How many times do you find yourself with 30, or even 15, minutes to get ready for a big event because life happens? As a professional stylist, we face this issue all the time. With practice, you can achieve a styled look in 15 minutes!

Step 1: Style Dry Hair Only: Don’t waste your time or arm strength on trying to blow out sopping wet hair. We work smarter and not harder by rough drying your hair to 70-90% dry before we even consider using a round brush. Use a highly absorbent towel and squeeze as much moisture out of your hair.

Step 2: Use a Primer Product that Cuts Time: Whether you shower right before you get ready, or wash your locks the day before, use one of these primers and cut your dry time by 30%. Paul Mitchell’s Super Skinny Serum is the epitome of a little goes a long way. A pea-size amount applied from the ends of your hair up to a couple of inches away from your scalp will smooth, condition and seal strands, leaving hair silky, shiny and frizz-free in any weather. Awapuhi Wild Ginger MirrorSmooth High Gloss Primer primes the surface cuticle of the hair for a smooth, shiny, polished look and controls unruly texture. KeraReflec blend with Abyssinian oil and thermal protectors restores moisture, adds shine and helps shield hair. Apply a small amount to clean, damp hair and style as desired. Using one of these products, even if you airdry your hair, will get it ready for the 15-Minute Finish! Then, add a styling foam, like Awapuhi Wild Ginger Hydrocream Whip Styling Cream. It hydrates and smooths thirsty hair while delivering a long-lasting, crunch-free hold with an elegant silky finish. The Awapuhi extract and light conditioners balance moisture all while creating healthy and gorgeous-looking volume. The product is paraben free and color safe. 

Step 3: THE Curling Iron:  Even if you have day-old hair, the use of the right hot tool can make it look like you just stepped out of the salon. My go-to is the 1-1/2" HOT TOOLS Professional Extra-Long Barrel Curling Iron.

I strive to make sure that my clients get the best take home products to maintain their hair for the best price I can offer. Well, it's that time of the year again - Paul Mitchell is having a Liter Duo Sale. 

I will be keeping stock of duos in-salon for as long as I can, however, if you want to make sure to take advantage of this wonderful sale, please feel free to use my exclusive link to purchase directly from my supplier. This is not a third-party, but you will be receiving legitimate product from the same source I use.

Most of these products will also qualify for my refill program, so if you run out, call or text me, and I'll let you know how much more you'll save by refilling at the salon.

​Happy shopping and happy new year!

Not to sound like a yenta, but when I say that I've known Sarah since she was >>>this<<< big is no understatement - I sang at her baby-naming. Now, a college graduate with an artistic flair, and recovering from the typical college-student playing with haircolor experiments, we decided to give her a professional Unicorn overhaul.

And we finally landed here - with a stunning photo shoot in Pound Ridge, NY.

A little over a month ago, I met Arianna at The Block at The Waypointe's Wine Around the Block event. She came in and introduced me to her mom and immediately booked a haircut appointment. After a couple of haircuts, this lovely mother-to-be decided to book an appointment for a fun color, and we realized it would make a fantastic gender reveal for her upcoming baby shower! Take a look at the results!

As we move deeper into the 21st century, freedom of expression is ringing loud and clear in the way fashion moves.

​Classic and beautiful standards, like shiny curls, lovely updos with a Grecian twist, are still here to stay. But there is a certain freedom and wistfulness in what we are seeing on runways. Overly-done braids are making way to letting the braids and twists accent longer hair. Marissa loved the way her gorgeous brown hair cascaded down, with delicate twists intertwined with one another. And note her makeup - it's fresh, it's young, it's not overly done, but there is still quite a bit of sparkle with a gleam of iridescent glitter on her lids.

Kim Berney, educator with Cezanne, explains, “When people hear ‘straightening,’ people think they want their hair bone straight, or that a smoothing treatment will make a hair bone straight.  Cezanne is a smoothing treatment, but what sets us apart is putting the hair into the optimal condition, and then what comes is a softer curl, frizz free. It’s all about reconditioning the hair… Cezanne creates the perfect canvas, in keeping with the origin of the name.” This refers to Paul Cezanne, the French painter who paved the way for modern art. As Kim explains, the greatest artwork will fail if the foundation, the canvas, is compromised. “Most (treatments) are about making the hair straight. We are all about making the hair healthy and shiny, which results in the hair being smooth.”

“People hear smoothing treatment or keratin treatment, they assume pin-straight,” Erin Golas of Evolve Salon Systems points out.

Is this going to give you perfectly straight hair? There is absolutely no guarantee. But it will provide a smoother surface to the hair, reduce your dry time significantly (I personally saw a 50% reduction in time and effort on my own hair!) and shine.

Should everyone get this treatment? Not necessarily.* There are always risks involved with processing the hair with heat. But, if after consultation with your stylist, you are both confident this is an option for you, give the Express a shot! And if that works for you, go for the Classic.

To kick off the Cezanne Smoothing Treatments at Yaffa Beauty by Rica, we are offering a One-Year Subscription, which includes 4 treatments, for $750! That’s one treatment free! If you aren’t ready to commit to the full year, try a one-time Cezanne Classic or Express Smoothing Treatment for $290, which includes your Cezanne Perfect Moisture Shampoo & Perfect Moisture Conditioner to maintain your Cezanne Keratin Smoothing Treatment! Book now at Yaffa Beauty by Rica!

Stylists in the Fairfield County area interested in learning more about Cezanne, please reach out to Erin for distribution ering@evolvesalonsystems.com

* Word of caution: If your hair is overprocessed, overly dry, or otherwise compromised as determined by your stylist, it is not advisable to subject your hair to any smoothing treatment that involves chemicals and heat. There are high risk factors that can cause irreversible damage. Your stylist does have the right to refuse service, or request that you sign a disclaimer, if they feel your hair is too compromised.