explore news CONVERSATIONS HEADER Creative head x authentic beauty concept techniques header inform home inform content connect home connect inform header home explore documents header creative projects header
Kickstart Your Business on TikTok

Kickstart Your Business on TikTok

Kickstart Your Business on TikTok

Charlotte Paints Hair’s Charlotte O’Flanagan has five fabulous tips to share.

     1 . Teach Them Something New

TikTok can be a platform for interaction and learning with other creators. To stand out, ensure your content offers your audience something new and insightful, but also exciting – remember it’s hair, not math!

     2 . Stay on Top of Trends

Jumping on trends is a great way to create engaging content that will keep people coming back for more. TikTok loves a good trend, so if you find one you like you can take inspiration and make it relevant to your business. For example, if there’s a huge trend involving nails or even food, think about how you could do something similar with hair.

     3 . Pick the Right Music

Choosing the right sound to match your video is important, but there’s another way to use the sound function to reach more people. By using popular sounds in your videos, you can attract more viewers who are scrolling through videos associated with the latest trends.

     4 . Post Regularly

Consistency is key. By posting two to three times a day, you’re more likely to reach your desired audience. The more you post, the more TikTok will promote you, helping you appear on more For You Pages (FYPs).

     5 . Be Yourself

Creating videos of your latest looks or having fun in your salon is what it’s all about, so make sure to show off your authentic self and enjoy it. After all, there’s nothing anyone loves more than someone being themselves, right?

Related

Could Stylists Soon Be Wearing A Device Warning Them About RSI?

Could Stylists Soon Be Wearing A Device Warning Them About RSI?

Could stylists soon be wearing a device warning them about RSI?

L’Oréal Brandstorm competition final reveals winning innovations from around the world.

Team PROtect from France

A watch-style device to tell stylists when to stretch, take a break, and to warn when they might be about to do their body harm has scooped this year’s global L’Oréal Brandstorm final in London.

The L’Oréal Group’s innovation competition for young people, focused on helping kickstart their careers, saw Team PROtect from France impress the judges at the Riverside Studios in London. Its approach to supporting the physical health and wellbeing of hairstylists with wearable tech would see devices on the wrist and back that monitor movements and notify the wearer when they are entering zones of potential harm, promoting them to take a break or stretch to avoid issues such as repetitive strain injuries or back problems.

An intelligent comb that makes precision parting easier, complete with various comb attachments that would work with all hair types and textures while saving stylists’ time, was the runner-up idea from the US.

MyHair App, which connects consumers with personalised product recommendations and salon services that they can buy e-commerce, and includes AI capabilities, grabbed third place for the UKI team and Match Makers.

A watch-style device to tell stylists when to stretch, take a break, and to warn when they might be about to do their body harm has scooped this year’s global L’Oréal Brandstorm final in London.

The L’Oréal Group’s innovation competition for young people, focused on helping kickstart their careers, saw Team PROtect from France impress the judges at the Riverside Studios in London. Its approach to supporting the physical health and wellbeing of hairstylists with wearable tech would see devices on the wrist and back that monitor movements and notify the wearer when they are entering zones of potential harm, promoting them to take a break or stretch to avoid issues such as repetitive strain injuries or back problems.

The winning PROtect Team from France now starts a three-month “entrepreneurship” at L’Oréal’s Paris HQ to refine their idea with support from the company’s experts, with an aim to bring their idea to market to help hairdressers around the world.

Hayley Jepson

Judging panel

It was the first time that Brandstorm had focused on the L’Oréal Professional Products Division, with a challenge to “revolutionise the professional hair industry by leveraging technology to propel both salon businesses and the client experience forward”. It was also the first time the final had been held outside of Paris, with 130 young entrepreneurs from across the world invited to London to compete.

Charlotte Mensah, salon and product brand founder, was among the panel of judges, which also included L’Oréal Professional Products global president, Omar Hajeri. Hayley Jepson, the L’Oréal Professionnel Paris and Head Up ambassador, led a keynote session on the importance of resilience and good mental health practice during those early stages of a career.

Related

“This Has Been A Dream Job” – Hair Stylist Farida Ghwedar Shares Her Secrets From The Bridgerton Set

“This Has Been A Dream Job” – Hair Stylist Farida Ghwedar Shares Her Secrets From The Bridgerton Set

“This Has Been A Dream Job” – Hair Stylist Farida Ghwedar Shares Her Secrets From The Bridgerton Set

Bridgerton hair looks are trending big time – discover what it’s really like to work as part of the hair and make-up team on set.

Farida Ghwedar

What was the career journey leading up to working on Bridgerton? To style the hair and wigs for three leading ladies in series two and three is beyond impressive…
Oh, thank you so much! I feel incredibly lucky, this has been a dream job. I studied film at university and after some time working at a watch repairs, I knew I needed a practical course to enter the industry. I loved make-up and thought that was an area I may enjoy within film. I took a three-month hair and make-up course at CBMA, run by the designer Christine Blundell. It was an incredible experience with invaluable lessons as well as contacts.

I was terrible at hair with no training before or after! But my frustration made me practice and learn from tutorials in my own time. From there my first job was running the hair and make-up department for Secret Cinema. I saw it was doing a live event for Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla premiere, so I asked if they needed make-up… which led to more than six years as department head!
A friend who also trained at CBMA, Jenny Rhodes McLean, approached me to work on Bridgerton series two as she was supervising and I think she thought I could bring a slightly more modern feel to period hairstyling as that wasn’t my background. From there, Jenny – who looked after Penelope – went on to design and so Erika (Ökvist, hair and make-up designer of series two and three) asked me to take over the hair of the character as well as Kate again for the third series. I’d also looked after Edwina in the second series.

Nicola Coughlan as Penelope

Ashleigh Hodges

Simone Ashley as Kate

“I feel incredibly lucky, this has been a dream job. I studied film at university and after some time working at a watch repairs, I knew I needed a practical course to enter the industry.”
– Farida Ghwedar

Talk us through the process from the first phone call right through to shooting the series…
Prep was three weeks as we were a returning team. However, I had a new character… who was the leading lady! I was very supported in anything I needed though. Erika called and talked through Penelope’s journey. Due to the scale of this job, she created moodboards, would have an initial discussion then trust you with your characters, which is amazing. I then send her looks to be signed off. She’s generally there to support you in every aspect. 
There’s a new look for almost every outfit and once shooting starts you rarely get fittings with the leads due to the schedule. So, most of the time you try on a style for the first time in the call, which is the ‘get ready’ time for hair and make-up. However, we made great use of the two to three fittings we had in prep.

Describe a typical ‘day in the life’ while working on set…
It changes all the time but, on average, we arrive at 5.30am to be ready for your actor in the chair at 6am. Hair/make-up happen then while the actor goes to costume, you grab breakfast, pack your set bag and tidy your station! Head to set for 8am and watch your actors on the monitors to keep an eye on the hair and continuity, and run in for checks where needed. You eat your lunch on the go most days and possibly have one or two changeovers. Finally, you’ll wrap at 6pm, derig your actor, clean the wig, reset it where needed and up your station for the next day.

Penelope’s ‘reveal’ is such an iconic moment of the series. How did you go about finding inspiration and ultimately deciding what was right for the moment?
Nicola Coughlan and I liked the idea of hair down as a departure from Penelope’s old style. I had been wanting to create something like Jane Russell’s sideswept waves or Blake Lively’s hairstyle in The Age of Adaline (the New Year’s Eve scene). The compromise with production was pinning up one side, as they wanted more room for her style to evolve, which made sense. I had already been using pin curls around the hairline, so I just extended this to the back tapering towards the loose waves.

Mash Creative Studio
Mash Creative Studio

Talk us through some of the key steps in creating the reveal hair look…
To start, I blow-dried Bumble & bumble Surf Foam Spray, which gives styling hold and a little grit to the hair. I followed with Oribe Gold Lust Dry Heat Protection Spray. I know most people wet set wigs and use a wig oven but sometimes I feel these sets can be too rigid and harder to dress for soft styles. I like being able to control and manipulate the hair through the whole process. I curl and pin one-inch sections, which takes longer than other sets but each style needed very little redressing using this method. 
Once I had brushed out the waves, I used a little Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream to smooth. For the pinned-up section, I reduced bulk by braiding away much of the hair. This also served as an anchor for the pin curls. I lightly sprayed Schwarzkopf Professional Silhouette hairspray as it’s a super-strong hold, and misted Oribe Superfine Hairspray for the loose waves as it allows movement which was part of the walk down the staircase during the reveal. 

What has the reaction been to Penelope’s hair evolution in the third series? 
I’ve been so overwhelmed by all the positive feedback! I do have to stress that this is a collaboration including the artists who looked after Nicola in the past. Nicola is also very involved and has great ideas. The styles are also more wearable because they are more modern this season, so that attracts more attention. 

Do you have a favourite look from the series?
I would say the Hawkin’s Ball, which is the side bun with hair flowers. I feel like all the elements from costume to make-up and hair all came together and Nicola looked beautiful. When everything marries together, that’s always a great thing. 

What are your three kit bag essentials?
My YS Parks or Denman Carbon tail combs, Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream and fine waves hair pins. 

What’s one thing readers may not realise about doing hair for film/TV?
When you create a hairstyle it’s not just about making something beautiful or immersive, but you have to consider how long a scene is. This translates to how long that style must last in a wig or be recreated to maintain continuity. You may have to replicate it perfectly a year later, or adapt it to withstand weather or certain action. You must be ready to compromise your vision to align with that of others in charge. 

For any stylists looking to branch out into the world of TV and film hair, what would your advice be?
Be prepared to be tired… always! The hours are long! Hair and make-up are often the first in and last out. You must learn to work efficiently as time is precious, and you must be a team player and stay positive where possible. Asides from your team, your actor is also doing those hours but they have to then step in front of the camera and be ‘on’ all day. You need to be aware of your impact on the start and end of their day.
Lastly, just love the work you do! Not everyone will have the same route into film and TV hairstyling, but if you love hair and put the same amount of effort into a small job as a big job, you will find your way.

Who Took Home The 2024 Ireland L’Oréal Colour Trophy?

Who Took Home The 2024 Ireland L’Oréal Colour Trophy?

Who Took Home The 2024 Ireland L’Oréal Colour Trophy?

Salon owners, stylists and creative colourists gathered in Dublin to compete for the top spot. Here’s who scooped first place on the night…

LCT DUBLIN 2024<br />

New Hair Order, Mark Byrne and Lisa May

The L’Oréal Colour Trophy Ireland Grand Final hit the stage at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre and crowned New Hair Order as the 2024 winner – owner and colourist Mark Byrne and stylist Lisa May lifted the trophy for their multi-tonal take on a copper crop. 

There was an electric atmosphere in the room as salon owners, stylists and creative colourists gathered to compete for the big prize. Zeba Hairdressing’s Mark Sherwood and Augusto Miranda took second place, with Graham Santeliz Molloy and James Coleman of Brown Sugar claiming the final spot in the top three. 

LCT DUBLIN 2024

Mark Sherwood and Augusto Miranda, Zeba Hairdressing

LCT DUBLIN 2024

Graham Santeliz Molloy and James Coleman, Brown Sugar

Jake Murphy, creative colourist and apprentice at Zeba Hairdressing took home the STAR Award for his subtle striped look. Judges tasked to make the difficult decision on the night were Darren Ambrose, Andrew Mulvenna, Alan Edwards, Nathan Walker and Marcello Moccia.

Also on the night, Lauren McNeela of Stripe Colour Studio was named L’Oréal Colour Trophy Moving Image winner. The final winners to be revealed were Alex Doherty, Brandon Marchant, Elsie MacDonald, Francesca Bay, Isla McKelvie who scooped the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Future Talent Award. They will go on to have a mentorship day at the L’Oréal International Academy. 

Two dynamic hair shows thrilled the Dublin crowd. The first, created by Jason Hall Hairdressing’s Jason Hall and Strictly Xtended’s Abigail Butler, was an energetic combination of pop culture references. Mash Up saw striking silhouettes and elaborate fashion pieces, designed by Colin Horgan, that elevated the energy over the top of a mash-up mixtape playlist of trending tunes. Jason and Abigail were supported by young Irish talents, Peter Mark College’s Daryl Behan, Georgia Haverty, Kelly Byrne and Rebecca Robinson, Peter Mark’s Sadhbh Clifford, Hillary’s Sian Lloyd and Yolanda Dunne from Wildflower.

LCT DUBLIN 2024 MASHUP
LCT DUBLIN 2024 MASHUP

Mash Up by Jason Hall and Abigail Butler

LCT DUBLIN 2024 MASHUP

Adam Reed and the ARKIVE by Adam Reed team then displayed true craftmanship with their show fRAmEwoRk. The show put a theatrical, cabaret spin on things, narrated through a VT featuring Adam and the team – Andrew Plester, Janet Barone, John Spanton, Luke Logan, Pia Wyatt and Samantha Bickle. The truly mesmerising performance was choreographed by Gareth Walker and featured statement headpieces with bold fashion styling and design by Adam Reed. 

LCT DUBLIN 2024 ARKIVE framework
LCT DUBLIN 2024 ARKIVE framework

fRAmEwoRk by ARKIVE by Adam Reed

LCT DUBLIN 2024 ARKIVE framework

Hairdressers, finalists and winners alike wrapped up their evening with the help of a live DJ, as the drinks continued to flow, and canapes were served, celebrating in style and danced out the night in true LCT Dublin fashion. 

Related

Clean Beauty? It’s More Than Just Products

Clean Beauty? It’s More Than Just Products

Clean Beauty? It's More Than Just Products

Promotion – Bonacure Clean from Schwarzkopf Professional

As the conversation around clean beauty gathers pace, Schwarzkopf Professional knows that the movement means so much more than the formulas of shampoos and conditioners…

Schwarzkopf Professional BC Clean model
Schwarzkopf Professional BC Clean

You’ve probably had plenty of clients in your chair asking you about what exactly is in the products you’re using, asking about formulas and ingredients. Clean beauty is not a passing trend; this is a way of life for an increasing number of consumers… but to be really clean? It’s going to take more than a shampoo!

With a passionate dedication to sustainability, Schwarzkopf Professional is keen to empower the industry to think differently about clean hair care. This is not just about using the right products – it’s a philosophy that goes beyond labels. The brand’s approach to clean beauty revolves around simplicity, sustainability, and transparency, showcasing that clean, free-from hair care doesn’t require compromising on performance. In fact, its next generation formulas – powered by vegan keratin and skincare-inspired ingredients your clients will know and love – can empower both your finished results AND your retail business. This is 360-degree thinking, building your business in line with consumer beauty trends to help you thrill more clients, today and in the future.

Why clean beauty matters…

What does clean beauty mean? It’s about choosing products that are free from harmful chemicals and made with a commitment to sustainability. And just look at the newest salons and the entrepreneurs behind them, as well as the freshest crop of independent stylists, because the clean beauty movement is reshaping the hairdressing industry. They are driving demand for products that deliver excellent results without the need for harsh additives. It’s not only their clients that care; so too do these new of stylists and salon owners.

Clean beauty delivers

The Bonacure Clean Performance range from Schwarzkopf Professional showcases its commitment to clean beauty;
that a clean approach to hair care leads to better hair health and a more sustainable future. Here’s why it matters:
Less build-up… and better texture: These formulas avoid heavy silicones and waxes, reducing product build-up and
enhancing hair’s natural texture and volume. Result!

Reduced risk of allergies: Post-Covid, lots of consumers are more sensitive to ingredients. The elimination of sulphates, artificial colorants, and other harsh chemicals makes clean beauty ideal for those with sensitive scalps or prone to allergies. Long-lasting hair health: Clean hair care promotes healthier hair long term, with fewer additives that can lead to dependency. Sustainability and environmental responsibility: By choosing clean beauty, you’re making a choice that benefits both your clients’ hair AND the planet. Surely that’s a convincing argument?

Myth-busting clean beauty

Yes, lots of people are talking clean beauty… but not everyone is getting it right. Let’s debunk some common misconceptions so you can consult with confidence. Being ‘clean’ doesn’t necessarily mean vegan, natural, or green – although these categories often overlap. Here’s what sets them apart:

Clean: Focuses on simplicity, avoiding unnecessary chemicals like sulphates and mineral oils.
Vegan: Excludes animal-derived ingredients but may still contain synthetic chemicals.
Natural: Uses plant, animal, or mineral-based ingredients, but isn’t necessarily eco-friendly.
Green: Emphasises environmental sustainability throughout a product’s lifecycle.

At its core, clean beauty is about using simple, essential ingredients that are kind to your hair and the environment… and Schwarzkopf Professional is inviting hair pros and clients to embrace the clean beauty movement! With its Bonacure Clean Performance range, Schwarzkopf Professional is totally committed to delivering high-performing hair care that solve your clients’ problems… while also being clean. Gorgeous looking, healthy hair and a cleaner conscience – it’s a futureproofing formula for your business!

Join the clean beauty movement with Schwarzkopf Professional as your planet-friendly partner! Discover everything about the brand, the products and the power of its skincare-inspired ingredients at schwarzkopfpro.com/bonacure 

Related