A Creative HEAD and AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT partnership

It’s Serving Realness

A Creative HEAD and AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT partnership

Venture behind the scenes as Joseph Ferraro and Melissa Timperley deliver their authentic takes on two iconic styles in a Creative HEAD and AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT partnership shoot.

by AMANDA | CREATIVE PROJECTS

Other hairdressers? We’re fascinated by them. They captivate us. The way they work, their routines and inspirations… And we’re obsessed with gaining that insider knowledge – to find out how a look is approached, to see a creative process unfold, to witness signature skills in action. We’re here for the back stories – and in an exclusive partnership between Creative HEAD and AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT, that’s what we’re going to get, as we unpack authentic takes on two iconic styles from a pair of cutting creatives par excellence. Joseph Ferraro? He’s serving long and luscious, while Melissa Timperley is dissecting the modern-day bob. The door at London’s Stā Studios is open…

Joseph Ferraro
Joseph Ferraro Hair, Harrogate

My authentic style is…
As I’ve gotten older, my authentic style would be something that has to compliment the client’s or the model’s face shape and hair structure. It’s about keeping it as real as possible – try not to make it too extravagant, too complicated and do what feels right for me and the clients.

Who really owns their authentic style?
Paloma Faith, she knows her own identity, whether you like it or not. She comes on stage and portrays herself as who she is. She would be fab to style – she’s fun and bubbly and that comes across with her hair and style as well.

AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT Hero?
I love Working Hairspray. On photographic shoots or session work in shows, I love it because it gives you the ability to change it up, brush it out and still keep the shine. 

The Minimalist Mermaid

“This is a very effortless wave that’s brushed out, but it’s a little bit irregular. You don’t want a uniform feel for a new era mermaid wave…”

“Some of the sections I took a little bit lower from the roots, using a triple barrel waver. Some of the sections are higher and then some of the sections at the ends I left out straighter, so it just feels a little bit more effortless. I’ve used the Nymph Salt Spray to prep and give it that sort of gritty, lived-in texture and then working with the Working Hairspray.

“The key to make it look modern? Don’t be afraid to brush it out. Get a comb in there, get your fingers in there and give it that very fluffy texture but still keeping that wave looking through it.”

The kit: Nymph Salt Spray, Working Hairspray and Strong Hold Hairspray from AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT

The Piecey Pony

“The genesis is the classic, elegant ponytail… but I didn’t want just a simple pony!”

“This has an editorial twist to it. A little bit of Nymph Salt Spray at the roots gives me some grit when I’m putting it up. I split the hair into two ponytails, with the top one taking hair from around the ear to the top of the head to elevate it. Once they were merged into a tight ponytail, I wrapped a little bit of wire around to create that elongated pony that we could shape later. Once that was in place, I used an invisible cotton to criss-cross all the way through. I used Working Hairspray throughout, then pulled bits out of the pony to create this lovely bubble effect that I could then shape with the wire.”

The kit: Amplify Mousse, Nymph Salt Spray and Working Hairspray from AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT

The Nineties Knots

“It’s a little bit more raw, a little bit more textured, very organic and not too symmetrical. It’s very much a visual placement that I’ve done, looking at my model, and with no hard lines.”

“I went for more of a twist on the side rather than a braid, it feels organic rather than a bit more of a pretty braid. This twist is more complimentary to this soft texture.

“I worked in a lot of the Nymph Salt Spray and the Working Hairspray. I’ve just used m fingers to create the section, so no hard lines with a comb. I have knotted the hair just like you would do a knot – probably about three times on each section because her hair was very long. Then I’ve roped and twisted the end and basically wrapped that end into itself and then pulled it out to create something that’s irregular.

“Working through the front, if you just go into circular motions, you’ll see a lot of the baby hair or that new growth hair. It creates a bit more of a three-dimensional look.”

The kit: Nymph Salt Spray and Working Hairspray from AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT

Melissa Timperley
Melissa Timperley Salons, Manchester

My authentic style is…
Classic with a fashionable modern twist.

Who really owns their authentic style?
Anne Hathaway – she’s having a moment! Yeah. I love that no matter what role she plays, she seems to be herself always, her most natural self. She can be quite a chameleon in the way she changes her look, but it’s always authentic to her.

AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT Hero?
Hydrate Curl Enhancer. We do a lot of curly hair in the salon, and this is my go-to.

The Hydro Bob

“You’ll always see a wet bob seen on the red carpet. My model’s hair has got a lot of natural texture, and I wanted to create a real smooth and shiny canvas without it looking greasy.”

“I cocktailed the Amplify Conditioner and Amplify Mousse together to create this sheen that’s going to take out some of the natural texture and keep it looking flawless. This is a new way of wearing a bob, creating more of a sleek, defined look but still with some
authentic texture in it. Be warned; you’ve got to be careful that it doesn’t look like you’ve just stepped out of the shower. I want that sexy sweatiness about it…”

Be very generous with your product. You want to make sure the products aren’t just for the look – you still want the hair to move. I’ve paired a gel conditioner – using it as a styling gel with a mousse but something that’s not going to dry crispy!”

The kit: Amplify Conditioner and Amplify Mousse from AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT

The Bedhead Bob

“This is giving me Zendaya! The whole point of this lock is to enhance the natural texture.

We’ve started with soaking wet hair pre-cleansed, and with this hair type, it needed moisture. We used the Hydrate Cleanser, then it’s a mixture of the Amplify Mousse and the Hydrate Curl Enhancer.

“You need the hair to be absolutely soaking wet to apply the product and then enhance the movement. I diffused the hair, making sure not to move the hair too much as you diffuse – it’s a common mistake people make when diffusing hair. To elevate the look even more I just tonged a little in the front section, shortening the length to create a little bit more movement.”

The kit: Hydrate Cleanser, Amplify Mousse and Hydrate Curl Enhancer from AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT

The Fauxhawk

“This creates the softness and versatility of a ponytail, while still keeping all the hair off the face.”

“This is great for anyone who wants to spice up a ponytail but doesn’t want to have that slick look of a bun. We worked with the model’s authentic texture, using the Airy Texture Spray and the Nude Powder Spray to create some fullness in the hair. I separated it into three ponytails – one at the top, one at the crown and one at the bottom back and flipped out each ponytail and then pinned it into place. It’s pretty simple, and one that clients can create at home.”

The kit: Airy Texture Spray, Nude Powder Spray and Working Hairspray from AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT

A Creative HEAD shoot, in partnership with AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT
HAIR: Joseph Ferraro and Melissa Timperley for AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY: Andrew Woffinden (A&R Creative), assisted by Marija Vainilaviciute and Luke Weller
FASHION: Harriet Nicolson (Stella Creative Artists)
MAKE-UP: Cat Parnell using Charlotte Tilbury
EDITORIAL: Amanda Nottage (Creative HEAD)
SOCIAL MEDIA & REPORTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY: Kelsey Dring and Aoife Connell (Creative HEAD)
PRODUCTION: Joanna Kidd (Creative HEAD)
MODELS: Maisie Stock (MOT) and Nayha Queiroz (MMG Models)
Shot on location at Stā Studios, with thanks to Greg Thomas