Yes it’s that time of year that the days get a little bit longer, our skin gets a little bit darker… And our smiles become a little bit wider. Nothing beats the feeling of summer in the air. Summer is the time to experiment! I say we put away the flat irons, and embrace the waves and curls. Why fight it, just flaunt it. With summer, comes humidity, which means for those of you with finer hair, it dramatically becomes a hot, limp, stick straight mess once you step out of your house.

Ask anyone of our stylists and they will tell you one of their go to products at this time of year, that meshes well with your sun kissed skin, is the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray. It launched about 12 years ago, and has been going strong ever since! Sea Salt Spray lets your hair look like you just came back from a day on the beach! (And who doesn’t like the amount of texture and fullness your hair gets after) Build volume as you create random, undone texture to your hair. The best thing about this product is the fact that you can build on it. Start with a little, and if you feel like its not enough, add more.
It helps to add VOLUME when added to wet hair (roots). Just spray in the root area, and then use your fingers and quickly rub into your scalp, then blow dry.

When added to dry hair, get ready to flaunt your beachy waves. Start by spraying in large sections. Mid shaft to ends is fine, and scrunch it. Scrunch like you did in the 80′s and 90′s ladies……And then just let it dry. The less you touch it, the longer your style will stay. Voila, you are done. Short of taking a dip in the ocean, it’s the next big thing!

They say good things come to those who wait, and 12 years later, Bumble and Bumble answered our prayers and said the wait is over….
Introducing Surf Foam Wash Shampoo and Surf Creme Rinse Conditioner, created with the same genius blend of minerals and sea botanicals as the original styler and promises to help not only clean and hydrate your locks, but create body and enhance natural texture.

Whatever you have planned this summer, we here at Salon Fusion hope that you have an amazing time. We continue to thank you for your patronage. We are in a industry of change and choices. And we thank you for choosing us and allowing us to service you.

It’s May, which means yes, the season is upon us, Prom season. Wether it’s a glamorous Hollywood chic up-do, or a braided bohemian style, girls will be flocking to our salon with a head filled with ideas of how they want their look to be created, and most of the time RECREATED. A lot of times, and I assure you this comes from experience, people become overwhelmed with ideas and have a hard time describing what it is they want done. It is best to do your homework and come in with a picture or two of some of your favorite looks. It’s best to have at least two different ideas and so your stylist can let you know what style will suit you best. I’ve also seen girls bring in pictures of their dresses, and that’s great two. Having a style that compliments an open back dress or a one shoulder dress is by far your best accessory for the evening. Take a look at some of the looks below. These are some of our stylists favorite “do’s”.

As fast as Prom season comes and goes Wedding season is sure to follow. A lot of the looks we’ve shared for the 2013 prom season, are actually beautiful styles that can be worn during wedding season as well. From beautiful blushing brides, and proud mother of the brides, to our ever so dedicated bridesmaids, everyone is need of a “fancy” do. Take a look at some of these other looks that I love….

Whichever you decide it’s always important to book in advance for your event, especially
To insure you get the time that you need, to make it back on time for your photo shoot. And if I can leave you with one more tip before you see us , is that it’s best to wear a button down or zip up front shirt to your appointment. Because wrecking your ” do” while removing your shirt , is a definite “don’t”! Until next time friends

With every season, I’ve always said, if our clothes and make up changes then our hair should go along with it.
Spring and “springtime” refer to the season, and also to some ideas such as rebirth, rejuvenation and renewal. It’s time to renew our look, rejuvenate our thirsty ends, and revive our feelings towards some age old products. Keep reading and you’ll see what I mean.
Cascading curls are taking a backseat and making room for some of the simpler styles. World renown hairdresser Guido mentioned something in one of the beauty articles I was reading and I wanted to share it with you all. He says, and I quote,
“Women tend to think simplicity is hard to achieve, but it’s about nothing more than wearing hair naturally, to have it look fresh and modern. It doesn’t have to be a difficult thing. The freshly washed look is the next big thing.” Now for those of you who don’t know who Guido Palau is, he is one of our industry’s top stylists who creates at least 30 of the different styles you see hit the runways throughout the year in various shows. According to a 2010 Allure article, he has become one of the busiest runway stylists in the business – and the driving force behind many of the major trends. His styles are seen on the runways of fashion houses, including Prada, Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, Lanvin, Alexander Wang, Calvin Klein, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren and Alexander McQueen. Point being, when Guido speaks, I listen.
I wanted to share some of our favorite products We use to achieve the simple, not to overdone look. If you are someone that likes to let you hair air dry like I do, I suggest you do it the night before. No one likes to walk out with a wet head with this Chicago ” spring” weather. If you feel your hair has a tendency to get frizzy, I suggest running a dime size amount of the Bumble and Bumble de-Frizz throughout your towel dried hair. I usually let it halfway dry, and when it’s still just a little damp, put it up in a bun before bed. Next day, it’s ready to lightly touch up with a big barrel iron, just thru certain pieces. And to finish off the look, my all time favorite go to product is the Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine. This little tube is like MAGIC! It helps to to smooth out any flyways you may have, but what I love is that it just creates a soft, sultry slept in look, without looking messy……simply natural. And to maintain this style and all your other favorite styles, finish off with hairspray. Yes ladies, hairspray! Some how, throughout the years , women have become deathly afraid of the one product they had a close relationship with in the late 80′s and 90′s. Now let me just say that the reason why I say this is because I hear the words echo throughout the salon constantly when I see a stylist finishing a style, ” oh no, no hairspray please”. We’ve come a long way from our Aquanet and liquid glue days. Hairspray doesn’t have to create a cement like barrier around our heads to maintain our style. My advice, start off with a light- to medium hold spray and then go from there. I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised. Try some our stylists favorite:

Olga loves the gold well hairspray “big finish”

Dmitry and Giuseppe love the gold well hairspray too, “styler”

Monika loves the Moroccan oil hair spray. She says its light and a perfect finish to any natural look.

Until next time. Happy Spring!

Welcome back everyone. As we near the end of February, I’m excited to announce that Spring will be here before we know it! For being the shortest month, February sure did seem long, didn’t it? The one thing I do love about that month , is the fact that its when one of the highlights of the fashion world takes place… NYFW- New York Fashion Week.
Between the Academy awards, the Oscars, the Grammys and everything else that happens in Jan-Feb, NYFW is truly one of my favorites.

I will sum it up as quickly as I can… Or at least with my favorites, and not so favorites.
The one thing that most of the designers had in common was the fact that black and white will be huge this year. I love the look, it’s clean and polished

The one look that I don’t really care for is the jean overalls!!! Why oh why did we decide to bring this back? It should be left back in time with the other fashion faux pas:

Big brows for spring! I’m still undecided on this look. I personally like mine a little thinner, but some of these are very wearable. I just don’t have the patience to grow them out.

White nails and pale colors were widely spotted backstage at NYFW. Sometimes some good things never go out of style, like ballet slippers by Essie. This will be pretty popular I’m sure!!

Why not update your look with one of these new trends for 2013? Whichever you prefer I’m sure it will be fabulous!!! Until next time…..

Sorry Winter,some of my friends and I are beyond over you. Although the deep plum flushed lips, and deep, sultry smokey eyes were fun, my dry, itchy skin has been done for awhile!
Well thankfully Spring will be here sooner then later. And I am here to share with you two very important things, 1. Some of the most anticipated beauty looks for 2013, 2. An introduction to our freelance make up artist Shawn, who is here to help you achieve your look.
When it comes to make up, barely there is always beautiful. But barely there with just a pop of color on your pouty lips is so much better! Crimson red, and fuchsias are so “IN” for 2013, just be sure to keep the rest of your look soft.

We are seeing a slight shift and change on how we create the smokey eye. Ladies, it’s time to put down your darkest black shadow and opt for a softer sable shade, or maybe even a pewter, charcoal color for evening look.
If a bright pouty lip, or softer smokey eyes isn’t doing it for you, why not try a little boldness on your bottom lid? Yes, when it comes to eyeliner it seems like anything goes in 2013. Purple, green, gold or even teal like this picture here of Demi Lovato…
Whatever your into this year, we are here to help. Last year we launched our TiGi cosmetic line. And we are happy to say the response has been great. We now have our free lance make up artist, Shawn, working with us on a monthly basis to come in and recreate some of the looks we saw this year on the red carpet, or just to simply match you with the color palette that best suits your skin color. Please call to schedule your complimentary make up application today.

The Golden Globes were this past Sunday, and thanks to modern technology I’ve been able to revisit the nights most unforgettable looks. Or as I like to group them, the good, the bad and the ugly! It was a night of unbelievable risk taking, neck plunging and barely there dresses. What a perfect way to spend a Sunday night. And of course I will look back on my favorite hair look.

My least favorite look of the night was this Jerry Garcia inspired gown that Sarah Michelle Gellar decided to bring back from the not so grateful dead…… What was she thinking?? Tie dye is for tees and tanks!

One of my favorite looks was the breathtaking Katharine McPhee. She looked amazing in this black dress, with plunging, daring neckline, And to be honest, I think the hair was perfect! This messy bun was one of her best accessories for the night. Very edgy look for her. She won in my book!

I posted earlier that loose long hair is back for 2013. Check out how Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson and Amanda Seyfried wore their hair. These are looks that most can wear. With the help of a round brush, bumble and bumble thicking spray, and curling iron for some added loose curls, you too can have these red carpet looks.

The other big trend I did notice this year on the red carpet was the nails!! There was a lot of multiple colored nails and jeweled French polishes too!
Take a look here at these

Whatever you are into, or you favorited on Sunday, let one of the looks inspire you for 2013. Until next month!!

Happy New Year!! Welcome to 2013 folks…… We here at Salon Fusion hope you all had a wonderful holiday and once again like to thank you for your continued patronage and loyalty all these years. It is because of you, our clients that we have been able to continue to be as successful as we’ve been. And for this we are truly humbled and grateful.
I will start of by saying that it should come as no surprise that I myself have many RESOLUTIONS or GOALS for the upcoming year. First and foremost I’ve made a promise to myself and my clients to stay ahead of the game when it comes to the latest innovations and trends in our industry. After all, it is part of our mission statement. I promise to continue to change with the trends as we are in an industry of change. We will always continue to gather whatever useful tips and fashion forward looks we come across, and bring them to you, our clients.
We start off the year with a lot of last year’s hair strong statements we saw for the last several months. Bobs are hotter than ever for the upcoming spring season. Whether it’s with a side swept bang or a piece fringe, they’re back and bolder than ever.
Ponytails and side parts are making their way back too. Wet look, or even a smoothed out ponytails paired with longer earrings will be the best route to go when attending any social gathering that requires a great look. Taking a small section of hair and wrapping it around the finished tail is a great way to make it look more polished and less “RUSHED”. Just wrap it and secure it with a bobby pin just below the ponytail.
We are also seeing a lot of blondes going just a bit more platinum. Golden shades are taking a seat back and making room for our cooler shade blondes to come back to the front seat. If you are feeling a little spontaneous blondes with “dipped” colorful ends are being shown a lot too. And of course we can’t forget the oh so popular ombre look we’ve seen for the past 2 years. It’s still around for 2013 with some slight modifications….it is reversed. Try a lighter base with a slightly darker mid shaft to ends.
Whatever your hair goals are this year. We are here to meet your demands. If you find it hard sometimes to describe what it is you want to achieve that day or in the future, pictures always work. It’s always best to do some homework before you come and have a plan of action, and we will always give you our honest and professional opinion on whether we feel it is something that would look best for you.
We are bursting with things to share with you this upcoming year. And we look forward to serving you and seeing you again soon. Until then, remember this… change doesn’t always come easy, but sometimes we have to just try. That’s what my motto is this year and I’m trying it in my professional and personal life, and wanted to share that with you all. Happy New Year!!!

Hello there Gorgeous. It’s been awhile. I must apologize for the delay in blogging, but it seems as though the hustle and bustle of the holiday season started a little early for me.
I hope everyone’s thanksgiving went well. It seems as though as quickly as that has come and gone so has my holiday budget thus far.
As the other holidays quickly approach us, we here at Salon Fusion can not begin to express the importance of pre-booking your next appointment to insure you get in when you need to. We also wanted to remind you too that in the midst of the chaos and festivities, to take some time for yourself and indulge in some little you time.
For those who have holiday parties to attend, think of us when you are at a loss on how to style your hair differently for the always eventful work gathering. How about a fun side swepped messy bun? Or a smoothed out blow out? Of course we can’t forget the oh so popular full head of curls/waves that’s been leaving our chairs more often lately.
If your hair is feeling the effects from some of the cooler weather we’ve had, come on in and take a Journey with one of our new TIGI conditioning treatments, or our Kerastase line. Whatever the condition, we have one to fit your hair needs.
And as the year is winding down to an end, we here at Salon Fusion would like to thank you for your loyalty, and patronage throughout the years. And truly from our family to yours, we wish you the happiest of holiday seasons, and warm wishes for the year to come.

Yes it’s the time of year when we say good bye to our white pants and sandals and say hello to our riding boots and rich hues. As we wave good bye to one of the hottest summers I’ve experienced here in Chicago, we still hold tight to some of the hair trends that were seen on our streets……..
Looking back at Fashion week last year (which held this fall/winters forecast), we see that the textured waves and sleek ponytails that were a hit for the summer, still shine strong for the Fall and Winter months. Headbands are still making a strong impression as well.

I always like to remind my clients at this time of year, or when seasons are about to change, that it’s a perfect time to make a slight modification or total transformation on their existing look. If our clothes and our make up change with each season, why shouldn’t our hair? It is our biggest accessory isn’t it? And our best one too!
Let’s tone down some of the blondes and enhance some of our brunettes with some red shades. If a warmer red infused brown is not your thing, look into some of our cool browns we have to offer. The colors are undeniably RICH!!!

This fall, Salon Fusion has a few surprises in store for you and we hope that you stay tuned to walk through this “JOURNEY’ with us. Quick msg to follow this blog entry soon,,,,I promise!!

This past weekend a few of my collogues and I had the great honor and privilege to be surrounded by some of the talented people in our industry. What made it much more exciting to me, was that most of these talented people were young artists that had either just started out in their careers, or better yet, hadn’t even graduated beauty school yet.

I’ll start out by giving you the low down on what Trend Vision is all about. Every year some of the top manufactures release a “trend”, a forecast of hot trendy, graceful styles that they believe best describes all the looks that will be seen on the streets the following year.
So every year Wella comes out with4-5 looks, and they host the Trend Vision Awards, to give recognition and to inspire all of us. The competition is broken down into 3 categories, student, new talent (5 years or less), and color(but whole look is judged). Artists submit their work, which is based on their interpretation of the trend that was created that year by Wella. I cant even begin to imagine how many entries, and I must say, before I forget, the show we attended was for the U.S., Puerto Rico(not sure why its not considered part of US in show, just go with it), and Canada. The International level will be held in late October in Spain, with 72 other countries, and the winners of each category from the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada, will compete there too.

Our first full day in LA was spent in between two of the most INSPIRING places I have ever been too.(next too going to the world premier of our late Vidal Sassoon’s movie) We visited the Wella studio in Woodland Hills. That’s where all the talented artists met to prep and create these wonderful masterpieces for our humbled eyes to see. Truly a sight for our veteran eyes, such passion, such poise under pressure, it truly reminded me of why I do what I do, for chances like that. The energy in the room was unbelievable. Our next stop was the Vidal Sasson Academy in Santa Monica. Generally speaking for most hairdressers, he was our God, the chosen one. It was a big loss for our industry this year to lose such a pioneer .He changed the world of hairdressing

While we were there, we were able to meet with different international design teams such as Clairol, Sebastian, the Sasson team. They were all doing their models for the elaborate show for us the following day. These people were so nice to take a few minutes to speak with us about what exactly they do, and what the following day had in store for us. Great, talented, people.

Sunday evening went underway as expected, feeling all the tension, and seeing all the competitors nervous as they polished up their finishing touches on their models.

The show opened up with a Cirque Du Solei act, which was INSANE!! Started the show off right that’s for sure. As the music pumped thru the speakers and the models and presenters graced the cat walk following the flag of the country they were representing, you couldn’t help but wonder how in the world would these judges make a decision on Gold Silver and Bronze……
Following the parade of artists and models were separate segments of cutting techniques and styles that were from the artists we had met a day earlier. Unbelievable! That’s all I could say. And when the design creator for Wella ended the show with his work all the MC host could say was BOOM!!! We couldn’t agree with him more. Once the awards were presented and chosen, you couldn’t help but feel somewhat saddened for the people that didn’t win. But they really did win, because just being chosen from the 1000’s of pictures was a huge honor in itself.

We had an amazing time and journey with these up and coming stars. Until next time friends…….