Kacie Nguyen, founder of Sunkissed Salon in San Jose, California was named the Salon & Spa Grand Prize Winner and Calen Koenig, owner of Electric Barbering in Williams, Arizona was named the Barber Grand Prize Winner. The Takara Turns 100 Contest was announced in conjunction with the celebration of Takara Belmont’s 100^th Anniversary. Participants were asked to share their dreams, experiences, and success stories for an opportunity to take home a grand prize package.

“Our team received many incredible submissions in the Takara Turns 100 Contest from a lot of amazing beauty and barber professionals around the nation,” said Kohei Fujimoto, COO at Takara Belmont USA, Inc. “It is truly an honor to celebrate our customers and their stories.”

“We couldn’t be more grateful or proud to be a part of every one of their journeys,” said Koji Orita, Executive Vice President of Takara Belmont USA, Inc. “It’s because of them and their enthusiasm for their profession, industry and for our products, that we can celebrate over 100 years of business.”
Sunkissed Salon, located in San Jose, California, values not only their client’s lush locks, but their client’s time and overall salon experience as well. Their mission is to provide the best experience they can, helping their clients achieve their beauty goals.

“When I started Sunkissed salon, I wanted to make sure our salon met every high-end expectation…so of course, I had to go with the best, which is Takara Belmont. Our chairs, stations, shampoo bowls & rollerballs are all Takara Belmont”, said Kacie Nguyen, Founder of Sunkissed Salon.

In 2016, Kacie Nguyen purchased her first commercial unit, a fresh build with nothing inside. Through hard work and dedication, the empty shell was transformed into the thriving salon that it is today.

“I’ve worked hard to be able to open my own salon. It’s basically my second home therefore I only want what’s best”, said Kacie.

Sunkissed, featuring dark hardwood floors, tall brick walls and white subway tile is a small slice of the Big Apple in sunny California. Whether a client is getting shampooed in a relaxing RS Luxis shampoo unit, taking a selfie of their new ‘do on the tan leather couch in the reception area, or helping themselves to coffee and a snack in the kitchenette, this salon makes any guest feel right at home.

Electric Barbering is a two-chair shop, established in an old courthouse building, located in a historic Arizona town with proximity to the Grand Canyon and Route 66. Their goal is to create an atmosphere where clients will enjoy the haircut experience and depart looking forward to their next appointment.

Calen Koenig, founder and owner of Electric Barbering, spent many years in the construction industry. He found his passion for barbering later in life after being laid off as a HVAC technician. While unemployed, a friend told him about a barbershop. This barbershop changed Calen’s life, inspiring him to work in an industry that made a positive influence on people’s everyday lives. After attending barber school, he spent 7 years working through different shops before returning to his hometown. Life came full circle when he was handed the keys to a space that held memories of many life milestones including his own high school graduation. Calen transformed this space into the town’s first barbershop. His ability to build a unique and memorable brand with a shop design that features two vintage 225 Belmont chairs and a collection of western cowboy and 70’s motorcycle décor, has turned Electric Barbering into more than a shop, but a destination.

“I want to live simple and provide a quality space for people and enjoy my time. The [225 Belmont] chairs get much praise because they don’t ask for attention, but they are too interesting to ignore and that’s the type of space I hope I’ve created,” said Calen.

For more information about the winners and their stories or to view images of their salons and shops, click here. The Takara Turns 100 Grand Prize Winners, Runner-ups, and Honorees can be found on Takara Belmont’s Instagram and Facebook pages.

Release boasts a stronger motor, cooler blades, and an eye-catching color.

Style or substance? Flash or function?

Proof that cutting tools can have it all, Wahl Professional introduces the next generation of the world’s most popular professional clipper.

The new 5 Star Gold Cordless Magic Clip® has everything you love about the Magic Clip® – blades that blend hair seamlessly and an ultra-lightweight feel that’s comfortable to hold all day. Plus, features that take it to the next level, including a more powerful motor, blades that stay cooler thanks to new titanium and DLC coatings, plus a sleek new gold finish that’s complimented by an included matching premium, weighted charge stand and a full set of premium cutting guides with metal clips.

“There’s nothing else like this on the market,” says Wahl Professional Educator Garland “G-Whiz” Fox (@thisisgwhizwahlclippers). “The way it cuts. The way it looks. The way it feels in your hand.”

Power Meets Pizazz

You can’t help but stare at how these clippers look in the light. And barbers and stylists who use them can’t help but notice the difference.

The stronger motor cuts through thick, wet, and textured hair easier than ever, and yet the new blade surface stays cooler than ever.

“These titanium and DLC coatings reduce the friction of the blades’ surface,” said Fox. “So, even though the blades are rubbing together faster, they stay cool.”

These DLC blades also stay sharper longer and resist corrosion, all while barely making a sound.

“Smooth and silent,” says Fox. “It’s a cutting experience on a different level.”

Full Package

The Wahl 5 Star Gold Cordless Magic Clip comes with:

• Lightweight, ergonomic design that’s comfortable to hold all day
• Patented stagger-tooth™ blades with titanium and DLC coatings
• Matching gold and black premium, weighted charging stand
• 8 patented premium cutting guides with metal clips
• Long-lasting, lithium-ion battery
• New gold color

Barbers and stylists who have the golden touch—and want a clipper to match—can purchase the 5 Star Gold Cordless Magic Clip beginning August 15^th for $229 at wahlpro.com or by visiting their local distributor.

Earlier this month Denman CEO Kevin McNamee attended the FIA World Rally Championship in Finland to present the Toyota team with their very own bespoke brush. The unique brush design was fully wrapped using specialised High-Definition Micro Fusion technology. The brand-new technology from Denman is energy efficient and environmentally friendly and delivers a premium, textured finish by infusing the print into the body and handle of the brush with recyclable films and water-based inks. The new Deluxe range from Denman will carry designs using this new technology.

“Denman is committed to continually developing new products and supporting creativity. Demand from the market led our team to look for new techniques in brush decoration. Our customers, hairdressers, barbers and beauty professionals have high expectations in terms of design and appearance. Using specialised High-Definition Micro Fusion technology, this new process incorporates full-wrap designs to offer a premium, textured finish. Investing in this new machinery allows us to react quickly to the creative wishes of the market and offer innovative personalisation on demand,” says Denman CEO Kevin McNamee.

The new print technology is scratch resistant and currently available for Denman D3, D90L, D83, D38, D81 and D82 tools.

As the world’s #1 booking platform, Fresha continues to lead software innovation and introduce advanced features for hair, beauty, barbering and wellness businesses.

With partners involved in shaping their software experience with Fresha, by requesting the tools and features they need to run their businesses even more efficiently, Fresha has listened and responded by introducing six new automated text notifications. From rescheduled and cancelled appointments to thank you messages, salons can now keep their clients informed like never before.

Making sure clients receive up-to-date information about their appointment while avoiding no-shows and late cancellations is important to keep clients happy, and protect businesses from potential loss. In addition to Fresha’s existing appointment reminder text message, these six new text notifications are now available to Fresha partners.

Appointment confirmation

Send clients an appointment confirmation once they’ve made a booking online or in-store. This important step lets clients know all the important details about the appointment they’ve just made, such as the date, time and address.

Appointment reminders

Enabling reminders for upcoming appointments ensures clients remember their appointment, which also helps to reduce no-shows and cancellations! Salons simply decide what time the reminder goes out, whether it’s one or two hours, or one or two days before.

Rescheduled appointments

If an appointment needs to be rescheduled, partners can send an automated text message to confirm this. Salons will also be able to include any updated information regarding their appointment.

Cancelled appointments

Appointment cancellations are less than ideal, but they do happen. Whether the salon or the client needs to cancel their appointment, a text message can now be sent to confirm the cancellation. If the client cancels, they will also receive information about any late cancellation fees that may apply.

No-shows

What’s worse than a cancellation? A no-show. If a client misses an appointment, businesses can now automate a text message to let them know, along with information about the fees they’ve incurred for not arriving at their appointment.

Say thank you!

As well as helping partners to manage issues, Fresha’s improved text message feature gives salons the option to send a ‘Thank you for visiting’ message once the client has completed their treatment and checked out. At this stage they’ll be prompted to rate and review the salon, and they’ll be given the option to leave a tip. If they do add a tip, businesses can also set up an automated text to thank them for that too.

For more information about this new feature announcement, read our latest blog here https://blog.fresha.com/automated-texts-fresha   

To join Fresha free, visit https://www.fresha.com/for-business  

Two years ago today, shops across the United States begun to reopen after a lengthy lockdown due to the Pandemic, BarberEVO worked with Gillette on keeping your clients, your staff, and yourselves safe.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) can be a major investment and Gillette wanted to do its part for the barber community by providing equipment that helped better protect those of you who were just getting back at work, along with your valued clients.

To help keep the barber community safe as shops were reopening, BarberEVO teamed up with Gillette to donate 20,000 protective face shields to barbers across the United States.

This was part of a larger relief effort to support workers, relief agencies and communities on the front lines of the pandemic. To date, Gillette has produced and donated more than 300,000 face shields for health care workers in response to the needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lots of barbers across the US received their face shields and sent out their gratitude online:

“Shoutout to @Gillette for sponsoring our sweet new face shields! Shaves and facials have never been safer!”

Prodigy Salon// @prodigysalon

“The Gillette face shields are great…Our clients love them and it gives them peace of mind to come in the shop to get a haircut – thank you!”

Marcus Williams// Marc Republic, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“#Salute to BarberEVO & Gillette for donating these face shields to barbers!”

Sipp the Surgeon// The Art of Barbering, Grand Prairie, Texas.

“The face shields help me out so much by protecting my clients and I from spreading anything around. Knowing I’m protected allows me to be at peace when cutting, I’m not so worried about the virus and I can focus on the haircut and taking care of my clients.”

Josue Morales// Sway Styles, Detroit, Michigan.

“We love the new Gillette face shields! They’re super light and comfortable. Not only are they providing important extra protection for all the barbers, but our clients also appreciate them because it shows we’re taking their safety seriously as well.”

Erik Zaiatz// Bostonian Barbershop, Boston, Massachusetts.

Denman’s annual Stage Star UK & Ireland 2022 Competition has now launched and the search is on for the newest exciting hair platform artist. The competition is now in its seventh year and welcomes hair professionals seeking to boost their careers, build their profiles and find their chance to shine. It’s the perfect competition for stylists that stand out from the crowd, have the passion and skill to make an impact but have been waiting for their opportunity to share their creative vision and techniques in front of a live audience.

The winner will receive:

-A shoot with award winning photographer Des Murray.

-A year of education and creative guidance from world leading academy Allilon plus one-to-one sessions with Denman Ambassadors!

-The opportunity to work with the Denman team on their creative shoots, attend prestigious industry events and gala dinners, work on product development and of course receive a comprehensive set of all Denman products and tools!

The four shortlisted finalists will get the chance to showcase their skills live on the Main Stage at this year’s Salon International in October in front of a panel of industry experts and a packed live audience. The finalists will need to demonstrate the preparation, skills, stage presence, creativity and the Denman product knowledge to warrant being crowned Denman Stage Star 2022. PLUS this year the competition is global as our UK finalists will be joined on stage by the STAGE STAR USA winner.

James Forte winner of last year’s competition says “Since I’ve won Stage Star my career has skyrocketed. I have had VIP access to prestigious industry events, attended multiple photo shoots, and received fantastic mentoring and training. My shoot with Des Murray has also finalised in the Newcomer of the year category of the British Hairdressing Awards! Denman has taken me under their wing and taken amazing care of me. I couldn’t recommend the competition highly enough. Just give it a shot!”

How to enter?

Entering Denman Stage Star 2022 is simple and can be done online using your laptop, tablet or smart phone.

Enter now with three easy steps:
1. Send Denman your social media links
2. Create a 2-minute video explaining why you should be the next Stage Star Winner.

Optional:
3. Send Denman your portfolio or website if you would like to provide additional examples of your work

STAGE STAR closes on August 26th!

Send all entries to stagestar@denmanbrush.com.

As the summer months come to a close, Jim Shaw, owner of Toni & Guy Billericay predicts that autumn will bring a new set of styles to keep the inspiration flowing.

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Colour

When it comes to colour for men this autumn/winter, there will be one stand out hair colour trend – bleached hair. Men will look to lighten and brighten their hair up and have this toned to give their hair a clean, platinum hue or an icy white/grey tone that’s fitting for the season.

The great thing about this trend is that should the client get bored of the colour, they can experiment by adding in slices of colour to give their look a fun, playful finish for the season.

In summer, we saw men wearing their hair super short and teaming this with bold neon tones like oranges and greens. For autumn/winter, we will see cooler toned brights becoming popular, such as dark greens, blues and purples for men who want to add a pop of colour to their look.  

Cuts

Disconnected cuts have been in and out of fashion over recent years and for autumn/winter they’re back on trend, whereby we will see clients requesting their hair super short on the sides with longer length on top. The idea with this hair cut is that the top of the hair looks ‘disconnected’ from the sides and that instead of fading from short to long on top, the style is more abrupt and makes a statement. 

The regulation cut, a military-inspired cut, will also be popular this season. This is a very sharp and fresh style whereby the hair is trimmed down on the top but kept longer than the sides, which are tapered and gradually cut shorter before reaching the nape of the neck where the hair can be shaved off completely to help reflect a true regulation cut look. This haircut is usually styled in a statement side parting and sleek to the side for a further clean finish. 

For those looking for a haircut that’s longer in length and more textured, mullets will be THE textured haircut of the season. The hair should usually be cut shorter and choppier towards the front and sides and left longer at the back, however, for autumn/winter 2022 I think we will see a more modern take on this trend, with clients looking for the graduation to be a lot softer and graduated.

We may also see men wearing the mullet a lot shorter and teaming it with a blunt fringe/almost French crop style around the face to give it a modern and trendy appearance for the new season. With all mullets and textured hairstyles, I love to use a salt spray or hair mousse and my scrunch this in with my fingers to enhance the layers and choppiness of the look and give it a further edgy finish. 

Styling

In terms of styling for autumn/winter 2022, this all depends on the cut the male client has. However, for those with shorter haircuts, we will see them wearing these a lot sleeker in appearance, incorporating pomades with a shine finish, gels and waxes into their hair styling routine that will give their hair look a neater, more polished appearance.

We will see men using these products to slick their hair back off the face, to one side and also mixing these products with other products like serums and oils to give their hair a wet like appearance with a high shine. 

The latest issue of BarberEVO North America is OUT NOW.

Get your copy here!

STYLING SUMMER

The latest issue of BarberEVO North America is OUT NOW! This issue is headed up by Barbero Bengie who is front and center of this action-packed 104-page, beautifully presented issue.

Freestyle king Bengie talks about his work with Caliber and why the relationship with the brand has been an enriching experience for him and his career.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

SUMMER

Summer is the time to switch up the cuts and we have a great range of summer trend suggestions that will keep you on point during the summer months. It looks like the crop is standing the test of time and we see what products are the summer heroes.

TEXTURED HAIR

Afro textured hair needs specialized skills to product amazing results and Luster’s SCurl take us through their recommendations to keep afro hair in pristine condition. We also hear from Tyrik Jackson about the benefits of having the skills to cater for any hair type that sits in your chair. Also talking texture, Ivan Zoot gives his thoughts on the appropriate tools to use to help make textured hair behave. Also talking texture is @drizzyxgroomer who has taken his afro textured hair onto the next level.

EDUCATION

Education counts, so says every top barber in the country. It’s the way to make your name in this industry. We had a great talk with the CT Barber Expo educator of the year Danni Avila who has taken his education online for the Hispanic community with ground-breaking success. Also discussing his thoughts on how best to educate the barbershop team is Joe Agnello from City Image Barbers and international educator Kenny Duncan shares how he adapts his education techniques when he is educating from the stage.

We also speak to Allison Cuts, who has recently trained up in SMP to see how that has changed her career and we have a close look at Wahl’s education offering, as well as the in-depth education system that Johnny B’s Haircare offers to its potential ambassadors.

FURNITURE

Barbershop furniture sets the tone of your shop, and we have a great range of choices and options to look over. But first we talk to Rob Hammer who has been capturing the barbershops of yesteryear in his outstanding book ‘The Barbershops of America’ and he has some thoughts on how furniture changes the dynamic. We talk to several barbershops, a couple of them, Honest Barber and Spanky’s, have very distinctive styles, and they tell us what works for their shop ethos.

We hope you enjoy this issue! You can order your print copy here. 

This past weekend (Sat Apr 9 – Monday, Apr 11) the SalonEVO and BarberEVO team packed their bags and took off to Chicago to attend the 99th annual America’s Beauty Show put on by Cosmetologists Chicago.

Beauty professionals, from barbers, cosmetologists, and beauty and skincare experts gathered for a weekend full of education, inspiration, demonstrations, networking, and of course, a little bit of fun too!

This year, EVO took their booth to the next level, offering attendees a unique opportunity at being on the coveted front cover of SalonEVO, with an incredible life-size, interactive, walk-in front cover photobooth. The EVO booth was also the spot to be if you wanted to learn from amazing educators, such as Miguel Rosas from Wahl Pro and Lici Febo from Andis who both performed live demos to an inspired audience.

The EVO front cover photo booth was graced by many of North America’s leading hair and beauty lights, such as the Ulta Beauty Pro Team, with Nick Stenson and Anna Manukyan, Danielle Keasling, David Lopez and Michelle O’Connor. As well as educators like the effervescent Kristin Kaide, Queen of the South, Nieves Almaraz and many, many more!

The team also had the enormous privilege of attending the 10th Annual Beauty Changes Lives Experience, which was an incredible night of fun, inspiration and education, bursting with industry icons all keen to support this wonderful charitable cause.

Thanks to all who stopped by and said hello! Until next year at ABS!

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The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) announced the winners of the 2021 North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA). The announcement took place on Sunday, August 29th at their awards ceremony at the Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, during Cosmoprof North America.

NAHA is known as the beauty industry’s most prestigious competition in North America – honoring the top artists and creative talents who have pushed the boundaries of skill and creativity.

NAHA celebrates the industry’s leading talent and features 15 categories of excellence across hair and makeup artistry, including the new Inspiring Salon of the Year and Educator of the Year award categories.

“This was an unprecedented year for NAHA, yet the heightened creativity and sheer artistry represented were among the most impressive in the competition’s history,” shares Nina Daily, PBA’s Executive Director. “The industry rallied to channel energy into groundbreaking innovation and camaraderie, and we couldn’t be prouder of the winners, finalists and everyone who put so much passion and energy into making tonight such a success.”

NAHA 2021 was hosted by A-list celebrity stylist and Living Proof Global Creative Director Michael Shaun Corby and featured artistic presentations by Silas Tsang and the Ulta Beauty Pro Team. The event was live-streamed and available on-demand for those who were not able to attend in person.

2021 NAHA Awards Winners:

• Men’s Hairstylist of the Year- Nieves Almaraz

• Avant Garde- Sharie Valcin

• Editorial Stylist of the Year- Danielle Keasling

• Educator of the Year- Sam Villa

• Haircolor- Suzanne Sturm

• Haircutting- Stephen Moody

• Hairstylist of the Year- Silas Tsang

• Inspiring Salon of the Year- Square Colour Salon + Spa

• Makeup Artist of the Year- Nohemi Capetillo

• Master Hairstylist of the Year- Ruth Roche

• #NAHAMoment- Lauren Moser

• Student Hairstylist of the Year- Alisha Kemp

• Styling and Finishing- Nick Stenson

• Team of the Year- Julie Vriesinga

• Texture- Ammon Carver

To watch the awards ceremony on demand, including interviews from the red carpet, please visit https://www.bigmarker.com/professional-beautyassociat/NAHA-2021-Livestream