VISUAL VOLUME! LIVED-IN STYLING
If you’re anything like me then you’ve tried thousands of various tools and curling techniques all the while filling your styling station to the brim with irons and products!
It’s hard to not compare ourselves to all of the mega accounts on IG. I’m always asking myself, “why can’t I create those waves, and capture that photo…!?”
What I’ve come to learn is that it is so important to realize that your brand, and other stylist’s brand, is totally different. Do I live in Southern Cali and only provide services for bathing suit models or aspiring actors? No, I don’t. So why would I compare myself to them constantly. I know that my book demographic is between the ages of 24 to 55, they prefer to get their hair colored every 12 weeks, and they usually throw some sort of curl or wave in their hair every day. Make sure that you use other stylist’s as inspiration and that duplication is not the goal!
Sitting down and writing out who your target market is the first step! When it comes to styling, ask yourself these three questions:
How long will my clients want their blowout and style to last?
2-5 days: Then you shouldn’t be trying to get a picture of their hair as much as you should be focusing on minimal product and a precision blowout before curls.
1-2 days: Go for it! Load them up with texture spray and get behind the camera!
Is the styling appropriate?
Any age can carry any style. But! It’s important to remember that you have to fully consult with the client before you try out the newest trends. Don’t try and push your classic bob client into a bold money piece and lived-in styling if you haven’t gained their trust by showing them you can cut a classic bob with a classic highlight unless they are up to try something new.
How does the client wear their hair normally? Remember:
If they don’t usually curl and style their hair then its important to make sure they are happy with the color and cut before you go for the wavy styling. Nobody wants that call the next day saying “My hair looked great wavy, but I don’t like how it looks straight.”
Use the opportunity to give your client a free crash course in styling. If you take the 5-10 minutes showing them how to create the style at home, I guarantee that you are way more likely to retain and rebook that client!
Which product are you going to SELL?
Use this time while styling as an organic segway into the product conversation. To insinuate that your client will be able to recreate the wavy style at home without the 2-4 products that you need to use to create it in the salon is not fair to the client. Hone in on one product and explain clearly and truthfully why they need it.
A client that buys just one product is 60% more likely to come back for their next service. You’ve invested your time and shared your knowledge with them, let them invest in you!
Something that I always struggle with is creating the dry volume after a full color service. Now, believe me, I was well trained when it comes to the perfect full volume blowout, and I actually require all of my apprentices to learn that skill first. However, when I’m trying to create the big textured wavy styling in the body of the hair and not at the root there are times I find myself lost. After 2-3 shampoos and conditioning treatments during their color service, the client sits down for their cut and style with silky smooth and moisturized hair. I never recommend skipping conditioner or using the wrong shampoo on the client in hopes the less conditioned hair will hold the styling longer.
The remedy that I have come to use daily is a hybrid of techniques and products! After I use the necessary shampoo/conditioner/treatment at the bowl, I bring the clients back and use a lightweight volume spray on their roots.
As I am applying the product, I am also analyzing their hair to determine what size round brush to use. I never go over a 2.5 inch barrel round brush. EVER. If you’ve ever been to one of my classes then you know I always recommend stylists to throw out that HUGE oversized round brush that removes volume and barely gets the hair smooth!
After the blow out, I’ll sometimes pin the money pieces down towards their forward in order to pull the color forward and to create the sweeping visual of the angles cut.
Now, here is the part when I step back to think about the style I want to create. I ask myself:
Do I want visual height or width?
If I choose height, then I use a 1.25-1.5 inch curling iron because this will allow me to create long, pointed curls without adding too much visual width.
If I choose width, I’ll use a combo of a curling iron and waver like I demo in this video. The varying layers of waver curls pushes the volume horizontally adding a ton of body and visual width.
How important is it that the client be able to duplicate this at home?
If I think the client is interested in duplicating the style at home, I try not to over complicate the method of curling. Sometimes I even ask them if they would like to try a section themselves so that I can walk them through the right steps to match it at home.
If I think the client wants to feel a big change or to feel extra glam by the end of the appointment, then I go for it! The bigger the better when it comes to the waves and the volume!
Products! Choosing the right products is sooooo important when it comes to styling. Too much and it weighs the hair down and the curls drop the second the client leaves the chair. Too little and the hair can feel brittle and look dull.
Remember, taking the 10-15 minutes to finish your color and cut with a bombass style will definitely pay off! And, in my opinion, you should never be charging for your styling. The client should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS pay for your haircut or blowout service, and each and every one of my clients must choose whether they want a haircut or just a blowout to finish their service. It’s a salon policy and I highly recommend you implement one of your own. But when it comes to adding curls or heat styling after the haircut or blow, I recommend that you do not charge an additional fee.
No client likes to feel you’re upselling them just so you can make money or capture the IG picture. I incorporate that charge into my haircut and blow out pricing. Example: Your current haircut is $50, blowout is $25 and styling charge is $10. Rebrand as follows: Your Haircut & Style is now $60 and your Blowout & Style is now $35! It may seem like a lot so you can always implement it in stages. If the price jump would be too much at first try this one: Your Haircut & Style is now $55 and your Blowout & Style is now $30. Then work your way up to the first example!
Here is a step by step video on how I created the voluminous curls and texture on one of my clients last week! Dive in and let me know what you think! Tag @thebobbymackcollective or #bobbymackteam on IG!
