Recently Sin 7 had the opportunity to beautify a local fashion blogger, Raj from Pink Chai Style.   She was going to write about us so we were nervous! Err...confident that she would love it, that's it...confident!  It was only our very first blog review so no biggie, right?  ;-)

So, how did it turn out? Read all about it at Raj's super fun blog Pink Chai Style, but here's her before 'n' after shot:

The "pop" of vibrant color she wanted wasn't achievable during this visit for several reasons (without destroying her hair, which she's trying to grow out at the moment) but Kristyn did give her some gorgeous deep violet peek-a-boo pieces. 

Thanks so much to Raj for the lovely write-up about her experience at Sin 7!  Make sure to check out her Pink Chai Style blog (which has been nominated for a Best Mom Blog award because she rocks!). 

Welcome to the world of beauty experts, declaring the trends for the season.  Sometimes you just have to chuckle to yourself and shake your head a little.  It definitely helps to have a sense of humour!  Whether it's a nearly identical haircut being re-branded from one season to the next (i.e. the LOB, or long bob, was also the Demi-Bob, and is now The Chop), or announcing that "Ombre is dead and over!  Now let me show you my new, more subtle ombre...", it's a bewildering, confusing world full of mixed messages.  My advice to you, fashionistas and hairstyle aficionados, is to take all "trend" advice with a bit of a grain of salt.  Case in point - partings.  As in, partings are everywhere!  Except where they're not!  Observe:

Zig zag parting. Photo: Matt Lever

Middle parts!  GROUNDBREAKING! Photo: Matt Lever

Finally, something a little different.  Parts are HOT! Photo: unknown

As you can see, parts are totally EVERYWHERE on the runway.  Except where they're not.

Nothing to see here, folks.  Photo:IMAXTREE

The really interesting thing is regarding the "hot parts" of the season, most of us have such a strong natural part that we don't really have a choice. And as many of us know, if you have a strong part and try to move it your whole style goes into open rebellion. You'll notice that the pictured models are seemingly genetic mutants with no visible cowlicks (or cellulite, which YES makes them mutants)! 

The moral of this story is, don't let some unknown-to-you, probably self-declared "expert" tell you that you MUST have a middle, side, zigzag, or other part.  Or poker straight hair.  Or curls/beachy waves/ringlets.  Or dark solid color/chunky or fine highlights/ombre.  Or a long, medium, or short bob...unless that's what you like!  In this day and age trends are more of a suggestion to help you change your style and keep it fresh.  Gone are the days (and thank goodness!) where some person declares a style is "IT" and everyone rushes to get it, whether or not it's appropriate for their hair type or lifestyle.  The name of the game in the 21st Century is "Anything Goes!", and we're all better off for it.  You really don't need to take this stuff so seriously.  Have FUN with your look, and don't let anyone bully you into something in the name of trendiness. 

Happy styling, everyone! 

Did you know that a lot of times, your hair is thinning due to breakage? As we *ahem* gain more experience in life, our hair loses elasticity and becomes more fragile. Invati(tm)has been clinically proven to help. From Aveda's website:

Our new invatiTM system is proven to reduce hair loss due to breakage to help you keep the hair you have longer.

Thicker fuller hair is yours with the power of densiplexTM an invigorating blend of ayurvedic herbs that helps power invatiTM-use this complete system for best results.

    •    invatiTM exfoliating shampoo - removes build-up that can clog pores and renews the scalp.
6.7 fl oz/200 ml
    •   
    •    invatiTM thickening conditioner - restores strength and improves hair elasticity, reducing breakage. 
6.7 fl oz/200 ml
    •   
    •    invatiTM scalp revitalizer -helps energize and rehabilitates the scalp around the follicles when massaged in.
5 fl oz/150 ml.

Three of 7 groundbreaking products honored with Gold-level Cradle to Cradle® certification.

Here's a video of 5 women talking about their InvatiTM experience.  Check it out, and next time you're at Sin 7 Salon ask us for a sample - we have a stash! 

How to get what you want

    Lately at Sin 7 Salon, I've been witnessing a few too many misbookings, and I think it stems from a general confusion about what exactly it is a client may want. Completely understandable! Before I became a hairstylist, I had absolutely no idea what the difference between a retouch and a foil was, and wasn't even sure if a haircut included a style and wash. I'm here to help you understand the differences, and in the process, get you to know how to say EXACTLY what you want when it comes to your hair.

    So you have grey hair. More than a little grey hair too. And you don't want to see it anymore, not even a little. There are a few things you can book yourself in for. If you want to change your color completely, or freshen it up, an ALL OVER COLOR will cover your hair from roots to ends. If your hair is currently colored darker than the shade you desire, tell the receptionist when booking! It takes much longer to go from previously colored darker hair to a lighter color, then it does to go from a lighter color, or the same color, to a deeper, richer, or freshened up color.

    How about if it's just your roots you want colored? If it's for grey coverage, the average RETOUCH books every 4-6 weeks. There are some who book sooner, and some who wait longer, but I'm just giving out averages here. This is not to say ALL OVER COLORS and RETOUCH'S are for grey haired people only, anyone who desires a change can book these types of colorings. What about those who want more than one color?

    If you have a base color (the color of the majority of your hair) that is not the natural color of your hair, you'll still need to book either a RETOUCH, or an ALL OVER COLOR, if you want the color freshened up through the ends. However, if you also desire a shimmery highlight (a color that is LIGHTER than the color of your current hair) throughout, or a deep, dark low lightt (a color that is DARKER than the color of you current hair, respectively), then you'll need to book some FOILS as well. Which begs the question......

    How many foils?  There are a few options available! I'll start small and end huge. Every option EXCEPT the first one is also able to be booked as a service on it's own, but keep in mind, booking JUST foils means you will see your natural color after the service is complete, which isn't a bad thing, but if you want your natural color covered, you need to also book a REOUCH or an ALL OVER COLOR. A FLASH FOIL is a foil service of anywhere from 1 to 7 foils, it's usually subtle in placement, but can be dramatic in coloring and placement if desired. Here's an example of what it might look like on someones head.

There's a couple different versions, one's clearly more dramatic via color and placement, but both make an interesting focal point in the hair. Shows what a punch even just 7 foils can make on an image! FLASH FOILS can only be booked with another color service. They cannot be booked on their own, because the price for a FLASH FOIL does not include a wash and style. Every other color service includes a wash and style. The next amount of foils you can book is a TOP FOIL. The parts of the head that get colored in that one is the top of the head, starting from the forehead and ending at the crown, or where the back of the top of the head starts to curve down, and 1-3 foils right along the hairline in the front of the face, above the ears and below the hairline recession. People who want TOP FOILS usually just want a subtle difference in color, because too dramatic a difference doesn't blend, and can look like a skunk line across the top of the head. That being said, there are no wrong ways to want to look.

See what I mean about the dramatic color contrast? That second picture is actually more than likely a HALF FOIL, which is literally half of the head foiled. Usually the top half, all the way down to the middle of the back of the head, and most of the front. The difference between a TOP FOIL and  HALF FOIL is basically how much more color you want to see in the front. Instead of 1-3 foils above the ear, the entire side of the front are done. Which brings us to our final, and obvious choice, a FULL FOIL. Clearly, a FULL FOIL is the entire head, and I suppose there actually is one more choice. A FULL FOIL BACK TO BACK. Which means, no space between the foils. It's a very dramatic coloring process, and it takes a very long time to do. It can leave a root, which some people desire (having your roots show is very on trend these days).

The lovely Cameron Diaz getting a FULL FOIL.

So you've decided on your color, you want a RETOUCH and  HALF FOIL, but you want the highlights to be natural looking. Tell us that! We can choose to put in a fine weave, a medium weave, a large weave, or a slice, for a foil, depending on the level of naturalness you desire. The choices are endless! Don't be afraid to bring a photo in as well, pictures are worth their weight in gold in a hair salon. I hope this helps, and as always, feel free to leave a comment on our Facebook page. See you in Sin 7 Salon soon!

Even though it's hard to imagine at the moment, what with the near-constant spring rains and chilly temps, summer is in fact right around the corner.  Time to start thinking about your beach, BBQ, vacation, or weekend summer hairstyle options!  Harper's Bazaar has a handly slideshow with some very pretty ideas.  Looks like the name of the game this season is feminine, tousled, and wavy.   Here's a few of our favourites: 

Jordan Strauss/Getty Images

Are you wanting to try a shorter style but aren't quite ready to part with your length?  Or maybe just wanting to attend an event with a spashy, different 'do that will have tongues wagging with "Oh my gosh you cut your hair!"?  Try a faux bob!  It's really pretty easy, and works best on long hair with long layering:

• Curl your hair with a large iron
• Gather into a low ponytail and put in a binder 4" away from your head (this part is important!)
• Twist your ponytail a few times, then keep twisting up and under, securing with pins
• Pull out a few pretty face framing curls in the front and sides to create your "bob"