Studio B NYC

I am very excited to announce my newest venture! I will now be working alongside Beth Minardi and other MAC members at their new salon, Studio B NYC, in the upper east side of New York City, New York. Studio B is an expression of modern luxury which will cater to Upper East Side residents as well as celebrities, and elite clientele. The salon will offer a complete range of haircutting, texturing, and styling, coupled with matchless haircolor enhancement.  Many of my previous clients are thrilled that I will be back to create their beautiful color again.  I am very excited to get back to expanding the Ratay brand nationwide and working with Beth Minardi Signature and alongside inspiring professionals with the same vision of color I do. What better place to revive my passion than New York City?! My first trip will be September 20^th through the 22^nd and will be going up there monthly from Saturday through Tuesday, so if you’re in the area stop by and see me! When I am not there my new PR Company will be representing me and expanding my brand to clientele and other beauty professionals. I am so excited to get back to New York and walk the streets there.  The culture is so different, even just stepping out of the car. The fashion and creativity of haircolor and design inspires me.

Upcoming Color Forum!

I will be having a private Color Forum class on September 28, 2015 here at Salon Ratay in Lake Mary, FL. The class starts at 10:00am and concludes at 5:00pm. I have had five previous color forums, so this makes the sixth. The day will be filled with an in depth conversation about haircolor. We will review topics I've discussed in previous classes such as the difference between MEA and ammonia, “organic” haircolor, and the new technology called ME+ which is a derivative of PPD and PPT, but also we will discuss different topics such as hair color application processes like permanent and demi permanent grey coverage, foil tecniques such as baliage and sombre, the hair color oxidation differences in hair color formations, and fundamentals of a business such as pricing, budgets and marketing. I love teaching classes at my salon because it is such an intimate setting. Everyone can actively participate, as well as ask as many questions as they can think of without having such a huge crowd. I feel like my students and even I walk away with much more knowledge of every aspect of the hair color industry. You do not want to miss it!

Tuition cost is $199.00 per person. We are pleased to offer our “Friend Package”. Bring a colleague or industry friend and their tuition is $99.00 when you purchase a full price ticket.(a savings of $100.00) Call Salon Ratay at 407-320-5151 or email salonrataymanager@cfl.rr.com for more information.

Check out our website www.salonratay.com for any other information!

Image Expo Houston 2015

For the past show I went to, I traveled to the Lone Star State for Image Expo hair show in Houston, Texas. It was an exciting weekend filled with a few curve balls. Although, they ended up being an exciting learning experience for me.

Jennifer Aniston's baby lights technique.

The show in Houston started with my color conversation on Sunday from 9:30am to 11am. We discussed the trends in 2015 such as the sombre, which is here to stay. The sombre is different from the ombre because it is a much softer version. I would almost describe it as the marrying of colors instead of such a huge contrast in the midlengths and ends in the ombre. Another trend is called baby lights this year; Jennifer Aniston looks amazing with this trend. Baby lights incorporates soft delicate pieces that, unlike sombre, go from the scalp to the ends. A more complex version of the baby lights would be incorporating many of these highlights which are around the same level such as 6, 7, and 8 or 7, 8, and 9. I love my color lectures and the hour I have always seems so short.

I also had two hands on classes which ended up being over sold. It was a great thing but I was very stressed because I was really only prepared for half the amount that showed up. When I found out the night before the class, I had so much anxiety I couldn’t sleep. In the morning I planned a solution to have stations, and oh my…it was one of the greatest ideas I have in a long time. Since my classes are usually long being 3 hours the stations made the time break up and time went by quickly. For an hour and a half I described the techniques and demonstrated so the attendees would be able to repeat the same process. Then going from station to station, experienced attendees wouldn’t have to take as much time on each mannequin head, but newer students could take as much time as they wanted and add more foils. It was a huge AHAH moment for me, and I knew it was meant to happen because I am definitely running my classes that way from now on. Then to end my class we had an intimate Q and A which is always my favorite part. I love conversing about color and even more about business. It so interesting to me to hear from people what works in there salon and what hasn’t. It’s beneficial to all of us business owners to see how other businesses run and maybe even learn something.

I left so enthused about how a bad situation turned in to such a good solution. Beth Minardi and I also got together for dinner. We went to a great place called the Groove. I had a mouthwatering chicken with crisp chardonnay. We chatted about the new studio Beth just opened in New York, and how excited I am to I will be joining on a monthly basis. Houston was definitely an eye opener and a great experience. I also have recently heard about the floods there and my hearts and prayers go out to everyone and their families living there.

Spring Cleaning!

My thoughts on spring cleaning/organizing here at Salon Ratay.

57th Annual Grammy's Hair Color Recreation

Last Sunday was the 57^th annual Grammy Awards Show for the music industry. I was impressed by the performances and the Grammys awarded. I will say my favorite performance of the evening was Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's duo because they are both true talented artists. The audience was filled with tasteful celebrities dressed in unique and classic designer attire, and I could not help but notice the array of hair color as well. Throughout the show I was inspired to recreate a few celebrity hair color formulas with the Beth Minardi Signature Shades (BMS) hair color line. A few of my favorite looks are disclosed below.

Carrie Underwood - Natural level 6

American Bailage

Formula 1: Vero light 20 vol, lift to pale yellow

Formula 2: Lowlight with BMS demi crème 1 ½ oz 9BG and ½ oz 8BB 5 vol

Formula 3: Glaze with BMS demi liquid, equal parts 10G and 10BB, with 5 vol BMS developer, process for 10 minutes

Beyonce -Natural level 2

Formula 1: Base retouch with BMS permanent 7ICE with 20vol developer

Formula 2: highlight with L’Oreal Platinium non ammonia paste with 40 vol developer, lift to yellow

Formula 3: Lowlights: BMS demi crème 5BG and 9GO 5 vol

Formula 4: Glaze with 8BB BMS demi liquid, 5 vol, process for 10 minutes

 

Jessica Chastain - Natural level 7

Formula 1: Base retouch with ½ oz 6CG and 1 ½ oz 8C BMS demi liquid, 5 vol developer

Formula 2: lowlight with 7NCG BMS demi crème, 5 vol developer, Shampoo and blowdry

Formula 3: Glaze with 10C BMS demi liquid, 5 vol developer, process for 10 minutes

Lady Gaga - Natural level 6

Formula 1: Global application with Joico Crème on scalp lightener, Lift to pale yellow, Shampoo and blowdry

Formula 2: BMS liquid 1 ½ oz 10ICE and 1 oz 7ICE, 5 vol, Let process 10 minutes with heat and 10 with cool

Color Conversations with Beth Minardi

My dear friend and colleague Beth Minardi held her “Color Conversation Class” this past Monday at my salon, Salon Ratay, which brought many state wide beauty professionals to see her teach. Beth and I have known each other for twenty plus years. We first met at a specific manufacturer conference. She later became my mentor on a professional level I was told information about hair color that I questioned. I reached out to Beth about my skepticism on the information that was being taught to thousands of hairdressers, and Beth said, I quote “Sherry if you don’t trust what I’m telling you, go home and do your own research.” I went and did my own research and found Beth gave me the correct information about hydrogen peroxide, which I have talked about in past blogs (“The Truth about Hydrogen Peroxide”). I was furious that a major manufacturer was teaching misleading information. This led to one of the reasons I have whole heartedly supported and had a part in the development of Beth Minardi Signature Shades. She was the first manufacturer to create a line and an educational agenda informing hairdressers on the truth about hair color including hydrogen peroxide, colorants, and the difference between ammonia and MEA.

Beth travels nationally to teach her hair color brand, Beth Minardi Signature Shades, along with Minardi techniques and applications in what she calls “Color Conversations”. We had a seven hour class lecture on different topics such as grey coverage, using proper color tools, PPD(which I talked about in one of my previous blogs), BMS color line, appropriate pricing for hairdressers, setting a higher standard of professionalism for the beauty industry, and Olaplex(which will be in an upcoming blog). I admire how she teaches others to achieve their greatest potential to follow Beth’s motto of “elevating hair color to an art form”. Beth teaches the importance of deeply analyzing the integrity of the hair fiber, to determine whether you should erase or lighten the hair strand when coloring and how to maintain optimal health because HEALTHLY hair radiates BEAUTIFUL haircolor!

Furthermore, it was a great refresher for me to discuss Olaplex, and the sensitivity some clients have to PPD. It is becoming more of a rising issue as the number of sensitivity to hair color continues to increase. I admire and respect Beth because she continues to lead and develop the way for hair color as it evolves in modern society. Leading into my motto, “No matter how skilled you are as a hairdresser, whether it is one week or twenty years, you never stop learning.” I believe it is extremely important to have a mentor figure in the beauty industry because it is always good to have someone to go to with questions. Two minds are better than one!

How to Create POP Colors the "Ratay Way"!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and with a fresh new year upon us, 2015 is off to a great start! A very dear guest of mine wanted pieces of soft pink added to her already stunning hair color. I first mentioned soft pink colored hair extension but she wasn't having it, so we agreed on her January visit with me I would add these pieces in. I must first say that it’s my professional opinion that not every woman can wear what I like to call “Pop Colors” in their hair. Whether it is age, personality, or profession, these key factors need to be considered when consulting. In creating this soft pink or any vibrant shade it can often be challenging, most important is to create your Pop color without damaging the integrity of the hair. Hopefully by the end of this blog you will understand how to do it the right way.

When working with overly porous hair, a challenging part of creating a pop color is the application of the “Pop Color”. Porous hair means that the hair fiber is dry and malnourished due too many different elements. Such as over exposure to the sun, not properly conditioned, misusing hair color and/or technique, or styling tools. When this type of hair is colored with the “Pop Color”, it can become splotchy, fade instantly, or not take to the hair at all. To prevent this from happening ALWAYS think of the hair fiber first. For example, if a brunette wants a bright thatchy piece of color, we do not need to bleach the strand to cotton white. Instead, we would bleach it to orange; apply a glaze achieving our target shade from there.  This process ensures the integrity of the hair is not ruined allowing you the ability as an artist to create for future seasonal hair color changes.

I enjoy creating “Pop Colors” at times because it allows me to excel creatively, pushing me to step out of the box, as well as satisfying the expectations of my guests. Remember to inform your guest that this look does come with some maintenance; you must maintain the color with more frequent visits than a normal hair color service due to fading. A great tip in keeping the shade from fading is by using dry shampoo instead of constantly washing it, the less friction to the hair strand the better. Remember “Pop Color” is a stain dye which means the color molecule is larger so it does not penetrate the hair strand like traditional hair color.

Overall, this type of color is great for an accessory look or if you want a little extra “pop” in your life. Check out my tutorial video on how to create this interesting look the “Ratay Way”.

Quick Tip For Coloring Hair!

Ending My Teaching Tour with Premiere Birmingham

This past month has been a busy one for me, as I finish the year with my educational tour my last stop was in Birmingham, Alabama for Premiere Birmingham.  I must say the attendees of this show strive for education and seem to engage more in the classroom with Q & A in wanting to know How, What, & Why with the nuts and bolts of haircolor.

The first day of the show was my “Gold Standard of Haircolor” workshop hands-on class which seemed to fill up quickly. Most hairdressers learn by physically doing what is being taught, so I believe you have to get your hands in it at times to understand it. The workshop included three applications: an Over-the-top application for a seasonal change, taking the Ombré to a Sombré look, and the American Baliage which is panting the hair in long foils to create a natural look using shade on shades. It was ratifying to show these attendees how to hold the brush in creating a soft starting point with each section they foiled. With each workshop hands-on class I hold, the attendees leave with a goodie bag filled with a few pieces of Beth Minardi Signature shades which include the Demi-Crème & Demi-Liquid lines along with some MLCC  (Minardi Luxury Color Care) styling products  and a single DVD from my Hues of Natural Perfection collection.

After the morning hands-on workshop class, I had one ninety minute lecture class. I actually loved this lecture “The Truth about Hair Color” because it was a more intimate lecture, which started a great deal of conversing between the attendees and me. I always tell them the lecture is about “you guys” rather than the agenda I am supposed to follow. As I mentioned earlier, the attendees at this show were very passionate about learning and much more comfortable with asking me questions.

The last day of the show I did was a special VIP class called “Beautiful Moments”, where attendees register to spend a very intimate hour with me discussing haircolor. Premiere randomly selects ten attendees to spend this time with me; a major part of this class was talking about celebrity haircolor formulas. Some of the celebrity color reformulations we discussed included Emma Stone, Carrie Underwood, Blake Lively, and Shea Mitchell, just to name a few!  We went in depth about the formulas and how to achieve these rich dimensions. I felt this was a wonderful topic to chat about, because most of the time clients bring in pictures of celebrities asking for that particular look and or haircolor. (Side bar) it’s important during a consult with your client that you are able to distinguish every aspect of the photo they bring in, because we all know majority of the time it’s never 100% of the celebs natural hair. There are many “tricks” Ms. Hollywood has in glamourizing celebrities ;) My VIP members also received a goodie bag filled with many special gifts.

Overall this has been a great year full of exciting shows, great lectures and fun workshops. I have really grown to love the open communication with attendees and listening to their thoughts and opinions about haircolor. I honestly cannot be more thankful that I’m able to live my passion, inspiring the minds of beauty professionals near and far! I am excited to see what next year will bring!