Ashka Salon+ In South Lyon – Our Family Grows

Ashka Salon + Ashka Salon Spa Canton Hair Color Hair Salon South Lyon Hair Color

Finally, OUR FAMILY GROWS (and yes, we are hiring)! We are excited to officially announce Ashka Salon + in South Lyon…our 2nd location and sister salon! We have been a part of the Canton Community for 15 years and are expanding into the up-and-coming South Lyon Community. Our Ashka Tribe is so thankful for this journey to grow and also because we get to expand our world! Ashka Salon+ (PLUS) is an AVEDA full-service salon for all of your hair designing, hair color and hair care needs. We will also offer new and additional services to be added on throughout 2019.

In contrast to our Canton location, the + at the end of our name signifies special services. Most noteworthy are many straightening options, lash lifts, express skin treatments, lash extensions and also hair extensions. Our industry and beauty care standards are always evolving and we want our company, team and also our service menu to evolve with them. As a result of foregoing the traditional spa model, we leave the door open to new and exciting services at price points and timing to fit your life. Most of all, we want to be your refuge and give you a delightful experience and an escape to wellness!

Ashka Salon Plus Hiring Hair Color Hair Salon South Lyon Hair Color
We are HIRING! There are open positions for hair stylists, lash artists and front desk coordinators. Non-AVEDA trained is just fine. See what makes the Ashka Tribe so special!

Remodeled Hair Color Space Awaits You – Relax at Ashka Salon+ in South Lyon

Our new space has been fun to update and we have taken the opportunity to improve it for your enjoyment. A brand new manicure area and shampoo experience await you, because we want to be the best option for your beauty needs. Lay down and receive a one-of-a-kind shampoo to wash out your AVEDA hair color. While things are still dusty and a work in progress, we can see all of the sparkly light at the end of this remodeling process! Over the next six months we will add a pedicure area, makeup area with tons of natural light and an express skin and lash studio. Although, these projects happen one at a time, here is a sneak peak of our shampoo experience…

Color Shampoo Hair Salon South Lyon Hair Color
Our new color application and shampoo area features AVEDA hair color and shampoo beds for an incredibly relaxing and comfortable experience. We are putting some of the finishing touches on today!

Natural Nail Manicures and Pedicures – Ashka Salon+ in South Lyon

Our natural nail paradise will be here for you soon! Ashka Salon’s technicians focus on the natural nail because we care about your health and wellness. We offer regular manicures with Vinylux polish and we use Shellac for our gel polish. Our spa pedicures are coming soon and they will be done on a comfortable padded spa table for an experience unlike the rest. Stay tuned to our website and Facebook page for updates in real time!

Manicure Nails Pedicure Hair Salon South Lyon Hair Color
We CANNOT wait to offer manicure and Shellac on the natural nail…these brand new tables were NOT meant for construction 😉

Sparkly and Classic Styling Awaits You – Ashka Salon+ in South Lyon

First of all, lots of special details have been added to this space, including all new lighting to brighten your experience! Some members of our Ashka Tribe in Canton will be joining us one day a week in South Lyon to kickoff  our new location. We are lucky to have Kay, Josie, Lisa, Casey, Evelyn and Kristin (read about Ashka’s VERY FIRST tribe member here) launch Ashka Salon+ and insure our new guests have an experience we are all truly proud of! All of these team members are AVEDA trained hair colorists and have had much success at our Canton location. They join Joe Loose, Independent Stylist, Salon Consultant & CEO of Graphene Hair Tools as well as Lauren, an experienced Nail, Skin and Microdermabrasion Technician who have previously worked out of this space.

Chandelier Hair Salon South Lyon Hair Color
Sneak peak at the gorgeous chandelier and posh finishing of the new South Lyon location…pardon the dusty floor!

Classic Canvas For True Artistry – Ashka Salon+ South Lyon

Let the capable artists, designers and technicians at Ashka Salon+ bring your look to the next level! Our space represents our goal of taking a beautiful canvas and enhancing it to reveal the beauty within. Due to this, our facility is clean and classic with gorgeous grays and an eclectic mix of styles and colors. Most of all, we hope you find our space and our team of professionals to be warm, welcoming, fun and worth your investment!

Waiting Room Hiring Hair Salon South Lyon Hair Color
Variations of cool grays and whites, with bold pops of color are pleasing to the eye!

AVEDA Hair Color & Products…Only the Best!

We are honored to partner with AVEDA and offer only the best in hair care, hair color and skincare! Because ingredients matter, sourcing matters and manufacturing matters to us all and to the environment. Therefore, AVEDA has been sourcing, producing and manufacturing sustainably since way before it was cool. AVEDA is cruelty free, and in contrast to other beauty companies goes far beyond in many areas. Most notably, they support indigenous communities and farmers around the world. Come on in to see, feel and learn what it’s all about! Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo and Conditioner, anyone? (Because you will NOT be sorry!)

cherry almond aveda hair color ashka salon south lyon
We are excited to offer AVEDA Hair Color, Skin Care, Hair Care and Styling Products! Not only better for the environment, but most of all,  healthier for you!

Ashka Salon+ South Lyon Hiring Stylists, Students, Assistants and Front Desk Coordinators

Above all, we are grateful to our Ashka Tribe, our family of guests and the Canton Community for the 15 year journey that has led us here! Our entire team looks forward to investing in the South Lyon Community. Our emphasis is on giving back to area schools, causes and non-profits. Most noteworthy, we believe we rise by lifting others and we are incredibly excited to move forward. We are conveniently located at 21190 Pontiac Trail between 8 and 9 mile next to Metro PCS and Lyon Veterinary Clinic.

Our Ashka Salon Tribe and our Entire Family Welcomes You To Join Us and

Experience the Ashka Difference!

Ashka Salon + Ashka Salon Spa Canton Hair Color Hair Salon South Lyon Hair Color
Can’t miss us! Come join our family at 21190 Pontiac Trail between 8 and 9 mile. We are excited to delight you!

Bright and Pastel Hair Color

Bright and Pastel Hair Color by Ian Michael Black

Green. Blue. Purple. Pink. More and more people are adventuring into the world of fun hair color these days. I had the pleasure of attending another class with Aveda’s Global Artistic Director of Hair Color, Ian Michael Black. It was called Kinetic Color and it talked all about how to achieve bright or pastel hair color. These types of colors can sometimes be daunting. I was so excited to learn about how to guarantee my formulas to turn out the way I was expecting them too. With his expertise, I learned how much of what to add to ensure bright or pastel hair color results.

Bright and Pastel Hair Color by Ian Michael Black
Bright and Pastel Hair Color by Ian Michael Black

How to Achieve Bright or Pastel Hair Color

The first thing that needs to happen when you want to attempt bright or pastel hair color, is that the hair needs to be lightened to basically a white blonde. I like to think about it as if we were painting on a canvas. Bright pink is going to show up A LOT better on a white canvas than it would a brown. This typically means that you need to bleach the hair to achieve that white canvas. This sometimes takes multiple applications and is best done over time to ensure the integrity of your hair.

Once you are there, that is where the fun begins! We then get to paint on whatever color you desire! Maintenance when you have bright or pastel hair color is kind of high. They tend to fade fast so it is super important to use a color safe shampoo. I recommend using Aveda’s Damage Remedy Line when at all possible during to the extensive bleaching process that is typically necessary.

Have you always been curious about getting a fun color in your hair? Call Ashka Salon Spa today to book an appointment with one of our amazing stylists!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Demi Plus: New Blonde Treatment Toners

Demi Plus

As you may have realized, Hair Color is my passion. I love everything about it. I can totally nerd out about hair color any day, for any time, with anyone who is willing to listen. That is why when I first heard about Aveda’s new Demi Plus hair color line coming out, I was geeked! I was given the opportunity to attend a preview class and learn about the new line prior to it becoming available to all. Taking in all I could about this AMAZING new color line, I was in awe. I was excited to bring it back to Ashka Salon Spa and share with my team.

Demi Plus

What Make Aveda’s Demi Plus So Special?

Aveda’s old deposit only color line was released 15 years ago and like all other aspects of our lives, hair color technology has drastically improved. The chemists at Aveda started by looking at what they loved about their current line, and then at what areas they believed needed improvement.

The amount of shine that we now get with Aveda’s new Demi Plus is incredible. Aveda added certified organic kukui oil which is definitely the reason behind this show-stopping shine.

One of the best things about Demi Plus is that you are able to get incredible color pay off without ammonia. The formula itself is filled with plant-derived oils including L-arginine. This which works as a power booster to increase pH for maximum color deposit into every strand. L- arginine provides lasting results that fade on tone.

My Experience with Demi Plus

Between having Demi Plus on my hair, and using it on as many of my clients as possible, I have fallen in love with this new color line. I have clients tell me that it makes a difference in how their hair feels weeks after leaving the salon. When I first got my color done, I was in shock at how shiny and healthy my hair looked. Aveda definitely nailed it with Demi Plus.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Aveda Full Spectrum Deep Hair Color Line

DEEP

Aveda hair color has been my passion pretty much since I started in Cosmetology school. I love having the ability to completely customize my client’s hair color formulas. No two heads are alike. Even when two clients have a similar hair color, their formulas can vary drastically. Hair color formulations are based not only off of what color their hair is starting at and what color you want them to be, but also their hair texture, density, and type. Aveda has 3 different hair color lines: Full Spectrum Permanent, Full Spectrum Demi+, and Full Spectrum Deep. I recently have been able to embark on the journey of teaching hair color classes with the Full Spectrum Deep line.

Full Spectrum Deep
All colors done with Aveda Full Spectrum Deep hair color.

What is Aveda Full Spectrum Deep?

Aveda Full Spectrum Deep is a fade-resistant formula that provides a balance of lift and deposit for a naturally cool result and infuses the hair with incredible, healthy looking shine. It is also extremely conditioning with a signature blend of plant oils—castor, certified organic sunflower and jojoba. It allows for a more pleasant processing with an aroma of certified organic lavender.

I tend to grab for Full Spectrum Deep when my clients have resistant greys or dark natural color and want to be lighter. However, more recently I have been playing with using Deep when I am blonding. I have been amazed with the results. I also love using Deep for lowlights in my blondes because it seems to have a little more lasting power on blonde porous hair.

In my personal opinion, there is nothing better than Aveda hair color! I truly believe it the best option for healthy colored hair. Call the salon today to book your appointment with one of our amazing stylists!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Fifty Shades of (Artificial) Grey: Grey Hair Color

Grey Hair Color

If you have spent anytime on Pinterest or Instagram in the past year, I’m sure you have see the grey/silver hair trend that is going around. Some people find it funny that people are paying to get grey hair when if you wait long enough, you’ll inevitably get it. Other people find it absolutely stunning. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, people are definitely asking for grey hair color.

Getting Grey Hair Color – The Process

Grey Hair Color
Grey Hair Color

Unfortunately it is not as easy as simply squeezing grey out of a color tube and putting it on someones head. In order to achieve a true silver/grey hair color you have to get the hair to be essentially white blonde first. Either through highlights or bleaching the hair out, the hair has to be lifted as light as possible. After you have achieved that, your stylist then will have to apply a gloss over top of it to give it that “grey” hue.

I think the hardest part about artificial grey hair is that once you have lifted the hair light enough, it becomes porous and the “grey” doesn’t want to stay in the hair well. This is the same struggle that all fashion colors have. In order to keep that grey/silver hue, you have to be very diligent with your at home hair care. Even then, it sometimes will still just fade quick due to the nature of the color.

Blending Grey Hair with Artificial Grey Hair Color

I’ve had a few clients come in and ask me questions about growing out their grey hair. They want to know if we can just dye their hair grey so that it is easier to grow out. In this case, I suggest doing highlights of really light white, silvery blonde, and lowlights of a dark greyish tone. This over all will blend together to create a cool toned base that sometimes makes the growing out process easier. However at the end of the day, it is impossible to identically replicate someone’s natural grey hair. It helps to blend it, but you still have to go through the long process of growing it out.

If any of this peaks your interest, you should call the salon today! I know the girls on our team would LOVE to help you achieve your grey hair color dreams.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

 

Fixing Hair Color at Ashka Salon Spa

Fixing Hair Color

We all know someone who has had a “hair color oops” at some point in their life. Hair color mistakes happen. However, hair color is always adjustable to a certain extent. When fixing hair color, you have to work smart in order to get the best results with the least amount of damage. It’s so important to see a professional hair stylist so that you can get as close to your original end result as possible.

Fixing Hair Color
Color Correction by Jordan

Fixing Hair Color – Going Darker

If you have ever looked in the mirror and thought, “Wow I am way too light” you know the feeling of needing some depth in your life. Being “too light” can mean a multitude of things. If you want to be all over darker, your stylist may have to “fill” your hair because it has become too porous to hold on to color. Sometimes, some foils with a lowlight formula may do the trick as well.

Fixing Hair Color – Going Lighter

Sometimes hair color can take too dark. If this is the case, sometimes you just need some highlights to break it up and make you feel over all lighter. Other times, you may need to completely lighten your hair. Unfortunately, color DOES NOT lighten previously colored hair. Because of this, stylists need to use a lightening product. At Ashka Salon Spa, we use Aveda’s Enlightener. With the help of Olaplex, we are able to help protect your hair better during the lightening process.

Now, it’s important to remember that every Color Correction is completely dependent on the situation. Sometimes it is a lot of time and steps, other times the problem could be easily fixed quickly. Another big thing to remember when fixing hair color is that you may not get the end result you are looking for right away in one session. At Ashka Salon Spa, we are committed to keeping your hair in good condition above all else. You can always add on an olaplex treatment while fixing your hair color. Your stylist will be able to give you a good timeline for how long it may take to achieve your #HairGoals.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Hair Color Magic: Part 1

Hair Color Magic

I had the incredible opportunity to return to Minneapolis a few weeks ago for another color class! This time it was with Hair Color Magic Founder, Lupe Voss and Daisy Colina who is apart of the Canadian Hair Color Magic team. I was so excited to be back at the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis. There is just something about the atmosphere there. Everyone seems to love Aveda just as much as I do.

Josie Takes on Minneapolis – Round 2 Hair Color Magic

Hair Color Magic
Hair Color Magic: Lupe Voss, Josie, and Daisy Colina

I got into town on Saturday night. This is one tip I learned from the last trip. Don’t fly in the day of the class. You will be exhausted by the end of the day and fall asleep eating pizza in your hotel room by 7:30 pm. I was staying in an AirBnB this time which actually went as smoothly as it possibly could have!

Sunday Morning was the first day of class! I woke up early and felt prepared to take on my day. I got to the institute and went up to the room I was in a mere 10 months prior for the Ian Michael Black class. Lupe and Daisy greeted the class with as much excitement as I was feeling! We spent the first day listening and taking notes about how to formulate for predictable results.

Around 4 we broke from class to take a Paint and Sip class. It was interesting to learn about why artists put certain colors together and others not. Even though my thought process as a hair colorist is extremely similar to that of an artist, this was the first time I actually made the connection. I am an Aveda Artist and I love every second of it.

Hair Color Magic
Paint and Sip

Stay tuned to hear more about my trip! I’d love to use some of my new techniques on you soon. Call to book your appointment today!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Men’s Grey Blending with AVEDA

Results of Men's Grey Blending

Slowly but surely more and more men are becoming interested in covering those pesky greys that seem to keep popping through. However, there is this (ridiculous) stigma that the salon and hair color is only for women. Luckily this is where AVEDA comes to the rescue. They recently launched their new Men’s Grey Blending line and I promise it is about to change the men’s hair color game forever.

How Does the Men’s Grey Blending Work?

Men's Grey Blending
Men’s Grey Blending

AVEDA’s new Men’s Grey Blending color line is going to make more men color their hair now than ever. AVEDA has designed this color to take 5 minutes at the shampoo bowl. It doesn’t smell like hair color and can now be done on people’s lunch breaks! Most men do not like sitting around waiting for their color to process. This removes the extra time spent at the salon. It is super quick and easy!

When this first came out, my dad had came in for a haircut. I asked if i could try it on him and his initial reaction was “Dads aren’t for trying haircolor on. That is what Moms are for”. He reluctantly let me try it as long as I promised it wouldn’t be purple. I got a text from him within a half hour saying he liked it and might even want to do a darker color next time. 🙂

Results of Men's Grey Blending
Results of Men’s Grey Blending (Not my dad)

As you can see in the picture, the results are very subtle yet definitely different. It is like you took off 5 to 10 years instead of just coloring your hair. What I like most about this product is that it is so simple. I also like that it isn’t so dramatic that everyone will know you colored it!

Call the salon today to set up your appointment to reverse time. 😉

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

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 🙂

 

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 🙂