Color blocking as you may well know is a rerun from the 1960’s. It has become a huge trend not only in fashion but also in hair. We see this in hair through color paneling or what we call “color blocking”. That is where you have a natural base color such as a warm golden brown and you accentuate that by adding a block (usually around the face or underneath on the sides) of a fashion shade such as a vibrant purple, beautiful blue or even a fire engine red! Or you could stay with natural tones and put a vibrant blonde block with a chestnut brown base, there are various options, it all depends on the person and what their lifestyle is and how funky they want to make it.

Ombre is another favorite trend for the spring, we see this in fashion from your skinny jeans to your hair. The idea is simple you start with a darker color and gradually fade into a lighter color (blonde) or vice versa. In hair, it’s a great look and it means less maintenance for the client! They best way to achieve this look is to choose your base, whether you want it to be darker or lighter.

At dsparada we love this type of editorial work, being a celebrity editorial stylist himslef, Don Stacy knows how to achieve these looks and trains his whole staff at dsparada how to accomplish this as well.

Don Stacy working his hair magic

When compiling a shoot it takes months to gather all of your models. These models are usually picked for particular attributes that will go along with the look that you are trying to achieve. You may have to do some minor changes and more than likely you will always have to color or cut their hair (after hours at the salon of course) so the day of the shoot everything can flow smoothly.

Photoshoots typically start between 6am and 8am with coffee in hand. This gives everyone a chance to get their blood flowing and their equipment set up. When the models arrive its show time. You must make the hair look perfect, this can mean every hair in place or even whimsical, like the messy styles that are over taking the runway these days.

Whether its curling or setting pin curls in the hair this process can take a while and you can only use minimal product so it does not show up on camera. There’s a major difference between products that are designed for camera ready hair and product that are not. You do not want to see any product residue on the hair when it is shot, the same applies for make up as well.

Applying Makeup

Usually the hair is styled or set first and then the model is off to get their makeup done. Makeup artists are very careful not to disturb the hair while applying makeup, depending on the look it should take between 15-25 minutes per model. Next it’s wardrobe time! The models get changed into what the designer has picked for them based on their body shape and size. The hair and makeup should always coincide with the outfit. The final finishing of the hair is always last just before the first shot goes off.

Picking out the perfect wardrobe

When the photographer takes the first shot, it is your obligation to look at the picture and see how the hair is laying, if there are spaces in the hair it is your time to fix it so it does not show up on camera, usually the photographer will help with this by telling you what needs to be done. It’s very important that even though you are probably working on your next model you keep you eye on the model that is being shot to make sure the finished product is magazine ready.

Jen Cooper applying the finishing touches

In closing, photo shoots are a lot of hard work, but that being said…when you see your work published in the latest fashion magazines you know it was all worth your while. Stay tuned on our Facebook page for the final photos, coming soon!

The lines of shampoo and conditioners we carry, deposit pigment into your hair and help keep that color fresh and vibrant! There are three specific kinds; one for blondes and highlights, one for normal to fine colored hair, and another for thick/coarse colored hair! We carry the shampoo, conditioner and an awesome leave-in conditioner.

Another type of Goldwell shampoo and conditioner we carry is the Kerasilk: Rich and Ultra-Rich. We use this on the shampoo bar, and we find it gives incredible moisture to the hair! This is my favorite out of the Goldwell shampoos and conditioner, it makes my hair silky smooth, and the conditioner is actually a treatment, so you can leave that in for about 20-30 minutes after you shampoo to give yourself a little deep conditioning treatment!

As well as their shampoos and conditioners, we carry quite a few of the Goldwell StyleSign products! Two of the max-hold hairsprays, a great volumizing mousse and tons of other styling products! They give so much texture and volume to the hair, it’s ridiculous! You’ll love it if you ever try this line – which you should!! They also have thermal heat protectant sprays, as well as smoothing and straightening serums.

Now remember, all of these products are color-safe and affordable and then on top of that, they protect against high amounts of heat?! Goldwell is just incredible!

Next time you’re in the salon, ask your stylist what Goldwell products best fit your hair type and what you’re looking to get out of it; snatch the product(s) up, and fall in love!! I definitely have! My hair used to be a mess, and now it’s so manageable!

You are definitely welcome!

-Caitlyn

Are you tired of that same look you have been sporting forever and a day? Want to try something new and exciting? Why not start off 2013 with a brand new look?

Dsparada Color Salon would like to be the one to help you make that change! We are hosting our New Year, New You Hair Contest for our clients, new and old, to change what your current hair style into something more exciting…into the NEW YOU!

The Details:

WHEN:  Schedule your “New You” Hair Appointment in January.

All entries must be submitted by January 31st. Voting will end February 7th. Winner will be announced February 8th.

HOW TO ENTER: You must have your “New You” Hair appointment within the month of January to qualify for the contest.

You can enter one of two ways:

1. Let our receptionists snap a picture of you sporting your new ‘do at checkout.
2. Email dsparada@att.net a photo of your new hair style after shortly after your appointment.

The photos will then be uploaded to our Facebook Page, in an album titled: New Year, New You Hair Contest.

HOW TO WIN: The photo that receives the most likes and shares will win the ENTIRE Beth Minardi line including shampoo, conditioner and ALL of the styling products that go with it! Tip to winning: get ALL your friends and family involved!

All you have to do is come in and have your hair done! Beth Minardi is one of the top colorists in the nation who just launched an amazing line full of great essentials to help keep your color in tip top shape.

Caitlyn and Christine. Hair by Don Stacy

There was a lot of preparation behind the scenes by the stylists. Don and the staff hand picked models that best suited their aesthetic. The stylists looked for specific attributes in their models; hair length and texture, skin tone, facial features, and a willingness to do whatever the stylist decided to do with their hair! (The last one narrows down the field quite a bit!) All of the models involved were incredibly professional and I would bet that a few of them would have a chance at being on ANTM (Americas Next Top Model).

Hair by Don Stacy

Overall the experience was incredibly inspiring, especially as a young woman working her way in to the hair industry! I can’t wait to be the one behind the chair creating my vision, instead of being the vision.

Be sure to take a peak at all the final photos from the shoot on our Facebook!

Love,

Christine from dsparada

Of course Don and Arturo are amazing at cutting hair, so it’s always a mind blowing experience when I watch them from afar; all the minute details, the sections, the angles – everything necessary for a great haircut.

Arturo cutting and styling one of his clients

But everyone here specializes in color, and trust me, just from watching them mix and apply color and trying to listen into all that technical talk, it is not something that is easy to come by, and I’m a fast learner! The formulas, all the different shades and hues – So. Many. Colors. To say the least!

I never really knew what actually went into the whole process of coloring hair, it’s more than just applying the color! You have to consult with the client to understand what they want, and also let them know what you think would look great on them – then you actually have to formulate the color and get the precise amount of each shade to produce a product that will look great on the person in the chair. The process of applying the color isn’t an easy job either. There are different ways of applying it and foiling hair, and the stylist has to perceive which way will work best for the color, the cut, and the client!

Check out my new do by Don Stacy

Each and every one of the stylists at dsparada, make sure this is all done correctly, and that’s what makes all our stylists so high quality! They don’t just slap some color on your head; they actually care about their clients and love what they’re doing! So even as the receptionist, I have a much greater appreciation for what they’re doing for all of you that come into the salon!

Hope to see all of you soon at your next appointment or dsparada’s Christmas/Birthday Bash!

Love — the evening receptionist, Caitlyn!

For years I have searched for the perfect volumizing, thickening product to help fatten up my skinny strands. With all the beautiful thick haired ladies gracing our TVs and Magazines I’ve felt left out of some sort of secretive “Fab Hair” Club.

Every morning is a struggle trying to get my hair to do much of anything. No amount of heat, product, or praying has ever helped make my hair anything other than a hot mess.

I recently tried a product from KEVIN.MURPHY called POWDER PUFF. I have used mousses, hair thickeners, and hurricane proof hairsprays, so the powder part had me a bit skeptical. The first time I tried it I didn’t get a great result. Fortunately I have a pretty awesome boyfriend that pointed out that maybe I might want to read the directions before giving up on it (I know, a guy telling you to read directions, who would have thunk it).

So I tried it the RIGHT way after that. Basically you want to part off the sections you would like to see volume in (make sure you are doing this on dry hair!!!), and then tap the bottle lightly and aim towards your roots (not your scalp and def. not the ends of your hair). The product has these little beads of goodness that actually burst on your hair and enlarge the cuticle, thus giving outstanding volume to even the limpest locks. (Sounds kind of like a lab experiment, but trust me ladies it’s the best thing since sliced bread!)

Finally the Hair Gods (or maybe just hair chemists) have turned their shining faces towards me with this product! It’s so awesome I buy it in twos!

Love,

The fine haired girly from dsparada (aka Christine)

Vicki working her magic on a holiday up style.

As years went by every “Christmas Party” salon trip was with my mom. It became as big of a tradition as my parents’ Christmas Party. Every year a new stylist got to tackle my long, thick hair. Then I reached high school & I thought that I could go without my mother, after all it’s just hair, right? Well those were the worst three up styles I had ever gotten done and mom made me wear them. Ok, lesson learned!

When I went to college Mom and I were back to our old routine with the two of us sharing the day of beauty together. And now we had the DAY SPA!!!! A FULL DAY of beauty. Everything from a massage, mani/pedi, hair and make-up. Oh yeah that was the way to go! Then I got married, but the mother-daughter tradition lived on.

Shortly after that the biggest thing to happen to my holiday hair transpired. I WENT TO BEAUTY SCHOOL!!! Talk about putting a “tease” in an up style. The fun was just about to start!  I was put in charge of doing my mom’s hair and my hair for the party. My mother became a saint over those first few years of my career because let’s face it, my up styles were less than good (they pretty much sucked) but my mother wore all of them with pride because I had done them. Only a mother’s love! I would love to share some of the pictures from that era but that is “classified information.”

Years have gone by and many a bobby pin has passed through my hands. Now the up styles are lovely. Many have been high fashion. But my favorite will always be doing that special style for the woman who wants to turn heads as she walks through the door of a friend’s Christmas Party.

So this year when you are picking out your very best holiday outfits don’t forget the hair and let the girls at dsparada color salon bring back that little girl excitement for each one of you! Treat yourself to a wonderful holiday style. You know your mother would approve!

*this one is for you mom. I love you – Vicki

The best part was we were able to sit in, watch and learn from one of the best colorists in the nation….Beth Minardi. She talked about color placement and how important it is to get that right, once that is achieved than you can’t go wrong! Beth Minardi is a colorist in New York City who has been in the hair industry for over 30 years. She also won the most prestigious award in the nation called NAHA. What a great achievement! Her color is very glamorous and placed to look very natural. This was a very inspiring class! Be on the look out because we will probably be using some Minardi techniques on your next visit!

Dsparada Color Salon attends these functions because we feel it is vital to stay on top of the latest trends and techniques. You can never learn too much and the hair industry is ever evolving, which is why it is so important to stay in the know. You can learn so much by just listening. Every stylist does things slightly different so it is always very fun to see a different perspective on what we do, sometimes we as hairdressers get stuck in a rut and hair can be very mundane, doing the same thing over and over to each person each time you see them, so perspective is key!

Education is what we attribute to our success!. So many times you see other stylists’ work that just looks old school, and we have people tell us all the time, the reason I left that salon was because the stylist would never step outside the box, not with dsparada! You know what you get every time and love it! You can change or stay the same because we know what is hot and what is not and we will always honor you as the client, because truly and honestly the client is why we are business.

This is the last thing you hear when you are back stage at a fashion show. But what really goes on before those words are said?

With every fashion show comes weeks of hard work. Not only for those doing the fashion but for the stylists doing the hair as well. The past few weeks the girls at DS Parada Color Salon have been working on hair styles for the Fire and Ice Fashion Show at Peachy Keen Boutique of Cary, NC.

It started in the salon with the announcement that we were doing the hair for a fashion show. Vicki & Jennifer went straight to the mannequin heads and started to mess around with many different up styles, not knowing what the boutique wanted. Jennifer did a cool Mohawk and Vicki did a tornado looking thing on the top of another head. Then the fun started with colored hair spray! We sent pictures over to the girls at Peachy Keen to get their opinion.

Mock hair ‘dos for the fashion show.

What will they like, what will they want…? Are we even close? Yes we were! To fit their theme the boutique chose the Mohawk and a crazy cool side upsweep for us to fine tune. The day of the show, Vicki and Jennifer pack their bags and were off to twirl some hair!

On their arrival, they set up check in with the fashion team and split the models in to groups of fire and ice. With 9 models and boutique staff to do, time was ticking. Now you would think piece of cake for two such accomplished stylists but wait for it…we have to share space, time & models with the makeup artist. That is the norm for any show set up, but it stills adds just a touch of stress. No worries we are professionals!

Jen & Vicki pause for a picture in the middle of hair and makeup.

So off to work the girls go. Irons, pins and spray at the ready. The hair looked FABULOUS!!! The timing with the makeup artist was wonderful. When did I ever work a show
that ran so smooth? Thinking back I cannot think of one. After 20 years of doing hair have I found a team that I can work with and no troubles?? I, Vicki Holt, can truly say that it was a pleasure working with Jennifer and the rest of my team on this fashion show. We all look forward to doing many more projects with everyone in the future!

DS Parada Color Salon Staff at Peachy Keen’s Fashion Show

We are still in process of getting the final runway pictures back from Peachy Keen’s photographer… we’ll put an album together on our Facebook wall when we do. But here’s a peak at the final looks…

Hair by DS Parada. Fashion by Peachy Keen