In the last few years, hair extensions have blossomed from a rich girl’s indulgence to a fun, reasonable change for a stylish girl with specific hair length or fullness preferences.

At Emerson Salon, D’Arcy of D’Arcy Hair Design has been wearing Babe Hair Extensions since March of 2011. Here, we show you her old look with blunt bangs and a short bob. Then, right after the extension application and haircut, Lastly, the most recent pic of her on this website. It is a dramatic transformation but it is not necessary to add length. Some finer hair ladies like to add extra density so styling looks its best and lasts longer. And others like adding pieces of the fun purple, magenta, pink, blue, green, or orange to save their hair from prelightening damage. (Darker hair needs to be prelightened in order for some vivid colors to show up the best.)

My pricing for extensions is as follows:
(The colors will be chosen during the consultation in addition to determining the number of pieces required for the desired result. The selection ranges from vivid, punk colors to natural hair colors.) You pay after the consultation for the cost of the hair and beads (wholesale).

• Application: $70/hr (due at time of service)
• Move up: $35/hr (due at time of service/usually every 4-6 weeks)
• Beads: $14.00/100 beads
• 18” straight: $38.75/ 20 pcs
• 22” straight or wavy: $50.00/ 20pcs

It can take between 40-200 pcs depending on desired result

It is important to provide appropriate care to the extensions by:

• Combing from the ends up
• Use dry shampoo so oils from your scalp will not break down the hard wax on the extension tip. D’Arcy uses Alterna’s Caviar Dry Shampoo. It is a talc free powder and it rocks!
• Scheduling regular maintenance (every 4-6 weeks)
• Using salon quality shampoo, conditioner and styling product. D’Arcy uses Alterna Bamboo Anti Frizz Shampoo and Conditioner because it helps keep the extensions from matting up by smoothing with bamboo extract and other ingredients. She also uses Alterna Kendi oil to protect her hair while she curls it.

Be brave and try out a new look- its within your reach!

Post by D’Arcy

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.

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

Lorena came in to get her hair cut by me last week. This was a really fun cut to do because I got to witness a dramatic change. Lorena has a lot of hair and she didn’t have a lot of layers. Combine these with the fact that she has curly hair naturally means that she had a huge amount of hair.

When we cut her hair, we cut her shortest layers to fall at her lips so to relieve a lot of weight and bulk and show off her natural texture a bit better. I wouldn’t recommend this for people with more straight hair or thinner heads of hair because it will more than likely remove too much hair and make it look even more thin.

When we curled her hair, we wanted to get her looking good for her trip to the beach. After we washer her with Alterna Bamboo Anti-Frizz shampoo and Conditioner, our products de jour were Kevin.Murphy Motion.Lotion, to fight frizz and enhance her curl, Kevin.Murphy Damage.Manager, to protect her hair from the heat, and Kevin.Murphy Hair.Resort Spray to help give her curls a bit more of a beach texture.

When we curled her hair we left a few inches out of her roots and ends and just wrapped the hair down around an open curling iron in large horizontal sections. Once the hair was too hot to touch, we let the hair down and let it cool. Once the head was completed and cooled we broke up the curls with out fingers lightly and sprayed the Hair.Resort on the hair.

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

Ah, wedding season is upon us! Some of you are getting married, some of you are participating in a wedding or some are going to be attending-but regardless of what role you play, you want to look your absolute best!

Here, I have shown some examples of simple, classic formal styles for weddings and some that get a little bit more creative. The range of styles is wide so I tell my brides to schedule a consultation a few weeks before the big day. Its always best to bring pictures of what you would like and not like as I can create a personalized look for you based on the elements you would like to include. No bad prom looking hair for you and my updos are built to last through sweat, tears and dancing!

I also recommend a bridal practice session ahead of time to trouble shoot any problems in the style. It eases your mind and helps me to plan out the best layout for the hair to maximize aesthetics for pictures as well as making sure the style stays all day into night!

Here is our pricing structure for formal styling:
-Bridal practice session: $40 (can include a shampoo/ blowout after)
-Bridal styling: $100-$120 (price varies based on length or density)

(Group discount: More than 3 people (including the bride): bridal $85-$95, others in group $45)

Look your best on your big day with Emerson Salon- book today!

Post by D’arcy

The other day i did my friend Rachael’s hair. She came in with a picture of Haley Williams from Paramore and her hair that she had been cutting herself to one length. The Determination?: We needed layers! The whole look is supposed to emphasize texture that she had been lacking previously. We chose to cut her hair with a razor to have a more messy look. We brought the layers in the back very high to have as much texture and movement as possible. We then brought it through to have shorter layers in the front so as to now loose too much weight in the front.

When we styled her hair, we prepped it with Kevin.Murphy Hair.Resort to aid in speeding up blow drying and helping give a more beachy messy texture. Once dry we flat ironed the hair using Kevin.Muprhy Damage.Manager to protect the hair from the thermal damage and finished up with Kevin.Muprhy Texture.Master to emphasize the punky texture we had just given her.

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

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

Francis Barber plays as one of the mysterious villains of the BBC show Doctor Who. Little is known of Barber’s character so far, but we know that she can definitely rock her futuristic, femme fatale updo!

The best way to get this look is to have your hair brushed back towards your crown and the top of your hair. Pin the hair in place and then proceed to spray the hair with Kevin.Murphy Damage.Manager to protect the hair from heat. Take your curling iron and, while taking small sections, curl the hair and pin the curls in place to cool. In the front, curl the hair away from your face and let it drop down to cool.

Think this would be a great look for you? Come into Emerson Salon and book an appointment with me today!

Post by Franz

Katy perry’s Music video for her song Last Friday Night shows her transformation from dental headgear to 80′s bombshell! The video is funny and entertaining with cameos and guest stars like Kenny G and Rebecca Black.

Post by Franz

Have you managed to get to the theaters and see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie? If you haven’t I recommend it! If not for the wacky, witty antics of Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow, go for the sultry looks of Penélope Cruz. She plays Angelica, the daughter of the infamous pirate Black Beard.

Cruz was recently shown on the cover of Vogue Magazine with a messy braid. To get this style, first wash your hair with Alterna Caviar Volume Shampoo and Conditioner. Then I would use the Kevin.Murphy Motion.Lotion in conjunction with Kevin.Murphy Hair.Resort to style the hair. The Motion.Lotion will help enhance curl and fight frizz while the Hair.Resort will help give you that beach texture. Apply the products after towel drying your hair. then lightly blow dry using the Kevin.Murphy Texture.Comb, twisting the hair towards the nape. Then braid a standard braid very low on the head and tie it off with a small clear band.

Think this look is for you? Come into Emerson Salon Today!

Post by Franz

Zoe Saldana was recently in Cannes Festival for The Tree Of Life premiere wearing a red & white dress by Giorgio Armani.

To style your hair like Zoe, first wash your hair with the Alterna Bamboo Shine Shampoo and Conditioner. These with give your hair that soft sleek and shiny look and feel for the red carpet. I would then prep the towel dried hair with MorrocanOil Oil Treatment. Once the hair is completely dried, spray the hair with Kevin.Murphy Heated.Defense before pulling out your curling iron, this will protect the hair from the iron by acting as a buffer for the heat, while still allowing you to curl the hair.

Start curling by grabbing sections of hair starting where your fringe lays. With these sections of hair, curl them by holding the iron vertically and curl away from the face on the lower lengths of the hair. When removing the hair from the iron, hold it up with your palm and let it cool slightly before letting it drop. Continue with this pattern all the way around the head. Finish your style with a quick spray of Kevin.Murphy Session.Spray and Viola! You’re ready for the Red Carpet!

Zoe Saldana be seen this fall in the upcoming film the Colombiana.

Get your Red Carpet style by booking your appointment at Emereson Salon

Post by Franz