Capitol Hill's Premier Haircuts & Color

Emerson Salon is the best hair salon on Capitol Hill, Seattle. Our experienced hair stylists and colorists have been fusing the latest trends with top hair techniques for years. Whether you’re looking to transform your look in Seattle with a new haircut and color or just maintain your already hip style, we are here and ready to help.

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909 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
T: 206-323-7437
@: emersonsalon@gmail.com

Articles from ‘Amanda Kochansky’

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Valentine’s Day

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Forget the flowers this Valentine’s Day and get a little creative. Pamper your significant other with a haircut, conditioning treatment (comes with a nice and relaxing scalp massage), color or blow dry and style.

Flowers die and they just aren’t original. Chocolate is great, but also not too high on the creativity scale. Dinner is a lovely idea but on Valentine’s Day it’s hard to get romantic when the restaurant crams in as many guests as possible then tries to rush you out. Take my word for it, spoiling your significant other with a service from any one of our stylists here at Emerson Salon will impress and de-stress. Show them that you are not only original but thoughtful.

If a haircut doesn’t sound like enough, we offer several different lines of luxurious hair products for all types of hair. We carry Alterna which is a great line that offers many alternatives for styling products, shampoos and conditioners. Kevin Murphy, which is an excellent line that uses mostly natural products and essential oils. We also have a promotional offer when you buy Angel Wash Shampoo and Conditioner you receive a free Staying Alive leave in conditioner ( a $22 value). We carry Moroccan Oil which is an amazing, versatile line. And last but not least, Fudge products. Great for shorter hair and men’s hair.

This year, think outside the heart shaped box and treat that special someone with a gift from Emerson Salon! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Post by Amanda

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Lee McQueen

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The tragic news that Alexander McQueen’s founder and designer, Lee McQueen, was found dead in his London home Thursday, has rocked the fashion world. The designer, 40, was set to unveil his newest collection at the upcoming Paris Fashion Week and has passed just days before London Fashion Week. The designer had also just recently released the news of his mother’s death on February 2, 2010. It has been reported that his death will not be treated as suspicious though police will not comment on the speculation of suicide.

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McQueen was first discovered in the early 90s by Isabella Blow, the fashion director of Tatler. Soon after he was made head designer of Givenchy. Nicknamed “l’enfant terrible,” the designer went on to win the British Designer of the Year 4 times between the years 1996 and 2003. He was also given the International Designer of The Year at The Council of Fashion Designer Awards, to name just a few of his accomplishments.

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The fashion icon worked with many celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker, Rihanna, and Lady GaGa. Lady GaGa debuted her video for “Bad Romance” at the designer’s Spring collection debut in October of 2009. In the video Lady GaGa is wearing very dramatic, intricate costumes designed by McQueen. In my opinion, he was made for the job. His beautiful, Gothic designs, which he is known for are striking and capture the full effect of the song. The shoes he created for her are incredible.

The fashion industry has definitely suffered a great loss, though he has inspired many and will live on through his designs. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

Post by Amanda

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Penelope Cruz’s Broken Embraces

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Pedro Almodovar’s newest film “Broken Embraces” is a must see. The film that has already sparked Oscar buzz stars Penelope Cruz. Almodovar and Cruz have worked together on several other films already, including “Live Flesh,” “All About My Mother,” and “Volver.” The film takes place in the 1990s and then later in 2008. It is a film noir, but with a twist. It is filmed in bright color, making it very beautiful to watch. It has been described as a “four way tail of dangerous love.”

Seen here, is Penelope Cruz in a platinum, modern day Marilyn Monroe wig. Her look is chic, classic and easy to do. All it takes is a big barrel curling iron, a few bobby pins, a ton of backcombing and some good hairspray. Starting at the crown and through the sides, take small sections, and using the fine teeth of a comb begin to back comb at the root. This will create volume and a base for your pins to hold on to. (If your hair is not too long, you may not need pins at all.) From there, you will then take one-two inch sections, starting at the bottom and then curling. You may want some help when working on the back. Work your way up the head, spraying each section as you go. When you get to the front, curl away from your face and loosely curl your bangs. Keep spraying! You’re going to want to let is set briefly before going through it with a boar bristle brush. Gently brush out the curls and pin loosely in the back, keeping it off your neck. If you have a decent amount of back combing, this should be pretty easy to do. Using your fingers, break up the curl in the front and spray.

Check out Penelope’s style and the film, in theatres now.

Post by Amanda

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

New Season of Shear Genius

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I have a slight addiction to reality shows and Shear Genius is no exception. I am on the edge of my seat with anticipation for the new season. With a new host, new judges and fierce competition, we are sure to get our fill of drama. If you remember the show Blow Out, then you have to be just as excited as I am. That’s right, Jonathan Antin is back on Bravo. He will be one of the celebrity hairstylist judges this season. It’s not quite the same, but will do just fine.

Twelve accomplished stylists start out in the competition against one another to win $100,000, an apprenticeship and a shot at styling hair for Allure Magazine. The seasoned stylists are put to the test in various situations where they have to create picture perfect styles in sometimes less than desirable settings. Alongside Jonathan Antin is another celebrity stylist and hair color expert, Kim Vo. This will be his second season judging the competition.

The show provides a look into what goes on behind the chair to an extent. The producers add twists and drama to each of the challenges to make for a more intriguing show of course. It does give you insight into how a stylist decides on their approach to each look and the many different ways to accomplish the goal of making someone beautiful. I love the diversity of the stylists and each of their unique takes on their art form.

Tune in to the premiere of Shear Genius this Wednesday, February 3rd at 10:00pm!

Post by Amanda

Friday, January 29th, 2010

The Star Styles Shine at Sundance

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Despite the cold blustery weather, the stars are out, once again for Sundance Film Festival in Utah. Many of them opting for a more natural look to compliment the wool hats, gloves, scarves and layers of clothes they are sporting to keep warm.

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Amanda Peet, pregnant and glowing already, looked especially beautiful with natural looking makeup and her hair pulled back. The actress, 37, expecting her second daughter, keeps her look youthful and fresh with a slight shimmer on here cheekbones and temples, and fleshtone eyeshadow.

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Dakota Fanning, leaving her long, straight, blonde locks free flowing and parted down the center, looked all grown up for the event. Her choice in natural shades of makeup were also very age appropriate for the teenager. The young starlet who portrays Cherie Curie in the Joan Jett biopic “The Runaways” was at Sundance for the premiere.

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Kate Mara, who was at the festival for her film “HappyThankYourMorePlease” looked lovely in Autumn tones. Her copper locks compliment her naturally warmer skin. Her soft look accompanied her casual yet chic appearance at the festival. Beige eyeshadow, peachy cheeks and a soft rose lip make her look like she is wearing almost no makeup at all. She rocked this look the right way.

There you have it! Stars making the daytime, natural look glamorous and proving that you can still look good even when the weather is bad.

Post by Amanda

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Best Hair at the Golden Globes

Hot hair at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards.

Despite the unusual rain in Los Angeles this past Sunday, the stars managed to look incredible on the red carpet. These three, in particular, were my faves.

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Sandra Bullock, in her gorgeous Bottega Veneta gown, wore her hair swept to the side with loose curls. The strong side part in any updo is a great way to show off any earrings and add a fun element to a sophisticated look.

Actress Olivia Wilde arrives at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 17, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California.

Olivia Wilde, from the hit show House, also wore her hair in loose curls. However hers is worn sleek in the front with thick, cascading curls down the back. A slightly more formal look than Sandra’s. Her stylist may have added some hair extensions to thicken up the look. To duplicate this look, grab some hair from your local beauty supply and have your stylist incorporate it into your natural hair to add fullness. For a one time event, artificial hair will do just fine and is much more affordable.

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Finally, Cougar Town star, Courtney Cox wore her hair completely up with just a few strands left down to frame her face in front. Not an unusual or different look, but done well nonetheless. She always manages to look classic, tasteful and glamorous. Her dark hair also makes her baby blues just pop. Her updo is simple, with a little volume in the crown which pulls the whole style together.

There you have it. My top three at the Golden Globes. Stay tuned for my Grammy picks!

Post by Amanda

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Product of the Week: Moroccan Oil

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Moroccan Oil! This stuff is amazing! In fact the whole line works wonders. We can’t seem to keep this stuff on the shelves. Mainly because it is such a versatile product.

I absolutely love the Moroccan Oil Treatment for all hair types. And yes, you can literally use it for all hair types. Curly, straight, dry, thick, fine-this product is awesome. It moisturizes, protects from UV damage, conditions, helps smooth frizz, reduces flyaways, and smells great. All without leaving a heavy residue like a lot of other shine products.

Apply to damp hair before styling to minimize the frizz and protect from the blow dryer, or add a bit to dry hair to smooth, moisturize and fight flyaways. If you’re still not totally sold on this, we carry a small bottle for starters. You will be hooked!

Saturday, January 16th, 2010

Tegan And Sara Play Portland

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The identical twin Canadian rock star sisters known as Tegan and Sara have been a staple on many indie rocker’s playlists and now they are back with a new slate of killer songs in their sixth album, Sainthood. To help with promoting Sainthood, Tegan and Sara are coming to the Pacific Northwest and will be playing a show at the Keller Auditorium in Portland, OR on April 8, 2010.

In this picture, the sisters show off their new haircuts. Their former Joan Jett-esque fashion mullets are gone and have been replaced with two different looks. Tegan is rocking an edgy, asymmetrical mullet. Longer in the middle and through the back, down to one side, and cropped pretty short on the sides. To achieve this look, you will require a lot of texture, product and some flat ironing. I would probably choose to use Kevin Murphy’s Straight Defence and Alterna’s Styling Mud. For thicker hair, you can use a bit of Alterna’s Texturizing Glaze. Sarah’s new look is a bit more conservative, yet still stylish. Her look requires a strong side part, long sweeping fringe (bangs) and a slight a-line shape. I would also use Straight Defence and finish off the look with a flat iron and a bit of Texturizing Glaze.

Check out the trendy and talented twin’s new video for Hell, the lead single off of Sainthood!

Post by Amanda

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Nichole Richie’s New Brunette Locks

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Nicole Richie’s all grown up, with a family, her own jewelry line, the launch of her new fashion line and some new brunette locks. She has come a long way since her reality show “The Simple Life” with Paris Hilton. The new mom of two has come into her own over the last couple of years and what a difference it has made. She has found her own niche in the fashion world and is slowly but surely making an impact on style today.

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Even as a busy mom of daughter Harlow and son Sparrow, Nicole finds time to keep her look fresh and fashion forward. Giving me, a mom to be, and many others hope that we can still look hot post baby. Her new hair color is my favorite on her by far. It definitely compliments her skin tone and her bangs suit her face shape perfectly. Not only do the bangs look great on her, but they give the appearance of a style. You can easily leave your hair in it’s natural texture and just blow dry your bangs to give you a more finished look. A great trick for a girl on the go!

Post by Amanda

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

Product Of The Week: Alterna’s Caviar Rapid Repair Spray

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I recently have made the change from dark brown (one level away from black) hair to blonde. It has not been an easy process, but working in a salon sure helps. I have had to sacrifice quite a bit of length and a fair amount of hair health to get to the color that I wanted. One color remover and three extremely itchy bleaches later have taken me there. As you can imagine, bleach isn’t exactly good for the hair, but I have managed to keep the hair on my head thanks to Alterna’s Caviar Rapid Repair Spray.

I started using this product after the second bleach application. I will admit that I didn’t read the instructions and sprayed it onto my wet hair before blow drying. To my pleasant surprise, my hair felt soft!! I styled it as usual and was amazed at the result. I could comb through it and blow dry it, no problem. I immediately bought a bottle. However, my hair wasn’t quite the blonde I had hoped for. Still clinging to the red undertones, I subjected it once more to bleach. I thought a pixie cut was in my very near future. Thankfully, I was wrong. The bleach came off my head but left my hair behind. I once again, ran to the Rapid Repair and sprayed it on while my hair was wet. I then read the directions and realized it was a finishing spray that helps protect hair from flat irons,environmental damage and such. Oops. But it had worked so well. I continued to style my hair and then gave the product a shot at doing what it is supposed to do. My hair had shine! A miracle after what I had put it through. I will continue to use this miracle product as intended and also as a great leave in conditioner.

Post by Amanda