Beth Minardi Signature "Rolodex Wrap"

Beth Minardi Signature "Rolodex Wrap"

Now, for those over 40 we know what Rolodex is but for those under 30....let me give you a brief definition. A Rolodex is  a desktop card index used to record names, addresses, and telephone numbers, in the form of a rotating spindle or a small tray to which removable cards are attached. The Rolodex coloring technique is a design to replicate the hair coloring days of the 1940's. As you can see in the picture below, the foils look exactly like the card index tray.   The technique follows the shape of the head with very fine delicate slices alternating multiple shades.  Another known description of Rolodex is shade on shade. For the selection of color, if someone is a natural 6, we would alternate level by using 7, 8 or 9. 

 Beth Minardi's"Rolodex Wrap" was held in Columbus, Ohio on June 8th.   It was a great event with a gratifying group.  I had such wonderful conversations with the attendees.  The one question that stood out to me was, What would happen if we did the Rolodex with aggressive colors? For example, black and red. Using the Rolodex technique will give a very avant-garde result.  It will be bold and fun, remember to follow the very fine delicate slices!

By the end of the day everyone was enthusiastic and successful, receiving their certification that they can be proud to hang up and conquer the Rolodex!!

Orlando Premiere Beauty Show

This year’s Orlando Premiere Beauty Show was bigger and better than ever before. It also happens to be the biggest beauty show put on in the country every year. Premiere also puts on Premiere Columbus and Premiere Birmingham which are always the largest every year followed by Orlando. The show floor has a mass amount of exhibits from booths on salon software, building business, color manufacturers, salon furniture, and of course my favorite booths on face and body products. I actually spent a bit of time in the PCA (Physician's Choice of Arizona Company) booth looking at all of their new products, wishing I could own all of them.

Additionally, there are stages for all categories of beauty such as hair color, hair design, makeup, and many more. Many people come to watch experienced professionals share their knowledge on their spin on their talented skill. There were even some special events such as fashion shows by Paul Mitchell and Keratin Complex that are always exciting to watch. I had one of my color conversation lectures on one of the color stages on Sunday morning. The audience was filled with over 200 talented hairdressers; it’s always rewarding to share my knowledge with them.

In even another section of the convention center where Orlando Premiere show was held, there were many classrooms where you could take a class on basically anything you wanted to learn or increase your skill on. I had two classes of my own just like most of the shows I go to about my Haircolor Applications, Techniques, and Trademarks. When I was not teaching my classes I got to sit in a class through a company called Summit. The class was on business building which was refreshing to listen to new ideas and reinstate others. Christina the teacher spoke on topics such as the front desk, customer service, and livelihood of a successful business. It really helped me take a look inside my own business to make changes to improve and make it the best it can be.

Overall the weekend at Orlando Premiere Beauty Show was a great one. I had a great lecture and two, three hour hands on classes. It’s always rewarding to me to help other hairdressers think differently about hair color.

Sherry Ratay Color Forum

This past Monday was my Color Forum here at Salon Ratay. It was an exciting, long day full of color! Additionally, I’m going to give you a step-by-step story of how busy my daily routine is on a normal day. To start I wake up at 6:15am; wash my face, brush my teeth, and get dress then I head down stairs to fix LeeMichael my son’s breakfast before waking him up. I enjoy bringing him to school it’s like our special time together to chat about all kinds of different things. This particular morning I had a parent-teacher conference scheduled with his teacher at7:45am. (He forgot to turn in a few assignments) After the conference I arrive at the salon around 8:15am. Alicia, the creative artistic director arrives at 8:45am and she shampoo and styled my hair, so I look great for the day. Jacob, the salon manager also arrives at 8:45am to set up the tables and chairs and place all the color literature out. The rest of my staff arrives at 9:30am to help with any finishing touches and we are ready for the day to begin!!

 Before the attendees arrive, my first model Paige arrives so that we can prep her hair. It is important to have the hair smooth down so that you can see the texture of the hair and previous color application. Attendees start arriving, once everyone is signed in we begin with an introduction of myself then I go around the table having each person tell everyone a little bit about themselves. Before I start the first model I like to read haircolor facts that are recently published from creditable sources. So now let’s talk about Paige’s hair. We were actually fortunate because she came in with a previous Ombre application done wrong. First, I showed everyone how we needed to approach the previous application in what to erase and how to recreate a new fresh beautiful Ombre. Her color was placed too far up the hair strand; and the ends were oxidized to dark. It drives me crazy when I see an Ombre application!! During our color process I showed the correct technique in order for us to have a softer, more appealing version of the Ombre. While Paige was processing we discussed the way a colorist should analyze the hair strand as a piece of fabric, and the importance of knowing where the hair lives in placing your haircolor. We discussed many topics during the day such as the difference between MEA and ammonia, “organic” haircolor, and the new technology from Proctor and Gamble called ME+ which is a derivative of PPD and PPT.

Our second model cancelled last minute due to an eye infection which kind of left me in a bind. Luckily one of the gracious attendees needed a base retouch. This was a coincidence because when I first noticed her upon arriving I knew I would use her as a model. She was a soft redhead but her color was very hollow. It was an open discussion on what to create on her considering her eye color, skin tone and personality. We decided to lifted her foundation to covered her grey here is what we used; Beth Minardi Signature (BMS) permanent 1 oz. of 6NCB and ½ oz. of 7OG with 20 vol. developer. On her mid-lengths and ends we created different shades of red with the following two formulas; the first was BMS Demi Crème 1 oz of 5CB and 1oz of 7NCG with 5 vol. developer. The second formula was 1 oz. of BMS Permanent 11GO with 40 vol. developer. She processed for 45 minutes (at room temperature) was cleansed, dried then glazed with BMS liquid 10C and 5 vol. developer. It was absolutely beautiful, full of shine and soft dimension. As a finishing touch we softened her brows with BMS permanent 8G and 6G equal parts with 20 vol. giving an end result of 7G.

After lunch, which was provided by my dear friend Jean, it was right back to business. I handed out a color assessment test for each attendee to take so I could see what they really knew about hair color, I like to go through each question in helping the group to fully understand each answer. Our last model was our very own colorist here at Salon Ratay, Rebekkah Breeding. Unfortunately she is so young, in her 20s, but already has 25% grey hair. Her formula consisted of BMS Demi Crème 3BB and 4BG with 5 vol developer she processed for 20 minutes under heat and 20 minutes without. We closed with a discussion about my next local hair show, Premiere Orlando on May 30 through June 1^st hope to see you there!!

Once the attendees left at 5pm my staff and I cleaned up the salon, and I scooted off to watch my son’s baseball game at 5:30.  The game lasted until 8 and we headed home for dinner. I cooked spaghetti and meatballs while also preparing the kids lunches for the next school day. By the time I got in the shower around 10:30 I was exhausted, but it is always worth it! It was a fantastic color filled day!

ManeStream Hair and Beauty Expo

My team and I traveled to Tampa for the second annual Manestream Hair and Beauty Expo this past weekend. With a mixture of attendees, cosmetologists and barbers this show brings a fierce energy that is one of a kind! Thomas Faucette, the show producer, is a pleasure to work with and sees a purpose that ALL professionals need, want, and deserve top notch education. When he asked me to be a part of his main educational line-up it was without question I would join. Each year I present a main stage presentation with 4-6 gorgeous models followed by a more intimate in-depth classroom setting.

The morning begins with the main stage presentation where I talk about hair color, and the techniques beautifully displayed by my models. This year I did something a little different; I brought my Creative Artistic Director, Alicia Delbrey, on stage to demonstrate simple hair techniques that could be done in minutes and still look fabulous. I have to smile because Alicia doesn’t like the spotlight on her. She is an extremely talented designer but prefers to stay behind the scenes. She was a bit nervous but did a great presentation. One of the styles she demonstrated was the “Barbie doll pony tail”. This is done by teasing the front of the hair to create a little poof, then pulling the back half of the hair into a ponytail. Take the loose pieces and wrap them around the ponytail base, and lastly spray with finishing spray to tame fly-aways.

The afternoon switches into the classroom setting where we discuss my HOT topic: The Truth About Hair Color. During this class we talked about multiple topics such as grey coverage, the truth about hydrogen peroxide, eumelanin vs pheomelanin, the PH scale and many more. To keep the energy alive I demonstrated the new “Sombré” look with one of my models; I explained in depth the technique of creating a more natural look without the seeing a ”dreadful visual starting point” we see on some people. My favorite part of teaching is engaging with the attendants! This show allows more of an interaction scenario which I thrive on! When hairdresser wants to learn, and you see the “light bulb” per say, come on… well… I HAVE DONE WHAT I WAS PUT HERE TO DO!!

One thing that I felt sets this show apart from others is the barber competition and education that is provided.  It was so interesting to see the intricate designs they created, barbers truly have an eye for the lines of design.  Additionally, it always interests me to see the new hair color trends. During this show there were a lot of fashion shades such as reds, blues and even yellow.  The most dramatic fashion hair color I saw was an Ombré that went from blue to green, then yellow. It didn’t fully cover the whole head; instead there were thatchy pieces with an almost black foundation. This color wouldn’t work for me but I appreciate the colorist who is bold enough to try it and make it work with their face shape, skin tone, and haircut. Overall, I would consider the Manestream Hair & Beauty Expo a success. I never get tired of teaching regardless of the shows dynamics my PASSION is educating colorists to elevate the standard of the beauty industry. 

*Tips: Put the Right Hair Color Into Your Career

Listen up Ladies...

It's more important than ever to put the right hair color into your career because hair color could mean the difference of several rungs up the corporate ladder. 

Career women today need to pay as much attention to color as they do to how they dress and groom themselves. 

No matter what stage in a woman’s career, hair color can work with or against her. Unfortunately, there is still a gender imbalance in the work place, with women still under-represented in high-powered positions. For that and many other reasons, it is important to be aware of how they portray themselves in the corporate world.

Hair coloring tips for women in the workplace:

·         For women graduating college, leave behind the bleached-blonde locks and stripy highlights and opt for a more subtle shade. Think blonde on blonde shade, like Jennifer Aniston.

·         Take in consideration your budget, availability and lifestyle. For those with limited time and budget, I suggest a low-maintenance technique I call Butterflies, where I create beautiful color through mid-lengths and ends, like Eva Longoria.

·         Cover those grays. Gray hair ages women 10-15 years. Need I say more?

·         Understand and analyze your skin tone, eye color and existing hair color. Your hair color palate should follow along.

·         Maintain healthy and shiny hair. And above all, have a professional appearance from head to toe.

      

Thoughts Behind Coloring Beautiful Hair

I believe every woman and man should “Experience Life with Color,” whether to cover grays, brighten blondes, richen brunettes, or create the glisten to redheads.

To create beautiful haircolor, I ALWAYS begin by analyzing my guest's skin tone, eye color, and of course the existing hair color.

If the hair fiber has been overly processed, then your options are minimized to what you can create on that day of service; it is VITAL that you treat the hair before you start your service. The hair is made up of many different components but primarily protein and some moisture, if you do not add those vital steps to your coloring, your creation on the hair could turn out unexpected, for example…Dark, Drab, Flat, and just not PRETTY.

BRUNETTES: When coloring Brunettes, I like to create what I call Brown on Brown shades. For example, the color of coffee and cream, absolutely stunning!

BLONDES: You can always tell if someone was a “Toe Head” blonde baby (I like to call it pastel blonde) by their eye color: CRYSTAL blue! If they have specks of amber color around their pupil then don’t attempt to make them a “Pastel Blonde.” They should stay within the shades of sand on the beach, very creamy.

Now here’s my favorite, RED HEADS: Keep in mind the right skin tone and eye color for redheads... Peachy skin tone and amber eye color is the perfect canvas to create medium to light amber ribbons in the hair.  Green/blue eye color is wonderful for vibrant copper colors. When creating a cool redhead we want to look for olive skin tone, minimal freckles, and dark eye color. Such an exquisite haircolor that not too many people can pull off, but if done on the right canvas it’s absolutely stunning. For example, see the rich vibrant shades like Juliana Moore in the fall of 2010 or light amber shades like Nicole Kidman's in 2011.

Creating the perfect pallet for the right skin tone is MAGIC!