Yes, cutting hair is simple and easy, just grab some shears and hack away. Styling hair to make it fall properly, to look full and lush, well that takes artistry and training.

I have spent years studying to become a Master Stylist. I have spent years learning and updating my credentials to become a Master Colorist.

Sassoon training is only one aspect of my background, but I thought it might be the most recognizable to all of you. Rather then me trying to explain how it works, I thought I would quote from one of the masters. Listen to what he has to say:

DD: In manuals such as “Cutting Hair the Vidal Sassoon Way” (1978), there is a chapter entitled “The Psychology of Haircutting” with a paragraph on bone structure. How important is anatomy in hairdressing?
Vidal Sassoon: No question: analysing faces, knowing bones, studying the height of the bones before you cut and making sure that the cut will look well from every angle is extremely important. Haircutting is not just about sitting someone in a chair and going ‘chop chop chop’, it’s really about studying the anatomy of the person you are working on.

To see the rest of the article you can go to:

http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/7468/1/scissors-revolution-vidal-sassoon-the-movie

Designing the best style for your hair type, the way your hair lays naturally, cutting it just right so that when you style your hair at home it looks just as good as when I style it at the salon. Being confident enough to tell you when a cut will NOT work with your hair and face. Working WITH you to make you look your best.

Ask people who have had a bad cut how much that affected their lives. To save a few bucks you can end up with weeks or months of bad hair days. I don’t think that’s the best way to save money, do you?

Maria Armenteros

www.mariaarmenteros.com

Salon Ambiance, Huntington Beach, Ca

I was watching an episode of  “What Not to Wear”  and I thought to myself, so many people don’t understand  the impact of looking good. Many of the women who come on the show know somewhere inside them selves that they have given up. They are stuck with a look from 30 years ago, or 8 sizes ago, and they just don’t know how to move on!! Some have dry, unmanageable hair, and it causes them embarrasment and anquish just to get ready for an outing or a professional appointment.

On the show, the two stylists, Stacey and Clinton, work together with people to try and show them how the should dress. They first explain how their current wardrobe is not working, then show people examples of what would work better. And there is also a professional Hair Sylist on the show, to help them with their look.

Once Stacey and Clinton teach them how to shop for clothing and how to dress, you can see their whole “being” transform. People who were timid and shy become more outgoing. People who were sullen, or silly, become  more upbeat and outgoing. You watch them at their reveal parties and they just strut in, twirling and proud to show off their new selves.

As a hairdresser and stylist, what means the most to me is the part of the show where the people are required to get their hair styled. So many of those men and women are attached to their hair, and fearful of changing anything about it. The women with long hair seem to be the most fearful. I must say, as a professional stylist, I understand their fear. Not everyone who has a license to cut hair is a good stylist. I have seen too many people come to me after having had their hair poorly cut by another stylist, just upset and in tears, asking me can you fix this.

Let me please say this. I invest in my business. I have been trained in some of the fines schools in the Industry, and I consistently go to seminars and training to keep my skills sharp and on the cutting edge.  Cutting hair is NOT just about technique, it is about artistry, it is about having the experience to know how to shape thin hair, versus thick hair. It’s about cutting curly hair differently from straight hair. And color is another story all by itself. Think of color as chemistry. It’s not like when you go to the store and buy something off the shelf. I have had to learn how to mix just the right colors, how to blend them so people’s hair doesn’t end up looking flat and one dimensional.

At the end of the show, after the people have gone through all of the changes, they look like and act like  whole new people, almost without exception.  If you are in a place where your look is dragging you down, then You deserve that for yourself as well!!!

Maria Armenteros

Salon Ambiance – Huntington Beach, Ca

www.mariaarmenteros.com

 Maybe it’s time for an easy maintenance, wash and go style for the summer.Whether is be short and cropped, shoulder length and angular, or longer, with bangs, so it looks good in a pony tail!!

Ginnifer Goodwin’s cool summer do!!

Check out what some of these celebrities have done:

Short and sweet for the summer. Just wash, condition, a little mouse or gel and you are out the door.

Halle Barry has gone back to her short cropped look for the season, and a couple of my own clients have taken off some length to keep the back of their necks cool during the hot, lazy days of summer.

Jennifer Aniston has shortened her long locks to an edgier style bob for her summer do:

Here in Huntington Beach, we are by the beach, and we get to see all the latest styles that people are wearing for summer. As a stylist with a flair for the dramatic, I love helping my people try something new. Hair grows, so no one style has to last forever. Don’t get stuck in a rut, dare to try something new.

Kate Middleton's Wedding Hairstyle

Weddings, formals, semi-formals. It is that time of year, people get married, father’s take their daughters to the Father Daughter Dances, Junior and Senior Proms, fundraising events. Women shop and shop for just the right dress for the occasion, and I asked them to do the same with their hair and make up. Once you have a dress, the very next step should be an appointment with your hairstylist. Sometimes I am not certain people are truly listening. when I write my blogs, so when I read about other professional stylists saying pretty much what I have said, it always makes me feel good.

Soft, flowing curls

If you did not get a chance to read my blog a couple of weeks ago, one piece of advice I gave was this: don’t just plop in your stylists chair on the day of the big event, be it wedding or prom, and hope that on the first attempt you  will get  the hairstyle of your dreams. Make at least one appointment in advance to try out different styles BEFORE your special event.

 Take a look at what Kate Middelton’s sylist said  in the Daily Mail,  :

“Richard Ward, who owns the London salon responsible for styling the Royal bride’s hair on Friday, told how Kate, her mum Carole, 56, and sister Pippa, 27, have already had a number of dress rehearsals for their hair alone.

Richard said: ‘We’ve had many practice runs – and not just with Kate.”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1381165/Royal-Wedding-Kate-Middleton-tells-hair-stylist-Prince-William-recognise-me.html#ixzz1Kkgx6QCk

 It is also critical that you end up looking like yourself. One other thing that Kate Middleton said was, it is important that William recognize her as she approaches the altar on their big day.  An intricate, fancy updo on a person who normally wears their hair long and flowing  will look unnatural. Certain dress styles call for different hair styles as well. A very structured dress may look better with hair pulled back and sleek. A loose, flowy dress will probably look better with a soft, wavy hair style.

Don’t leave anything to chance on such important days, call and book a tryout session in advance.

thank you, Maria

Salon Ambiance, Huntington Beach, Ca

Wedding Hairstyle

Sometimes the hairstyle you pick out is not the right one for your dress. If you have the dress already, before the actual day of the event, it is a very good idea to bring the dress to the salon and we can work together to find the best style for you, the dress, and the occasion. Lets imagine you going to be doing a fair bit of dancing, a loose flowy style might be better then an updo. If you have a dress with lots of beading and decoration, then a simpler, more elegant style might be best.

How does your hair color look? If you are trying to cover your gray and have been coloring your hair from a box, it may lack dimension and shine. In the salon, we have products made specifically to put color and shine into your hair, with hightlights and low lights. Coloring is not just a matter of picking out a bottle of dye that looks similar to your color. It’s more like a chemistry project where we mix different formulas that will give your hair color life and dimension.

Here at Salon Ambiance, in Huntington Beach, my philosophy is to first listen to my clients, then suggest what I think will work best, always keeping my clients wants and needs uppermost in my mind. 

So please don’t leave these important decisions to  the last minute, or you can ruin a special day.

 Call me ahead of time and book a consultation.

Don’t forget, I am running a special this week:

 Brazilian Blowout and Haircut, Normally $300,

 but for this week only the price is $200!!!

Maria Armenteros, http://www.mariaarmenteros.com/

If you would like to rock this trendy new do, please call Maria Armenteros at (562) 972 5006 for your appointment today.

Now, onto the real reason behind this post

THIS COMING WEEK, I HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL IN STORE FOR YOU!!

For the week of April 1, 2011  only, bring  in your hair extensions, and Maria will put them in for you at 50% off our regular rate.  Normally $150 per hour,  our special rate this week will be reduced to only to $75.00 per hour!!!

If you have an upcoming event, or just need to update your look for spring, this is a great time to try hair extensions, and maybe even a feather or two.

Questions!  Give me a call, at 562.972.5006, and check back here for up to the minute news about hair styles, color and more !!!

Goldwell’s Color Zoom Challenge is looking for the new creative team that will create the next, global Color Zoom Collection 2013 together with the international Master Team!  Contestants will demonstrate their color competence and show that they are able to interpret trends in a highly creative way.  They will seek to make themselves known in the hairdressing industry all over the world.  Maria is ready to set the trends!

The competition will be judged by a national and international jury consisting of independent hairdressers, journalists of the trade press and fashion experts from the beauty industry based on the following criteria:

1. INTERPRETATION OF THE TREND WORLD.
2. COLOR TECHNIQUE AND PRODUCT USE.
3. PROFESSIONALISM AND AESTHETICS OF THE PICTURE.

Maria is excited about the challenge especially after recently completing rigorous training with the experts at Goldwell.  We will be posting updates from time to time so you can follow along as Maria represents us all in this prestigious contest.

In the mean time, if you are looking to set your own trend for 2011, please call Maria today for your appointment at (562) 972 5006.

There are those of you who are just plain tired of  dealing with all the issues that come with curly hair. For you, I have something you have seen in my blog before, it is called the Brazilian Blowout. Often times, women with  processed hair or hair extentions  are reluctant to try this kind of treatment. Just to ease your mind, scroll down and take a look at this:

Amazing results!!! The 12 Bleach platinum blond hair was from a rejected lot of hair that we received and it did not pass quality control. We marked the hair as too frizzy and dry, but kept some in the lab for experiments. One of our production staff members applied the Brazillian treatment (Cadiveu Keratin Treatment) to the hair and it turned out beautifully. The hair was silky, smooth, straight and still holding up after several washes. We are fairly impressed with the results and feel confident to tell our stylists they can safely apply this treatment to the hair extensions. We cannot guarantee the results since there are a few different brand products out there and the stylist must follow application instructions and pay attention to warnings.

Go ahead and give me a call, we can discuss if this will work for you!!

Click the Like Button if you found this article useful, and don’t forget to let your friends know about me!!

Maria