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.

Book Online
Schedule your appointment today!

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

Kate's Avatar Meet Kate Follow my RSS Feed
Joe's Avatar Meet Joe Follow my RSS Feed
Megan's Avatar Meet Megan Follow my RSS Feed
John's Avatar Meet John Follow my RSS Feed
D'Arcy's Avatar Meet D'Arcy Follow my RSS Feed
Daneielle's Avatar Meet Danielle Follow my RSS Feed

Articles from ‘Hair Color’

Friday, September 16th, 2011

Subtle Changes

I have a client named Amanda who is just fantastic to work with. She has an energetic personality with a real eye for color and has incorporated that into her hair style. Amanda is a big fan of cool shades and rarely strays from this palette. Originally, Amanda started out at as a bridal up do client and has forayed the relationship we forged then into an ongoing collaboration on her hair. Once the wedding was over, we cut and colored her hair either violet with natural black or electric blue and natural black. This is accomplished through the Balayage technique- hand painted bleach strips to create a soft “streaky” effect. Then the semi- permanent vivid shade is applied to dry hair and put under a dryer for thirty minutes to aid in the color’s longevity.

Although Amanda is stated with how she styles herself, she always consults with me regarding the best option for her aesthetically in addition to what will be the least damaging to her hair. Recently, Amanda asked my opinion on how to change her hair. What we decided was to take her usual one length, shoulder grazing bob into a slightly more inverted version (shorter in back and longer in front). Also, we shortened her bangs significantly from just below the eyebrow line to far above.

We weren’t completely sure where we wanted to go with color, so we decided to cover up the blue highlights with the natural black we usually use. This will help condition the hair by adding pigment while also creating a fresh palette for color in the future. I really like this subtle alteration of her hairstyle and think its a a great practical solution until we get inspired again!

I always shampoo Amanda with Advanced Color Protection by Italy Hairfashion because it’s economical and does not strip hair color. I then followed up with Anti Frizz Conditioner by Alterna’s Bamboo line. It truly minimizes those annoying flyaways and unruly hairs. To style, we used MoroccanOil to blowdry and flat iron her hair into place, making it look sleek and chic. It also works wonders for frizz and gives hair a brilliant shine.

You don’t have to be dramatic when you change your hair. Add some facial framing to a trim or choose a hair color level lighter or darker than you usually go. Sometimes a taste of change is just what the “hair doctor” ordered! Book online today!

Post by D’Arcy

TagsAlterna Products, Balayage, Hair Color, Hair Ideas

Sunday, August 28th, 2011

Hair by Franz: Seth’s Cut and Color

I used Seth as a model a week or so ago. He came in with longer light blonde hair that was nice, but not entirely even. He hadn’t had a cut in a long time and was open for me doing anything. I really liked the idea of him staying lighter but I wanted to give hima little bit extra.


We started with his color and used a low strength bleach to lighten his hair a bit more and create a more even color. We then toned with a cooler toner to create a more white look to his hair. While we toned his hair, we feathered in some black on the ends of his left side, following his jawline.


Once the color was complete, we worked on his cut. I really liked the longer and shaggier look for him, but with some Capitol Hill edge to it. We cut his right side down to about an inch, short enough to be dramatically shorter, but long enough to style back with product. That was then blended up through to the longer hair in the back. We then cut layers into his hair to give him a bit more of a shaggy look.

For styling we used MoroccanOil to give the hair a little bit of moisture and protein from the chemical processing and heat styling that it had been exposed to in the past. It also helped the hair dry faster. Seth’s hair is pretty straight, so we used our flat iron to curl the down at the root and up on the ends to give the appearance of wavy hair. We then used Kevin.Murphy Night.Rider to hold the short side down and give hold and texture to the longer hair.

Think Seth has a great look? Schedule an appointment with me by calling Emerson Salon at 206-323-7437 or booking online at

Post by Franz

TagsClient Photos, Extreme Hair, Franz Falkowski, Hair Color, Hair Styles, Men's Hair

Sunday, August 14th, 2011

Bursts of Color

Lately we have seen many female stars getting bolder and bolder with their hair choices. This is encouraging as the definition of beauty becomes broader and broader. This week, Dianna Agron of Glee fame shocked us all by donning a pink hue to her usually blond tresses. This color was most likely achieved through the use of a vivid semi permanent like the Pravanna Vivids we use at Emerson Salon. These products are better than Manic Panic or Special Effects colors because of their added chromasilk protein and shades formulated with botanicals and plant derived pigments.

Most hair must be pre lightened with bleach prior to applying a vivid color and this process can cause damage. The chromasilk helps to fill in the damage and aid the hair in feeling healthier. Dianna also just cut her hair into what is now being dubbed a “shab” which is a play on combining a bob and a shag. A bob is a haircut just below the ears or down to just above the shoulders. A shag is a haircut that has lots of texture, layers and movement.

Weeks ago, I did a post on pop star Katy Perry’s process to get her hair lighter. She had to live with “ginger” locks for a few weeks while on the way to blond hair so she could eventually apply the subtle lavender color you see here. Lavender is a difficult color to achieve as many vivid lines just have concentrated colors and not pastels. If I were to try to achieve this color on a client, I would bleach it to pale yellow and then create a custom color, coupling light pink with a dot or two of violet.

Last but certainly never least is the Queen of Bold- Lady Gaga! Her array of wigs gives her many options for her appearances and concerts. Here she wears an eccentric teal bob but for a few weeks we saw probably 4 or 5 different versions of teal- long, short, super high beehive, whatever! I even have a client who rocks the electric blue like Gaga and loves how it looks! She is in every 5-6 weeks to have the vivid shade refreshed.

Whatever your style you can add as much boldness as you want! Add a streak or do it all over! Book today…

Post by D’Arcy

TagsBobs, Celebrity Hairstyles, D'Arcy Harrison, Hair Color, Shab

Sunday, July 24th, 2011

Style Shifts in Hollywood

It seems now is the time to change hair looks- from Hollywood, to New York, from music to film, and from celebrity to everyday jane!


Here we look at a fun, outside the box change with Lauren Conrad’s new blue and purple hair tips. This is an easy way to transform blond hair into a more vivacious and bold, new look! We love this spunky new addition that transforms her from her usual put together look into a more effervescent beauty!

To style: Rough blowdry with Anti.Gravity by Kevin.Murphy. Spray in Hair Resort Spray By KM and curl with a large barrel curling iron. Finish with Rapid Repair Spray for shine by Alterna.


For a few days, people thought Vanessa Hudgens was sporting a short wig for a film but alas! it was actually a drastically shorter do! Vanessa has naturally wavy hair that is very thick and dense and has been long ever since she debuted in High School Musical. This cut is great as it still softens her and actually aids in making her look taller as the petite Vanessa was visually almost overpowered by her hair length. The perimeter hits past the ears and leaves a rounded nape in addition to long layers that are pulled back away from the face.

To style: Apply MoroccanOil Glimmer Shine to towel dried hair and dry with a medium sized, round bristle brush away from the face. To finish, lightly spray Texture Master by Kevin.Murpy for movement, height and hold.


Lastly, we came to know Evan Rachel Wood’s True Blood character Queen Sophie-Anne LeClerq as a feisty, redheaded lesbian vampire. Recently, though, Evan opted to completely alter her look into a shorter do with cropped sides and a longer, textured top. She also toned down the red by “browning out” the sides and nape in addition to bleach and toning the top into a beige blond with a balayage technique.

To style: On dry hair apply Night.Rider by Kevin.Murphy to the top lengths for texture and height. Then spray with Session.Spray by Kevin.Murphy for height and hold. Tip: Using your fingers and a medium heat blow dryer will help set the hair spray when creating height.

Looking to shift your style, too? Subtle or Dramatic we are here to serve at Emerson and we give you,
“Whatcha Whatcha Whatcha Want!”( Beastie Boys)

Post by D’arcy

TagsBalayage, Celebrity Hairstyles, D'Arcy Harrison, Hair Color, Movies, Short Hair, Styling Tips, Television

Saturday, July 9th, 2011

Katy Perry’s Color Adventure

There has been a lot of talk on twitter lately since Katy Perry tweeted, “So I didn’t get to the exact color I wanted from being black for so long! To get to goal I have to be a ginger for three weeks!” (US Weekly). Katy has worn many different hair looks from colored wigs, colored extensions, to elaborate hair creations for videos and gorgeous red carpet looks.


Some might ask, why does Katy Perry have to wait for the color she wants when she has access to the best products and top of the line services? This is something I tell many of my clients who want to go significantly lighter on previously colored dark hair: Black and Natural Black hair colors are the most difficult to remove from the hair.

When lifting the hair it is easier to soften the hair color to brown or red but lifting past the brassy or orange stage can be a challenge even for the most seasoned stylist. I ask my clients whether they feel committed to the dark hair color for at least 6 months to a year because frequent color changes can cause major breakage and color fading and inconsistencies. I generally recommend using a demi-permanent darker shade to avoid such issues in the future.

As a stylist, I have encountered the “Bleach Wall” which means that after extensive bleaching to lift the black color out that the hair will decide not to lift any more. Hair can only take so much and the last thing anyone wants is a “chemical” haircut where you lose density and length due to extensive damage. So, in order for Katy Perry to keep as much of her hair as possible it is necessary to give the hair a week or two break. During this time it is best to do as much deep conditioning as possible. We have a few we carry at the salon:

  • MoroccanOil Restorative Masque goes on damp hair after shampooing and is left in for 2o minutes at room temperature. This contains protein, shea butter, canola oil, vegetable protein and keratin.
  • Born.Again by Kevin.Murphy goes on damp hair and under heat for 20 minutes. It contains natural anti-oxidants and botanicals such as rose hip and rose absolute which are intensive hydraters and regenerators.
  • An in salon treatment called Caviar Rejuvenation Treatment (CRT) that contains 3 steps and takes up to an hour to complete. It contains no sulfates, parabens, gluten, dea, paba, paraffin or pthalates. It does contain skin enzymetherapy, seasilk and uva/uvb protection. This service can be done the same day as the initial bleaching process but is recommended as a preventative tool rather than an aid in additional bleaching the day of.
  • After the hair has taken a well deserved vacation from bleaching, high heat tools and sun then the final step of lifting through the “ginger” can be achieved. The hair will still be delicate and must be treated with the ultimate care with professional level shampoos and conditioners like Alterna’s Bamboo Anti Frizz line which not only helps smooth down the roughed up hair but is also color safe.

We can’t wait to see what haircolor Katy comes up with after her “hair break”! What color will you change to? Book a consultation today!

Post by D’arcy

TagsCelebrity Hairstyles, Corrective Color, D'Arcy Harrison, Hair Care, Hair Color, Women's Hair

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

Hair by Franz: Jen’s Cut and Color

Jen came in to me the other week and we cut an colored her hair. She had coppery red hair that had faded a lot. Her hair was looking somewhat gold. but we knew we wanted to stay red, just touch up her new growth and re-establish a color on her ends. We decided to go with a light golden copper blond color.We had to wrap her feathers (which you can’t really see in the picture) in tin foil to avoid coloring them.

As for her Cut and Style we kept her length and touched up her layers to just keep everything nice and neat. To style her we used Kevin.Murphy Anti.Gravity at her roots to add volume to her do and then round-brush curled her ends with Hair.Resort for added hold to the curl. The end result was a soft wave that looks beautifully soft and subtle.

Do you think this look works for you? Have any questions? Feel free to book an appointment with me by calling 206-323-7437 or booking online at Emersonsalon.com or emersonsalon@gmail.com

Post by Franz

TagsBlowout, Client Photos, Franz Falkowski, Hair Color, Hair Styles, Women's Hair

Sunday, June 5th, 2011

3 Reasons To Get Your Hair Colored Professionally

Sure, getting that box of color from the grocery store can be convenient and simple but here are 3 reasons why you should choose to go to a hair professional:

hair-color-savvy-are-you-L

Reason 1: Salon color is designed to provide complete customizable color to each individual. This means that whatever tone you want, there are professionals who are trained to ensure that you get exactly what you want. Non-professional hair color cannot achieve the same results that a professional hair colorist can.

Reason 2:Box hair color contain metallic salts. These can be harmful to the hair and unpredictable, while professional color is much more predictable and healthier for the hair. When you get your hair colored, you want to to be sure of what the out come will be.

Reason 3: A classic senario: People come in who have dyed their hair dark with boxed color want to become blonde. Unfortunately, box hair color has some serious staying power and wont lift out of the hair without some hard work, which can cost you more time, money, and possibly sacrifice some of the health of your hair. (Not to say that we won’t be happy to assist you change) When it comes down to it, box color isn’t for people who like to change their minds.

I hope you found this informative!

Book your next consultation with a hair professional at Emerson Salon

Post by Franz

TagsCorrective Color, Franz Falkowski, Hair Color

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

My Favorite Products: The MoroccanOil Oil Treatment

A few weeks ago I lifted my hair from a medium brown with red streaks to a light blond, attempting to get a color that was closer to my natural. It ended up becoming a color correction, but the results were gorgeous! But the processes put on my already very processed hair left it wanting a bit of TLC. This is when I turn to MoroccanOil products.


The MoroccanOil Oil Treatment is my best friend. It not only is a great prep product to compliment almost any style, but it conditions and strengthen’s over-processed hair. An added perk for anyone who doesn’t like spending a lot of time drying their hair in the morning, MoroccanOil Oil Treatment reduces drying time!

After having used it for two weeks religiously, my hair feels noticeably healthier and stronger. I recommend this product to anyone who is concerned about damage or wants beautiful smooth hair.

Pick up yours at Emerson Salon, today!

Post by Franz

TagsDamaged Hair, Franz Falkowski, Hair Care, Hair Color, Hair Products, Hair Repair, MoroccanOil

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

When Can I Bleach Again?

So I was asked the other day: “I just bleached my hair a few days ago. When is it ok to bleach it again so it won’t fall out?”


To answer this question you really need to know all that the hair has been through. If it has been though multiple processes (say… 2-3 bleachings in a row or more), I would say you would want to give it a few weeks to a month recuperate (If its really damaged, I wouldn’t recommend bleaching it at all). While you wait, use repairing products like the MoroccanOil Intense Hydrating Mask. You may also want to use styling products like Kevin.Murphy Body.Guard and the Alterna Caviar Rapid Repair Spray.

The best course of action when trying to achieve a color through multiple bleachings or colorings, is to create a plan of attack with your stylist so that you can keep the health of your hair in mind.

Hope this answers your question!

Post by Franz

TagsAsk A Stylist, Damaged Hair, FAQ, Franz Falkowski, Hair Color, Hair Repair

Monday, April 18th, 2011

Picture of the Day: Ellie Goulding at Neumos!

ellie

Last Monday night, I went to go see Ellie Goulding perform at Neumos. Ellie sang beautifully and was adorable as ever. Her hair is lifted to a very light, cool blond color. Her haircut is very textured, with many shorter layers towards the face blending into the longer lengths at the bottom. She also has bangs that swoop from the left side of her face to the right.

I recommend starting with Alterna Caviar Volume shampoo and conditioner to start the style, the blowdry in some of the Alterna Hemp Texture Glaze to create a look that emphasizes your texture, but keeps the hair movable.

Think this look is for you? Come into Emerson Salon to get your new look today!

Enjoy this video of Ellie Goulding singing Writer at the concert.

Thanks to ER3 Photography for the picture of Ellie Goulding from the concert.

Post by Franz

TagsCelebrity Hairstyles, Franz Falkowski, Hair Color, Hair Styles, Music, Women's Hair

« Older Entries