I’d hate to see your fire red mohawk turn pink or orange, your golden blonde wash you out, or your cool brunette turn brassy! The sun is out in force and it’s time to not only break out the sunscreen for your skin but it’s also time to protect your color from fading prematurely!

Luckily, Alterna’s UV+ line was recently created for you. It is Clinically proven to protect your hair color from fading for up to 60 washes. If you wash your hair once a day, that means your color will last for two months when you use the UV+ products. In two months’ you’ll have new growth that will need re-touched. Don’t you want your hair to look its best for as long as it can?

The UV+ line contains Kalahari Melon, from a desert in Africa. Nature has given this melon its own UV protectant; the melon stays bright in the sun year-long. If you enjoy activities that include salt water, chlorine pools, lake water, and/or the sun, the UV+ Fade-Proof Fluide is waterproof and protects against these things when sprayed onto the hair before going out into the sun or getting into a body of water. Just spray it onto your hair and you’ll have a micro-thin, waterproof barrier that protects your hair from salt, chorine, water, and/or sun. Basically, it is “sunscreen for your hair”.

Gone on vacation somewhere hot, only to come back home with your hair wrecked? Get your hair some rehab quick! The UV+ REHAB Deep Hydration Masque, that is. In just 3 minutes, you can restore your hair’s flexibility, strength, and moisture balance with a powerful blend rich in amino acids, sugars & minerals.

Disclaimer: Hair products cannot be labeled as containing SPF but every Alterna product has UVA and UVB inhibitors and clients will see results right away.

Posted by Hair Guy Lancer

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Check out Katie Kate’s just released YouTube music video for “Uh..no” from her album Flatland. It was directed by Stephen Gray and was filmed at Capitol Hill’s Fred Wildlife Refuge.

D’Arcy Harrison (of D’Arcy Hair Design at Emerson Salon) created two looks for the video. Both looks incorporate her side buzz cut that needs to be freshened up every 3-4 weeks. The braided/bun updo was achieved with 3 and 4 strand braids pinned into a bi-level bun. The long, flowy hair was achieved by taking out the braids (which left it wavy). adding bright blond extensions and back brushing. And of course, Kevin Murphy Session Spray was the hard hold heavy to keep the hair looking fabulous during the 18 hour video shoot!

Look for Katie Kate to perform at the Sasquatch Music Festival at The Gorge in addition to the labor day Bumbershoot Music Festival at Seattle Center. Make sure to follow her on YouTube.

To learn more about D’Arcy, you can read her profile on this site or go to her NEW website www.darcyhairdesign.com and subscribe to her mailing list or like her facebook fan page.

In all the gossip and fashion magazines we have been seeing a real trend towards “ombre” highlighted hair. Ombre is a french term meaning,”shaded.” In terms of haircolor, it is the slow melting effect of a darker shade gradually getting lighter towards the ends until the entire ends region is the brightest haircolor on the head.

We have seen this trend show up on Lauren Conrad, Jennifer Lopez, Drew Barrymow and now, everyday Seattle gals who come in to Emerson Salon! Here, we advise you on how to have realistic expectations of what getting “ombre” will entail so you can make an informed decision before plunging into a new look.

Pros of Ombre Highlights:

This application does not require a lot of regular color maintenance services. Generally, the darkest shade is within 1-2 levels of the natural hair shade and helps to buffer any growout demarcation line. Once the ombre is achieved, you might only need to schedule regular trims, deep conditioning and a toner for the ends.

If you take care of your hair, it can be absolutely gorgeous! It is soft, modern and looks good with browns and auburns or brown and blonds, or beiges and platinum blonds. Make sure your stylist works within a color palette that works with your skin and eye tones. The ombre looks good curled, flat ironed or beach waved as long as you use a nourishing protectant like Kendi Oil by Alterna Bamboo. It is a miracle worker for split ends and adds shine.

Ombre is becoming ripe for experimentation. We’ve seen Drew Barrymore do a reverse ombre with blond roots- midshaft and black ends. Lauren Conrad just did a ponytail dipped in pink. If you can, think outside the box and make yours especially you!

Cons of Ombre Highlights:

In order to achieve the ultra light blond on the ends, most hair will have to be bleached unless the hair is naturally a medium blond or lighter. Bleaching can cause major damage to the hair as it creates explosions within the hair structure that blows the hair shaft and cuticle layers apart. This damage is permanent. It can be colored over but the damage lives in that hair until it is cut out. IMPORTANT: If you switch back and forth between ultra light, to darker, to ultra light, etc you will get breakage. This means loss of fullness and/or length. The longer the hair and the more checkered the chemical history, the more likely the hair is to break or become a gummy mush that can’t be styled or colored. So be careful what you ask for!

The service can use a lot of bleach and a lot of color and depending on your type of hair, its history, and the desired result this can mean a service that ranges from $100 to more of a color correction that can go upwards of $200-250+.

Once highlighted, it can be problematic to add pigment to the ultra light damaged ends. This also can turn into a color correction if the hair needs to be “filled” or stepped down to the desired darker shade. We recommend committing to an application of ombre for a minimum of 3-6 months with regular trims to maintain the least breakage. That way, you get the trend and bang for your buck.

You will need appropriate support products and appointments to repair some of the damage and keep the color looking its best. A great deep conditioner is the Restorative Mask by Moroccan Oil to be used once or twice a week. Its has moisture and protein that can be applied to damp hair for 15-20 minutes at home. Also, use a great shampoo and conditioner line like Luminous Shine by Alterna that is color safe, sulfate free and eco certified.

Always bring a picture of what you think you want your desired result will look like but always be somewhat flexible due to hair type and hair condition. Your stylist will review what the game plan will be to achieve that look and whether that works within your budget for the service, products and maintenance.

These fashion trends can be so fun to play with but always make an educated decision before you color- Hair is your everyday accessory- make sure it always looks and feels its best!

Post by D’Arcy

Check out this great feature that one of Emerson Salon’s newest stylists, Tara, did about joining the team at Emerson Salon. Very cool stuff and some fantastic photos!

D’Arcy Harrison of D’Arcy Hair Design (at Emerson Salon) was most recently named 1 of the TOP 56 stylists in the Seattle area by Seattle Met Magazine in its March issue (see image of pg. 72). D’Arcy also participated in Seattle Metropolitan’s anonymous survey to help customers get in Seattle Stylists’ heads on subjects like tipping, using pictures, and finding out what celebrity styles stylists are sick of doing.

D’Arcy has garnered this special attention in particular for her recent partnership with rapper Katie Kate. “Kate started out as a haircut client and morphed into a creative partner and trusted friend,” D’Arcy says. “I have enjoyed collaborating and seeking fresh looks with her in order to maximize Katie Kate’s ‘buzz’. I love the challenge!”

Katie Kate just released an album this past fall called, “Flatland.” She also has done the rounds at Chop Suey, Ballard Tavern, and the Crocodile. You’ll see her this summer in the Sasquatch and Bumbershoot Festivals as well as in an upcoming music video for her song, “Uh..no”. Click on the song title for a behind the scenes look!

In addition to working with Katie Kate and serving many satisfied haircut and color clients, D’Arcy also recently shared a color class in Italy Hairfashion with the growing team at Emerson Salon. “I love helping other stylists almost as much as helping my clients. The more I assist their understanding the happier I am,” she says. “I am so lucky to live where I live, and work where I work!”

Want to have D’Arcy tend to you and YOUR hair? Go to her profile and email her when you find an appointment opening in day or week view:
Wed thru Sat 10a-8p at D’Arcy’s Public Calendar
click here for a Price List
www.facebook.com/DARCYHAIRDESIGN

Post by D’Arcy

This week I had the honor to be a featured artist for the RAW artists showcase at iMusic. There was art, fashion,music, makeup, hair and great times! Part of participating in a showcase with RAW is the portfolio building as well as a taped video piece which I will share when it comes out in 3 weeks! But for now.. I will share with you my thoughts behind what I created!

I want to start off by saying that this runway show was an opportunity to “push the envelope,” on what I could accomplish with hair. I get to work with stellar clients daily making their styles work for them and their needs but for one night I threw practicality to the wind! I let my imagination wander to places, ideas and concepts I wanted to explore. One of the main concepts I kept coming back to was,”SCULPTURAL FLOW.”

What this means to me (as a daughter of a sculptor) is a 3 dimensional (3D) hair representation of how flow is created in hair and with hair. In the same guise, I also wanted to see how flow can be stopped or redirected with hair in order to establish different components of a style. The images that kept running through my mind were of: Talum and Chichen Itza pyramids in Mexico, rippled sands in an Arabian desert, and the waves in the “Bride of Frankenstein” hair.

In order to accomplish the varied styles, I used clip in human hair extensions. In order to ad fullness to one of the styles I custom colored the pieces to match the models hair using It&ly’s Vivly semipermanent Titian to repigmentize and then toned with It&ly’s Colorly transluscent color formula 7FA tutti frutti and 10 volume. Other clip ins were sprayed with costume spray color, Extra Hold Hairspray by Alterna Caviar and Gloss Sealant Spray from Blick art supply. In order to set the pieces I used a triple barrel wave iron in order to have a consistent, fabricated wave pattern in the pieces.

I also employed some old school styling tricks like back combing, backbrushing, and creative bobby pinning (they have to be hidden!) in addition to using newer products like Morroccan Oil and Anti gravity+Session Spray by Kevin Murphy. I am super proud of the work I did and I hope you do like it too….. Enjoy “going with the flow!”

(Credits:D’Arcy Hair Design- Hair, Nyk Foto-photography, Fashion- Kim McCormick/Kimmi Designs and Jessica Nees-Makeup)

I love Perfection! Pravana’s Perfection Smoothing service, that is. Perfection is a patent-pending innovation that safely transforms coarse, frizzy, and curly hair into straight, smooth, and shiny hair. It is in fact, the New Generation in smoothing.

I recently performed the Perfection service on two clients:

Tara had been using a traditional hair texturizer which left her hair brittle and damaged. She never wore her hair down. It was always pulled back tight, which made her hair break off even more. Her previously textured hair was left bone straight after one Perfection treatment, and her newly treated hair is still curly but it is not dry or brittle. She has not worn her hair pulled back since!

Daemon has notoriously wild hair. He wore his hair back in a ponytail most of the time, because his hair was coarse, frizzy, dry, unruly, and long. When I saw him perform onstage, I told him I wanted to help his hair look and feel better. I haven’t seen his hair in a ponytail since! He is able to wear it loose and curly without frizz, or straight and sleek. It also feels great!

If you’d like straighter, smoother, more manageable hair, schedule an appointment with me today!

Perfection Facts:

• Perfection can be performed on any hair type, condition, and length.
• It’s proprietary nano-amino acid complex suspends the internal textural memory of the hair to a new, soft, and sensual look and feel.
• Perfection contains a pro-vitamin B complex and a has a low pH level. It contains no harsh chemicals, poses no health risks, and preserves the integrity of the hair.
• Color clients can receive a color service immediately after the treatment.
• Perfection lasts 8-12 weeks, at which point the hair returns to its natural textural memory state.
• Subsequent treatments will leave the hair smoother and straighter for longer.

In a hair stylist’s career, it is always awesome to be presented with a great artistic opportunity.

D’Arcy Hair Design of Emerson Salon will have the honor of being a featured Hair Artist for RAW artists Thursday, February 9th Showcase. RAW artists is in 22 cities nationwide and works with the local arts community to create showcases, events and awards that puts a spotlight on emerging talent in fashion, makeup, performing art,modelling, film, art, photography, hair, and music. A RAW artist gets invaluable portfolio building, exposure, and will not only network and socialize but most importantly, get a chance to collaborate with peers in different fields.

“ACTIVATE,” Seattle’s first RAW showcase will be held at iMusic on 5th Ave North (across from EMP/Space Needle) and D’Arcy will be styling for Kimmi Designs (formal fashions of repurposed/recycled fabrics.)

The doors are at 8pm with a DJ, a unique visual and visceral artistic experience, 3 bars, good vibes and at 10pm there will be 2 fashion runway shows. Advance tickets are only $10!
Check out http://www.rawartists.org or BUY a TICKET to see D’Arcy Hair Design.

Come out and support our thriving creative community with us!

Post by D’Arcy

Daemon says:

“I really don’t trust a lot of people with my hair, but I’ve had people close to me recommend Lancer Forney at the Emerson Salon. I finally had a chance to get my hair done by him.

Now my hair has been notorious for being rather wild. I get my thick long hair from my dad and it has stifled a lot of hairdressers for years. He wanted to try this new Perfection Smoothing System on me, and I was thinking that this would be like other relaxers or texturizers. I was wrong.

That whole procedure was not invasive at all unlike traditional ones. In fact he was also able to do the coloring right after we shampooed the treatment out. He had a bunch of hair swatches to help compare the different shades and how they would compliment with my natural hair color. in the end I ended up with some of the best hair I’ve ever had in years…not since my old hairdresser back in Long Beach retired some 15 years ago.

The vibe here is very easy going, unlike most salons where it could be a bit on the pretentious side. I was there for four hours, but I had so much fun chatting it up with everyone there while getting my hair done it didn’t even feel like it at all. To call Lancer a stylist is an understatement. He’s an artist. He knows what he’s doing and can even turn my mangled mess into something I can actually be proud of.

He also recommended this Morrocan Oil shampoo and conditioner that will preserve everything that was performed that day. Yeah this stuff and the salon ain’t cheap but when it comes to your hair you get what you pay for, and compared to all the uber-pretentious salons I’ve been at it’s actually a good value since you’re getting so much more than just a haircut.

Lancer is the man you want. Of course, if he’s booked Kate’s a wonderful stylist too!”

Daniel says:

“If y’all, ladies or gentlemen, need a hair cut… this place is the spot. Personally Kate Kalnins is the best. She is a taller gal, wearing a lot of black.. Anyway she really does amazing work and she is very thorough.”

Great job guys! Check out these reviews and all of our reviews on our Yelp page.