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Blondes Mean Business

Apr 17, 2025 | Uncategorized

Blondes Mean Business

Harness your salon’s superpower with exceptional colour education from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris

by AMANDA | INFORM

Inside your business is a superpower – professional colour – but are you making the most of it? And are your team members – the salon’s heroes wearing their colour aprons! – armed and ready with the skills they need to power up your blonde business this summer? Continuous learning is the key to unlocking true artistry and achieving unparallelled success, and education is at the very heart of everything L’Oréal Professionnel Paris do to support you as the professional.

From a stylist starting their exciting journey and building a strong foundation, to hairdressers seeking to refine existing skills, L’Oréal Professionnel Paris have a tailored career path designed for everyone. Programmes are meticulously crafted in collaboration with some of the most brilliant and respected hairdressers on the globe, ensuring everyone receives inspiration, cutting edge creativity and the very best the industry has to offer. From online training to IRL workshops, stylists enjoy an unparalleled learning experience that will not only elevate their skills but also empower them throughout their entire career… and help your business build colourists that can deliver specialised and beautifully bespoke colour, keeping clients happy and loyal.

Now the sun’s out, blondes will be driving a big chunk of your colour bookings – think expensive-looking, high shine, glossy golden finishes. L’Oréal Professionnel Paris have the education courses to deliver that professional difference, every time.

Blonde Keys
Online + one day practical

An iconic course from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, with Blonde Keys you learn all you need to know about lightening hair.

Step 1: An introduction to Blonde Keys E-Learning – watch the pre-course videos taking you through some of the theory and blonde foundations.

Step 2: Attend a practical one-day classroom course, where you’ll learn the fundamental principles of how bleach and lightening agents work on hair, and different lifting applications like long regrowth bleach and virgin high lift. This is a well-suited course if you want to stand out as a brilliant blonde colourist and put all the theory learned into profitable practice. 

.Balayage Keys Featuring Foiliage
Online + one day practical

Clients love balayage! So, do you want to get comfortable with freehand balayage applications and understand when to use foil to create different effects? Welcome to your pure freehand painting foundation training!

This course covers sectioning patterns, different application shapes and methods and includes current trend techniques – and we’re learning just how big for business trends can be! Plus, discover your perfect lightening product pairing and whether you should leave your application open air or enclosed.

Be ready for basic to intermediate techniques with the perfect blend in mind… and the online course is taught by none other than L’Oréal Professionnel Paris global artist, Harriet Stokes!

Make sure professional colour is your salon’s superpower, with Hair Education by L’Oréal Professionnel Paris. Discover more at lorealaccess.com/uk and lorealaccess.com/ie

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Make Trends Your Business

Apr 17, 2025 | Uncategorized

Partnership

From rich mochas to peekaboo panels, discover the potential power of harnessing trends – with luxe looks that are coveted by clients

There’s no doubt colour is your salon’s superpower, recharging profits and creativity and thrilling clients in the process. But what will fuel your colour business to the next level? Let us introduce you to the power of trends… and a macro trend that shows no sign of slowing is Expensive Hair, with full beam finishes so flawless and fabulous they shimmer with shine.

For this Creative HEAD front cover shoot project [links to digital issue], in partnership with L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, we unleash an abundance of delicious-looking, high-end hues, thanks to the talents of Robert Eaton and Josh Goldsworthy. But more vitally, we uncover the commercial case behind the looks – the importance of understanding what’s trending, the psychology of consumer trends and how you can turn a trend into a brilliant business booster. Let’s see what’s trending right now… 

The Artist: Robert Eaton, creative director, Russell Eaton 

An industry icon and a multi-award winner, Robert’s brief for this project was to deliver two luxury takes on this season’s brunettes, powered by the oil-rich formula of iNOA, which is also ammonia-free. Delivering super shiny results and a scalp that feels nourished, iNOA is a game-changing product for colourists – helping to craft hair looks so glazed and gorgeous they’ll make your mouth water! “Clients are often searching for luxury, both in the service they receive in the salon, and of course, in their hair,” says Robert. “My clients are always looking for high shine, well-conditioned hair. These looks really bring that to life in an accessible way. As colourists, we’ve got a responsibility to create beautiful hair, and also hair that’s well maintained.” 

The luxe look here comes from defined, bouncy, shiny curls for sure, but also from the magical mix of shades. Just like a bespoke suit is a symbol of luxury, personalised blends of tones, delivered by expert techniques, gives this trend a high-ranking status. A combination of ash beige and warmer shades creates a custom colour that pops while enhancing the curl pattern too. And is there a more trending palette right now than brunette? From Mocha Mousse to Ganache Brunette, brown has proven it’s endlessly versatile and ideal for tailoring. From hints of caramel to kisses of copper, brunette offers the scope to curate something rich, deep and reflective that says ‘affluence’ without being loud or overt.  

Robert Eaton on Mocha Glaze

Shades and Steps
L’Oréal Professionnel Paris iNOA

6.1 + 20 vol
7.31 + 20 vol
8.13 + 20 vol
10.21 + 30 vol

  • Mist hair with Metal Detox Professional Pre-Treatment Spray and comb through, before sectioning the hair into four quadrants
  • Starting at the back, apply 6.1 to the root area melted into 8.31, and 10.21 throughout the lengths and ends
  • Allow the curls to dictate the section pattern by increasing and decreasing the width of each section. Work throughout the head until you reach the hairline
  • At the hairline apply the 8.13 to the root
    Through the mid-lengths and ends of the hairline, alternate between 8.13 and 10.21
  • Develop for 35 minutes
  • Rinse, shampoo and treat with Curl Expression
Brown has dumped the boring moniker and is playing to its strengths – rich tones, glistening gloss, major reflects… When done brilliantly, brunette always looks premium, and this season, those finishes are liquid and luxe. “Expensive Brunette” views on social have seen steady growth in 2025, and Robert’s take on the trend blends notes of caramel, mocha, vanilla and a little warmer cinnamon. That’s deliberate, based on the move towards warmer browns, and those shades illustrate what underpins this trend – those deeply-saturated glazed tones look delicious, rich and sumptuous to achieve an irresistible result that looks almost good enough to eat.  

Robert Eaton on Expensive Brunette

Shades and Steps
L’Oréal Professionnel Paris iNOA

6.8 + 20 vol back section
7.8 + 20 vol middle + parting
7.34 + 20 vol front
8.31 + 30 vol hairline melted into 8.31 + clear + col vol lengths + end

 

  • Mist hair with Metal Detox Professional Pre-Treatment Spray and comb through
    Section hair from ear to ear and apply iNOA 6.8 and 20 vol root to tip
  • Isolate the hairline 1-inch deep from recession to top of ear
  • Apply 8.31 and 30 vol at the root, and melt through on mid-lengths 8.31 + Clear and 30 vol
  • Create a triangle section with widest part from temple to crown. Apply 7.8 and 20 vol
  • On either side of the head, create two more triangle sections and alternate applications of 7.8 and 7.34 with 20 vol
  • Develop for 35 mins
  • Rinse, shampoo and treat with Vitamino Color Spectrum

Colour AND Treat 

Think of the double duty that a colour appointment can deliver – firstly with that luxurious experience courtesy of iNOA (thanks to its oil-rich, ammonia-free formula) and secondly with the backwash boost of a professional treatment, just like the salon exclusive Deep Conditioner from the new Vitamino Color Spectrum range. And if a client wants to keep that ‘just coloured’ vibrancy locked in, Vitamino Color Spectrum is the ideal take home treat, too! 

Make It Personal 

“Luxury is about personalisation, ensuring that each technique, each colour formulation, is bespoke and personalised to a client,” explains Robert. Curate a perfect combination that can’t be replicated at home, taking into account skin tone, hair type and the ideal blend, to nail ‘Expensive Brunette’ every time. 

The Artist: Josh Goldsworthy, creative director, Goldsworthy’s Hairdressing  

From presenting at industry-facing avant garde shows to flexing his editorial prowess as a busy session stylist, Josh delivers incredible colour results that are bang on-trend and expertly tailored to his loyal clientele. His take on ‘expensive hair’ is rooted in the bespoke, engineered by a business-building evolution of balayage. “Balayage is already a really established commercial look used in salons, but this trend is pushing it into a whole new realm,” explains Josh. “Peekaboo Balayage is about placing subtle and sometimes bolder colours within the hair, just underneath, so you get these pops of colours and iridescent tones. This is that next forward step for clients to try something new, something that gets them out of their usual toner or application and gives them some versatility and the ability to change it up, every time.” 

This iridescent yet creamy soft blonde acts as a veil through the top section of the hair… and then you’re treated to a seasonal surprise with deep slices of the two new pearlescent coral shades from Dia Light. Add a little movement and PEEK-A-BOO! The underneath reveals something more playful and unexpected. Colour can be as bold or as muted as you want, warm or cool – the power of ‘Peekaboo Balayage’ is in its versatility. We’re hooked!

Josh Goldsworthy on Whipped Cream Blonde

Shades and Steps
L’Oréal Professionnel Paris Blond Studio Purple Lightening Balm + 30vol  

L’Oréal Professionnel Paris Dia Light 10.23, 8.24, 10.24 + 1g Violet booster  

 

  • Mist hair with Metal Detox Professional Pre-Treatment Spray and comb through
    Apply full head of highlights utilising fine and medium weaves with Blond Studio Purple Lightening
  • Develop for up to 50 minutes
  • Rinse and shampoo with Metal Detox
  • Isolate 1cm of the hairline. Following the shape of the head, create a star shape on top and apply Dia Light 10.23 from root to tip to these areas
  • Using diagonal back sections alternate between 8.24 and the 10.24 + Violet booster
  • Develop for up to 20 minutes
  • Rinse, shampoo and treat with Metal Detox

Josh has opted for something more subtle this time, with a palette of honeys and caramels. As the cyclical nature of trends brings us back to the boho vibes of the Noughties, this look is ideal for that laid-back luxe vibe and will simply stun when the sun hits the sparkling mix of shades. “This warm, bronde tone with the copper boosters gives it a really expensive, beautiful feel, and it means you’re not seeing any start or stop point within the highlighted pieces,” says Josh.  

Josh Goldsworthy on Boho Bronde

Shades and Steps
L’Oréal Professionnel Paris Blond Studio Purple Lightening Balm + 30vol  

L’Oréal Professionnel Paris Dia Light
9.03 + Copper booster
8.24 + Copper booster

  • Mist hair with Metal Detox Professional
  • Pre-Treatment Spray and comb through
  • Apply full head of Foiliage utilising a mix of teasy lights and classic balayage weaves with Blond Studio Purple Lightening Balm + 30vol
  • Rinse and shampoo with Metal Detox
  • Working to a centre parting, gloss using 1cm diagonal back sections from front to back. Applying from root to tip, alternate between Dia Light 9.03 + Copper booster and 8.24 + Copper booster
  • Develop for up to 20 minutes
  • Rinse, shampoo and treat with Vitamino Color Spectrum

Focus On Versatility 

Peekaboo Balayage is fantastic for those clients who might need a more conservative look for their nine-to-five but then can reveal their playful side through alternative styling. “If you put a wave or a curl through, it’s really going to bring the look alive. It’s so versatile for everybody,” says Josh. This is a technique that works for any client, any hair type, any shade and is an excellent first toe dipped into the world of colour. You can dial up or dial down, depending on the mood – just see how Josh amped it up for the shoot! 

Top Ups And Quicker Services 

That versatility extends to your business, too. “Peekaboo Balayage can stand alone as its own service within the salon, but from a business point of view, we can also look at it for top-up services in between,” says Josh. “Once we’ve got that pre-lightened section in, we’re looking at four- or six-weekly repeat services, which will be express services with a toner that would be cost effective. It’s a real opportunity.” And another positive for business? Clients don’t need to commit to a global colour, meaning a quicker appointment time that frees you up for more clients in your day. 

Build Services Around Occasions 

Peekaboo Balayage is the custom colour Gen Z will crave, encouraging more younger consumers to opt for professional colour. And as the summer rolls closer – think of festivals, parties and events – build services around those occasions, helping to grow your colour business in fresh and new directions.

 

 

A Creative HEAD shoot in partnership with L’Oréal Professionnel Paris  

Photography Jon Baker, assisted by Ethan Humphries 
Reportage photography and artist portraits Anett Posalaki  
Videography Austen Killingbeck-Jones, assisted by Douglas Cock  
Hair Robert Eaton and Josh Goldsworthy, with additional hair support provided by Phoebe XXXXXXX (for Josh), Nicola Chamberlain, Bobbi Murray, Fran Sleighthome, Victoria Strain, Joe Strangward and Cathal Walshe, all for L’Oréal Professionnel Paris  
Make-up Eliza Clarke, assisted by Babi Campos  
Fashion Harriet Nicolson, assisted by Carla Grottola  
Models Valentina Biliosa (Boss), Chelsea Kent (Body London), Phoebe Summer (MMG) and Kay-leigh Rachel Sussman (Zone)  
Editorial Amanda Nottage (Creative HEAD) 
Digital and social media Kelsey Dring and Caitlyn Brandom (Creative HEAD) 
Creative direction and production Joanna Kidd (Creative HEAD) 

Shot at Loft Studios in London  

#TVA – The Hub For Future Talent

Feb 12, 2025 | INFORM, Uncategorized

TVA advertorial at CHM.com

#TVA – The Hub For Future Talent 

New category! New venue! HUGE prizes! If you have the vision, then the Wella Professionals TrendVision Award 2025 is where you need to be

by AMANDA | INFORM

Moment of glory – the 2024 TrendVision Award winners

Got big dreams? Want to work on uber cool shoots and collaborate with industry stars (like the Creative HEAD March add link to digi issue when live cover shoot you’ve just seen)? Then THIS is the competition that could make them come true! 

Launching in April, Wella Professionals TrendVision Award 2025 is entering an exciting new era. With a fresh digital category to make entering easier than ever, and a bigger platform for XPOSURE, there’s purpose driving this competition. 

Its spotlight on the next generation of hairdressers, TrendVision Award 2025 is cementing its reputation as the future talent incubator. They’re laser-focused on elevating the next generation of stylists coming through at a time when everyone’s concerned about that pipeline of tomorrow’s talent.  

Alongside a new venue (more to be revealed!) and even more value from your ticket (from artist collaborations to the goodie bag worth £500!), this year’s final will also celebrate the industry’s icons, with shows driven by artist collaborations. Have we whetted your appetite? 

The prizes up for grabs are dialling up too, with more incredible opportunities for winners after that final’s over, seeing them return to play a key part in future finals. It demonstrates just how dedicated Wella Professionals are on the future and reputation of this industry, and on those who want to ramp up their skills, their confidence and their careers. 

Let The Winners Tell You Why YOU Should Enter…

What Can YOU Win?

The prizes are bigger than ever, illustrating the support from Wella Professionals to explode the careers of those who scoop the trophies! A real ‘pinch me’ is the TVA winners shoot (just look at what the 2024 winners have created!), an exceptional opportunity to work on a project from moodboard to page and see YOUR vision captured. Now a vital part of the action you see on stage, the XPOSURE winner from this new talent category – full of apprentices and college students – is gifted the chance to get stuck in at the winners shoot too, a true money-can’t-buy prize! 

From education to a year of social media promotion, any victory is celebrated and rewarded long after the confetti falls at the final. And in an industry first, the 2025 TrendVision Award winners will return to the following year’s final to support the TVA artists show on stage… the goodness just keeps coming! 

2025’s Theme? Let’s Get Digital

You can hear the conversation around AI everywhere, and tapping into the zeitgeist is Digital Duality, the theme for the 2025 TrendVision Award competition. Inspired by AI, created by professionals – we want to see the journey from the AI inspiration and referencing to the final creation by the Wella Professionals artist. Yes, AI provides your muse, Wella professionals provides the tools, and YOUR skills, imagination and artistry deliver the final look. With a palette fusing metallics with barely there neutrals, what could you conjure up…? 

Which Will You Enter?

Transformation Award – this award must include a total transformation of both colour and cut that embodies the beauty of the chosen model, ensuring the optimum suitability. The look can be classic and beautiful or creative and edgy.

Editorial Award – this award should showcase a colour, cut and style that embodies a chic editorial feel. Taking inspiration from magazines, art and architecture to craft a unique look suited to the model.    

XPOSURE Creative Colour – for students only, show off creative colouring that creates a strong cut and colour combination. 

New for 2025! Digital Award – this award partners with the digital duality theme and trend. It’s easy-to-enter and winners will be announced at the Final via live video. Finalists can take part from their workspace, wherever they may be in the UK and Ireland, meaning no extra costs in time or costs to get involved and potentially nab a trophy! Free tickest to the Final will be awarded to all finalists in this category.

Maggie Grant, House of Colour – 2024 TrendVision Award Colour Visionary Ireland winner

Alex White, House of Colour – 2024 TrendVision Award Craft Visionary Ireland winner

Corrine McNaughton, Medusa – 2024 TrendVision Award Craft Visionary UK winner

Dawid Mielnik, Regis Salon at James Bushell, Harvey Nichols, 2024 TrendVision Award Colour Visionary UK winner

Skye Holford, Regis Salons/Kleek Apprenticeships – 2024 TrendVision Award XPOSURE Creative Colour UK & Ireland winner 

#TVA25 – What You Need To Know

  • Photographic entries open: 21 April 
  • Photographic entries close: 5pm, 16 June  
  • Photographic results revealed: 21 July  
  • Wella Red tickets on sale: 1 July to 15 August 
  • General sale tickets: from 16 August 
  • TVA UK & Ireland Final: 6 October

Find your future with Wella Professionals TrendVision Award 2025. Click here to discover how you can get involved.   

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Could You Make It On To The 2025 Schwarzkopf Professional Young Artistic Team?

Could You Make It On To The 2025 Schwarzkopf Professional Young Artistic Team?

Jan 22, 2025 | HOME INFORM, INDUSTRY NEWS, INFORM, INFORM HEADER, Uncategorized

Could You Make It On To The 2025 Schwarzkopf Professional Young Artistic Team?

Hunt is on for UK and Irish stylists aged under 26

by AMANDA | INDUSTRY NEWS

2024 Schwarzkopf Professional Young Artistic Team

Are you a young talent looking to be hot housed? You might just be in luck! Schwarzkopf Professional is searching for stars of tomorrow to join its 2025 Young Artistic Team.

The programme offers education and talent development, mentoring and shaping the careers of rising stars within the UK and Ireland. The opportunity is open to stylists aged under 26 to “train, grow and shine” under the guidance of some of its big-name ambassadors.

Those selected for the 2025 Young Artistic Team will receive:

• A minimum of 10 days of top-quality training with industry experts
• A dedicated photographic session to showcase their creative vision

• Hands-on experience to shape their careers and open doors to future opportunities

This Is How You Enter:

• Create a mood board! This must reflect who you are as a creative, showing your inspirations and the kind of work you aspire to create.

• Film a short video! This is an introduction to yourself! Share your story, your passions and your vision as the person behind the scissors – show judges what makes you unique.

 Submit your mood board photo and video by midnight on Sunday 9 February via this link.

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SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL ANNOUNCES YOUNG ARTISTIC TEAM 2024

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL ANNOUNCES YOUNG ARTISTIC TEAM 2024

Feb 7, 2024 | Uncategorized

CATEGORIES > INFORM

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL ANNOUNCES YOUNG ARTISTIC TEAM 2024

Fresh talent celebrated as bright young team unveiled.

Seven rising stars in the industry from across the UK and Ireland have been selected for the coveted Schwarzkopf Professional Young Artistic Team (YAT) of 2024. The program is a year-long mentoring initiative designed to cultivate and elevate the future leaders of the industry. Having previously impressed judges with their online submissions, the intense competition reached its conclusion on 21 January at Hunter Collective in London. Under the theme of total creative freedom, the final 16 contestants were given the task of cutting a minimum of 5cm from their model’s hair and the choice of the entire Schwarzkopf Professional colour line to create final looks which demonstrated their technical cuttings skills, colour knowledge and that reflected their artistic vision. The judging process extended beyond just the hairstyling, with make-up and clothing choices also contributing to the overall evaluation. Despite the fierce competition, the finalists demonstrated an impressive true creativity and passion, reflecting the depth of talent emerging in the industry. The selection process was rigorous, with the judges not only evaluating the finished model looks but also considering the candidates’ knowledge, presentation skills, and enthusiasm for a year of education and opportunities. Initially planning for a team of six, the standard of competition was so high that an additional member, Max, was added to the Young Artistic Team, making it a group of seven exceptional individuals.

Meet the 2024 Schwarzkopf Professional Young Artistic Team:

Emma Thomber, Gypsy Rose Hair, @noobcutz
Georgina Bradshaw, Hooker & Young, @ghbhair_
Daniel Joy, Haug London House, @danielalexanderhair
Sophie Kinloch, Rainbow Room International, @sofdoessomehair
Max Andrea, Claxton Hair, @maxandreahair
Olivia Brady, The Honey Comb, @oliviarosebradyhair
Cory Crosby, Kevin Kahan

 

 

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