Specialty Coloring Services in Canton, MI

Specialty Coloring

Balayage, Ombre, and Babylights. Highlights, Complete Color, and Toning. The list of coloring techniques seem to never end! With technology, the way we see hair color and trends is completely different than we ever had before. I feel as though I hear about a new specialty coloring service every other day! Guests are bound to get lost trying to keep up with it all, leaving them wondering what to ask for. I am going to explain what each of our coloring services  on our menu means. I am hoping to clear up any confusion and making booking your appointment at Ashka Salon Spa as smooth as possible!

Specialty Coloring – Color

Specialty Coloring
Complete Color by Emma

Complete Color – This is when the same color is applied from roots to ends. This one is pretty straight up. If you want to be one solid color, this is the option for you.

Color Retouch –  When a color is applied only to your roots that have grown since your last appointment. Once you see your natural color, or maybe even a little bit of sparkle from grays, it may be time to book this appointment!

Men’s Color – This service will apply color to all of your hair. It can be used to cover or blend greys. Sometimes guys want a change too and we offer it at Ashka Salon Spa.

Specialty Coloring – Highlights

Specialty Coloring
Balayage by Josie

Full Highlight – Highlights will be put all over your head. Scheduling an appointment for this service is best for when you are trying to go all over lighter. You will discuss with your stylist about what your overall goal is but this can be used to any color dimension. Highlights do not always mean blonde!

Partial Highlight – There is only foils placed from your ear and up on your head. This is great for extra dimension! One thing to keep in mind is that when you wear your hair up, the bottom half of your hair will look darker. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing it just depends on personal preferences!

Balayage or Specialty Highlight – Balayage means “to sweep”. It is a way of hand painting dimension into the hair. This service is reserved for any “on trend” highlighting techniques. These usually require more skill to accomplish. Babylights, balayage, and ecaille would all fall under this category.

Men’s Highlight – Dimension can really make a haircut pop sometimes. Depending on the length of your hair, these will be foiled or hand painted on.

Specialty Coloring – Miscellaneous

Ombre/Multi-Process Color – Ombre is a look when you have a darker root and your ends are solidly lighter. There are so many types of ombres so I definitely recommend bringing in a picture of what you are thinking! Your stylist will be able to customize your look so that it is perfect for you.

Corrective Color – We do require a complimentary consultation for this service. If you have color currently on your head and you want a dramatic change, quickly or if you maybe made an “at-home” oops, this is what you should book!

Hopefully this is help you to decode the hair coloring world and make it easier for you to set up the perfect appointment with your favorite stylist at Ashka Salon Spa.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

 

Cruelty Free Hair Color in Canton, MI

If you were to ask anyone in my life to describe me, I almost guarantee that “animal lover” would be in their list. I have a 6 month old puppy, my Facebook feed is a modge podge of hair and funny animal videos, and I recently became a vegetarian. Granted, I have also recently started eating meat again, but that is another story. (One word: Bacon. Yum!) Something that is very dear to my heart is the importance of working with a cruelty free product line. I am so lucky to work with AVEDA. They do not only have cruelty free hair color, but do not test any of their products on animals.

Cruelty Free Hair Color

What does it mean to have cruelty free hair color? When you Google the term “cruelty free” the definition that comes up is: manufactured or developed by methods that do not involve experimentation on animals. Animal testing can be extremely torturous to our fluffy little friends. It also does not give us true results because obviously the products will be used on humans, not animals in the long run.

How Does AVEDA Test Their Cruelty Free Hair Color?

Cruelty Free Hair Color
Cruelty Free Hair Color

Another unique aspect of AVEDA is that it tests all of their products on humans throughout the entire development process. In their corporate offices in Blaine, Minnesota, AVEDA has their research salon. I was able to see this part of the factory last weekend while I was there for my Color Culture class. The people who work in the research salon are all licensed cosmetologists. They are trained on how to evaluate the different color products on a number scale. This is so that results from tests can easily be taken down. They have people come in and will sometimes put two different formulas on each side of their head so that they can see the differences and similarities between products. If you are interested in being one of their models, you can fill out the application on their recruiting page.

One of the benefits of testing like this is the location. It is in the same building as the hair color lab and factory. When experiments are done, they are able to page the hair color chemists and the Global Artistic Director.

The fact the AVEDA has cruelty free hair color is just one of the many reasons I can not get enough of this company. Stop into the salon soon so I can tell you more about the amazing company I get to work with.

Until next time,

Josie 🙂

My Experience at Color Culture

Color Culture

I honestly do not even know where to begin when I go to talk about how amazing of an experience Ian Michael Black’s Color Culture class was. 6 months ago, when my manager sent me a screenshot of a facebook post explaining the class. I knew I needed to go. We talked about how we were going to afford it, and what we would need to plan out in advance. I was signed up for the class within a couple of weeks.

Color Culture
Ready for Class!

Even after registering, it did not occur to me how big of a deal this class was. Truly, it did not really register until the minute I walked through the door on the first day of class. I walked in and was immediately greeted by Ian, who is AVEDA’s Global Artistic Director of Hair Color, with a smile and a hug. There was only 7 people in the class. I knew then I was about to have the most incredible experience of my career so far.

Two Workshop Days in Color Culture with Ian Michael Black

Color Culture
Ian teaching the Color Culture Class

Day 1 and 3 of Color Culture were workshop days. We worked at the AVEDA Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We talked about the challenges we had with hair color, and what we wanted to learn from this class. One thing that Ian really emphasized throughout the class was that every person is different. Every artist is going to prefer to do things a certain way, and that is perfectly okay. He said it is important to continue to take classes as we work through our career so that we can find an educator who thinks similarly to us.

Another big thing that Ian talked about was making sure we are looking at what our guest’s hair needs to make it the best version of their hair every time they come in. It is our job as the stylist to recommend our professional opinion. Sometimes it will be just a touch up, other times we may think our guests hair could use a few foils to add some dimension. The beautiful thing about hair color is that it can constantly be evolving.

Tour of AVEDA’s Corporate Offices and Factory

Color Culture
AVEDA’s Mission on the wall when you first walk into their headquarters.

On day 2 of Color Culture, we took a field trip to Blaine, Minnesota to see AVEDA’s corporate office and factory. We started with a chakra meditation for wellness to help bring us into balance. We then talked to Shiv Nath Tandon, AVEDA’s tribal elder. He was so incredibly wise and it was amazing to speak with him.

We then took a tour of the grounds, which are actually a wildlife preserve. AVEDA recently put up stickers on a lot of their windows to protect birds from flying into them. They also have a community garden where employees can rent plots. One of the coolest thing about the grounds is that AVEDA has 3 bee colonies on their property. They are kept up by University of Minnesota’s research team. It is made to help inform people about the danger that bees are in and how we can help. By simply planting flowers in your front yard, you are helping with the bee epidemic.

For lunch, we ate at AVEDA’s Organica Cafe. What I thought was interesting was that corporate workers and factory workers ate lunch together. That is something you really don’t see that often. The sense of equality and community was wonderful.

Our class then met with the lead chemist behind creating AVEDA hair color. She told us about the process of making hair color and how long it takes to develop so that it is ready to be launched. It takes 3 years. That blew my mind. There is only 3 chemists in the hair color lab at AVEDA which is really cool too. You can tell that AVEDA works for quality versus quantity is everything that they do.

Ideation with R & D and Ian Michael Black

After our factory tour, we went with AVEDA’s Research and Development team and had an ideation session about new products we would like to see. It was amazing to be in the same room that so many amazing people sat, thinking of all of AVEDA’s hair color.

At the end of the day, Ian surprised us with a custom hair color tube. There was only 20 made and we each got 2 tubes. After seeing the whole process, it was amazing to me that they stop production simply to give us a souvenir.

Color Culture
Custom Color Tube by Ian.

Dinner with The Curry Diva

Color Culture
The Curry Diva

We then went to dinner with The Curry Diva. Heather, the owner of The Curry Diva, cooks with Ayurveda in mind. She mentioned flavors that are good for different elements and taught us a lot about how to cook food that is truly healthy for our bodies. Did you know that olive oil can actually become carcinogenic after you cook with it? I couldn’t believe it!

Color Culture
Our Color Culture Class.

All in all, I cannot begin to thank the people at AVEDA, Ian Michael Black, or Ashka Salon Spa enough for allowing me the opportunity for this amazing experience. This is by far the most incredible 3 days of my career so far. I have grown so much as a colorist and as an AVEDA enthusiast. I cannot wait to work for AVEDA for the rest of my life. Stop into the salon soon so that I can show you all I learned from AVEDA’s Global Artistic Director of hair color.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

AVEDA Hair Color Ingredients

AVEDA Hair Color Ingedients

Slowly but surely, the world is becoming more aware of what we are putting in our bodies. I personally have been trying to make steps towards healthiness. There are days that I fail miserably. Then there are days that I can tell I made good choices. It is also important to be aware what we are putting on our bodies. One way I pay attention to this is by choosing to only use AVEDA products. One product that tons of people apply to their body regularly is hair color. Many people are concerned about the chemicals that can be in their hair color. While it is a completely valid concern, hair color will not put you in an danger. Especially when you are at Ashka Salon Spa. AVEDA hair color ingredients are the best of the best.

AVEDA Hair Color Ingredients

Hair Color Ingredients
AVEDA Hair Color Ingredients

AVEDA hair color is up to 99% naturally derived. This means that it was made from plants instead of petrochemicals. This is virtually unheard of in the hair color world. As we as a society attempt to move towards health, using naturally derived hair color is a step in the right direction. AVEDA uses a signature mixture of protective plant oils. This includes castor, sunflower, and jojoba oils.

What is the Benefits of AVEDA’s Hair Color Ingredients?

Hair Color Ingredients
AVEDA Hair Color

As we as a society attempt to move towards health, using naturally derived hair color is a step in the right direction. AVEDA says that through the use of their hair color ingredients, you will get essentially damage free results! Due to all of the protective plant oils, AVEDA hair color will you give a ton of shine as well.

Be sure to try out a new AVEDA hair color look today using My AVEDA Makeover! Once you find a look you like, be sure to stop into Ashka Salon Spa so one of our amazing artists can help you achieve it.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

My Photo Shoot Experience in Canton, MI

Photo Shoot Experience

Working on behind the scenes of photoshoots and runways has always been a dream of mind. Whether it was designing clothing, modeling or doing hair, I knew I wanted to be in that atmosphere. I have worked on one other photoshoot helping  someone do hair. Ashka Salon Spa has added 2 photoshoots per year where the team is able to participate. The salon can then use these photos for promotional material! Jessie and I decided it would be a great opportunity to work together on. Evelyn also decided to do her own look as well! All in all it was a great photo shoot experience.

photo shoot experience
I had an amazing photo shoot experience!

Jessie and Josie’s Photo Shoot Experience

Photo Shoot Experience
Back View of Josie and Jessie’s Model

This was my first photo shoot where I was completely in charge of the hair. Jessie loves doing makeup, and is amazing at it. We knew we were going to work together. I love braids so I knew I wanted to incorporate that somehow into the hair design. Jessie wanted to use warm deep tones.

One thing we learned with working on our first photo shoots was how much work it really is. We also learned how much preparation goes into it. Jessie and I didn’t realize that you even need to think about how you want your model to pose! We are looking forward to working together again on the holiday photoshoot later this month.

Evelyn’s Photo Shoot Experience

Photo Shoot Experience
Evelyn’s Model

Evelyn had her cousin come in and did a very beautiful balayage. It really brightened up her model’s look. Day of the shoot, she curled and braided her hair. Evelyn also gave her model a natural makeup look. She looks glowing and beautiful!

You definitely need to stop in to see what our amazingly talented stylists can do with your hair and makeup! 734-414-9980 Look for the other images on our facebook and other social media accounts.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

 

Prepping for a Business Trip in Canton

Business Trip

Prepping for a business trip can be incredibly stressful. I will be attending Ian Michael Black’s Color Culture class in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the middle of August. Ian Michael Black is AVEDA’s Global Artistic Director for Hair Color. This will be the second time I will be flying for education. There are a lot of things that you can’t control when you are flying, so the best thing to do is to be sure of everything that you can.

My Business Trip – What is This Class About?

Business Trip
Ian Michael Black

This Color Culture class is a once in a lifetime experience. I will be able to be in a small classroom environment learning from Ian Michael Black himself. On top of that, I will also have the opportunity to get a behind the scenes tour of the AVEDA factory as well as their corporate office. I cannot even begin to express how excited I am! I’ll be sure to blog all about my experience.

How Am I Prepping for My Business Trip?

I have always been someone who needs to make a list to pack. I like to have everything written out and prepared. It will stress me out if I am unsure if I forgot something. I recently purchased a new notebook specifically for this trip. I will use the first few pages to make my packing list. I also want to write down some classes that I want to ask Ian Michael Black if I am given the chance. On top of all of that, my manager was saying we should be sure to have all phone numbers and addresses on a printed out itinerary.

I still cannot believe that I have the ability to attend this amazing class. I am going to take full advantage of every minute while I am there. Be sure to stay tuned into our blog so you can hear all about it!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Clip in Custom Extensions in Canton, MI

Clip in Extensions

Long thick hair is so “in” right now. Almost everyone I talk to seems to be growing their hair out. How nice would it be to be able to have those long locks you’ve been dreaming of at the snap of your fingers? It is totally possible with the help of Amanda at Ashka Salon Spa. Amanda is our clip in custom  extensions specialist.

Custom Extensions
Clip in Custom Extensions Specialist – Amanda

Benefits of Clip in Custom Extensions

Clip in extensions are great because they can help you to achieve the look you want for a specific event, and then you can take them out as soon as you get home. While you can purchase clip in extensions from many companies online, it’s always nerve wracking wondering if it will match your own hair color. By coming in to see Amanda for clip in custom extensions, you can ensure they will be the perfect color! Amanda will also cut the extensions to blend in with your natural hair in the best way possible.

Custom Extensions
Clip in Extensions

How Do You Get Your Clip in Custom Extensions?

Call 734-414-9980 so that you can set up for complimentary consultation! You will be able to sit down with Amanda and talk about why you want clip in extensions. She will tell you what is realistic versus not and what to expect from your clip ins. You guys will pick out a color and Amanda will measure your head so that they fit perfectly to you! When leaving your consultation you will be 50% down as a deposit. In about a week, you will come back to see Amanda to get your clip ins put in and cut to blend with your hair. At that appointment you would pay the remainder of your balance.

If you are interested in getting your own set of clip in custom extensions, call today to book your complimentary consultation with Amanda! Be sure to check out our facebook to see our wonderful team’s work!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Balancing Work & Play at Ashka Salon Spa

Balancing Work

If you were to talk to my manager, she would tell you that I constantly struggle with balancing work and play. I have been caught multiple times asking if having down time is even worth it. Some people may even consider me a “workaholic”. Coming from someone who just adores her job and wants nothing but to be able to be the best she can be, squeezing in me time can be very difficult. I have found though, those off chances that I do pamper myself, are more than deserved.

Balancing Work
Balancing Work and Play can be harder than it seems.

Balancing Work with Play

How many times have you worked yourself so hard that you dread when your alarm clock goes off in the morning? While I am not saying we can make you love that (annoying) sound every morning, I can promise that we can help make it a little more bearable. I challenge you to end a long work week with a Manicure with Kym, or a Massage with Sarah. Maybe you even just need a trim so you can enjoy your complimentary scalp massage. At Ashka Salon Spa, we are working to give you some “me” time. We want you to put down your phone that can drive you batty during the work hours and just enjoy the peace and quiet with us. Book an appointment with Beth for a facial after a big presentation. Again, I promise you will love it.

 

“The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration—it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done.” This was written by Tim Krieder for the New York Times. It is a wonderful quote. It shows how important downtime truly is. You need downtime in order to accomplish anything.

As I said before, I challenge you to set aside time for yourself. Away from your work. Away from your family. Away from any responsibilities. Enjoy your time in the serenity offered at Ashka Salon Spa

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

The Importance of the Correct Shampoo

Correct Shampoo

Before I started working in the beauty industry, I was definitely guilty of using drugstore brands for my shampoo and conditioner. I used whatever my mom bought me and that was it. As far as I knew, my hair felt great! Wrong. Looking back, my hair was super crispy. I was using an outrageous amount of hairspray and gel to hold back my ballet bun, and I was washing and straightening my hair everyday for school.  Between how I was styling my hair and the products I was using, my hair was NOT in good shape. After working in an AVEDA salon for 3 years now, I would love to go back in time. I would tell myself so many things. But one of the biggest would be to shampoo correctly. Starting with the correct shampoo and conditioner means you are prepping your hair for success. When you wash your face before applying your make up, you want the cleanest, smoothest surface to work on. Wouldn’t you want the same before styling your hair? I thought it would be a fun experiment to compare a common drugstore brand shampoo and conditioner to my favorite AVEDA shampoo and conditioner.

What is the Correct Shampoo? – The Experiment

I typically with washing my hair 2 to 3 times per week. This helps insure my color stays the best and also doesn’t dry out my hair from excessive oil stripping. For this experiment I washed my hair with my favorite AVEDA shampoo, Smooth Infusion. And I conditioned with AVEDA’s Damage Remedy conditioner. I blew out my hair and wore my style for 2 days. I curled my hair on day 2. I repeated this using a common drugstore brand and recorded my findings. I used the same AVEDA styling products and tools to style my hair. This insured that the only differences was my shampoo and conditioner.

AVEDA Shampoo and Conditioner; Is This the Correct Shampoo? – Day 1

Sunday morning I woke up and washed my hair. I shampooed twice with AVEDA’s Smooth Infusion Shampoo. I conditioned using AVEDA’s Damage Remedy Conditioner. I left my conditioner on for 5 minutes. I used a wide tooth comb and AVEDA’s Damage Control to comb through my hair. To style my hair I used AVEDA’s Pure Abundance Style Prep and the Smooth Infusion Nourishing Creme. I round brushed my hair out how I normally do.

My hair felt soft and fluffy. Once I took the picture I could tell I needed a trim. Which, unfortunately, no product will be able to fix that. They just need to be cut fresh. Other than that my hair was in good shape. Combing through my mane was easy and didn’t cause much discomfort.

Correct Shampoo
Day 1 with AVEDA Shampoo and Conditioner – Correct Shampoo Challenge

AVEDA Shampoo and Conditioner; Is This the Correct Shampoo? – Day 2

Monday was my day off from work so I took it easy in the morning. Like I previously said, I don’t like to wash my hair everyday because the natural oils your scalp produces is good for your hair. To get ready for my day I curled my hair and used AVEDA’s Air Control hairspray to hold my style.

My hair didn’t have as much body as it did the day before. I expected this though. I’m a crazy sleeper and usually wake up with bed head. My curls held pretty well throughout the day and really only fell a little bit. My hair still felt really good and had a lot of natural shine to it.

Correct Shampoo
Day 2 with AVEDA Shampoo and Conditioner – Correct Shampoo Challenge

Drugstore Shampoo and Conditioner; Is This the Correct Shampoo? – Day 1

Tuesday morning I had to go to the salon early to do my best friend’s hair. While she was processing, I had her wash my hair with drugstore damage repair shampoo and conditioner. I picked this kind because if I were shopping for shampoo and conditioner, I definitely would be looking for damage control. It promises that my hair will be fixed in just 3 washes. Talk about a miracle worker. I blew out my hair using the same products and tools as I had when I blew out my hair for the AVEDA shampoo and conditioner.

My hair felt oddly soft. I knew my hair wasn’t healthy enough to feel the way it did. It almost had a wax-y feeling to it. I can easily see how people are fooled by how your hair feels when using these products. However when I was combing out my hair, I lost a lot more hair than I had before. I used the same comb as I had so I was definitely shocked to see what a drastic difference there was. My hair was are to blow  out and I had a hard time giving it any bend to the ends with my round brush.

correct shampoo
Day 1 with Drugstore Shampoo and Conditioner – Correct Shampoo Challenge

Drugstore Shampoo and Conditioner; Is This the Correct Shampoo? – Day 2

I woke up on Wednesday and my hair was so silky soft. Knowing that I was supposed to curl my hair, I knew this would be an issue. However, I couldn’t use anything more than what I had used previously. I attempted to curl my hair and I loaded up my hair with hairspray but it just wouldn’t hold no matter what I did. I was blown away by the difference in my hair after just one wash.

Correct Shampoo
Day 2 with Drugstore Shampoo and Conditioner – Correct Shampoo Challenge

In conclusion, I will definitely not be switching from my AVEDA shampoo and conditioner anytime soon. I love the fact that they are all natural ingredients and my hair feels better than ever.

AVEDA makes a lot of different shampoo and conditioner lines to fit everyone’s needs. Whether your hair is thinning, or you are concerned about your color fading, Ashka Salon Spa has something for you! Call or stop in today to get our professional opinion about what would be best for your lifestyle and hair.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

My Experience Entering a Hair Contest

Hair Contest

AVEDA held a hair contest this month called Full Spectrum Fusion. We as colorists had to create a look using a combination of our two permanent haircolor lines. When I saw the flyer in the break room, I knew I wanted to enter. Just starting on the floor, I figured this would be a good way to really look into the color lines and get comfortable with them.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I was going to need a model for it. I put out a “hair color model needed” post on social media and immediately heard back from people. One of my friends who went to cosmetology school messaged me. She was interested in trying the oil slick trend. The oil slick trend is meant to replicate what it looks like when there is spilled gas or oil on the cement creating a rainbow effect.

Hair Contest
Oil Spill

Entering a Hair Contest 101 – Never Stop Thinking About it

I spent the next couple of weeks looking into different ways to achieve this technique. There were a few big name stylists who had posted how to videos and I watched as many as I could. I took my time making swatches in the salon so I could see exactly how my formulas would turn out. I made a huge poster board explaining step by step how I was going to achieve my work.

hair contest
My preparation board to enter the hair contest!

When my model came in, I showed her all of my preparation and we were both eager to get started. As I worked through my process, I became more and more eager to see the final outcome. It seemed like everything was going perfect! It took a total of 6 hours to get the results I was looking for and unfortunately my model needed to go so I wasn’t able to get the pictures I wanted.

hair contest
My oil slick colors for the hair contest

 

Entering a Hair Contest – The Photoshoot

hair contest
One of the many images taken for the contest!

hair contest

My model said she would come back in a day for me to style and photograph my work. I was definitely nervous that she would wash it before then just because I knew the colors would be the most vibrant right then. However she didn’t and waited for me to style her hair for her. I learned a lot while we were taking pictures. There is a lot of “behind the scenes” when you look at a beautiful picture in a magazine. We styled her hair with products that I wouldn’t necessarily use if I was just sending her out the door. We also had to be very critical of how the hair was laying. We ended up taking a total of 23 pictures only to submit 1.

Hair Contest
My Oil Slicked Mermaid – My Final Image

In the end, all of my colors turned out exactly how I wanted. There is definitely some things about the process that I would change, but all in all I love how it turned out. You never know how your work will compare to other entries but I know that I did my absolute best. I turned in my photo knowing how much work I put into it, and I was, and still am proud. I will be sure to post another blog once I hear how I did!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂