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10/26/2018 0 Comments

Trend Alert:  Just What, Exactly, Is "Cold Brew" Hair?

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America's obsession with iced coffee is real: Cold brew hair is now a thing. Naturally, it's a hair color that got its caffeine-inspired name because the shade looks nearly identical to the popular Starbucks order — and it's hitting a pumpkin space latte-level of popularity on Instagram. 

According to PopSugar, cold brew hair first came to the internet's attention after New York City-based hair colorist Kimberly Bonondona posted a picture of her work on Instagram: a dimensional dark brunette color with warm highlights. Several other colorists have since posted their own takes on the trend. 

The subtle and natural placement of highlights mimic the look of coffee with creamer or milk swirling around in it, but by no means is this term universal. To find out exactly what to ask for in the salon, InStyle reached out to colorist Gio Bargallo.

"The best way to describe cold brew hair color is a deep brunette with chocolate red-golden hues," Bargallo said. Another (probably way more foolproof) option is bringing in a picture. Save those IG posts, or Bargallo recommends pulling up photos of Bella Hadid or Penelope Cruz, two celebrities with hair colors similar to the trend.

If you're itching for a change, the time to commit to cold brew is now — Bargallo says the cinnamon tones in the hair color make it a perfect option for fall. It also happens to be incredibly low maintenance — if you're already a brunette. "If you keep the roots darker and closer to your natural [color], you can then add babylights to create a soft dimension," he said.

Unfortunately, Bargallo said that warm-hued hair colors are the fastest to fade, so he recommends using an in-shower hair gloss to keep the shade fresh and vibrant. 

​
This first appeared on InStyle
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10/22/2018

Coolest Mid-Length Hairstyles That Won’t Make You Look Messy

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If you’re a bit of a goldilocks when it comes to your hair – not too short, not too long, but in between – then you’ll be pleased to know there is plenty of inspiration when it comes to men’s medium hairstyles.

In fact, medium length hairstyles are amongst the most popular with your favourite male celebrities. Just take Chris Hemsworth’s effortless blonde tresses, Leonardo DiCaprio’s ever changing hairdos, Bradley Coopers sharp and slicked back hair or Colin Farrell’s edgy mid-length style.

With medium length hair, whether you’re rocking it long on top and sharp on the sides, or leaving at tousled and fuss-free, you’re open to more styling options that can be part shaved, straight, wavy and of course, with as little or as much product in your hair as you like.
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Check out some of the men’s medium hairstyles and haircuts below along with our expert tips on how to maintain it.
Men’s Medium Hairstyles: Tips & Tricks
Just because you aren’t rocking an elaborate mohawk or mullet, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be spending anytime styling and maintaining the quality of your mid-length hair cut. With these easy tips and tricks you can take your mop top from drab to dapper.
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  1. Start with clean, towel-dried hair.
  2. Using a blow dryer, begin directing air upwards to the scalp until fully dry.
  3. Use a brush to take down any unwanted volume on the top on sides.
  4. If you have wavy hair, work in a matte paste or cream.
  5. If you have straight hair, try a higher-shine wax. Or, for a wet look, comb through some leave-in conditioner from the root to the tip when hair is still damp.
Expert Tip: Anthony Nader – Raw Hair Salon Sydney
  1. This is the in-between style that never really defines whether you are growing your hair or if you just haven’t had time to see your Hairstylist yet. Personally, I love this look as I think it gives off a more charismatic and softer feeling to your appearance.
  2. Keep your hair more compact to your scalp so you don’t looking like a lion’s mane, try rinsing your hair in the coolest water temp possible and then you’ll have more control throughout the day.
  3. The other secret to putting some product in is always add in your light weight wax into damp hair. This ensures you’re good to go in little time.
Expert Tip:International Stylist, Kevin Murphy
  1. The current look for medium hair is basically short hair and has been slightly grown-out, just over the ears. Whatever you do, don’t over style it, you want the hair to have a natural texture and matte finish.
  2. The great thing about medium length cuts is that they’re so versatile and with the right products, you can have a new look every day.
  3. Many men don’t wash their hair properly, but if you’re going to let your hair grow out, using a good shampoo and conditioner is vital to keep it looking great.
  4. The cut is really important. Make sure you ask your hairdresser for a square shape, because if the cut is too round it will look feminine.
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10/19/2018

Bald guys get quiffs...

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Many of you follically challenged guys are considering your options when it comes hair loss. Not many of you are keen about hair transplants and the success rate isn’t all that great (in my opinion anyway). Here’s a company that's giving you guys an option for non-surgical hair replacement. ​
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QUIFF&CO

THEIR STORY
Quiff & Co was founded by Ant & Stevie, a young couple based in Surrey, England. 

After many years of seeing family and friends dealing with hair loss, trying everything on the market, from hair transplant surgery, visiting hair loss clinics for medications, ointments and potions, nothing seemed to deliver a full perfect head of hair.

Over the last 7 years, we have developed our knowledge in non surgical hair replacement. After receiving messages  from men all over the world who wanted help with their hair loss, we decided to share our secret.
We are Quiff.

You can follow them on Facebook here

10/12/2018

Balayage vs. Ombré: What’s The Difference and Which is Best For You?

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Sometimes it seems like your hair stylist is speaking a foreign language. Balayage. Ombré. Sombré. Foilayage. Translation please! Here’s how to understand the difference between ombré, balayage and everything in-between, and how to figure out the best hair color solution for you!
Ombré: The Striking Hair Color Solution
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What is ombré?

In French, ombré means “shade” or “shadow.” In the hair color world, ombré is a dramatic, two-toned hair color effect that is typically darker at the top and lighter on the bottom. Often the dark, top section is your natural hair color shade and the bottom section is lightened with hair lightener. An ombré hairstyle can also be any color combination—natural blonde, brown or red, or something unconventional like pink, blue, green or purple. It’s versatile, customizable and suitable for most long and medium hair lengths. A big plus with ombré hair color is that it’s easy on the budget. You don’t have to touch it up very often since the top section remains dark. The overall look of ombré hair color can change as your hair grows out, which many clients enjoy!

The different types of ombré:

A subtler version of ombré is called sombré. In a sombré hairstyle, the contrast between the two tones is softer. Another variation is called color melting. In color melting, two or three hair color shades may be used on each strand, and each shade is blended with the side of the hair color brush so that they appear to melt into each other. Like ombré, color melting can be done with natural-looking hair color shades or with any of the fun colors of the rainbow!

Is ombré for you?

If you like to make a statement with your hair, if you’re creative and adventurous with your personal style, go for it! Just be sure your hair is healthy to begin with, otherwise your hair color will look dull and will fade quickly. If necessary, spend some time using healthy, healing conditioning treatments and hair masks to improve the condition of your hair before heading to the salon for your ombré hair color!
Balayage: The Subtle Hair Color Solution
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What is balayage?

In French, balayage means “sweeping.” In the hair color world, balayage highlights are hand-painted or swept along the surface of the hair. The application begins away from the roots and gradually becomes heavier as it travels along the section, culminating in the heaviest application of lightener or hair color at the ends. Because the hair color or lightener is concentrated on the surface of each section, the underside remains darker, which gives the hair a very natural, dimensional effect. The resulting subtle balayage hairstyle mimics a natural, sun-kissed effect that has been in high demand from celebrities, models and high profile “it” girls for some time now. Balayage can be done on any hair color, from blonde hair to red hair to brown hair, although it’s typically not the first choice for super dark brunettes. It’s beautiful on long hair and on medium-length hair. Like ombré, balayage highlights are cost-effective because they don’t require frequent touchups, since the hair at the top is kept darker.

The different types of balayage:

Because balayage is a hand-painting technique, the artistry of your hair stylist comes into play and allows for many variations and beautiful color compositions. Hair color artists might combine several shades, for example, for a shimmering, dimensional result. If your hair is dark, they may opt for a foilayage technique. In foilayage, instead of allowing the balayage highlights to process in the air after they’re applied, they’re wrapped in foil, which provides more heat, and therefore amplifies the lightening process. Balayage may also be combined with conventional highlights placed closer to the face, or with fine, baby-lights placed around the face and hairline for a complexion-boosting glow.

Is balayage for you?

If you love sexy, natural-looking hair color (and who doesn’t?) balayage is a beautiful choice! Balayage hair color will bring nearly every hairstyle to life!
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How to Care for Your Ombré or Balayage Hair Color
1. Embrace the “bond” difference.

Whether you’re going for a subtle glow or a major hair color transformation with your ombré or balayage hair color, new bonding technology can make all the difference between hair that emerges damaged and hair that stays healthy, shiny and lustrous. It starts in the salon, with professional hair bond repair additives that protect the structural bonds of your hair during the highlighting process, and prevent additional damage from occurring. It continues at home with a revolutionary, three-step Re-Bonding system that continues to reconstruct damaged hair at the deepest level—fortifying, strengthening and smoothing your colored or lightened locks.

2. Keep up your good work.

Once the Re-Bonding system has repaired your hair, maintain your hair color investment with hair-color-friendly, sulfate-free, natural-origin hair care products that gently bathe the hair, leaving your hair color shiny; extending color vibrancy and resulting in hair that’s supple, conditioned and soft to the touch. It’s also a good idea to protect your hair from too much exposure to UV light, from chlorine or saltwater and from frequent, direct contact with hot tools—all of which can alter your hue or cause premature fading.

This article first appeared on Matrix

10/7/2018 0 Comments

Can You Trust Your Hair Transplant Provider?

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Can you trust your hair transplant provider? Man For Himself contributor Spencer “Spex” Stevenson discusses the growth of phoney transplant providers, the danger, and what you can do to always receive the hair transplant you’ve paid for. 

As you know, our soggy island has encountered one of the most resplendent summers in recent memory. And while many us ‘mane purveyors’ have been out and about proudly displaying our hirsute chests and man-scaped bonces, the transplant industry has been warming up at an unbelievable rate as well.

The worry for us follicle chasers is that the industry is increasingly awash with unscrupulous operators, peddling below-par products and services. Sadly, the number of repair patients is growing every day.

The reality is, us hair growth journeymen (and women) are now faced with a very serious danger, with so-called practitioners impersonating industry professionals and stopping at nothing to make a quick buck.

As we enter an increasingly perilous landscape, there’s no question that certain individuals are actually regressing the space that numerous qualified and master craftspeople have committed their lives to; with many offering pioneering products and a level of service that has made huge strides in the search for a cure to male pattern baldness.

The issue has been further opened up by the maelstrom that is the Interwebs, which can be a heaving, breathing mess of fake news and false claims. This has made it even harder for the reputable ‘players’ to get the truth out there; and in doing as such ensure the blameless, know-no-better patients avoid being on the end of what amounts to a modern-day scalping.

Over the years, I’ve got to know patients looking for my guidance in the area of hair repair. Shockingly, many of these human guinea pigs have been utilised and manhandled by the business’ greatest criminals – as was I! 

Read the rest of this article here >>>
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    Hair by Brian

    My name is Brian and I help people confidently take on the world.

    I cut and style hair for people in San Francisco who want to feel better about themselves and how they look.

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