Bombshell Salon in West Broad Village did my makeover a few weeks back and now they are sharing all about the curly hair cut , why it is done in a different way and some other awesome tips. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Bombshell , a salon that is welcoming, non pretentious, and affordable- really ! I have been looking for this forever!
when did you know you wanted to become a stylist?
Well I was very blessed to grow up with a wonderful hairstylist mother who did hair out of our home for pretty much my whole life, so I think it was a little instilled in me from a young age! However, my big aha moment came when I was in high school and was asked to be head makeup and hair in my schools production of Cinderella! After weeks and weeks of up-dos and makeup, I fell in love!!
What do you love most about what you do?
The people! I love the energy that comes from making people happy and engaging with them to help solve their hair issues! I am lucky to have found an art outlet that lets me get paid to do what I love!
Any favorite stories?
I have a wonderful client named Laura, and I think the 1st time she came to me has to be one of my favorites! Laura has great curly hair, but per her previous stylist she had been just chopping it off! I met with Laura prior to her 1st curly experience to consult and do my best to convince her I was the right girl for the job! Laura was really nervous but I promised her I could make her love her curls,give her a great color, and get her hair to grow long without it growing out(a common curly girl issue) After a few hours of intense color,cutting and styling, I turned Laura around in the chair and she started to cry!!! I was mortified! I thought she hated it! Laura then stood up, turned around, and hugged me! She was crying tears of happiness for finally loving her hair! She is still one of my favorite ladies, and her hair is getting longer and more and more healthy!
Get up and go secrets:
I'm gonna go ahead and get on my hairstylist soap box for just a second!
#1 most important rule for easy,get up and go hair is....HEALTHY hair! Damaged and unhealthy hair is ALWAYS harder to style than healthy hair. So starting with a good sulfate and salt free shampoo(such as Unite,Moroccan Oil,DevaCurl,Colorproof) followed by a good essential oil conditioner is key!
For all my curly girls: You HAVE to get away from sulfates! Sulfates are the sodium based detergents in many over the counter and even some salon brand shampoos that strips the hair in order to cleanse. When this stripping occurs, it takes all of the good natural oils off of your hair. Curly girls already have an issue with dryness and lack of moisture due to pure physics. Your natural oils have to defy gravity to move down the hair shaft due to the horizontal shape in curl. Whereas straight hair has a direct line from the scalp to the mid shaft and ends. You need as much true moisture as possible! rant over! Also, a really good styling product is how you're going to get multiple days without washing. A few great ones are Unite Boing curl cream,Moroccan oil curl creams,DevaCurl gels, and Colorproof styling gel. Bobby pins are also you're best friend. Just take small sections and loosely pin back! No method to the madness just don't be too tight with it! Much healthier for the hair than an elastic ponytail holder, and MUCH cuter
For the "not so curly" ladies:
Dry shampoo is the best!! It s a great way to prolong your hard work of a blow dry or hot tools style! Just shake the can and spray at the roots,massage, wait a minute or so,then brush through.it will absorb excess oil and add some volume. Always make sure you are using some sort of heat protectant. I LOVE the Argan oil variations! Unite,Colorproof and Moroccan oil have all come out with wonderful products of this type! Argan oil is a small enough molecule that it imitates our natural oil, therefore it absorbs into the hair as opposed to sitting on top of your hair and weighing it down! Be wary of fake argon oil products! There are a lot out there. Talk to your stylist about it!
Curly Girl:
Oooo curly girl! So curly girl is a method created by a wonderful stylist named Lorraine Massey. She wrote the book "curly girl." And has two gorgeous salons in New York called Devachan. I had the ridiculous honor of being personally taught by her!
The curly girl cut is a dry cutting technique. All curly girls have had that experience of getting your hair cut wet, blown out straight, and then going home to a hot mess when worn curly!! Cutting dry eliminates that guessing game. Each curl is cut to that persons specific hair texture.
After a dry cut I introduce the client to the curly girl method of styling. After shampooing with a "curly safe shampoo"(see previous rant above ;-) lol) I apply conditioner in small sections raking all the way through each section, or I use a wide tooth comb to ensure every strand is coated with conditioner. After a cool rinse, you then flip your hair forward,scrunch out some of the excess drippy water. Next massage your product in the palm of your hands and scrunch in with the hair very wet. I recommend applying your product in the shower because it can get messy otherwise. Next use either a microfiber towel or and cotton t-shirt to scrunch out the excess moisture. After you flip you can either air dry or CAREFULLY diffuse your hair. To add controlled volume to air dried hair feel free to use clips at the root to lift it slightly. DO NOT TOUCH while it air dries! It will get crunchy, but after its fully dried gently shake out to release the "cast" at forms to reveal soft frizz free curl!
Here is a great link to DevaCurl 3 step process video:
http://www.mydevacurl.com/curly_lifestyle/videos/do_the_deva_3_step
Tell us about bombshell:
"With ceaseless attention to every little detail, it is our desire to offer you the best service ever and to do so at affordable prices.
Bombshell Brazilian Waxing & Skincare Studio and now Bombshell Salon was born out of the frustration from the bland and mediocre service that is everywhere, a love for the pin-up girl culture and for all things unconventional and unexpected. We can't wait to meet you!!"
xoxo...........Melissa owner
This is what we live by at Bombshell! All of the employees at both locations have been hand picked Out of hundreds of applications to be a part of this experience! Therefore, to work at Bombshell our owners had to see in you something more than just outstanding talent. We genuinely care about and appreciate our clients. We also love what we do and hope that it shows in the attitude with which we carry ourselves!
