Wedding Hair Styles to Old School Pinups at Parlor!

The Parlor Beauty Squad has been exploring the retro world of hair.  We have had a collection of inspiring workshops in recent months.  From collaborating with invited hairstyling experts to sharing techniques and exercising skills during our Monday Education Days. Honing our "hard tool" (that's an industry term for iron and brush work) as well as our liquid tool skill set has given us a large repitoire to draw from.  Below we have documented the fruits of our "labor of love" with award winning photographer Isis Charise.  In early December we were whipping up plenty of old school pinup looks!  

JANUARY 4TH
PARLOR GUEST WORKSHOP.

Explore and enhance your glamour, sensuality, and self-esteem.  Have an incredibly fun and empowering experience and end up with a gorgeous pinup portrait that you will want to look at again and again.  Every woman deserves a portrait of herself to admire, adore, and cherish.  Participants are given a head to toe vintage makeover and an opportunity to take a step back in time with vintage costumes and ephemera.  Finish up the class with a fully edited private web page to view your images and a quality pin-up portrait of yourself.  All for only $300

A FEW SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE  call and reserve your spot 212 673 5520



Take a look at Katie's victory rolls complete with an authentic pin-up tattoo on her model.



 

Sweet Mary as our retro glamour girl by Eva. If we have inspired you to pick up a vintage frock or dress, check out Mary's super retro clothes in her  Etsy Store... "Girls Who Wear Glasses",



Michelle produced some glamorous wedding updo hairstyles, to document her collection of skills in this area.



Sarah explored options on our very own "soon to be" bride Julie.  Drawing from both the retro hair category as well as the classic french twist genre, she looks ready for the aisle.



Plenty of options were available still to Amanda whose model's hair was just past the chin area.  Set with beautiful curls she came up with a very demure innocent look on her model .

 

 



Parlor Prepping Pinups (say THAT 3 times fast)!



Sarah putting finishing touches on her creation!

Here is just a "teaser" (pun intended of course) of our last "PIN UP" night...

Amanda the master of makeup as well as hair!

                       

Eva and Katie showing their (until now) hidden talents!





Michelle prepping a wedding updo masterpiece!





Katja with her other "Magic Brush"



Results to follow...

Our Newest Stylist Erin completes the Parlor training program!

Who could forget the paintings adorning our walls during the summer?  Erin Boyle our resident artist and apprentice extraordinaire was our featured artist this summer at Parlor.  Erin has recently been promoted as our newest protege and "Hair Painter".  Perhaps you  have already experienced her blowdrying and/ shampooing techniques or one of her many  "Hand Relief Treatments".  The story is ...she decided to to leave a clientele in Syracuse and move to New York City to take a bite out of The Big Apple.  She has recently completed our intense training program and is available for appointments just in time for the holiday season. 

 She has an amazing eye for color and placement.  She is creative and can think outside or inside the box... you choose!  She is a patient listener and highly self critical.  She always has a new idea brewing in her head trying to out do her last creation.  While I am extremely excited about her coloring capabilities she can also cut a mean head of hair! 

Here is a link to book a "new talent" hair color or haircut appointment at Parlor with Erin or feel free to call us at the salon at 212-673-5520.

Announcing "New Talent".... Lee Brown!

You may have already had Lee give you a fabulous blowout or perhaps a great shampoo.  Now you can book with Lee for an amazing haircut as she is one of our newest graduates of Parlor's Academy Program.  A graduate of Carsten Institute, an Aveda Beauty School located in Union Square, we met on a freelance gig.  She was an awesome team player from the start and I have loved collaborating with her ever since.  Her energy in class was purposeful and determined, aways seeking out the "why" and the "how come" in every challenge she met.  She is intuitive and creative, making a quick study of the craft of hairdressing.  Lee's goal ... to deliver exactly what the customer desires with diligence and skill.  Her art school training she has given her an incredible eye for shape and form.  I am thrilled and proud to have her talent available to our guests for haircuts and styling at Parlor.  Call 212-673-5520 or book online now for an appointment with Lee Brown!

Going Gray...or Steel, Pewter, Silver, Platinum, Sterling?

Gray is beautiful, and gray hair is in!  There is even a few super heroes to represent the strength of a grey streaked women both are in X-Men, "Storm and Rogue".  Gray left to its own device can be blah.  Sometimes it just needs a little nudge.  A bit of creamy blonde can pull the tone out of a dull gray category and transform it into a color I like to call "Swedish Blonde".  A better option for some is a bit of depth replaced with a lowlight to increase contrast with your skin tone.  Apart from whether it looks good is the perception that it ages you.

Sherry Maysonave elaborates in her book Casual Power, "Gray hair can be empowering or it can totally disempower an individual.  If gray hair suits your coloring and if it has a bright sheen to it, rather than a dull, tired tone, it can work well for you.  However, for this to be true, the cut and style of gray hair must reflect an updated look.  If the style is freeze-dried somewhere in the past, gray hair contributes even more to a not-living-in-present-time statement.  The problem with that, especially in the workplace, is that your hair can send the message that 'you' are tired or that your ideas and work methods are not up to date either.  On the other hand, stylish gray hair (in good condition) can convey that you have years of experience and possibly, wisdom, which can contribute to an authoritative air."

I want to see you in the salon when you want a lift or a treat instead of because your a slave to your roots! Check out the images below as well as some of the literature and websites I have found to be inspiring.  I hope the visuals will help you start thinking of the many options available to you.



Diane Sawyer "Swedish Blonde" using highlights to bridge a gray to a blonde.
















Embrace the white and add a silver hue with a cool toned gloss.



Add a bit of steel lowlights to create a pewter tone.



Diane Keaton has a beautiful example of highlights and lowlights.  This will add a touch of depth but will be easy to maintain.



A great way to transition out of high maintainance all over color is to leave a bit out in the areas that show first.  This is a softer version of what Anne Bancroft sported in "The Graduate".





I highly recommend:
BOOK:  Anne Kreamer's book "Going Gray, What I Learned about Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity, and Everything Else That Matters"
BLOG:  Want to Go Gray All the Way?  How to Go Gray Gracefully                                             
WEBSITE:  Going Gray Looking Great! Make every stage of going gray absolutely fabulous!
The official website of the first and only beauty bible for women of all ages who want to know how to make every stage of going gray absolutely gorgeous.

Diane Keaton a woman of substance embracing her gray with style!

I love the color that Diane Keaton is wearing in this image.  She has highlighted gray hair to a slightly creamy color while dropping a few low lights in to add depth.  One variation would  be to add more lowlights, another would be to add a third caramel tone for warmth.  The important attribute to help with maintenance is the creamy colored highlights near the predominantly gray areas while slipping in the low lights right behind those.  For example usually the part and hairline expose the root area first, so the highest of the highlights are placed there.  When done in sync with what your natural placement is you can now touch up anywhere from 2 and 1/2 months to 6 months depending on your tolerance and the amount of depth desired.

Recommended reading..."Going Gray" by Anne Kreamer

A Real Woman's Boudoir Photographs by Charise Isis

Our newest show features real women in their most intimate of settings. It is a collection of photographs by award winning, internationally renowned, boudoir and pin-up photographer, Charise Isis. She was recently featured on NBC and NYC Taxi TV for her pin-up photography.

I originally connected with Charise after being moved by her most recent art project "Grace". Her portraits reveal the courage, beauty, and grace of women who have survived breast cancer. The Grace Project was recently accepted for fiscal sponsorship through New York Foundation for the Arts. Charise’s own words describing this work: “In photographing the project I loosely use Hellenistic sculpture as a visual reference for the portraits, taking inspiration from such artifacts as the ‘Venus De Milo’ and ‘Nike of Samothrace’. These dismembered artifacts have survived the trauma of history and are still valued as objects of beauty within our culture.”

Inspired by her work, I contacted her to inquire about partnering up our hair and makeup skills for her projects, specifically her body-image-building “For Them or For You” pinup/boudoir photo events. We decided that the best way to start our collaboration would be to experience one of her events first-hand. The girls of Parlor got together for an evening of pinup primping of our own and had a blast. A little bit of wine helped to loosen us up as we prepared each other for our own boudoir coming out. Inspired by the collection of props that Charise provided, we rummaged through suitcases exploding with props, clothes, and jewelry to find our inner pinup girl. Each of us feeling a different degree of openness, we ended up with a variety of looks. Here are a couple of the images of myself that were created that night. We are planning a November date to be offered to our Parlor guests to experience this fun self-esteem building event.  .Please email us if you wish to be notified when the exact date is determined.

NBC Thread at P A R L O R for fashion week!

NBC's fashion blog "Thread" was in  P A R L O R yesterday filming a mannequin getting "done" in the hippest high fashion salon in the East Village"  We are so cool!!!  We will look for the commercial on UTUBE and post when it becomes available!  For now check out their blog .... http://www.nbcnewyork.com/blogs/threadny/

Horst Rechelbacher and Minneapolis, my roots...professionally speaking!

We tell our favorite origin myths over and over: We’re proud of our historical contributions to society-at-large, whether it’s the post-funk of Prince, Hubert Humphrey’s impact on the Great Society, or the notoriety Garrison Keillor has brought to life on the 45th parallel. Horst and the early Aveda is another one—he landed here like an alien superbaby in a wheat field and would go on to sell his shampoo empire for $300 million almost 40 years later. But it’s those first two decades that are remarkable, when he was stuck in the middle of nowhere, determined to find out just how beautiful nowhere could be.

For the complete story go to MPLS ST.PAUL Magazine ...The Golden Era of Hairdressing in Minneapolis

Our very own Bride Sarah Jones, hair by Katja!

It was a hot balmy day with a thunderstorm coming around the mountain.  The type of day your grateful to have your hairdresser by your side.  Especially true on your wedding day with the ceremony amongst the trees alongside a peaceful brook.  Katja (Sarah's Bridal Specialist of choice) was feeling no pressure even amongst Sarah's family of hairdressers, she has a cool head when it comes to any upstyling.  With a comb, brush, hot curling tongs, volumizing tonic and some pincurl clips Katja molded the exact hair style Sarah had her heart set on.  Glamour waved bangs secured into a side swept cascade of curls (hairstyle of the moment).  Sarah looked as fresh and beautiful as ever as she walked down her grassy isle to marry her sweetheart along a mountainside creek at The Full Moon Resort.  We wish you a long and happy life together!!!

Bride Carrie Herrara wears a tiera!

I LOVE doing bridal updo's! I find upstyling one of the most creative things a hairdresser does. I relish the feeling of the switch in my brain from left-mode to right-mode as I start whipping the curled tendrils into a "hair-do".




The first step in most of my bridal upstyles is a soft roller set. Once the hair has some movement I back brush the hair to give it structure and form. This stage creates a cushion for the hairpins to lock into.


Next comes the pleasurable switch in the brain from left to right and the hair dance begins. This particular hair style on my dearest friend Carrie was particularly fun for two reasons. One, she has great taste and would enjoy a dramatic style. Two, she has the best hair in the world!!!


Since her hair is abundant the challenge becomes not only getting it up but ensuring it will stay up. I used a pony tail technique featured in Ginger Boyle's "Upstyle" DVD to secure her length in three places. I then looped and secured the hair length with bobby pins in a balanced but scattered fashion. With everything secure and in its final place I nestled in the tiera. Another option would be little flower pins perhaps. It was so secure, she later admitted to sleeping in it the night of the wedding too exhausted from the festivities to take it down. Hmm I hope she didn't look too "scary Carrie" in the morning.

Yours In Service,
Gwenn LeMoine

Brittany has some timely Summer hair advice

It is warming up! We finally get to soak in the sun and the pool! Like most good things though there is catch. Pool water and sun are both harsh on hair strength, and color. You can soften the blow though (pun intended). Before swimming in the pool drench your hair in tap water first. This allows your hair to soak up the non chlorinated water pre-dip. Post dip be sure to Shampoo out the chlorine. Additionally if you are at risk for fadeage (red heads I am lookin at you) apply a leave in treatment on a daily basis like Aveda's Daily Hair Repair.

Introducing Aveda’s Damage Remedy™ Daily Hair Repair from Aveda Corporation on Vimeo

Gwenn is Featured in Salon Today's June 2010 Issue

Have you ever wondered what your stylist had to do to become a part of the Parlor Beauty Squad? After Parlor was recognized as one of the Top 10 Training and Recruiting salons on their 2010 200 List, they looked to Gwenn for insight on her hiring tips and tricks.

We are so excited to see her featured on page 14 of this month's Salon Today magazine!

Stop by the salon to see the magazine or check out the article here.

Special thanks to Isis Charise for Gwenn's photo!

Celebrity LA Makeup Artist Kevin Posey Available for Your Summer Makeup Update!

Visiting LA makeup artist Kevin Posey will be joining The Parlor Beauty Squad on Sunday, June 6th for an afternoon of summer makeup inspiration. Whether you are looking for an update, specific tips, or skill sharpening Kevin loves to share what he knows. With a client list that includes Grammy Award winner Adele, the cast of GLEE, choreographer Twyla Tharp, Sting, The Jonas Brothers and many others he has a wealth of experience and insight to share. Your appointment can be reserved with a $25 donation to NYC Public Education. In honor of his work with the GLEE cast, all proceeds from makeup sales this day will go to Tompkins Square Middle School!

To schedule your personal time with Kevin email us at parlorhairsalon@gmail.com or call 212 673 5520. Appointment times are available from 12pm-5pm.

We Love Makeup!

The whole staff enjoyed having Fawn Monique around PARLOR last Thursday. She stayed busy creating new makeup looks for our guests and even taught a mini workshop for the staff mid-day! We were all so excited to try out her bronzing tips, summer eye shadow applications, and fun pigment-mixing ideas.

Our guests had a great time with her too... Here are some of the comments we overheard at the front desk!

"I feel so pretty!"

"She did such a lovely job. I'm excited to try this at home!"

"I think I found my wedding makeup look!"

As always, the PARLOR Beauty Squad is eager to learn new techniques, try new colors, and become inspired by guest makeup artists. We were so happy to share Fawn Monique for the day with our guests and look forward to her return!

Become a fan of PARLOR on Facebook and Twitter to be sure to be informed of when we'll have Fawn back and make your appointment!

PARLOR Welcomes Guest Makeup Artist Fawn Monique!

PARLOR welcomes Fawn Monique on Thursday, May 20. Fawn is a current member of the NYC Aveda Runway Team, an Aveda Freelance Makeup Artist, and holds expertise in bridal makeup, natural everyday looks, fashion, editorial, and men's care. She's done makeup for more than 500 weddings to date! Fawn is an Aveda enthusiast and often travels around the northeast hosting makeup events in various Aveda Salons. She has also worked with many designers including: Angel/Devil, Fashion Fit, Teen Vogue, and BCBG. We're excited to have her here!

PARLOR will be scheduling half hour appointments for May 20th starting at 12pm. Give us a call to book your appointment at 212.673.5520 or send us an email at parlorhairsalon@gmail.com! A $25 deposit is required to hold your appointment and will go towards your makeup purchase.

Thanks for helping us make our Earth Month goal for Clean Ocean Action

Did you know that PARLOR and our guests are helping with the oil spill.. Hairmats are made of discarded hair from haircuts at PARLOR. See this video link!

Advice for optimum color from our Colorist Brittany

For blondes gone "brassy" Aveda makes "Blue Malva Color Conditioner". Used once a week it makes both all over and highlighted blondes look first day fresh. I recently had a "platinum" guest tell me that "Blue Malva" day is his favorite day of the week!






Brunettes and redheads wanting to ward off fadage, keep your color rich and true by using the Aveda Sun Veil to block out the UV rays for up to 16 hours (it is water resistant too). These small steps can make a huge difference in protecting your hair color through the summer months! A few minutes a day to preserve your color can save you a premature touch up appointment. According to my calculations that is about 2 more hours of beach time, see ya there!

Brittany

Lipstick Tip, Make It Stay ALL Day by Giovanna

Begin by prepping your lips with concealer to create a base and to cancel some of your skins natural pigmentation, then set with a light dusting of translucent powder. I prefer Aveda's Inner Light Concealer, and Aveda Inner Light Loose Powder as a combination.

Line and lightly fill in lips with liner using Aveda's Nourish-Mint Liner.

Apply a cream lip color out of the tube or use a lip brush for a more precise application. A great combination... Aveda Nourish-Mint Smoothing Lip Color or Sheer Mineral Lip Color, Aveda Flax Stick #11 Lip Brush or Retractable Lip Brush if your "on the go".

Using your finger, tap a lighter colored frosted powder (eye shadow works great!!!) onto the center of your lips to create a full pouty, matte, shimmery look. Aveda Petal Essence Single Eye Color is my shadow of choice.

This technique will lock in your lip color for a look that will last all day! Did someone say "Wedding" ???

Notes from Katja...

Katja Marsman is a popular stylist at Parlor . She's always giving great styling advice to her guests (and coworkers!). Here she shares her insight on an Aveda favorite-- Style Prep Smoother.

With Spring/Summer approaching (finally!), I have some tips on how to keep your hair tame through the heat and humidity. If you haven't yet discovered the Style Prep Smoother from Aveda's Smooth Infusion line, then you've yet to witness what I consider a miracle! This light cream will defend against the humidity. You start by applying the Style Prep Smoother (about the size of a dime for most hair types) from roots to ends on damp hair. You would then apply the Aveda product of choice next to supply hold to the hair if desired. Style Prep is a fantastic product, that many of my guests/clients can attest to. Because Style Prep Smoother does not offer hold and is very light it can be used easily on all hair types and textures to fight against the effects of humidity (think frizz or static electricity); from fine and straight to coarse and curly.

That's Katja's take on her favorite anti-frizz product. What do you think?

Donna Mehalko's paintings at PARLOR

We are welcoming Spring with a display of landscapes by our very own web illustrator Donna Mehalko. She is an acclaimed fine artist and painter. She first moved to New York to work on contract with Lord and Taylor in 1987. Her first assignment in New York was a full page ad in the New York Times. She has worked for many fashion and beauty clients including Henri Bendel, Revlon, and L'Oreal. She has also illustrated books by William Morrow, Viking-Penguin, and covers for Farrar Strauss Giroux.

In these paintings Donna uses a technique called gouache which is heavier and more opaque than water color but in a similiar vein. Please feel free to stop by Parlor and see them first hand. We have received a wonderful response to our new website and are very excited about introducing some of her other work to all of you.

Gwenn and Molly Ringwald do the morning news show circuit after the Oscars

We did a long string of radio and TV shows in our three days together, so many I couldn't even name them all. I hadn't seen Molly in almost a year, and it was nice to catch up with her. She spends most of her time on the West Coast now filming her series on ABC Family "The Secret Life of an American Teenager". She has also been recording an album, writing a book, birthing twins... not necessarily in that order. She looks fantastic, amazing actually! I can't believe she is a mother of three now. She looks great and works like crazy and once again she is my idol: she was my fantasy muse and inspired my fascination with creating the perfect red heads, (didn't you know I was the red head expert of the Minneapolis punk scene in the 80's) and now through her book as she embraces being a 40 year old mother, and woman growing out of the image of her as perennial teenage girl.

It was a treat to hear a few songs from her upcoming album... It honestly gave me shivers, her dramatic singing voice is deeper than one would think! Did you know she started out as a singer? Her Father and her performed together when she was a child. Then John Hughes found her and well you know the rest. I have had the previous pleasure of catching her performances in "Tick, Tick, Boom", as well as "Cabaret" and her upcoming endeavour has even more soul.

I will be working with Molly for a few days again starting on April 27TH as her new book is released by Harper and Collins entitled: "Getting The Pretty Back: Friendship, Family, and Finding The Perfect Lipstick". It's a witty and cute look at life as a woman who enjoys above all motherhood, but also turning 40 and how her perspective changed overtime with her added wisdom. With chapters on hair and her theory on stylists (of course I had to scan that chapter if no other). She doesn't mention me by name but rather I would like to think in spirit. She states that if you find a good hairdresser that really gets you, stick with her. We have been together for over 10 years sometimes near and sometimes far, so I think I passed the muster. She also writes about lipstick colors, and other funny fashion anecdotes. A favorite segment of mine is the "Fashion Faux Pas That Work", such as roots, chipped nail polish, etc... written by her favorite fashion designer Todd Thomas. It's not the curly haired adolescent red head giving advice in the high school bathroom ("Breakfast Club"), but rather vivacious auburn haired woman with a glass of wine and friends at Balthazar. Not a ghost writer in sight either! You can pre-order it on Amazon by clicking on this link: http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Pretty-Back-Friendship-Lipstick/dp/0061809446/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268599288&sr=1-1. I'll be sure to let you know when her album comes out as well. You will be sure to find it on Parlor's i-tunes the minute I get my hand on a copy!

You're Welcome, Texas!

As many of you have probably heard, Rachel Banks will be relocating to Austin, Texas, at the beginning of April. Below you can read a letter Rachel wanted us to share with all of her guests. Please join us in wishing her well on her newest journey!

Dear Friends, I have good and bad news. Let's get the bad over with so we can end on a high note! Bad news is...I'm moving to Austin in April. Probably not what you wanted to read but this is so positive and wonderful for me. I'm moving to create space to start a family. I'm so excited. I would love to see each and everyone of you before I go. Also,the good news is that when you come see me, I can introduce you to your new Parlor hair stylist. We've some awesome new talent for you. In addition we will prebook your next service and you get 10% off! See the story ends quite happily. I hope to see you very soon. Sincerest Gratitude, Rachel Caregiver to your locks

Gwenn and Michelle Teach at the Aveda Institute New York

Gwenn and Michelle spent the morning sharing some great haircutting and coloring techniques with the Gamma students at the Aveda Institute New York. Gwenn began the morning with an Aveda wellness activity: Students paired off and tried their hands at drawing a picture that was only verbally described by his or her partner. This activity showed the importance of a detailed consultation!

Michelle demonstrated a creative color application and Gwenn showed off her short hair cutting skills.

Here is a picture of Michelle showing her color creation off to a room full of New York's future professionals! You may recognize her model, Andrea, from behind the desk at PARLOR.

The paintings of Jane A Hugentober

I first saw Jane Hugentober's paintings while having my breakfast burrito warmed at Ciao For Now (http://www.ciaofornow.net/), a great place to grab a peaceful breakfast and some quiet time to start the day.

The dramatic tones and hues drew me in. I had just finished renovating our salon ( P A R L O R www.parlorhairsalon.com) on the other side of Tomkins Square Park and was craving some rich deep art to warm up our newly crisp white walls. I decided to give Jane a call and see if maybe by chance she might be looking for a place to hang her next show. We met and made it happen.

I am now the proud owner of "Kristine II" (in the bottom left corner above) and a few of her other paintings have found their homes as well. Our guests really enjoyed her work, it was an honor to be able to introduce her pieces to everyone. At the end of March we will be changing the installation but are in talks with Jane about showing some of her other work in the near future. If you can't make it down here in March you can always find her on the web at http://www.janehugentober.com/

SO HAPPY!

The title of this post was the subject in an email Gwenn received today after a truly fun salon visit! Marjorie Ingall, a long time guest at PARLOR, co-writer for Crystal Renn's recent hit book HUNGRY, contributing writer at SELF, and a columnist at Tablet Mag, decided to challenge Gwenn with an interesting appointment. Marjorie booked an haircut for her mother, Carol, and left the rest up to our fearless Beauty Squad leader!

Carol mentioned that she wanted her cut to resemble Judi Dench's and after a thorough consultation, Gwenn's shears got busy! Carol may have entered PARLOR a little bit skeptical, but left a very happy new client.

As Marjorie went on to rave her in email,

"She looks so great! And I know she had a great time. She thought you were awesome. I'm so so pleased!!!!!!!!! You know how FRAUGHT mother-daughter stuff can be, and that was totally easy and fun for us both. You rule."

Marjorie also attached this picture of her mother and Gwenn... don't they both look so happy?!

Just another great day at the salon. Does anyone out there want to challenge Gwenn next?