HAIR IS SO BRIGHT.....I GOTTA WEAR SHADES

chalk for hair...who'd have thunk right?

KEVIN MURPHY COLOR.BUG

is just that

hair chalk. adds a hint..or POP of color.

add a little. add a lot

 adds texture. vibrancy.  

wipe on. wipe off.

MIX AND MATCH

high def color without the commitment

 

I worked with pink and neon color bug

just like setting makeup with foundation, color bug is the foundation and then I can add a setting product like session spray or hair resort. in this shoot I used both starting with HAIR RESORT SPRAY and finishing off with SESSION.SPRAY

 

using a blocking technique alternating pink and neon

love this color combination on tiffany's blonde hair that was set in braids for a quick DIY beachy hair tutorial
(as seen previous post)

CHEERS!

 

DIY BEACHY TEXTURE

                           

 

This was a fun night let me tell you.. may or may not have had anything to do with the passion fruit vodka laying around?
heres a peek at an easy DIY beachy wave one can create without any heat tools
simple braiding technique with the right setting lotion - as always I work exclusively with
KEVIN MURPHY
We've been lucky this year with mild weather that I took advantage of mucking around with friends and hair in the great outdoors..
there's a fantastic river and pathway system where I live so off we go hair, products, and vodka abound...

KM hair resort lotion and spray  were the best suited products for this



4 sections 4 braids do not concern yourself with proper technique or shape
just going for texture



 

apparently there was some office work to be done...kids and their technology these days geez?
hair was air drying nicely



using my chopstick as an extension of my fingers the braids were raked out

great wavy beachy texture was the result

a little pre-camera meditation

at this stage hair is set and can be played with and manipulated without concern of breaking the shape

  

 and voila...sexy easy DIY beachy hair

                                                                    cheers!

 

VINTAGE PROM 2016

 with another successful and fun grad season nicely tucked away, I wanted to showcase one that was a favorite ...I know I know its like picking a favorite child. frowned upon but we all do it.

 

when Jasmine came to me wanting a vintage look and feel, it was music to my ears.

 this year is still predominately about big sexy curl and BRAIDS

(the braids i'm seeing put me to shame-I've been told its painful to watch me braid -humbling if nothing else)

so vintage? you don't say .....I set her hair damp using KEVIN MURPHY rollers.

under the dryer she went  

the rest of the shape was finished with a brush and polished into this finished look that was vintage but still fresh and youthful fitting for a young beautiful graduate. 

caught this on my cell phone- love that I got both girls in it.... 

 

you come here often...?

 

Jasmine-before photo

 

 

Jasmine-after
 

pretty in pink

joyride anyone?

 

 

                                                                       CHEERS!

NEEDLE AND THREAD

 my oh my this was a fun tool to stumble into a couple years ago while watching artists on stage at a IBBS LONG BEACH HAIR SHOW. like I don't give enough praise to all things kevinmurphy.com.au  this once again has my singing...well more praise.

it was designed primarily for putting hair up but not limited to just sewing hair... as seen in this post showcasing my last creative shoot and  used the sewing kit and played with the hair as well my DIY hair pieces using twigs and branches and beads and berries....oh my

its really is another tool to use as an artist who likes to work with different mediums on their canvas

my canvas being my model Mackenzie and her long thick straight hair 

 

 

                                this is what the sewing kit looks like-a kinder surprise for stylists

 pins would not have had the durability because its almost impossible to secure a hard bulky accessory that doesn't naturally lay and bend on the head...this gave me ability to go in and really secure not only her crown braid but the accessory as she would be moving as seen in the finished image below

 

  

 

 

 the kit provides everything you need..needle and thread based on hair color -theres 3 colors to choose from. the rest is basic sewing 101:

  

THIS IS ROUND 2

quite possibly 3rd or 4th change of looks by this stage of the shoot??

what is so unique about sewing hair or the accessories into the hair is that I can remove by simply undoing and the thread slides out of the hair without disturbing the fabric of the design. 

removing bobby pins out of an updo once in place.... is a bitch (pardon my French)

 I was able to remove her braid and twig piece as seen abouve and create a completely new look sewing her hair up as well connecting the new hair piece of branches and berries that would not have held up with bobby pins...

   

 the images( and the day we had shooting in general) was quite simply spectacular

 

 

photo credits:MICHELLE GIER PHOTOGRAPHY
make up: SHEA BROWN

PURE ENLIGHTENMENT

don't we all wish we had the clues to that state of being?
that said I am in no way any professional in the "spiritual guidance towards enlightenment" department..  HELLO?  always this too shall be related to hair.
I love the freedom to have different tools for creating
there is no one way to paint just like artists using acrylics

hairstylist are artists
hair is our canvas
balayage is an open freehanded artistc form
seamless effortless blondes
multi dimensional shades of color

PRAVANA pure enlightenment balayage kit

the lightener is a blend of active ingredients with aloe keratin  rice flour and clay allowing the product to harden and creates a shell around the hair
nourishing ingredients work together to preserve integrity of hair
no more bleeding swelling or movement
moist on the intside crisp on the outside ..like my choc chop cookies
now I want cookies

heres a sampling of just one of the many ways you can apply , as well as the end results. this was done on previously colored hair in salon

before:8 week new growth. mid to ends previously colored

 

I was able to apply her regrowth color and then go back in and balayage the rest
pretty cool paddle huh

 

you can see I worked diamond shapes upward towards crown

the darker base color and the balayage lightener manage to live in harmony together while processing

a smile says a thousand words....

such a natural and soft outcome

 

                                                                       CHEERS

BALAYAGE BASICS

IM HAVING SO MUCH FUN WITH PRAVANA PURE ENLIGHTENMENT LIGHTENING POWDER
FREE HAND IS MUSIC TO MY EARS. SIMPLE AS THESE 2 BOWLS AND PADDLE(ONE WILL HAVE TO  VISUALIZE DEVELOPERS AS THEY DID NOT MAKE IT INTO PHOTO)
FORMULA 1:LOW
FORMULA 2:HIGH

 

  

STARTING WITH FORMULA 1 AND ANGLING BRUSH FOR DIFFUSED  LINES, CONTINUING DOWN AND SWITCHING TO FORMULA 2 AND FLAT BRUSH FOR MORE CONCENTRATION OF LIGHTNESS

THE END RESULT IS VERY SOFT BABYLITES CLOSER TO TOP OF HEAD AND AROUND FACE, THEN SEEING BOLDER PANELS OF BLONDE TOWARDS ENDS

SOMBRE!

 

TRIBAL GODDESS: CREATIVE PHOTOSHOOT

 

TRIBAL GODDESS IN ALL HER GLORY

 

 

 

THIS WAS NEW FOR ME MAKING AND EXPEREMENTING HAIR PIECES....WHO KNEW YOU COULD HAVE SO MUCH FUN WITH FEATHERS AND A GLUE GUN

 

SWITCHING GEARS FOR THE 2ND LOOK..WE WENT DARK AND EDGY BUT STILL FEMININE
DRAMATIC HAIR AND MAKE UP



THERES THAT CROW AGAIN...MICHELLE CAPTURED MYSTERY IN THIS IMAGE
 

 

TOTAL IMPROMPTU WHILE RUMMAGING THRU HER BEDROOM CLOSET, I SPOTTED A SETTEE AND AN  IDEA WAS BORN.WE TOOK GILL COMPLETELY OUT OF HER COMFORT ZONE FOR A QUICK BOUDOIR SHOT





THESE LAST ONES CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF GILLIAN AND THIS IS WHERE SHE CAME ALIVE, COMPLETELY IN HER ELEMENT
NO PERSUASION NEEDED TO GET HER INTO THIS ROLE




 

I KNOW I SHOULDN'T PICK FAVORITES...BUT IF I HAD TO...THIS IS ON MY SHORT LIST
CHEERS

MODEL:GILLIAN WHITE
PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHELLE GIER PHOTOGRAPHY
MAKE UP: SHEA BROWN