hair professionals, say hello to IGORA ZERO AMM by Schwarzkopf Professional. It’s the perfect solution for a less abrasive, more enjoyable permanent colour experience for natural-looking results. The professionally curated IGORA ZERO AMM pleases hue-hungry customers who will appreciate its odourless and ammonia-free formula.

IGORA ZERO AMM is for colourists looking for reliable colour results and nothing less than a stellar customer experience. Ready to raise the standard of your colour services? The power is in your hands…

Itching for a new, kinder colour? Discover

IGORA ZERO AMM at schwarzkopfpro.com/zeroamm @schwarzkopfprouk

“IGORA ZERO AMM is packed full of nourishing ingredients such as grape seed and apricot kernel oil which feed the hair while giving true-to-tone results. And the added bonus is that there’s no need for a separate developer as the IGORA ROYAL Oil Developers are already ammonia free!”

Siobhan Haug, Haug London Haus

AND Zero ammonia and zero compromise with IGORA ZERO AMM from Schwarzkopf Professional

Colour clients are more clued up than ever about what is being applied to their heads during an appointment. They always expect a great technical service, while being more ingredients-conscious when it comes to colour options.

Whether they’re after a warm honey or a fierce red tone, IGORA ZERO AMM has the bandwidth to offer them almost every shade of the rainbow – in all its ammoniafree glory – as well as up to 100 per cent white hair coverage.

There’s also good news for colourists. IGORA ZERO AMM not only spares the painter the unpleasant notes of ammonia, but they can also get on with their art without reaching for a dedicated developer, as IGORA ZERO AMM can be used with the existing IGORA ROYAL Oil Developers. This is easy to use and ALWAYS beautiful colour. That’s the experience – what about the performance? You only have to look into the formula to see why IGORA ZERO AMM is leading the way in caring colour innovation.

Unscrew its 100 per cent recycled plastic cap and watch the impossibly smooth formula flow. Inside, phytolipid technology including natural oils and

BEAUTY

optimised pigment mixes enable equal pigment penetration from root to tip – say goodbye to uneven colour!

Working hard within this heady mixture is grape seed and apricot kernel oil, which improves colour performance leading to longlasting, true-to-tone colour. But colour can only go all the way with hair that’s supported through moisture. Here, IGORA ZERO AMM doesn’t disappoint. Infused with omega 9 unsaturated fatty acids, expect an all-encompassing nourishing embrace, supporting the moisture balance for sky-high performance.

Improved colour direction and performance and up to three levels of lift is all well and good, but how about neutralisation and great coverage for true-to-tone colour as well? Reach for IGORA ZERO AMM for a natural-looking result. Paint away all day across many heads, the result will always be tip-top.

When you’ve used up IGORA ZERO AMM, it’s anything but a dead weight. Wrapped in sustainable packaging including a 100 per cent recycled aluminium tube and a 92 per cent recycled paper folding box, you don’t have to feel guilty about where it’s going next. This really is colouring with care, for both your people and the planet.

Find out more about IGORA ZERO AMM at schwarzkopfpro.com/zeroamm

@schwarzkopfprouk

TAKE IT TO THE CHAIR

Good news for colourists, clients, and the environment, IGORA ZERO AMM is also

versatile colour tool, offering stylists a treasure-trove of premier salon services

Colour makes a salon – it’s the promise of transformation that tempts many to spend their time and money. As the most pro table service, colour is what keeps your business alive.

Some customers chase exciting new trends, but others have simpler demands. They want service reliability, reliable and realistic coverage, to walk out the door looking colour refreshed yet natural. Whatever your person in the chair is after, ensure you can offer them best in class as well as new colour services that keep your salon a top-tier destination, with IGORA ZERO AMM from Schwarzkopf Professional.

Want to keep your blonde regulars loyal and always impressed after their visit? Blend IGORA ZERO AMM shades for reliable high lift and neutralisation in one application. This clever application method means your blondes will look refreshed with natural looking true-to-tone results every time.

Some of your blonde clientele may want to go further; offer them a cool balayage service with face-framing impact by using IGORA ZERO AMM as an expert toner for a cool nish after IGORA VARIO BLOND’s lightening products. This perfect

pairing produces expert neutralisation and effortless blending leading to a super-cool, on-trend nish. Clients have desires as diverse as you can imagine, and you should be able to service them all. When it comes to white hairs, some want to embrace, while others want to blend away. For those after expert white coverage in their colour appointments, IGORA ZERO AMM offers the same great reliability for white blending as it does for any other colour service – to the tune of up to 100 per cent white coverage. Powerful, gentle, reliable – IGORA ZERO AMM range by Schwarzkopf Professional is all these things, and more.

Colourists can now also offer 100 per cent ammonia-free dual application services from root to ends by combining IGORA ZERO AMM and IGORA VIBRANCE in one service.

Whether you use it to increase your service offerings or to improve your existing ones, it’s sure to please both stylist and client with its sheer ability, not to mention the more pleasant salon experience it creates with no ammonia. A line that hits all the bases – there’s a kinder way to colour while making your services stronger than ever… who’s game?

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HOW TIKTOK CAN BOOST YOUR COLOUR BUSINESS

“My foray into TikTok was unexpected. I started a couple of years ago to test my content for Instagram, as it wasn’t as big then. I started by making fun videos during lockdown, and my following organically grew to around 40,000 more followers than my Instagram.

When using TikTok, you must remember that it’s mostly anonymous people. You’re putting out content like it’s your first one each time, pushing it out into a void. You’ve got to take the right tone of voice, as you don’t necessarily have people rooting for you. Being an anonymous audience, you can get more trolling too.

For colourists wanting to use TikTok, I’d say be clever with hooks and get people to stop scrolling. Your videos must have added value and they need to capture your essence accurately. The goal is to get them to land on your profile.

I’ve seen some stylists post something unrelated to hair and go viral. But the problem is they attract an audience that has no real interest in the hair industry. It dilutes the algorithm and it’s essentially putting content out to the wrong people. During lockdown, I posted silly videos not related to hair. I then tried to harness this audience towards hair content, but they had no interest. So, I deleted my account and started fresh.

For colourists looking to grow their following on TikTok, you need to solve a problem. You should outline an issue which is currently or forever happening. Then, you need to deliver this in a concise way with added value that makes them check you out. People on TikTok are impatient, more so than Instagram. You need to make a first step to grab their attention without being tacky.

On TikTok, you need to be able to give them something they can take away. In terms of the actual content, voiceovers are powerful, but make sure you fragment everything, turning videos into bite-sized, digestible chunks. Say you’re doing a full head of colour transformation video; break it down into five videos, as people can find more

Conor Doyle (@conorjmd) has a growing reputation on TikTok for fun videos and lifting the lid on salon colour. Let the educator and Redken advocate tell you what you need to know to make TikTok work for you…

clarity, and discover that light bulb moment when they watch things in steps. While my target audience is hairdressers, you can pivot and use the same content on TikTok to target clients just by changing the language from technical terms such as ‘level 10’ to using more consumer-friendly words such as ‘dry’ to describe hair.

Now, a warning for freelance stylists – anything you do on TikTok that’s actively promotional just tanks. I work a lot with campaigns, and you’ve got to be careful with content that looks too hungry or sales-y, it never does well. TikTok can detect it and may want you to pay.

The best lesson I learnt with TikTok is ensuring your intentions are clear and direct. One of my videos, where I was turning extensions silver, went viral. I attracted a huge male demographic, and I couldn’t get rid of them! Messages turned from asking whether I was taking clients to more inappropriate ones including unsolicited pictures. It was funny but also a nightmare. I was topless for four seconds of the video,

and that was all it took. What I learnt was that you need to be aware that going viral isn’t everything, it’s more about regular, consistent engagement.

On TikTok, when a video goes viral, people ask whether they can share it. If you don’t want that, say no explicitly and that it’s your property. Especially if you want to curate how your content is being used. You can now edit captions on TikTok to explain that your property is solely yours to use.

Ready to start crafting your first video? Begin by asking yourself why you’re doing this. I teach a lot around intention, and on TikTok you need to think about who you are trying to reach and what message you are trying to convey. Whether you get 100 or one million hits it doesn’t matter, the message must be clear or, as with my past experiences, it can do more harm than good.

An example of a great TikTok campaign was a Redken launch for consumers. It released formula details of great colour looks, encouraging clients to take the formula to their salon appointment. Basically, it was a power share. It equipped clients with the language to better clarify their wants and needs, but it also provided professionals with more transparency, making it easier for them to explain why it may be a challenge for certain clients. I have worked in complaints, and nine times out of 10 it’s down to miscommunication and language, so this campaign helped that. It was a more ‘behind the scenes’ look for clients, which trends on TikTok, peeking behind the curtain is powerful!”

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FOR FREELANCERS FOR FREE

Next event: Sunday 29 October

Location: Online via Zoom

Cost: 100 per cent free!

EARN NEW SKILLS. MAKE MORE MONEY. EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT FOR INDEPENDENT STYLISTS

Aidan Corcoran (@aidancorcoranbeauty).

MAKE-UP

MODELS Penny (@pennxmok), Polly (@pollyasika).

HAIR Angie Dromgoole and Mike Decanter at Zeba Hairdressing, Dublin (@zebahairdressing).

WARDROBE Arnotts (@arnottsdublin). JEWELLERY Joharpur Jewellery (@joharpurjewellery).

PRODUCTS L’Oréal Professionnel Paris (@lorealpro).

PHOTOGRAPHY Alex Sheridan (@alexsheridanphoto).

CAPTURED ON LOCATION ON DUBLIN’S SOUTH WILLIAM STREET, THIS SHIMMERING SHOOT FROM ANGIE DROMGOOLE AND MIKE DECANTER AT ZEBA HAIRDRESSING CELEBRATES THE BRAND’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY. AS THAT’S PEARL, IT’S ALSO A PERFECT WAY TO SHOWCASE THE PEARL SHADES FROM L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL PARIS DIA LIGHT, TOO!

PEARLS OF WISDOM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX SHERIDAN CREATIVE

AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT X PEGGY GOU AT PLEASURE GARDENS FESTIVAL

In celebration of the ongoing collaboration with international DJ Peggy Gou, the first ever Authentic Beauty Concept hair tent pitched up at Pleasure Gardens Festival. Set against the backdrop of a buzzing Finsbury Park, the serene space gave festival goers the chance to enjoy a moment of calm in between DJ sets, while enjoying a complimentary styling appointment. Armed with branded ribbons, plenty of glitter, and some of the brand’s best-loved styling products, advocates from across the UK and Europe created an array of trending festival looks for guests at the popular hair tent. Stylists included Joseph Ferraro, Mimi Kobayashi, Anthony McMeiken, Dan Mewies, Miles Twist, Vishali Visavadia, and global advocate Adam Garland. On the menu were braids, waves, and space buns – and sometimes a combination of all three! A unique opportunity for festival goers to experience the brand and leave with a new ’do, it was the perfect way to roll out the #AuthenticBeautyMovement to the masses. The exciting event also gave stylists the chance to reconnect with the global Authentic Beauty Concept family and introduce the brand to a wider audience, before enjoying a headline set from Peggy as the sun went down.

Peggy Gou

THE COTERIE

Sheets of summer rain added a touch of drama to The Coterie, a meeting to discuss diversity, identity and authenticity, with a stellar speaker cast. Sponsored by STMNT and hosted at The Loading Bay in Shoreditch, guests hit the ground running with diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant and LGBTQ+ advocate Ben Pechey, who talked trans joy – from inclusive shoe sizing to black trousers that fit – and their work helping global brands become more inclusive.

A panel discussion followed with trans non-binary short hair artist Keri Blue and barber Leah Hayden Cassidy exploring gendered stereotypes around short hair styling, joined by salon owner Charles Rose, who is currently in the process of transforming his ‘gentlemen’s’ grooming business into a more inclusive space.

Last up was a dynamic duo – session stylist Joe Mills, the proud owner of new creative hub Woolf Kings X and the Joe Mills Agency, alongside his long-time collaborator and former creative director of GQ, Paul Solomons, responsible for some of the most iconic GQ covers over the past two decades. From choosing which talent is showcased on covers to the evolution of men’s fashion, the pair talked about how names such as Harry Styles and James Bay have experimented with their looks.

With a generous goodie bag from STMNT, guests left with plenty to think through in terms of creating truly inclusive and safe spaces for all within their salons, barber shops and workspaces.

Joe Mills

Ben Pechey

Charles Rose

Paul Solomons

Keri Blue

Leah Hayden Cassidy

THE LAST WORD ON…

TEAM LOYALTY

KEEPING STAFF MOTIVATED AND LOYAL ISN’T AS HARD – OR COSTLY – AS YOU MIGHT THINK

Keeping staff loyal in 2023, when there’s been so much change postCovid, doesn’t have to mean ripping up the rulebook. The holy grail of everlasting employee happiness doesn’t exist in one format. But there are easy ways to encourage loyalty while you work on making your business the best place to be for your staff.

A happier team is more likely to stick around and put in the extra effort. Start by encouraging “a culture of open communication and feedback” via regular coffee break chats, says Sophie Bryan, founder of workplace consultancy Ordinarily Different.

Whether as one-to-ones or small groups, these “create a safe space for employees to share ideas, concerns, and suggestions in a more casual setting”, fostering “a sense of belonging and transparency” that helps to solve issues before they get worse.

Food is the fuel for a good workday, and employee loyalty too, according to Anna Morrish, director at content agency Quibble. The agency has a fully stocked mini-fridge and tuckbox for staff with soft drinks, healthy snacks, crisps, and biscuits. “We ensure that everyone in the team can grab something as and when,” she explains. “It’s simple but appreciated by all.”

Fridays can be a slog, so what about using it as an opportunity to shake things up? Catherine Hayes, operations director at Tao

Digital Marketing, says the company takes part in a team-wide quiz each Friday.

While not actively unhappy, staff in your business could be bored, which might encourage them to look elsewhere. Bacon Marketing’s director, Philip Bacon, says: “A Fun Fridays initiative means employees can enjoy a break from the usual routine and engage in team-building activities.”

For Robert Eaton, art director at Russell Eaton, there are ways to get to your team’s heart quickly, even in a busy salon environment. “It’s the little things that make a difference, when you can reach out to say thanks for their hard work quickly. Gestures such as buying ice creams on hot days, doing a coffee run when everyone needs a pick-me-up, eggs at Easter, and of course, the occasional team night out. This combined with recognition helps us create a positive team environment.”

For those wanting to go further, there’s the travel perks and discounts route, suggests Scott Poniewaz, leader of bene ts solution provider EXEC. “Recognise and reward employees’ hard work and achievements with personalised experiences, such as giving out gift vouchers for unique activities. By tailoring rewards to individuals, you show that you value them, boosting loyalty.”

Implementing quick wins for team loyalty are crucial. But spend too much time looking at the bigger picture, and you could lose sight of what can have the greatest impact. Sometimes it’s the little things in life that can make the biggest difference.

Annie Lang for Unsplash