With the busy period almost upon us, this month already seems to be crazy busy for many stylists who are squeezing in as many clients as they can, working longer hours and taking less breaks.  

But while the financial return may be great to see, your mental and physical health can take a battering. Matrix Artist Ambassador, Ria Kulik, believes it’s important to recognise the symptoms of burnout before it’s too late – both in yourself and your team.  

“I start to notice when the smallest of things are making a person really stressed, when you start clock watching to see how long it is until your next sleep, then sleeping but waking up just as exhausted, feeling like you  have lost touch with friends and family, like you are on a relentless hamster wheel, wondering when you will enjoy your job again, finding that others are irritating you more,” she explains.   

“Even though you should say no, you just say yes to everything, and throwing yourself into more work to try and regain the spark for the job. I’ve been there before myself when you feel like your brain is completely full, it feels like it’s about to burst, and it can’t cope with any more questions from people, problem solving or decisions to make other than the task in hand at that particular moment in time. That’s the point I can tell when someone needs a little reassuring and possibly a hug that things will be OK.. 

Ria says there are five steps to take to avoid feeling overwhelmed 

1. Self care 
   You are the priority. If you care for yourself first, then you will be able to care for your clients better. If you think you are burnt out, then today is the day you put yourself first. 
   
2. Set professional boundaries 
   Mainly the hours you work. Pick how many hours you are going to work and stick to them, you can’t be accommodating to everyone, and it will encourage clients to become more organised in the future which will help you feel organised in your day to day. Stay away from doing ‘favours’ by coming in early or staying late for people. Protect yourself and ask them to find another appointment that suits them. 
   
3. Turn that phone off 
   Another big one for people is being contacted by clients at any time of the day and night. With social media and emailing being a massive part of how clients contact you, only contact clients during your working hours. Or set aside time in a day to get back to those clients. A polite, automated message explaining this goes a long way; people understand and it takes a massive pressure off you. 
   
4. Enjoy the little things in life 
   Make sure you have booked some real down time away from work. Whether it is seeing friends and family or going to your favourite spa for the day, put that phone on aeroplane mode and allow yourself to enjoy life.  
   
5. Plan to invest in yourself and your skills.  
   Taking a day away from the grind and educating yourself is a great way of boosting yourself up and is a great way to meet others in the same position. 

Ria’s top tips for avoiding burnout

1. Set boundaries. 
   
2. Stick to your allocated working hours and schedule. 
   
3. Turn your phone off or put it away for a day on your days off. 
   
4. Give yourself some me time, even if it’s just 15-minutes a day of quietness. Close your eyes and check in with yourself. Maybe with your morning cup of tea? Dog walk? In the shower.? Even better, try meditation. 
   
5. Make sure you laugh at least once a day. It releases natural, happy endorphins that will help you feel so much better and help connect you back to your old self. 
   
6. Reconnect with friends and family and ask to see them for an hour to spend some quality time. This will help ground you back down to earth and help you see what really matters in this life. 
   
7. Allow yourself to feel upset and sorry for yourself for a day if that’s what you need to do to cope with the daily grind of it all. Spend some time on your own doing nice things just for you.  

Ria describes the symptoms to look out for in your team

1.  Exhaustion, no matter how much time you give yourself to relax, you don’t/can’t relax.  
   
2. Feeling overwhelmed. The little things start becoming big problems for you to handle. 
   
3. No balance between work and life. 
   
4. Feeling very Stressed.  
   
5. Sometimes can feel anxious and suffer more with controlling your mental health. 
   
6. Becoming resentful of your job. Loss of enthusiasm.  

To learn more, follow @Matrix on Instagram and visit  www.matrixhaircare.co.uk.  

ELITE barber Kyle Ross is set to serve up a trim for tennis royalty ahead of an auld enemy grudge match that is being played in Aberdeen. 

Multiple grand slam winner Jamie Murray OBE is bringing his “Battle of the Brits” event to the city – a live Scotland versus England tennis match featuring some of the biggest names in the sport. 

The doubles legend – who is also the older brother of Wimbledon winner Andy Murray – sought out the services of Kyle, 32, who has won multiple awards as managing director of the city’s Sovereign Grooming.  

The tennis star admitted that a gruelling schedule of matches and events has often left him struggling with an unruly mop of hair, so he was determined to do something about it. 

Jamie, 35, said: “When you are in the public eye the pictures and videos captured are documented for life and it’s a normal human reaction, that if you see something you don’t like you will pay more attention to it in the future. I’ve learned that first hand. 

“Being on the road has its challenges and getting a good hair cut is one of them. Every new country brings the risk of a bad hair cut and I’ve had many in my time, including recently in California where I had to put up with it for a few days as ironically all the barbers were shut!” 

Jamie is the tournament director of Battle of the Brits, which takes place at the P&J Live Arena on December 21 and 22. Kyle and his five-strong team will be visiting the city’s Hilton Hotel, where both teams are staying, to take care of any pre-match grooming requirements. 

Jamie added: “Looking good and feeling good go hand in hand as it helps you be more confident – and in my case, hopefully play better.” 

He will be joined on court by brother, Sir Andy Murray along with other Scottish tennis stars including Jonny O’Mara and Cameron Norrie. The English team is made up of Joe Salisbury, Jack Draper, Dan Evans and Neal Skupski.  

Delighted barber Kyle said: “It is a really proud moment for Sovereign Grooming to be asked by Jamie to provide our services. We’re looking forward to helping the team get prepped for their upcoming matches and hope the Scotland team come out on top. 

“We may even have a few hand tips that the teams will be able to take to the court.” 

Jamie’s grooming tips for life on the road are simple: to stay on top of a hairstyle he advised finding a style that is easily suited to your routine to ensure it is maintainable.  

He added: “Lockdown was certainly an interruption to my usual grooming routine. Like many others, my wife ended up being my barber and sometimes we’d just shave it all off to make it easier to manage.  

“When we managed to get back into training it was funny to see my coach and team arriving with their untamed hair for the first time.   

“Since we couldn’t go to the barbers for such a long period of time, I now treat it like an experience and actually enjoy going whereas previously it used to be a necessity.” 

The star also explained how the tennis event is coming to Aberdeen because the players were keen to find a venue outwith the central belt. 

He said: “There’s also the fact that the P&J is a great venue. Local people normally have to travel far to see anything live, so its nice to give bring world class tennis to their doorstep.  

“The event should be good fun as it will give players the chance to represent their home nation as normally we’d play as Great Britain. Everyone, including both players and spectators, have a vested interest in how their individual country performs so it should create a bit of friendly competition.” 

Acclaimed Barber, Kyle Ross who has been garlanded with a string of industry awards, set up Sovereign Grooming in Aberdeen’s Union Street in 2016. It was an immediate hit and he has since attracted investment to open salons in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

He was named Best Barber UK at the International Barber Awards in 2017, a year which also saw him named Scottish Men’s Stylist of the Year. In 2018, he was named Best Barber at the Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards and in 2019 was shortlisted for GQ Magazine’s Barber of the Year title, one of only a handful of stylists outside London to have been shortlisted. 

Visit the Sovereign Grooming website – https://sovereign-grooming.com/locations/edinburgh – to book an appointment with Kyle or his team. 

British men’s make-up brand, War Paint has announced that is has recently reached its funding totalin order to expand their range from men’s make-up, and forge a path into men’s skincare too.

War Paint is one of the world’s leading men’s makeup brands. Their mission is to give menthe freedom to feel confident every day. Since 2018, they’ve sold 250k+ units worldwide and opened the first-ever men’s makeup store on London’s iconic Carnaby Street.

It’s a British business success story and one that is relevant to the barbering industry, asWar Paint is an amazing addition to the barbershop retail shelves, offering clients the option of picking up their haircare and skincare essentials from their favourite male grooming experts – you, the barber.

Founder Danny Gray launched the business in 2018, and the brand has garnered great success, selling worldwide and partnering with big hitters like John Lewis, Reiss, Sephora and Virgin Airways. With its existing credibility, partnerships and distribution channels, the skincare market is the obvious next step.

For more information on the range go to: www.warpaintformen.com.

On Sunday 28th November, the global family and friends of TONI&GUY came together once again for its second global digital event-a spectacular and beautiful showcase of original inspiration watched live by over 5,000 viewers.

Showing the best in class education and celebrating artistry and skill, with the most breath-taking hair from the TONI&GUY International Artistic Team and partners from around the world. The one-hour marvel brought viewers into a world of high-fashion and creativity. Teams presented the newest brand campaigns along with British Hairdressing Award inspirations and collections, not forgetting the hugely anticipated pre-view of the label.m re-launch with brand new product lines and overall brand aesthetic. The brand’s connection to fashion around the world saw Fashion Week presentations given from major global cities and no TONI&GUY show would be complete without a spectacular avant-garde finale.

The one-hour spectacle took us on a journey around the world as teams from Australia, China, Spain, Italy and Japan presented the very best of their creative talents. Each member, took the audience through the intricacy and inspirations behind their look, proving TONI&GUY is forever at the helm of setting trends and creating beautiful hair globally. The International manner of the event, also gave the opportunity to recognise and highlight the real heroes within TONI&GUY with the TONI&GUY Global Awards. Groups from Australia, Netherlands and France were all winners, cementing the brands reputation of having some of the best over-sea teams*.

Global Brand Director and Owner, Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck opened the show and introduced the Global Digital Event, “What a great opportunity to come together and share what’s brilliant about TONI&GUY and label.m”. While acknowledging the past twelve months, she thanked all teams for their contributions to the company’s success, and highlighted the importance of being a true family with strong core values, allowing for her father, Toni’s legacy to live on.

CEO Nigel Darwin followed. Touching on the pandemic and promising to emerge from the Covid crisis a stronger business than ever before he said, “Throughout the last 18 months what is most striking is how as a global family we have grabbed this time as an opportunity to make ourselves the best we can be.” Also thanking all staff for their efforts, he described how the pandemic had affected the business and touched on the next chapter for the TONI&GUY story, including the label.m re-vamp.

Kicking off the creative sessions, Global Creative Director, Cos Sakkas and International Manager, Eamonn Boreham welcomed everyone and gave an insight into what viewers could expect over the next hour. A round-up of how the people behind the brand innovatively express their vision through campaigns, education and fashion by crafting beautiful hair.

International Artistic Directors Daniele de Angelis and Siobhan Haug introduced the 2021 brand campaign: Immersion. Launching January 2022, the campaign offers clients the latest in hair fashion trends. A celebration of the TONI&GUY as a whole, encapsulating the core elements of its salons, brand, heritage, fashion and education. This is seen through shapes, textures and tones created by the brand’s signature, trend-led and timeless techniques that its hairdressers create in-salon, beautifully every day and can be bespoke to each client. The concept of diversity and inclusion has always been one of strong importance to TONI&GUY. Seen in Immersion, through multi-cultural models with varying hair types and textures the campaign is a celebration of individuality and offers an in-salon solution to suit any client.

This was followed by International Artistic Directors Philipp Haug and Stuart Matuska introducing the academy education and creative campaign: Co-Lab. A fusion of creative concepts and minds, from make-up artists to photographers that reflect a true representation of how everyone in the brand works as a team. Six individual BritishHairdressing Award collections by the International Artistic Team, are merged into one to inspire salon hairdressers to work collaboratively with each other on their own creative projects and journeys, spreading the ethos of a unified vision.

Global Creative Director Cos Sakkas and International Technical Education Director Jo O’Neill provided an insight into the creative inspirations behind the new label.m campaign: label.less, launching in salons January 2022. Individual beauty with a premium feel being the focus, label. less encourages unique individuality and self-expression through beautiful, shiny and healthy-looking hair. This is seen through gorgeous, natural and golden tones both in the hair and the styling throughout.

Ending with a display catapulting the audience into a world where high fashion and ethereal drama collide. No TONI&GUY show would be complete without a spectacular Avant-Garde finale, showcasing the stunning British Hairdressing Award collection by International Artistic Director, Efi Davies.

Multi-award-winning men’s hairstylist Tariq Howes will be joining forces with renowned Soho barbershop Joe and Co from January 2022. Tariq, who owns Avenue Male Grooming in Cardiff, is in high demand for his Afro men’s hairdressing skills. His own mixed heritage has inspired him to gain expertise in all hair types and textures. 

Tariq will join the Joe and Co team as Art Director, alongside Charlie Cullen, spending time in the Soho barbershop, working with the team to increase their already enviable skills with textured hair, while continuing to run his own barbershop in Wales. 

Tariq’s accolades include Men’s Afro Stylist of the Year and Men’s Hairdressing Federation/City and Guilds Afro Barber of the Year. He is a well-known fixture on the industry’s major live stages, sharing his skills at events across the UK. He has also worked on photo shoots for high-end magazines such as GQ Style and his diverse skills have also gained him work backstage at London Fashion Week for brands such as A-Cold-Wall, Daniel Fletcher and Per Götesson. 

Session stylist and Joe and co-owner, Joe Mills said: “With his incredible background working with Afro and textured hair, Tariq will prove a major asset to Joe and Co. Tariq will work with the team to ensure they are all 100% confident working with all hair types, as well as spending a few days a month in the salon looking after a small selection of clients. I’m also looking forward to working with Tariq on a number of projects in 2022 — more will be revealed soon!”  

Tariq added: “I’ve admired Joe for many years, and I am excited to have the opportunity to work alongside him, Charlie and the team.”

After a virtual Awards in 2020, the Fellowship were back with a glittering Luncheon & Awards at the coolest hotel in London, The Londoner, in Leicester Square.  

Chancellor Ashleigh Hodges and President Ken Picton welcomed some 420 guests to the Ballroom, to celebrate the past 75 years and get ready for an exciting future. “We have faced the worst, but we came out as the best,” Ken said. “What doesn’t challenge you doesn’t change you and we have embraced the changes while living by our core values.” 

Chairman Barry Stephens paid respect to those in the industry we had lost this year, while presenting a special Fellow of Distinction to Chris Williams from Rush Hair & Beauty, accepted by Andy Heasman. He also presented a cheque for £3,720 to the Hair & Beauty Charity for money raised through the special 2021 Yearbook.  

F.A.M.E. Team leaders Gary Hooker and Michael Young talked about the challenges they faced, but applauded the professionalism of the 2021 team, who took everything in their stride over the difficult months, before announcing the four new members who have a year of amazing opportunities in front of them; Darrel Starkey, Taylors Hair Studio, Lydia Wolfe, Jack & the Wolfe, Jessica Hau, Rush Wimbledon and Alex Cook, Wispers Hair Salon.  

In true Fellowship tradition, the awards followed a delicious three-course meal, with Errol Douglas MBE picking up Fellowship Hairdresser of the Year to a standing ovation. This is the second time he has won the award, having first won it in 2004.  

And the winners are…. 

Fellow with Honours 

Jonathan Andrew 

Andrew Barton 

Junior Green 

Gold Medal 

Jo Martin  

Member of the Year  

Janene Bush 

Individual Salon of the Year 

Karoliina Saunders Hair Design 

Salon Group of the Year 

Blushes 

PROJECT: Colour Achiever of the Year – Darrel Starkey 

PROJECT: Men Achiever of the Year – Tammy Reynolds 

PROJECT: X Achiever of the Year – Emma Simmons  

Snapshot Image of the Year 

Efi Davies, TONI&GUY 

Men’s Image of the Year 

Charlie Cullen, Charlie Cullen Education at Joe and Co 

Colour Image of the Year 

Hooker & Young  

Afro mage of the Year 

Emma Simmons, Salon 54 

International Image of the Year 

Jacky Chan, Oscar Oscar Chadstone 

Image of the Year 

Casey Coleman 

F.A.M.E. Team 2022 

Darrel Starkey, Taylors Hair Studio 

Lydia Wolfe, Jack & the Wolfe 

Jessica Hau, Rush Wimbledon 

Alex Cook, Wispers Hair Salon 

With so many great grooming products on the market –OSMO Ambassador and owner of Myles & Co, Myles Lewis, is here to share his top tips on using and recommending the best products for your clients…

“It’s hard to pick, but my top three products at the moment are OSMO Clay Wax, Fibre Paste, and Matte Clay Extreme. These products are the ultimate trio for high-performance styling results. They offer anyone using the products on – trend and traditional finishes from freestyle to fierce.”

The best selling OSMO Matte Clay Extreme™ (RRP: £8.99) formula can deliver an authentic dry textured controlled finish. I use it to create a powerful hold with that natural matte finish. This pot is ideal for all hair types, rub the product through your palms and distribute evenly to experience the ultimate dry textured look. Clients love this one as well. It’s got a great melon fresh fragrance and always creates outstanding results.

I always use the OSMO Fibre Paste™ (RRP: £8.99) when I want volume control with a polished shine finish. The gum texturiser is suitable for all hair types and can create a messed up or smooth finish. If you run a small amount of OSMO Fibre Paste between the palms of your hands, then pull your hands apart this stretches the fibres (looks impressive to your clients too!) and you can then run your fingers through wet or dry hair, then style for a strong finish.

I use the best-selling OSMO Clay Wax™ (RRP: £8.99) to style medium to short hair. This clay-based styler helps me create an ultra-masculine matte finish. I massage a small amount thoroughly through wet or dry hair. It instantly provides textured control and thickness vibe that the lads love.

All images credit: Hair by @myleslewisbarber, Myles & Co for OSMO

The OSMO Grooming range is available from wholesalers nationwide, visit www.osmo.uk.com for your nearest stockist.

Professional colour house, OSMO is delighted to announce the appointment of its latest Brand Ambassador, Ollie Foster. 

An expert in barbering and education, Ollie is the co-owner of two branches of modern barbershop, ‘Number 47 Barbers’ in Chester alongside his mum, Lynne Foster. OSMO has been Ollie’s go-to brand since he started his career in 2013 and he has enjoyed a close working relationship with them since thanks to his involvement with The Great British Barber Bash for whom OSMO are key sponsors. 

Alongside regularly cutting hair in the shops with his 10 strong team, Ollie regularly cuts the hair for bands and musicians backstage at Creamfields and is now the Lead Educator for The Great British Barber Bash’s live events and Hot Training Workshops, delivering barbering education across the UK and Europe. 

“With my mum having over 30 years barbering experience, I was always aware of the industry, but it was never my first career choice.  I was a PE Teacher at a primary school to begin with and also played in a band that was signed by Warner Brothers. Things changed when I went along to a professional hair exhibition with my mum one day, I witnessed a whole new side to the hair world and immediately wanted to be a part of it.  I trained as a hairdresser initially, but the pull was for barbering was too strong.  I was juggling my teaching, music and hair for a while but then started doing training courses with The Great British Barber Bash and began attending their shows and realised that barbering was my passion.  I’ve not looked back since!”  

Ollie excels in intricate sectioning, precision work, sharp fading and anything that really hones in on his skills within men’s hair. His passion for education sees him travel the UK throughout the year sharing his expertise and passion with his peers. 

“I’ve used OSMO products throughout my career. I just love their products and working with them as a company.  The products are just so versatile and the results they deliver are always great, which is vital when your teaching new styles and techniques.  My go-to products are OSMO Matt Salt Spray, Matte Clay Extreme and Power Powder – they just make my life much easier when cutting and styling hair are are adaptable to so many different styles. This role is a natural progression to the work I’ve been doing with OSMO at The Great British Barber Bash events and I’m excited to see where this next direction takes us,” explains Ollie. 

“This is a really exciting time for the OSMO family; we’ve had a long-standing relationship with Ollie and this next step will see us progressing our education portfolio to a new generation of barbers. Ollie is so passionate about our industry and is a great educator and promoter of our products, so it was a natural step for us to bring him on board. We’re excited to see what we can do together.” OSMO Brand Manager, Sinéad McLaughlin concludes. 

The rules on face coverings have been updated in England in light of the new Covid strain, Omicron. From today (November 30th), face coverings must be worn on premises providing personal care and beauty treatments. That includes barbers, hair salons, tattoo and piercing studios, nail salons and massage centres. 

More details will follow later today and BarberEVO will keep you updated with the latest announcements.

War Paint is a grooming brand on a mission to give men the freedom to feel confident every day.

When founder Danny first borrowed his sister’s concealer at 15, he discovered what War Paint customers the world over experience every day: the power of these products and how they can make people feel about themselves.

And when he couldn’t find a brand that related to him? He created one.

21 Makeup SKUs

5 New Skincare Products in the Pipeline

War Paint is not a subset of a women’s brand. They speak directly to male customers in their language. They sell their award-winning products D2C and through selected partners e.g. John Lewis & Reiss.

War Paint is about more than just products. They have partnerships with Norwich City FC & Wigan Warriors to support mental health initiatives. They have also opened the first men’s makeup & wellness store in the world.

While men’s makeup is still a growing sector, the men’s skincare market is well established; it’s estimated to grow to $16.9bln worldwide by 2027 (+5% 2020-27). With their existing credibility, partnerships and distribution channels, they see the skincare market as the next category to tackle.

War Paint are fundraising to launch their new skincare line, due to launch in 2022.

*Based on management accounts.