Celebrating their 100th Anniversary, MIZUTANI is running their World Cutting Photo Contest, with entries open until the 31st of August, 2021.

MIZUTANI announced: “Upon popular request, from all around the world, the World Cutting Photo Contest is back! Show us your passion and creativity! STYLE GOES ON!”

This year the contest will be separated into three categories, with a special prize for each winner. With world-class judges from around the world, such as Bertus and Leen from Shorem Barber in the Netherlands, Josh DeMarco from the DAPR Grooming Parlor in the USA, Julius Caesar, Alan, and Reece Beak from RUGER. Barber in the UK, Whitney VerMeer from USA, and many more huge names.

The categories are:

Classic Men’s Style. In this category, Judges are looking for the best classic cuts, with detail and accuracy.

Men’s Avant-Garde Short Style. Judges are looking for barbers who are willing to break out of their shells and show the most innovative styles.

Ladies Avant-Garde Short Style. Test your limits, and let your creativity fly in this category, creating striking ladies’ short styles. Some of the prizes include a Live Virtual Class at Shorem, MIZUTANI’s Cut Master Set, and an opportunity to appear in Japanese and international barbering magazines.

Don’t miss your chance, entries are open until August 31st! Enter NOW!

A creative throw down was just what was called for after the longest lockdown ever and so the teams at MR Barbers put their heads together in planning a professional photographic shoot. With industry photographer Liam Oakes on board, six barbers came together from across the MR group to create a collection that delivered on diversity and creativity.

Joe Peacock from MR Barbers St Neots, Connor Chesterton from MR Barbers Hertford, Ellis Girling of MR Barbers Braintree, Phillip Brooks and Iain Rogers of MR Barbers Colchester and Jake Hickey of MR Barbers Sawston and Newmarket pre-cut two models each before giving them a final polish and styling on the day. The plain white tee’s kept clothes styling minimalist so that the hair could take centre stage.

Joe Peocock said: “We used an Instagram group to share ideas and images and chat about the cuts we would create, so that we had a broad range of cuts from directional to classic with a little colour in there too.”

There were no model no-shows even though the shoot fell on the Euro’s Final day. There was beer and pizza to keep the creative juices flowing and everything went off without a hitch.

Phillip Brooks said: “It was a great day and it was inspiring to meet up, work together as a team and see other barbers work.” 

You can see more of the collection in the upcoming issue of BarberEVO UK, and keep an eye out at @barberevo

As Covid restrictions come to an end, it’s never been more important for businesses to stand out from the crowd. And with many customers keen to tackle the climate crisis, being a more sustainable barber could give you the edge while doing good for the planet.

A recent survey of 1,000 small business owners found that nearly a quarter (21%) worry about missing out on trade because their business is not sustainable enough, while nearly half (42%) of consumers say they are more likely to visit a business that cares about sustainability.

The good news is there’s a simple first step your barbers can make to not only help it become more sustainable, but also make energy management easier; get a smart meter installed.

Smart meters replace traditional analogue energy meters and can help businesses keep better track of their energy use and consumption. Whether you rely on a collection of clippers or a handful of hairdryers, a smart meter will give you access to information on how much energy is used day-to-day, helping you find ways to reduce it.

Having a smart meter installed will not only bolster your barbershop’s eco-credentials, but also help make your business energy easier to manage.

The technology, available at no extra cost from your business’ energy supplier, ensures accurate bills by sending meter readings automatically so you can spend time making people look and feel great.

To help you be even more efficient Smart Energy GB offers barbers a selection of quick and easy steps to help your barbershop stand out as an eco-friendly business:

1. Recycle smarter – Buying refillable products will drastically cut down the packaging waste and also save you a bit of money.
2. Use an eco-hairdryer – New and improved versions of the trusty hairdryer are more energy efficient and come in recycled packaging and plastic. As the most popular appliance used to fix a bad hair day, an eco-hairdryer will help cut your carbon footprint while fixing your hair. 
3. Keep cool – Using cooler water to rinse hair is not only great for the scalp and your hair’s condition and shine, it’s also more efficient. While it’s not everyone’s preference, asking your customer if they’d prefer it could offer another step towards to a lower energy bill.
4. Avoid aerosols – Non-aerosol hair sprays will last 3 or 4 times longer than the aerosol versions and can be a great way to hold down that one curly lock that just won’t stay in place. What’s more, you can pick them up for the same price!
5. A simple solution – For those customers unsure of what style to go for next, offering a low maintenance hair cut could pass on the saving with less need for heated appliances and products when they get home.

To find out if your business is eligible for a smart meter, contact your energy supplier. You can then arrange a date and time suitable for you for your installation.

Once installation is complete, your installer can show you and your staff how your smart meter works so you can get on with being green.

Find out more at: https://www.smartenergygb.org/en

Would you be interested in making money on the side for your expert opinions as a professional barber?   Thanks to City Research – a Midwest market research company that conducts extensive research with hair care professionals, you can! City Research is currently looking for Licensed Barbers to join a 12-month, paid online market research community to discuss hair styling and barbering trends. If you qualify, you get $25 just for signing up, and can earn up to $100 or more per month (Up to $1,000+ total for 12 months) for successful participation in community studies (surveys, focus groups, product testing, etc.). This is ALL online and your time commitment is voluntary. If you/someone at your barbershop wants to know more, please take the survey below to see if you qualify. City Research hopes to work with you on this project! For more information, click here.

The PROJECT: X team recently spent the day with Syd Hayes, international session stylist and ambassador for BaByliss Pro at the brand new Electric Space in London, learning new styling techniques and styling tips to take back to the salon.
Supported by BaByliss Pro, the team worked on real models in a hands-on workshop with guidance from Syd.
A familiar at shows and photo shoots, Syd talked about his career to date, before demonstrating how to create glamour waves using tonging and pinning techniques and showed the team how to apply extensions to give extra volume, talking through his kit bag and showing them some tricks of the trade.
PROJECT: X member, Emma Simmons, said: “Syd is a true inspiration and shared so much of his session styling world with us, I’m looking forward to putting into practice some of the tips he gave us.”
Arif Arikan added: “I loved the session with Syd Hayes because it was so inspirational. I learned so many great tips with styling, and it was really eye opening to see his background as a hairdresser.”
April Mash commented “Our day with Syd Hayes was quite possibly my favourite day so far whilst being on Project X. I was blown away listening to Syd tell us about his experiences and work within the industry let alone what he had to show us. I haven’t been involved in much session work during my career so far, so it was amazing to be able to get hands on and learn from someone who is so humble and knowledgeable.”
Kay Binnersley summed up the experience: “It was an absolutely outstanding day with Syd Hayes we learned so much from him. He was so inspiring and he really turned a switch on in my head and made me look at hair very differently than I have done before. I really enjoyed the whole day and how lucky to work on models again; what a treat! The electrical tools
from BaByliss was a very kind and unexpected gift.”

PROJECT: X Team Leader: Sam Burnett
PROJECT: X Team Members:
Kay Binnersley – Kay Binnersley Hair
Roisin Murphy – K H Hair
Lea Shaw – Rural Fringe Hair Salon
Cc McNamee – Andrew Smith Salons Fareham
Pamela Cooney – Toni & Guy, Cannon Street
April Mash – Strangeways
Emma Simmons – Salon 54
Nicola Hamm – Escape Hair Lounge
Thomas Worth – Tint
Arif Arikan – Alice and the Hair
Reina Boddy – Joseph Ferraro Hair

For more information:
Instagram: @fellowshiphair
Email carol@fellowshiphair.com
Call 01295 724579

The Great British Barber Bash is taking its education to both Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland, offering two day courses in
DUBLIN, BELFAST, CORK, LIMERICK, and KILKENNY.

Educators scheduled to feature include Hayden Cassidy and Ollie Foster
(educators vary depending on location).

Demonstrations take place each morning and you will work on up to four live models over the two days. Two educators work on each course ensuring great attention will be paid to every attendee.

The GBBB tailor the courses to the individual’s needs and the educators will work closely with students on whatever area of barbering they want to develop. The course is suitable for all abilities.

Ideal for barbers or hairdressers who want to massively improve their barbering ability. This course will take your skillset to the next level, give you new ideas, techniques and a fresh approach.  

For all the information needed to get booked in, go to https://greatbritishbarbersbash.co.uk/barberskool-two-day/

Dexter Dapper Johnson, the International Artistic Director for Toni & Guy and Label.M, Head of Men’s Education, has teamed up with CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) to raise money for men’s mental health, by organising a Charity Football Game. CALM is a non-profit organization, leading the movement against suicide.

Dexter said: “We are here to keep raising awareness with regards to men’s mental health and well being. Every week 125 people in the UK take their own lives. And 75% of all UK suicides are male.”

With the aim to raise awareness and funds for men’s mental health and wellbeing, Dexter has organised a charity football match. Hosted by Cray Wanderers Football Club, and sponsored by the Kelleher Group, barbers and hairdressers will gather on Sunday, 29^th of August to play and raise money!

Watch some of the leading hairstylists and barbers in the industry, including Kevin Luchmun, Charlie Cullen, Josh Lamonaca Jonathan Andrew, Jody Taylor, and many more. They may not all be pro players, but they’ll have the best haircuts on the field!

The game will take place at 2:00pm at Flamingo Park Sports & Leisure, Chislehurst DA14 6QQ on Sunday 29 August 2021.

To donate click here:  https://gofund.me/7df6bc52

Hands up… we missed this one a few weeks back!

In what has to be one of the strangest news articles we have published in forever, it would appear that CCTV footage caught two lovers during the throes of passion, falling through the shop front window of Savvy Barbershop in Montreal.

Despite the damage, Mike Rose and Dave Lechasseur, co-owners of the Savvy Barbershop want to identify the couple who smashed through the shop’s glass door as they were making out early on Monday morning.

“It’s just to go full circle to see if everybody’s fine, nobody got hurt. How did that actually end for them? It’s just to see,” Lechasseur said.

As if we wouldn’t post the video below for your enjoyment / bewilderment!

The world famous Headhunters Barber Shop and Railway Museum is celebrating 40 years in business.

In what must be the only place on earth that you can get a haircut and peruse some amazing steam age railway memorabilia, Headhunters is owned by brothers Nigel and Gordon Johnston – in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.

Initially the barbershop hosted a temporary exhibition of railway items, however it soon engulfed five rooms, and properly opened in 2002. Indeed it has been recognised with the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of its work in the community.

We wish Nigel and Gordon the very best for the future as they celebrate this superb business anniversary.

Reading based barber Waheed Ullah has been doing his bit for the local community.

The owner of Diamond Scissors, has provided haircuts and food free of charge to up to 30 homeless people every Sunday.

On top of this, Waheed has also provided toiletries and women’s sanitary products.

We salute Waheed for his community spirit and for showing just how vital a barbershop can be to its local surroundings.